Green Web Hosting, Sustainable Web Hosting and E-Commerce

If you're in the market for Web hosting, there are four priorities for you to consider, in this order, about the service you will be provisioning:

If you pay any attention to email spam and postal junk mail from the large, discount, national hosting companies, you'll note they tout some of those four principles, but almost never in that order. Typically, the very first thing they push is the price. It's almost always a dirt-cheap, single-digit amount. Next, they flood the advertisement with technobabble about the many "bonus" features included with their hosting packages. Finally, they may talk about customer service, but usually it is just to inform you they offer 24/7 support. In that sense, every hosting vendor is the same.

However, here's where they begin to differ, and how you can pro-actively learn to tell if a hosting provider is really able to deliver on its pitch.

The Discount Hosting Provider

Instead of promoting customer service as their primary offering, most hosts rely on cost-conscious Web site owners to be wowed by the unbelievably low prices of their hosting plans. If that fails, then a healthy dose of features and bonus add-ons should do the trick. If, still the prospect is non-plussed about the offer, it is at that time the host coughs up its rehearsed line about customer service. However, at no time does the host care to tell the prospect a little about the company, such as how long it's been in business, let alone provide any documentation as to its track record as a service provider.

These types of companies care about your discounted dollars more than they care to take the time and listen to your questions. They don't want to get to know you, nor do they have any desire for you to get to know (the truth) about them. What they do care about is finding whether you need their services, otherwise, you'll hear from them in another year when they send out their next mass-mail campaign.

The Quality Hosting Provider

Instead of promoting bottom-dollar hosting plans, a good host relies on its proven track record to wow its prospects. Rarely is there a need to sell a potential customer or haggle over price for the services being offered, because the prospect can decide for themselves, from the documented information they are provided, whether the services will come at a good value for their needs. If a customer still has questions about the quality of the service, a good host will listen patiently, answer each of the customer's questions, and if pressed for further details, be able to offer proof of the services being sold, such as testimonials from the provider's existing customer base.

These types of companies care more about you as a person than they do about making a profit. They want to get to know you, and they are banking on you wanting to get to know them, since building a long-term relationship is what will benefit you both in the years to come. They certainly care about finding whether you need their services, since this is how they will be able to help you, but if you're not interested or not in need, they will kindly ask if it's okay with you to follow up in a few months and see how you're still doing.

Now that you now a few of the ways to tell a good host from a questionable one, let's examine some of the things you should consider when reviewing a host's service offerings.

Earlier in this post, I mentioned that the most important thing for you is to find a hosting provider that delivers on its customer service claims. What you don't want is to land with a discount provider only to find that the cheap price came at a cost of poor customer service.

1. Customer Service is Job #1

Why is customer service so important? If you're operating a hobby Web site, perhaps it isn't something you think about all the time. If, on the other hand, your business relies upon your Web site to be operational at all times, such as for handling large volumes of email or e-commerce purchases, then quality customer service is the one thing you can count on when your Web site breaks down. In such cases, you need to know that you can pick up the phone, get a hold of a person who understands your problem, and get the problem resolved quickly.

2. The Track Record Speaks Volumes

The provider's track record is also important to know, as it will tell you whether they have the experience and base of trusted customers to support their claims. It's not necessarily fair to dig deep into the provider's history, since every hosting company started off small, and likely had its share of hiccups along the way. However, what you want to find out is how the company arrived at its current state.

What brought the company into hosting Web sites to begin with? What kinds of problems and situations has the company experienced along the way? More importantly, what steps were taken to resolve those problems? What kinds of scenarios have helped educate the host, and led them to a place where there may be few problems from here on out? Ask them. If they're worth their pitch, they'll drop everything and speak with you about it all.

3. Can The Hardware Deliver?

Great hardware will ensure your site keeps running smoothly for years. On average, Web servers have a lifespan of about three years. After that, parts that haven't yet broken may start doing so. Also, Web server processing speeds double every 18 to 24 months. If you find yourself stuck on an old server, a newer, comparable model might right 2 to 3 times as fast. In any case, the first thing you want to find out is how old the equipment is that will be used to host your site(s).

