Everyone has had the experience of buying a product only to be disappointed when it fails to deliver on its promises. Web hosting that fails to deliver can be frustrating at best and interrupt your business at its worst.
When choosing a Web host, think about reliability and uptime in terms of, "How much reliability and uptime can I afford?" Ultra-cheap Web hosting gets you online, but your site may be unavailable during server crashes or other problems caused by inferior equipment or lack of qualified staff. Look for the right mix of reliability and affordability for you.
Reliability Factors
To gauge a Web host's reliability, look at the following factors:
- Length of time in business
- Financial strength
- Success track record
- Physical server security
- Disaster recovery plan
Uptime
You might see numbers like 99.9% and 99.99% uptime on Web hosting sites. This usually refers to the network uptime guarantee. It means that the connection between the server and network connection providers will be up 99.99% of the time. An uptime guarantee is a good indication of a Web host's commitment to keeping your site running smoothly.