What are the main factors that make an excellent server hosting company? For example does a dedicated server company really need to have a fantastic website to keep your server online and support you when you need it? Do they really need customer service that good that they call you once a month to ask how you are? It would be nice, but it most certainly isn't essential! The following is what really makes a good server hosting company tick.
The main thing that makes a great server host, is uptime and reliability! You shouldn't need technical support if the reliability and uptime are spot on, hence why support did not make it to number one! For first rate uptime, a number of practises need to be followed. The first is to use business grade hardware. I mean rack-mounted, branded hardware. You might not believe this, but some websites are hosted on desktop dedicated servers. You must try and avoid these companies. Next the network should have high end capacity to cope with large amounts of traffic both when it is quiet, and more importantly during peak times. The company's organisation skills are of utmost importance. A well organised companies runs into less issues. 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. It's very important a server host manages their customer's expectations very carefully. Some customers will expect instant responses. Then there are other customers who wait for days for a reply. If the query is unimportant, having a response within 24 hours is more than acceptable. However, should it be an emergency, you should expect an immediate response. You should find a company that is able to meet these expectations.
The third thing that makes a top class server hosting company is pricing. This may come as a surprise, given the old adage 'you get what you pay for'. However, this point seems very relevant given the current economic climate. Many companies are trying to cut their budget. IT is normally one area that is culled first. Thus saving on server hosting is very important. Never think you have to pay through the nose for good service. There are many companies overcharging for what other server hosts do better at a fraction of the cost.
One final word- make sure you do your research. Try and avoid contracts that tie you in for ages. Pay month to month, never annually. You'll need your data in order to move on if your host disappears. To uncover the best server hosting companies, just start Googling!
The main thing that makes a great server host, is uptime and reliability! You shouldn't need technical support if the reliability and uptime are spot on, hence why support did not make it to number one! For first rate uptime, a number of practises need to be followed. The first is to use business grade hardware. I mean rack-mounted, branded hardware. You might not believe this, but some websites are hosted on desktop dedicated servers. You must try and avoid these companies. Next the network should have high end capacity to cope with large amounts of traffic both when it is quiet, and more importantly during peak times. The company's organisation skills are of utmost importance. A well organised companies runs into less issues. 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. It's very important a server host manages their customer's expectations very carefully. Some customers will expect instant responses. Then there are other customers who wait for days for a reply. If the query is unimportant, having a response within 24 hours is more than acceptable. However, should it be an emergency, you should expect an immediate response. You should find a company that is able to meet these expectations.
The third thing that makes a top class server hosting company is pricing. This may come as a surprise, given the old adage 'you get what you pay for'. However, this point seems very relevant given the current economic climate. Many companies are trying to cut their budget. IT is normally one area that is culled first. Thus saving on server hosting is very important. Never think you have to pay through the nose for good service. There are many companies overcharging for what other server hosts do better at a fraction of the cost.
One final word- make sure you do your research. Try and avoid contracts that tie you in for ages. Pay month to month, never annually. You'll need your data in order to move on if your host disappears. To uncover the best server hosting companies, just start Googling!