With any type of hosting arrangement, you should anticipate a point where once the old system has grown defunct, the provider will migrate you to a newer model. Depending on the particular plan you select, there may or may not be any fees for the migration. For example, if you outright purchased a dedicated server, when it comes time to replace the hardware, you should be prepared to pay for the purchase of that new system. On the other hand, if you are on a shared server, the provider should migrate you to another shared server at no charge.

In addition to the age of the equipment, quality plays and important factor. Many hosts use lower end equipment for their "new" systems. How else could they manage to make a profit on a $99/month dedicated server? If the provider will be hosting your site on a new system, try to find out the precise hardware specs. What is the processor speed? Amount of RAM? What about the hard drive capacity? The size of the hard drive is particularly important to know for a shared server, for while extra storage space is good, it also means the provider could load a lot of additional Web sites onto the same server. You don't want to have your site contending with 500 other domains for that one server's processing capabilities.

What about RAID (failover) capabilities? Are the hard drives automatically synced so that, should one fail, the other can automatically take over and continue running your site from an exact, mirrored copy? This can be accomplished if the server's hard drives are configured with RAID. Additionally, what are the options for Web site backups? Most providers offer some level of automated backup, in that they make a copy of your site and store it in a secure location every X number of days. For an additional cost, you may be able to arrange for a daily backup, which is important for content-rich Web sites that offer new content daily.

Hardware aside, server software is important to note. What about middleware/software? What kind of platform will your site be hosted on? By default, servers running Apache offer a substantially more secure hosting environment than Windows. If you will be on an Apache system, you should be running at least Apache 2.0 (or better yet, CentOS), as Apache 1.3 has some well-documented security holes. Why is this important? From a recent survey we conducted of 10,000 Oregon Web sites running Apache, we learned that nearly half of them are currently hosted on a server with Apache 1.3! Some 4,800 Web sites in Oregon are considerably insecure at this very moment.

Speaking of security, check for firewall capabilities. Is the firewall configured to detect automated break-ins (such as brute force) and other malicious hack attempts, and automatically block such attempts? What about "server hardening", a process whereby unused ports (and other services) are locked down to further secure the overall system?

What type of Web site administration software is loaded for your use? Common packages include Ensim and cPanel. These tools can make site administration a breeze, even for those customers who are less technically inclined. One thing to consider is that with added tools, the host may anticipate -- or even expect -- that you will be performing a proportionately greater amount of administration work yourself. As you read through hosting packages, make sure you will have access to things such as add/remove email accounts, work with databases (such as MySQL), alter your FTP settings, have the ability to change passwords, etc. You want to have as much control as possible, since that will reduce your reliance on your provider to do the work on your behalf (and bill you for it as well).

Finally, what about the network connecting the servers to the outside world? What kind of connection speed does the hosting provider offer? Is there any type of failover traffic routing in place? If one bandwidth carrier drops off because construction crews cut a fiber optic cable, will another pick right up and keep all of the servers online? Does the provider intend to expand their connectivity in the future, and if so, what other networks might they connect through? You should try to get some specifics as to bandwidth rates and capacity, as that can indicate current load on the provider's network, as well as provide an indication of just how large they really are.

In summary, feel free to ask the host as much as you can about their hardware and network. Even if the particular representative with whom you are speaking doesn't have all the details, they should be able to get you in touch with someone who does.

4. You Get What You Pay For

The final thing to consider, when sourcing a Web hosting provider, is the value for the money you will be spending. Hardware, software, electricity, security, support, maintenance, upgrades... the list goes on and on. Web hosting companies incur many real costs to provide you with their service. It is your task to determine whether their offerings come at a reasonable price.

If you feel the host is being up front with you about their offerings, that their customer service is solid and trustworthy, the company has a track record going back at least five or six years, and their hardware is secure and frequently replaced, then these services are probably worth the price listed, especially if you have been referred to the company by a coworker or friend who thinks the world about the provider!

If, on the other hand, the deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Remember, when it comes to Web hosting, you get what you pay for. Use your best judgment, and above all else, remember that Web hosting is an investment. Make sure you choose the right host, because saving a few dollars up front can never make up for lost profits from a Web site that performs poorly.

Best Regards,

David Anderson
Principal, Canvas Dreams LLC

Webservations - the Canvas Dreams blog