So how do you go about choosing a web host? Pull one out of a hat! Not really! Unless, of course, you’re a magician and can pull out the right one! Hey, who knows maybe with a little practice! Just kidding!

Now for those of you who aren’t Merlin the magician, the task is made even harder due to the fact there are so many website hosting companies. I mean, there’re a bunch of them and they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. It’s pretty safe to say most people don’t even know where to begin.

And just where do you begin? Well, faced with so many choices you need an efficient way to narrow down the field. The best way, I’ve found, is to start searching based on RECOMMENDATIONS and EXPERIENCE! So ask or look for recommendations from people you trust and find out what experiences they’ve had with the web site host.

Once you’ve built a small list, say 10-12, you’re after quality not quantity, put them through the tests. Here’re the 5 critical things you must look for!

1. World-Class Service. This is Numero Uno for a very good reason. Picture this scenario: It’s 3 a.m. and you’re in a bind. You’ve run into a technical problem! And it must be fixed pronto! Now answer these two questions: Do you know where your support is? How accessible are they?

Your answers are crucial because you need quick and easy ways of getting a hold of your customer service or technical support people anytime of the day or night. Even at 3 a.m.! This means your web hosting company must guarantee telephone and email support 24/7/365.

And not only round the clock support but your web hosting provider must be staffed by knowledgeable and helpful people. It’s not going to do you any good at all to get incredible response time if they aren’t able to fix the problem. In other words, they’ve got to know what they’re doing!

Live chat service adds another way for you to get a hold of your support team. The more ways the better!

Stay away from web hosts who provide support only through email. You could be waiting days for a response. You can’t afford to wait! You want prompt answers to your questions and technical problems fixed quickly! Your business and livelihood depend on it!

Even though email support is the preferred method for resolving technical problems you still want to be able to get on the telephone and chew on someone’s ear if the situation calls for it.

When it comes to technical support, experience really matters! I mean with a capital “E.” So find out if they have actual experienced systems administrators on board. They’re the one’s responsible for making sure all the different components of a computer system fit together and work properly. This is extremely important!

2. Hacker safe. Hackers are intruders who would like nothing more than to get their rotten hands on your information and do nasty things to it. So your web site hosting company must provide you with top-notch security. They should have all the important security issues covered, especially what hackers are up to, and God knows, they’re always up to something.

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