How To Select the Right Server For Your Small Business

So you’ve registered your domain name and now you’re trying to decide where to host your website. There are many options, you can host it yourself with your own server or you can outsource that task to a service provider. A website host generally offers two main services, they provide internet connectivity to your website and they provide a data center, they store the files necessary to run your internet business. When you think about it, this data center or server is a very important job because the wrong server can put your files at risk for corruption, loss, and spam.

Here are a few things to look for to select the right server for your small business:
Make sure the control panel is easy to use. Of course you won’t know this before trying it out, however most providers offer the ability to take a trial, sometimes it’s a week and sometimes it’s a 30 day trial. Use this trial to make sure it’s the right system for you.
Make sure they offer round the clock support. You never know when something is going to happen and having to wait until ‘normal business hours’ can cost you tons of lost time and revenue. Your server must have 24/7 customer service. And the support system whether it’s on the telephone, via email or chat needs to be recordable so you can reference the information, save it in the event you need it again or need it for backup.
Look for a server that promises uptime. This means your website is up and running 99-100% of the time. This must be guaranteed.
Look for a server that backs up your server on a daily basis. Some back up less often however you don’t’ want to lose any information on your website and if someone hacks it, you want to be able to quickly upload the last saved version with little or no downtime.
Know what type of server you’re getting. There are different types of servers including:
* Shared web hosting service – your website is on the same server as many other websites and you all share the same resources.
* Dedicated hosting service – you receive your own web server and have full control over it and you are responsible for the security and maintenance.
* Managed hosting service – you get your own web server but do not have full control over it. Security, backups and so on are taken care of by the provider.
Choosing the right server isn’t a small choice, however there are a number of qualified providers available. Compare service providers based on what they can do for your business first and then compare prices as the final decision maker.

Technorati Tags: Control panel, Data center, Dedicated hosting service, Domain name, Server, Web hosting service, Web server, Website

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