How Reliable is Your Web Host?

How reliable is your web host? This article offers tips on what to look for when searching for a reliable web hosting company. When it comes to your web site, especially your eCommerce website, you need a webhosting company you can rely on for the best uptime and security.

Related article: Shared Web Hosting

One of the most important aspects of having a business website is the amount of uptime that it has. Uptime is the amount of time that your Web site is up and running. When your site is down (experiencing downtime), then customers can't visit your site and interact on it. This can cause problems, since if you have a lot of downtime your customers become frustrated and will avoid your site. It is vital that you also have a reliable Web host so that your data is safe and secure. Before you sign up with an ecommerce Web hosting package, make sure you find out about the Web hosting data center, and how reliable and secure it is. 

Web hosting data center 

It may strange to think about, but you need to understand that the Internet doesn't just exist. There is a physical infrastructure that supports it. All of the data has to be stored somewhere for retrieval, and this is what a Web hosting data center does. It is made up of thousands of computers, meant for storing information. These computers are called servers. They are a lot like the regular computers you are used to seeing, but they don't have monitors. These servers store all of the files that are associated with various Web sites. Addresses are assigned to them. When someone online wants to view a Web site, they put in the information, the system of fiber optics and other wires carries messages to the server where the information is stored. The information can be retrieved and displayed on the monitor. All of this takes mere seconds. 

One of the most important aspects of a Web hosting data center is the fiber optic connection to the Internet. This connection provides a fast and secure way for the data center to stay connected. If the data center is not connected, then people can't find the stored information, and it appears as though the site is down. This can cause problems if you want to provide reliable services to your customers. As a result, it is a good idea to find out whether the Web host has a data center with multiple fiber optic connections to the Internet. That way, when one or two connections have trouble, it is still possible, through the additional connections, for people to access the Internet. 

Another important thing to consider when choosing a Web host is whether or not there is a batter backup system and a generator. Because computer servers run on electricity, power is necessary for the data center to keep Web sites up and running. If there is no power to the data center run by your Web host, then your site appears down, creating issues for your customers and other visitors to your Web site. A reliable web host has a data center that features a battery backup for short-term situations, and a generator that can provide electricity longer term. This way, even if the power is out for the Web host, they can keep supply electricity to the servers, keeping your Web site up. Most of these data centers are air cooled as well, in order to prevent overheating. 

Finally, check to see whether your Web host's data center is secure. You will be entering secure information about your company, your financials and bank accounts in order to keep your Web site running, and to make sure you can make money even if you are in bed, or out of time. Additionally, your customers will be providing sensitive personal information. You want your data and your customers' data protected, so it is vital that you double check the security measures taken by your Web host. This includes security at the physical data facility, and measures that protect against break-ins. It's not just online hackers that you have to worry about (although you should check the security certificate of your Web host). 

Bottom line: A reliable Web host is a must 

If you are just doing a hobby blog, perhaps a reliable Web host is not as important. If you are a business, though, it is vital that you get a reliable Web host that can provide you with a guarantee of a large amount of uptime, and a data center that is protected and redundant so that there is less of a chance of an outage. Your customers rely on you, and that means that you need to spend the money to use a quality Web host.

Related article: Shared Web Hosting