Selecting a Winning Web Hosting Relationship

Ultimately, the success or failure of an e-commerce Web site is determined by how carefully its owners select a hosting provider.

With thousands of hosting firms from which to choose, hosting-services consumers often learn the hard way that they should have been wary ' by experiencing poor service and performance, unforeseen costs and, the ultimate risk, failure or unadvertised acquisition of their hosting provider.

Too often, Web site owners choose a hosting provider based purely on price or features, but longevity and peace of mind require e-commerce practitioners to step back and look at the selection process from the perspective of a relationship. Work through needs carefully and make a decision based on all business or personal requirements, because a Web site's success ' and that of its owners and partners ' will depend on it from the beginning, and throughout a venture.

Making a Rational Choice

So how can e-commerce practitioners make an informed, rational choice with all the technology and business clutter, promises and fraud floating around in cyberspace?

Just ask.

A few years ago when the personal-computer (PC) market offered numerous, expensive and confusing choices, the best PC purchase advice often came from a trusted source. It's pretty much the same thing with finding a hosting service. The best way to begin a new hosting relationship is on the advice from parties in an existing hosting relationship. A trusted and experienced source is the first step toward developing a great hosting relationship. A service can also be found through one of the many online discussion forums on the topic. But a word of caution: Many host-rating sites and forums are owned or controlled by hosts, so weigh the whole information picture rather than examining and deciding to go with a single source.

Some key questions to address when seeking a referral include:

• How well did the company meet its uptime promises?
• Was support helpful the first time or did issues require multiple job tickets to resolve?
• Was billing and invoicing accurate?
• Were preventive measures in place to cut down on spam?
• Is the source of your referral still using that provider?

Shared or Dedicated?

Navigating the many hosting options available can be simplified by narrowing them down into two main categories: shared or dedicated. All Web sites reside on servers; dedicated hosting provides a 1-to-1 ratio ' one hosting account on one server. Shared hosting provides smaller sites a Web presence by populating large servers with many hosted accounts. Determining which best suits a company's needs is accomplished by matching business size and anticipated growth with how busy a site is expected to be. Other options include collocated, in which a customer uses a provider's hosting facility to house equipment, but dedicated and shared hosting are the nut of any discussion of Web hosting basics.

Dedicated hosting. Whether hosting is done on a simple PC that the customer company controls, or on a large high-end machine, this route is usually the choice for businesses that need to outsource a sophisticated Web presence or need full control over an individual server with high-traffic demands.

Shared hosting is predominantly an entry point for small businesses. In this method, a Web site, along with many others, is provisioned onto one server. Depending on the quality of the hardware, the bandwidth and the host's ability to manage multiple accounts, this may be the most cost-effective solution.

Recently, evolution of software has enabled hosts to offer virtual dedicated hosting, in which one server manages fewer accounts, but with the server appearing and functioning as more than one dedicated server. This hybrid is a cost-effective solution for companies that might need the power of a dedicated server at a lower price point. As companies looking for hosting services consider the type of hosting they need, their principals should try to imagine their business and Web site 3 to 5 years into the future. Will they need more bandwidth as traffic increases with new product offerings? Will they need more disk space as the site grows?

More Decisions to be Made

Once a decision has been made regarding the type of hosting, a key criterion remains ' service. Determining the most workable type of service relationship will save time and money. Most hosting providers offer some level of customer service and technical support. Those that don't most likely can't afford the overhead and are probably financially unstable. Among providers offering support, even fewer offer live, toll-free technical and billing support for free; the remainder offer e-mail and other lagging communications channels. The bottom line is that when a company or its Web site needs help, the ability to speak to someone who can remedy the situation is essential. If a business depends on its Web site for sales, communication or information, then it must be up 24/7. A good host will make sure that happens.

Before beginning the search for the holy grail of hosting providers, entrepreneurs should take a minute to weigh expectations for a business or personal site. Begin by thinking along two key paths: technical and business. The principals or IT experts should ask:

• Is it a primary or secondary business channel?
• Must content be updated frequently?
• Will the business be developing its own site or having a third party do the work?

The more clearly and concisely needs are identified, the greater the likelihood that a hosting provider can be properly assessed and chosen to meet those needs.

