Webservations - the Canvas Dreams blog

We recently saw this question posted to a web hosting forum:

 

"What hosting companies we should avoid?"

The user is new to the industry and was trying to work up a basic list of the types of companies that you would -- and would not -- want to select in choosing a web hosting company.

 

We gave it a little thought and proposed this in response:

 

1) Avoid companies that don't list a phone number and/or only offer email/ticket-based support. Chances are they're resellers with outsourced support staff.

 

2) Avoid any company that can't give you a straight answer in 30 seconds what precisely it is they do. Chances are, their staff are ill-equipped or simply a bogus outfit who doesn't know the ins and outs of hosting.

 

3) Avoid any company that doesn't make the time to answer what might be considered the most insignificant question of yours. More likely than not, this kind of host will not want to support you or hear from you, for any reason other than when you are handing over your credit card number.

 

4) Avoid any company that ever give you pause to wonder whether they know what they're talking about. Trust your instinct, and if it tells you to run, then run.

 

5) Avoid any company that answers your call, then asks if they can put you on hold while they take another incoming call. If they don't value your time, they certainly don't value your business.

 

6) Avoid any company that offers hosting plans too good to be true -- because they probably are. Make a point of asking them about a little thing called "overselling", and what might happen if you really do want to fill 10TB's of space with your personal collection of MP3's.

 

7) Avoid any company that refuses to tell you where their data facility / infrastructure is physically located. If they don't want to tell you, it's probably because they don't want you to know, and it may be because they don't even know where they are.

 

8) Avoid any company that refuses to provide you photographic evidence of their data facility / infrastructure. Pictures are worth 1,000 words and can disprove 1,000,000 lies. 9) Avoid any company that treats you based on the amount of money you are willing to spend (less money = poorer service). Your value is your allegiance to use their services, and not how much money you will be spending.

10) Avoid any company that isn't willing to provide test IPs for ping or trace, or that thinks their marcom should suffice for when it comes to touting their capabilities. If their network quality can't be proven or disproven, then all you end up with a big, gray question mark.

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These points may sound overtly negative, but they are just some thoughts that have occurred to us over the years.

Each of these points should be very easily answered when asked or challenged. They are, each, the most basic of queries, and a legitimate host should be capable of answering most, if not all, without delay.

Let a potential web host earn your business. That is why they are there. As a service provider, they need to be the one demonstrating why you should use their services over a competitor. You are the one with the power. Don't ever forget that, and you'll never go wrong.