To look or not to look (at cheap web hosting as a viable alternative), that is the question. A cheap web hosting service may bring to your minds the imagined horrors of poor quality, poor service that give you low returns and high blood pressure, but this may not represent the facts. You would be doing yourself a grave injustice by not considering cheap web hosting that could offer you the same level of service as a costlier one – may be even better. In order to appreciate this fact, you need to understand three things – how a company is able to provide cheap web hosting without compromising on quality, what you should check up in order to ensure that the solution that you are getting is up to the standard that you expect, and how you can guard yourself against possible compromise on quality.
First of all, it is possible for a company to provide a low cost service to you with as good a quality as a high cost service and make a sizeable profit for itself. This happens as a result of higher volumes that result from lower prices coupled with better service. Thus the company that is giving you the service, if it is managed well does not lose, and therefore has no reason to give you poor service.
Secondly, it is possible for you to verify what you are getting form a web hosting service in advance because unlike a physical product, web hosting involves a number verifiable facts on which you can base your decision.
Finally, whether you are settling for a cheap solution or a costly one, there are a number of issues that you need to ensure and once you have done this, you are reasonably sure of the quality of service that you can expect.
Once you are aware of these facts, there are certain specifics that you need to look at. These include:
- The reliability of the service, which can be measured by the percentage of time that the system would be up and available. High down times mean that your website will not be available for extended periods of time, thus causing you to lose traffic and business.
- Speed: Visitors to your site should be able to load the pages and navigate without too much loss of time. Other wise they may go away to some other alternate site
- Support: If have any problems help should be easily and quickly available
- Exclusivity: Your site should not be supporting third party ads and banners as these may divert the attention of a visitor and may also cause loss of business.
In evaluating a cheap web hosting service, you should additionally take care to ensure that the company that is providing the service has a good reputation and has the capability to provide the service without interruption and without deterioration of the quality. One indicator that can give an idea of whether the company is capable of delivering the required level of service is to look at the infrastructure available with the company and the hardware and equipment available with it. Taking references from satisfied customers is another way to ensure the standing of the company, if this is possible. You can also look at the type of guarantees if any offered by the company for its performance. A good company that is confident of delivering what it promises should have no problem in giving such a guarantee.
Article contributed by : Nicole BLANC – WEBHOSTINGER | PR Department
