Are you looking for a web hosting company for your next site? Be sure to be on the lookout for the best deal and avoid the bad web hosts along the way. We put this article together to help you navigate the landmines and pitfalls of web hosting scams starting with the 4 tell-tale signs of a bad host. Here are the 4 tips:

Scarce Customer Service

Youll want to make sure your webhost provides excellent support. We suggest calling their toll free number (they really should have one) and checking out the support right up front. You could also try asking them a question about their services via email. In this day and age, there really is no reason for a reputable host not to have excellent support.

Unlimited Anything

Another issue that can signal trouble down the road are unlimited features. The problem is bandwidth and space are finite. Therefore, its not going to be cost effective for a web host to offer you unlimited bandwidth or space (so theyre not going to do it). So if you see this anywhere, make sure to read the fine print or steer clear.

At the very least, if youre hosting company makes an offer like this, you need to realize it isnt going to last and your bandwidth or storage space will be cut short. The last thing you want is to have your site shut down because you went over your bandwidth quota for the month. This will cost you in customers and frustration. So remember that there will be a finite cap on your space and thats a good thing (otherwise theyre not being honest with you).

Long-Term Contracts

Dont sign a contract for your hosting. At least not initially. If you sign a contract, your host will have no reason to offer you great service.

We suggest trying the host out first for a few months and then upgrade to a yearly payment plan after you are confident youd like to stay with them. Reputable hosts often offer a discount for paying yearly, but why not try them out first?

Uptime Myths

Uptime is the amount of time a site can expect to be fully functional and online with any particular host. Webhosting companies generally express their uptime as a percent. Its very important to search for a host who can provide you with a high uptime.

No host can offer 100% uptime. Problems will arise, its the nature of the internet and servers. Never fall for it when a hosting company claims they can offer you 100% uptime. Look for a host that is going to be honest with you, even if that means they claim you will get 99% uptime.

If a hosting company doesnt display their uptime on their site, then you may want to call them and find out what it is. Uptime is a crucial aspect of web hosting. You can find web hosting comparisons at http://top-5-web-hosting-charts.com/

Make sure take the time to find a reputable company who will ensure that your site will be online as much of the time as possible. Your site could potentially bring you money so you need to ensure it is online as much as possible.

Weve given you 4 major criteria to look for to steer clear of bad hosting companies and hosting scams.

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