What do you look for in an ideal hosting provider?

[RoseHosting]

In the interest of keeping this simple and to the point: in your opinion, what makes the ideal hosting provider? It can be a single feature that stands head and shoulders above the rest or a combination of factors that you feel are equally as important. Even a priority list would suffice.

As one of a handful of hosting providers that constantly work on improving our offering and services, community feedback on what makes an ideal hosting provider in your eyes is what should drive those changes. While we do our best to live up to the moniker of The Saints of Hosting and operate by what we feel is in the best interest of our customers, as actual users of hosting services, your input is what will ultimately impact any directional change we take in the future.

With that, I open the floor to the whole community to discuss, critique and suggest. What are you after in an ideal hosting provider?

 

[romes]

You should have a few criteria's that you should weigh your decision on. I find that these are the most important and after these, you'll have to search for answers that go with your specific needs or niche.

1. Uptime. A provider must have 99.9% uptime rating and hold this rating for at least 6 months. I want to see a good track record of uptime before I go with them. Everyone has downtime and 99% of the time it is unavoidable. I do not judge people because they had downtime but rather how long they went without one. Also, how they dealt with the downtime is something I look for as well.

2. Years in business. I would prefer a provider who has at least 1-2 years under their belt. This shows me they can stay in business and most likely will remain in business. Now, if this is an important project that demands high attention, funds, etc...I would go with a provider who has a minimum of 5-10 years under their belt. For example, a forum like Hosting Discussion is pretty important and serious, a host who has been around a year or two will not work. You would want a provider who has years in the business.

3. Reviews. You will want to see if the provider has reviews and how many of them are good. Everyone will get a bad review from time to time so it is best not to judge them based off those. However, if there are a lot of bad reviews then yes, judge them on that. I will use an example, if a provider has 100 reviews and 10 are bad, I find that generally to be good. Now, if the number of bad reviews hits 30-40 out of 100, then that provider is probably not going to work out. Read the reviews and see what people say about a company and go from there.

4. Budget. You must consider a provider that works with your budget. Now, there is a saying, "You pay for what you get." and I believe this to be true. Consider what the host is offering and for how much. Hosts try to be competitive and will offer insane deals but be cautious with these. If a host who has been around 15 years offers a competitive price it generally means they can support it as they have the excess hardware and resources to handle it. A host who has been around a year or two offering the same kind of service might not last long. Do your research and pick a quality provider. Find a provider that can work with your budget and that will also provider quality service. There are a lot out there, just got to find them.

5. Research. If you want a simple website then any host will do pretty much. But if this is a major project, business, or career path for you, do your research. Do not skimp on this as it will affect you going forward. Doing your due diligence now will save you headaches later and possibly financial savings too. This is your path, how you go about it is on you and only you. If crap hits the fan because you failed to do proper research, you only have yourself to blame. Google is free and so is this forum. Use them both.

6. Customer Support. How they deal with clients and how they deal with issues is an important thing to consider. You want a host to take your issues seriously, no matter what it is. Not saying they have to jump through hoops with you, but they need to be able to respond to tickets in a timely manner and be able to resolve it in a timely manner. If a provider takes 2 days to get back to you then they are not a good host. The max amount of time that should go by is 24 hours. Though, my preference is 12 hours but that is just me.

I hope this helps you and everyone else here. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

 

[KVChosting_]

I think support is the most important item of any reliable hosting provider.

 

[oplink]

• Reliability - 99.99% uptime. Multihoming is absolutely necessary for high reliability. A modern datacenter with power backup and high security keeps servers up.
• Bandwidth - Provider uplink is where it starts, but switch bandwidth accessing that uplink can be a bottleneck. 100 Gbps to a high quality low latency backbone is preferred.
• Support - Knowledgeable and accessible staff resolve questions and server problems. Good smart friendly employees are critical.
• DdoS protection with enough capacity to absorb attacks greater than 10 Gbs.
• Company history. Look for a provider with a long history and good reviews.

 

[CanSpace]

As a provider, I may have a slightly different view on this than potential clients would, but knowing everything that I know, I would have been looking for:

Track record. I'd like to know how long the company has been around and the objective opinion of it by other users or parties that are familiar with the company.

Financial stability. Having a positive track record is one thing. But as the recent case with DediPath shows, it's not enough. I'd love to know if the company is cashflow positive and financially stable. No one is likely to share the actual numbers, but it doesn't hurt to ask the company directly and see what they say.

Team. It will make my sleep that much better if I knew the names of people behind the operation.

Service. Without a doubt, service is everything. How clients are treated post sale will define whether I'd stay with the company or leave just as quick as I came.

