Does Your Web Host Live Up to Expectations?

Web hosting providers come a dime a dozen these days, but finding one you can count is never as easy as it should be. While technical problems occur from time to time, there are some mishaps that simply cannot be tolerated. Below we have listed some of the most telling signs that should let you know that your web host is not up to par.
Your Site Always Goes Down
This one should be pretty obvious. If your website is constantly unavailable or keeps giving you errors, the chances of keeping visitors around are slim to none. Even a loyal following will inevitably flea if your site cannot put out an optimal performance or is never available. If these are problems you are experiencing, your web host is likely suffering from overcrowded servers or an inadequate network. In many cases, a company will start off on the right foot, but grow progressively worse once it becomes more popular and acquires more customers, essentially becoming a victim of its very own success. Of course having a large amount of traffic is a good thing, but if your web host’s infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand, your website is simply doomed to fail.
Support is a Letdown
A web host that provides excellent support will inevitably attract more loyal customers. On the same note, a host that provides horrible support will lose customers very quickly. With the hosting business being such an expansive industry, one would think that good support would be easy to come by. Unfortunately, this factor only makes it more difficult to find. The best web hosting firms deliver support around the clock on a 24 hour basis, allowing their customers to get help by phone, email, live chat, FAQs, knowledge bases and other resources. If you are stuck with horrible support, your web host is failing to meet your needs and that means it is time to search for something better.
Inadequate Security Puts You at Risk
Many webmasters are not aware of it, but websites are hacked into and compromised all the time. For instance, they are defaced, used to host malicious phishing and pharming sites, distribute spam mail and even launch attacks on other computers. A server and its associated web applications have many points of entry so if your host is not on top of things, your site can be exploited with ease. A responsible hosting provider will take various measures to ensure security such as installing firewalls, running DDoS protection software and performing penetrating to discover vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
One must consider a number factors when choosing a host for their website needs. Performance, availability, support and security are just a few of numerous factors that must be taken into account before you sign up for service. We recommend doing your research, reading reviews, asking friends and more in order to get the best service possible. The last thing you want to do is rush into things because this is the easiest way to end up with a web host that fails live up to the required expectations.