So what should you look for when choosing a Web Hosting Company for your brand new spanking business?

There are a large number of companies that would welcome your business so it can be very confusing knowing which ones to approach.

If money is a problem then you may be tempted to go for an inexpensive or even a free company but this may not be such a good idea. As they say (not sure who "they" are) there is no such thing as a free lunch.

You will need to ask questions as to whether or not a "cheap" company might have problems with server downtimes or perhaps limitations in storage etc. To get good service I am afraid you will have to pay for it. Typically your web host will charge a monthly service fee which can range between $30 to $50 plus. So allow for around $400/600 per annum for your web hosting.

Hey you are building a large organisation aren't you? So let's get the foundations correct at the start.

I suggest that there are three major things to look out for when selecting your Web Host Company:-

1) Are they financially stable? Whilst it may be possible to change your company at a later date this could involve a lot of problems which are better avoided. So choose a company that is going to be in business for the long haul. Check them out and do due diligence.

2) Check out their infrastructure. For example do they offer a multi-homed network powered by multiple bandwidth providers? Eh? Do they explain things in simple English? Are any guarantees offered on their network availability or uptime?

3) What is their level of customer support. Would you get instant access to technicians in the event of a technical problem? What is the typical response time to answering enquiries/problems etc?

Whilst the above are probably the most important considerations other points to bear in mind are:-

- As your business grows can the web host provide all the new "bells & whistles" you might need to add? Think long term and plan ahead.

- Make sure that you check things like bandwidth capability so that if your traffic grows rapidly your customers will not have to wait to view information or download.

- Also a good web hosting company should provide you with good statistics such as reports on your traffic, which pages your potential customers are clicking onto the most etc.

So if you team up with a good Web Hosting Company from the outset you should be able to minimise any future potential problems thus enabling you to concentrate on building your business without unnecessary interruptions.

To Your Success!

John Beaumont