 

[Support.MainVPS]

The ideal hosting provider is all about reliability, speed, and great customer support. You want your website to be up and running smoothly (reliability), loading fast for your visitors (speed), and if you ever need help, quick and helpful support is a must. A user-friendly interface and clear pricing are bonuses that make the whole experience hassle-free. In short, a good hosting provider makes your online life easy by being dependable, fast, and having your back when you need support. A Good Hosting Provider should keep focusing on these things to keep their users happy.

 

[arzhost]

In the interest of keeping this simple and to the point: in your opinion, what makes the ideal hosting provider? It can be a single feature that stands head and shoulders above the rest or a combination of factors that you feel are equally as important. Even a priority list would suffice.

As one of a handful of hosting providers that constantly work on improving our offering and services, community feedback on what makes an ideal hosting provider in your eyes is what should drive those changes. While we do our best to live up to the moniker of The Saints of Hosting and operate by what we feel is in the best interest of our customers, as actual users of hosting services, your input is what will ultimately impact any directional change we take in the future.

With that, I open the floor to the whole community to discuss, critique and suggest. What are you after in an ideal hosting provider?

In my opinion, the ideal hosting provider should prioritize:

Reliability and Uptime: A hosting provider that ensures consistent and reliable service, minimizing downtime, is crucial.

Excellent Customer Support: Prompt and effective customer support, available 24/7, is essential for addressing any issues or queries.

Scalability: A provider that allows for easy scalability as my website or business grows.

Security Measures: Robust security features to protect against cyber threats and data breaches.

User-Friendly Control Panel: An intuitive and user-friendly control panel makes managing and configuring hosting settings hassle-free.

Competitive Pricing: Transparent and competitive pricing that aligns with the features and resources provided.

These factors collectively contribute to an ideal hosting experience. Your dedication to improving services based on community feedback is commendable, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Best regards,

 

[pratik08]

In an ideal hosting provider, prioritize reliable performance to ensure your website or application runs smoothly. Look for robust security measures to safeguard your data, scalable options for future growth responsive customer support for quick issue resolution, and cost-effectiveness to maximize value for your investments.

 

[PeterShene]

It depends on what you use them for are you a reseller, just talking with them? For me, there are two things: fast support from people who know what they are doing—and reliability in their infrastructure.

Can you phone them?... this is one that is a dealbreaker for me though I don't use it much it just shows more dedication than slapping on a chatbot that's going to spit out documents at your issue.

Can you control every aspect of your hosting without having to log a ticket to unlock let's say a domain transfer (looking at you GoDaddy) this to me screams a lack of confidence in their services.

I do understand and accept that these services tend to cost a bit more. But it saves me a heck of a lot of time fixing issues saving me money.

From the other side of the spectrum, what don't I want...
if a host updates server infrastructure without letting you know,
if they lose your website or mail (seen this happen),
if they oversubscribe their services

It's an absolute no-go for me.

 

[ownwebserver]

Strong security measures, dependable and scalable infrastructure, first-rate customer service, affordable prices, and an intuitive user interface are essential components of the perfect hosting provider. A complete and reliable hosting service also includes services like performance optimization tools, data backup choices, and uptime assurances.

 

[Greenhost.cloud]

Reliability, with minimal downtime and server issues. Good customer support, available 24/7 for timely assistance. Affordable pricing with flexible plans to suit different needs.

 

[Diwakar]

In my opinion, the ideal hosting provider doesn't hinge on a single feature, but rather a harmonious blend of key factors - Reliability and Performance, Security, Scalability, User-friendliness, Value for Money.

While these factors hold equal importance, prioritization might depend on your specific needs. For instance, an e-commerce website might prioritize security and scalability, while a personal blog might emphasize user-friendliness and affordability.

 

[Develosmuth]

When selecting cheap website hosting, be sure that the web host provider is trustworthy.
Try to ask around people about their perceptions on the web host. What they can say about it?

 

[osayi]

In my opinion, the ideal hosting provider should prioritize:

Reliability and Uptime: A hosting provider that ensures consistent and reliable service, minimizing downtime, is crucial.

Excellent Customer Support: Prompt and effective customer support, available 24/7, is essential for addressing any issues or queries.

Scalability: A provider that allows for easy scalability as my website or business grows.

Security Measures: Robust security features to protect against cyber threats and data breaches.

User-Friendly Control Panel: An intuitive and user-friendly control panel makes managing and configuring hosting settings hassle-free.

Competitive Pricing: Transparent and competitive pricing that aligns with the features and resources provided.

These factors collectively contribute to an ideal hosting experience. Your dedication to improving services based on community feedback is commendable, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Best regards,

You are very right about this. I have many sites and have worked with many hosting companies. Some even respond to support requests within 24 hours. You gain experience over time as your site increases and receives traffic. Life is too cruel