There are a great many factors that make a first class server hosting company, but how about the most important ones? Having an all singing all dancing website is a very good plus point, but is it essential? Do they really need customer service that good that they call you once a month to ask how you are? While it might make that server host good, is it absolutely crucial? The following factors are what is most important in making a server hosting company.
Uptime and reliability are the hallmark of a great server host. I was tempted to put support first, however if you have a host with great uptime and reliability, you shouldn't need support. A number of practises need to be adhered to, to achieve excellent uptime. The first is to use business grade hardware. By business grade I mean rack mounted, high end server equipment. Some companies, believe or not, host websites on dedicated servers that are simply home desktops! Try and suss these companies out and avoid them! The network also needs to be powerful enough to cope with big spikes in traffic. The organisation of the company is extremely important. You will find a better organised company has less problems. Whereas a badly organised server host can end up rebooting the wrong server, or worse still, formatting it!
Technical support only just comes in at second. People's expectations of support seem to vary dramatically. Some customers demand an instant response. Other customers will wait days for a reply. If the query is unimportant, having a response within 24 hours is more than acceptable. However, in an emergency, you really want an instant response. Find yourself a company that can offer you this level of support the rare time you need it.
The third thing that makes a top class server hosting company is pricing. You might not believe this, given we are told 'we get what we pay for'. However, this point seems very relevant given the current economic climate. There are a great many companies working on overstretched budgets. IT is normally one area that is culled first. So if you can save on your server hosting, you are going to be popular! Don't be led to believe you need to pay ten times more just to be looked after. There are many hosts that charge ridiculous amounts for poor quality service that is outdone by the very best server hosting companies that charge a fraction of the cost.
One final word- make sure you do your research. If you can avoid contracts protecting the company and not you, it is worth avoiding doing so. Never pay up front for a year. If a company disappears you'll need your data to move. To uncover the best server hosting companies, just start Googling!
Uptime and reliability are the hallmark of a great server host. I was tempted to put support first, however if you have a host with great uptime and reliability, you shouldn't need support. A number of practises need to be adhered to, to achieve excellent uptime. The first is to use business grade hardware. By business grade I mean rack mounted, high end server equipment. Some companies, believe or not, host websites on dedicated servers that are simply home desktops! Try and suss these companies out and avoid them! The network also needs to be powerful enough to cope with big spikes in traffic. The organisation of the company is extremely important. You will find a better organised company has less problems. Whereas a badly organised server host can end up rebooting the wrong server, or worse still, formatting it!
Technical support only just comes in at second. People's expectations of support seem to vary dramatically. Some customers demand an instant response. Other customers will wait days for a reply. If the query is unimportant, having a response within 24 hours is more than acceptable. However, in an emergency, you really want an instant response. Find yourself a company that can offer you this level of support the rare time you need it.
The third thing that makes a top class server hosting company is pricing. You might not believe this, given we are told 'we get what we pay for'. However, this point seems very relevant given the current economic climate. There are a great many companies working on overstretched budgets. IT is normally one area that is culled first. So if you can save on your server hosting, you are going to be popular! Don't be led to believe you need to pay ten times more just to be looked after. There are many hosts that charge ridiculous amounts for poor quality service that is outdone by the very best server hosting companies that charge a fraction of the cost.
One final word- make sure you do your research. If you can avoid contracts protecting the company and not you, it is worth avoiding doing so. Never pay up front for a year. If a company disappears you'll need your data to move. To uncover the best server hosting companies, just start Googling!
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If you are really trying to locate the best server hosting company, try Melbourne.
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