Web Host Review Criteria
By David Dunlap
The real heroes of the Internet are the Web Host companies that provide the infrastructure and support necessary for Web sites to be built. With out these heroes the Internet would cease to exist. They are necessary and vital to everything running on the Internet.
Web Hosts offer in incredible array of options from E-Commerce and Server solutions to Budget and Specialty sites. Web Hosts provide the foundation for a good Web site and therefore maximum attention should be paid when choosing one.
Web Hosts can provide plans that are general in nature or services that are specifically tailored for certain Web Developers needs. E-Commerce plans, for example, are tailored to meet the needs of e-Entrepreneurs. When looking for a Web Host, specific needs are usually generalized into specific categories. Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide categorizes Web Hosts into four main communities: Cheap, Personal, Business, and Developer. Each of these communities are solution and audience based and allow for easier classification.
We've been independently reviewing and rating Hosting Industry related companies continuously since early 1997, longer than anyone, and we know that the process of remaining objective and fair can be a difficult job. So over the years we've come with a series of review criteria Our review criteria follows a weighted scale since many consider Support and Costs very important while things such as reputation or Industry View as being important, but not overly so. The criteria for Web Hosts consists of Support, Reliability, Features, Value, Network Security, and Industry View.
Overview:
Here's a run down of the review criteria we use when we review a Web Host
Support (Rating of 0-20)
The best Support provides competent, accurate, and timely support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But there are all kinds of variations of excellent support, including 247/365 Toll Free phone coverage, Extended Toll Free Phone Support with 24/7 Live-Chat or Email, and more. The important point is that competent support is there when YOU need it. How does this company stack up? Aside from phone, Email, FAQ and Chat coverage, are they accurate? Fast? Helpful? Thorough? On a related note, does this company handle your billing account fairly?
Reliability (Rating of 0-20)
The best hosts have stellar up-times. Their bandwidth is consistent and generous. It doesn't slowdown during peak access hours. Their service is consistent. They do not have high personnel turn-over rates. Their service remains consistently high despite their increased client base. They also have a long history of reliability. Do they have a lot of downtime? If they had problems in the past, did they fix them quickly and place systems in place to prevent it from happening again? Do they display their network information online so you can monitor it?
Features (Rating of 0-15)
The best Web Hosts continually look for an edge over their competition. They add new product lines and services while maintaining their stability. They have the latest technology, the latest operating systems, the latest software add-ons, and the latest third-party goodies. They offer the features and services in convenient user-oriented ways that are reasonable in cost.
Value (Rating of 0-15)
There are Free Hosts, Cheap Hosts and Hosts with low cost Web Host plans, but that doesn't mean they offer value. Value is a subjective concept, but it can be measured by experience and comparison shopping. Look at the product/feature sets and benefits of the Host and determine how it measures up against a similar company in terms of their offerings per dollar spent. A higher priced Enterprise Host offers more than just a lot of features, they generally offer greater stability, better support and peace of mind. This could be considered real value when compared to other similar Hosts with lesser offering. A Cheap Host may offer lower monthly costs and a minimum of extras, but it may have been operating smoothly, without complaint for several years. That would be an intangible that isn't readily apparent, but it would be considered a real value in most circles.
Network Security (Rating of 0-15)
Some Hosts run their own Data Centers. Others have their servers tied into the Internet through mega NOCs like Exodus, and still others buy Reseller services from larger Hosting facilities. How does this Company stack up? Here are some questions to ask - Do they own their own Data Center? Do they Lease? Do they have the trained technical personnel onsite? What are their backbone connections? Do they have multiple connections to the Internet? What are their connection speeds? Do they display their network information online so you can monitor it? Do they have 24/7 Network Monitoring? Do they provide Tape Backups? Are they protected from power outages? Do they have generators and/or battery UPS Backup? Does their facility have secure access? Fire suppression systems?
Industry View (Rating of 0-15)
Because of the many factors that can affect your point of view, this is our most subjective question. Try to be fair and bring many factors into the mix, such as how do others in this industry (including customers, Web Developers and Host Finder sites) rate this company? Is this company well respected? Is the company successful and growing? In discussion groups, how do verified customers discuss the company? If the company is slammed or defended, is it by verified current or former customers? What kind of customer turn-over rate do they have?
While there are several Host types, the review criteria remains the same for all. In reference to Host type, Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide classifies Hosts by their areas of expertise. Some Hosts specialize in one type, such as Database hosting or E-Commerce hosting, while others branch out over many types. As is the case don't be surprised to find a Host in several Host communities.
The Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide Web Host Reviews are designed to be another tool for you to use and to help you make an informed decision. Better to spend a few days researching than to spend weeks regretting.
About the author, David Dunlap -
David is a prolific author of countless articles, blogs, commentaries, white papers, and reviews for well over a decade. Having written for newspapers, print and online magazines in topics ranging from marketing to business economics to search engine optimization and web design, David presented the qualifications necessary to become the Editor in Chief of Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide, the Hosting Authority. David uses both his unique analytical skills and indelible wit to ensure that Web Host Magazine remains a source for web host information while remaining light and entertaining.
Along with his active journalism career, he has supplied marketing and SEO consulting for companies both inside and outside of the Web Host industry.
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(Published 3/24/2002, )
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