As for technology, that part of the relationship will be governed by factors such as the following.

Platform: The operating system that runs the server and determines any additional Web based applications.

Bandwidth: How fast and secure is the host's connection to the Internet? Are the host's servers redundant or, better yet, mirrored offsite in case of emergency? Can the host verify its advertised server performance and network performance measurements?

Uptime: The peace of mind that comes from knowing a site is always available to customers or an audience, which is the most crucial consideration. Ultimately, that's really why any venture pays a host.

Building in Room to Grow

The business side of any hosting relationship addresses a business' growth potential in the realm of the hosting provider's services and products. It also addresses overall ease of use ' transferring files, communicating with customer service, the suite of hosting management and administration tools available. Most importantly, assess the provider's philosophy and practice concerning service and dedication to its most important asset ' the customer.

While looking at the relationship basics, don't neglect some of the business basics. Billing and contract issues are critically important, particularly with fraud and copyright infringement on the rise. These concerns necessitate looking carefully at the provider's:

• Service level agreement (SLA);
• Acceptable use policy (AUP); and
• Any other legal information posted.

This information should be readily available on a provider's Web site. If it's not, then run away ' fast.

Finally, any company seeking a Web hosting service should think about potential providers as a new member of the business team, and should put them through the same steps as though a new human partner were being interviewed.

Picking a Host

Seem like it's time to pick the perfect Web services host?

Not quite.

Before beginning, document business and technical needs. This list of requirements will allow multiple candidates to be consistently evaluated.

Web hosting is a buyers' market and, consequently, myriad pricing models for similar products exist. But don't be fooled into buying on price alone; instead, select several hosts that appear to meet your needs. Read the fine print concerning what they say about themselves and determine whether:

• There are hidden costs;
• They have a money-back guarantee; and
• What level of service is included in the standard hosting plan.

Now the e-merchant is ready to look for a Web hosting service. At this point, executives can fire up their favorite search engine and, with a little work and some careful thought, find the right hosting provider.

And remember: Be patient. It's not just technology ' it's a relationship.

Ultimately, the success or failure of an e-commerce Web site is determined by how carefully its owners select a hosting provider.

With thousands of hosting firms from which to choose, hosting-services consumers often learn the hard way that they should have been wary ' by experiencing poor service and performance, unforeseen costs and, the ultimate risk, failure or unadvertised acquisition of their hosting provider.

Too often, Web site owners choose a hosting provider based purely on price or features, but longevity and peace of mind require e-commerce practitioners to step back and look at the selection process from the perspective of a relationship. Work through needs carefully and make a decision based on all business or personal requirements, because a Web site's success ' and that of its owners and partners ' will depend on it from the beginning, and throughout a venture.

Making a Rational Choice

So how can e-commerce practitioners make an informed, rational choice with all the technology and business clutter, promises and fraud floating around in cyberspace?

Just ask.

A few years ago when the personal-computer (PC) market offered numerous, expensive and confusing choices, the best PC purchase advice often came from a trusted source. It's pretty much the same thing with finding a hosting service. The best way to begin a new hosting relationship is on the advice from parties in an existing hosting relationship. A trusted and experienced source is the first step toward developing a great hosting relationship. A service can also be found through one of the many online discussion forums on the topic. But a word of caution: Many host-rating sites and forums are owned or controlled by hosts, so weigh the whole information picture rather than examining and deciding to go with a single source.

Some key questions to address when seeking a referral include:

• How well did the company meet its uptime promises?
• Was support helpful the first time or did issues require multiple job tickets to resolve?
• Was billing and invoicing accurate?
• Were preventive measures in place to cut down on spam?
• Is the source of your referral still using that provider?

Shared or Dedicated?

Navigating the many hosting options available can be simplified by narrowing them down into two main categories: shared or dedicated. All Web sites reside on servers; dedicated hosting provides a 1-to-1 ratio ' one hosting account on one server. Shared hosting provides smaller sites a Web presence by populating large servers with many hosted accounts. Determining which best suits a company's needs is accomplished by matching business size and anticipated growth with how busy a site is expected to be. Other options include collocated, in which a customer uses a provider's hosting facility to house equipment, but dedicated and shared hosting are the nut of any discussion of Web hosting basics.

