8 Essential Questions to Ask Your Web Host
By Andrew Dellon

If you're going to run a Web site, you'll need to find a home for it, a host to store the computer files that contain all the information on your site, and keep that information connected to the Internet. Most small online businesses aren't candidates for hosting their sites in-house. The setup costs for hardware, continuous connection to the Internet, and software development are beyond the means of all but the largest e-commerce firms. And ongoing maintenance can be just as challenging. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Companies specializing in Web hosting abound, and they enable even the smallest e-business to gain an online presence quickly and inexpensively.

Here are eight questions you need to ask as you consider which host you want to work with:

What about free hosting services?

There are plenty of services on the Web that offer you a free Web page. You'll have to design it yourself, but the service will host it without charge. Often, free Web hosting is bundled with the basic monthly fee from your Internet service provider (ISP). You can also get a free home page through services such as Geocities or Excite. But for online businesses, free services are worth exactly what you pay for them. You'll get little or no help when there are problems with your hosted site, no guarantees about the quality of hosting service, and little or no flexibility when it comes to using software to collect your orders and payments, or for gathering information about your customers. Depending on what you want your site to look like, you'll find that you can arrange for full-service Web hosting for as little at $50 per month. That's money well spent.

Can you give me a credit card merchant account?

A good host will help you with the technical aspects of taking credit card orders online, but only a bank can grant you a merchant account. Don't be fooled by hosts who imply that they'll get you a merchant account. However, your host will help acquire the service of a payment processor. A payment processing service handles credit card transactions between a Web business and a merchant account in real time, taking approximately 20 to 30 seconds. Three of the most popular payment processors areCybercash,Signio, and I@VERIFY.Your merchant bank might have relationships with one or more of the above processors. Check with your bank before you choose your payment processor.

What connection do you have to the Internet?

The core of the Internet is made up of about a dozen private "backbone" networks that swap data with each other very efficiently. Your host will send your data to one of those backbones, which automatically will allow the other backbone providers access to your data as well. But your host might not send your data to the backbone directly. It might have a connection to a larger Internet service provider, which in turn connects to yet another "upstream" provider, before your data hits the backbone. The further "downstream" your provider is, that is, the more layers of service providers between your host and the backbone, the more chances there are for things to go wrong as your data is handed off to each upstream connection. One question to ask potential hosts is: "How many hops are you to the backbone?" Ideally, you want a host with only a few hops or whose machines sit on the Internet backbone itself. Even small companies can pay to "co-locate" their computers at a site that feeds directly to the Internet backbone. Your best bet is to find a provider with a minimum of one T-3 (45 Mbps) line connection to the Internet backbone or to an "upstream" provider. This is 28 times faster than the T-1s used by many smaller providers. However, don't be fooled by the sheer size of the connection. You'll want to find out what percentage of the provider's bandwidth is being used by existing demands on the system. The average bandwidth use should not be greater than 30 percent of the available total. Peak bandwidth should be no greater than 60 percent to 70 percent. Beyond that level, performance across the network begins to deteriorate. You might want to write in a guarantee of bandwidth use limits when you prepare a contract with your host.

Which server hardware and software do you use?

Make sure the host you choose is using top-of-the-line hardware, preferably multiprocessor server machines. They don't have to be name brand; in fact, many of the best Web hosts build their own equipment. Be sure, though, to ask about "redundancy." You'll need to know what happens when the computer your data is stored on crashes. Some potential hosts will tell you that their computers never crash. That's not a winning answer. The best answer is for your host to tell you that it stores backup copies of your site files on other machines that are ready to kick in the minute the main server fails. You should also know about the operating system your host uses because some of the software you might want to use is more compatible with some operating systems than others. The most common operating systems for Web servers are Windows NT and Unix. Finally, your host should have an uninterruptable backup power supply onsite, programmed to kick in immediately in the event of any power flicker or failure.

How much disk space am I guaranteed?

As a general rule, you won't need as much as you think. Most hosting packages start at 25 megabytes of hard disk space, enough for 500 typical Web pages at 50 kilobytes of text and graphics each. Look for the option to increase your disk allocation instantly, with just one phone call. Do you have e-commerce software to help me build my store?Many commerce hosts incorporate easy-to-use software for building online catalogs.

How will you help me with site security?

The current standard for the security of online transactions is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. This protocol encrypts the transaction data as it passes through the Internet. However, a digital certificate is needed to verify the merchant's identity. You probably will want to obtain your own certificate from one of the two largest and most widely supported issuing authorities, VeriSign and Thawte. VeriSign's pricing is somewhat higher than Thawte's, but the VeriSign certificate is supported by a larger number of older browsers.

How much does it all cost?

Last, but certainly not least, is the cost of getting started and maintaining your online presence. Many smaller site owners receive excellent service from their hosts for as little at $100 per month. But the more success you have, the more support you'll need. Large companies often pay their hosts as much as six figures per month. How much will you have to pay? Here are a few ballpark costs: Expect to pay from $50 to $150 (U.S.) for setting up a basic commercial hosting account. If you don't already have your domain name registered, expect to pay $50 to $200 for your host to register it for you, as well as $70 for two years' fees to InterNIC. Software licenses for e-commerce catalog applications range from $249 to $3,500 at the low end, and can cost many times that if you need customization or serve a large number of customers. Some providers have negotiated special agreements with software vendors that reap benefits for consumers who shop around. It's worth asking about.

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