Dedicated hosting. Whether hosting is done on a simple PC that the customer company controls, or on a large high-end machine, this route is usually the choice for businesses that need to outsource a sophisticated Web presence or need full control over an individual server with high-traffic demands.

Shared hosting is predominantly an entry point for small businesses. In this method, a Web site, along with many others, is provisioned onto one server. Depending on the quality of the hardware, the bandwidth and the host's ability to manage multiple accounts, this may be the most cost-effective solution.

Recently, evolution of software has enabled hosts to offer virtual dedicated hosting, in which one server manages fewer accounts, but with the server appearing and functioning as more than one dedicated server. This hybrid is a cost-effective solution for companies that might need the power of a dedicated server at a lower price point. As companies looking for hosting services consider the type of hosting they need, their principals should try to imagine their business and Web site 3 to 5 years into the future. Will they need more bandwidth as traffic increases with new product offerings? Will they need more disk space as the site grows?

More Decisions to be Made

Once a decision has been made regarding the type of hosting, a key criterion remains ' service. Determining the most workable type of service relationship will save time and money. Most hosting providers offer some level of customer service and technical support. Those that don't most likely can't afford the overhead and are probably financially unstable. Among providers offering support, even fewer offer live, toll-free technical and billing support for free; the remainder offer e-mail and other lagging communications channels. The bottom line is that when a company or its Web site needs help, the ability to speak to someone who can remedy the situation is essential. If a business depends on its Web site for sales, communication or information, then it must be up 24/7. A good host will make sure that happens.

Before beginning the search for the holy grail of hosting providers, entrepreneurs should take a minute to weigh expectations for a business or personal site. Begin by thinking along two key paths: technical and business. The principals or IT experts should ask:

• Is it a primary or secondary business channel?
• Must content be updated frequently?
• Will the business be developing its own site or having a third party do the work?

The more clearly and concisely needs are identified, the greater the likelihood that a hosting provider can be properly assessed and chosen to meet those needs.

As for technology, that part of the relationship will be governed by factors such as the following.

Platform: The operating system that runs the server and determines any additional Web based applications.

Bandwidth: How fast and secure is the host's connection to the Internet? Are the host's servers redundant or, better yet, mirrored offsite in case of emergency? Can the host verify its advertised server performance and network performance measurements?

Uptime: The peace of mind that comes from knowing a site is always available to customers or an audience, which is the most crucial consideration. Ultimately, that's really why any venture pays a host.

Building in Room to Grow

The business side of any hosting relationship addresses a business' growth potential in the realm of the hosting provider's services and products. It also addresses overall ease of use ' transferring files, communicating with customer service, the suite of hosting management and administration tools available. Most importantly, assess the provider's philosophy and practice concerning service and dedication to its most important asset ' the customer.

While looking at the relationship basics, don't neglect some of the business basics. Billing and contract issues are critically important, particularly with fraud and copyright infringement on the rise. These concerns necessitate looking carefully at the provider's:

• Service level agreement (SLA);
• Acceptable use policy (AUP); and
• Any other legal information posted.

This information should be readily available on a provider's Web site. If it's not, then run away ' fast.

Finally, any company seeking a Web hosting service should think about potential providers as a new member of the business team, and should put them through the same steps as though a new human partner were being interviewed.

Picking a Host

Seem like it's time to pick the perfect Web services host?

Not quite.

Before beginning, document business and technical needs. This list of requirements will allow multiple candidates to be consistently evaluated.

Web hosting is a buyers' market and, consequently, myriad pricing models for similar products exist. But don't be fooled into buying on price alone; instead, select several hosts that appear to meet your needs. Read the fine print concerning what they say about themselves and determine whether:

• There are hidden costs;
• They have a money-back guarantee; and
• What level of service is included in the standard hosting plan.

Now the e-merchant is ready to look for a Web hosting service. At this point, executives can fire up their favorite search engine and, with a little work and some careful thought, find the right hosting provider.

And remember: Be patient. It's not just technology ' it's a relationship.