Despite the promises, flashy ads, and pretty websites, not all web hosting companies are as they seem. Over the years, we’ve personally heard countless horror stories from small businesses struggling with their web host.
Fortunately, there are some warning signs of sub-par hosting providers. In this article, we cover four simple red-flags. Weigh these against your hosting company to see if you’re in good hands.
Frequent Hosting Downtime
Is your website going down too often?
The industry standard is 99.9% website uptime. This means a maximum of 8.77 hours of total acceptable downtime from the hosting company per year.
If your website downtime regularly exceeds this, be wary. Don’t delay in logging a support ticket if downtime is caused by the host. Keep a record of downtime and communicate concerns to your hosting company in writing. If things don’t improve, it’s best to change.
Related:
DownNotifier Sends a Free Alert When Your Website is Down
Unexpected and Exorbitant Price Changes
A marketing ploy by some web hosts is to display cheap prices on their websites and adverts.
The price is wonderful for the first year – in fact, it’s likely what attracted you to that host in the first place. But come year two or three, and your bill has doubled overnight.
Their explanation is that you signed up on a promotional offer and now standard fees apply. In short, you didn’t read the fine print!
This ploy is major red flag of a deceptive host. Some grow too quickly using tactics like these, then lack the resources to maintain their customer’s long term. It is the customer websites that suffer in the end.
Poor Customer Support
Customer support alone reveals much about the quality of a web host. How well – and how fast – they respond to queries at your time of need can give a good picture of the company overall. Consider:
- Contact hours. 24/7 support should be available for hosting and domain queries with a response in six hours max.
- Contact options. The more variety, the better. Instant live chat, email, phone, and social media are common options.
- Is support outsourced overseas? Some South African hosting companies outsource support overseas. Although the support team has the expertise, miscommunication can result due to the language barrier. It becomes a frustrating experience.
- Issue resolution. Problems should be getting solved. Don’t tolerate hosts that delay basic fixes, tend to symptoms and not the root cause, or needlessly push you around to different technicians.
They Own Your Domain Name
The domain name of your website is its web address, e.g., mybusinessname.co.za.
Although your website is accessible at that domain, the domain is not always legally registered to you. Some hosting companies (and web designers) register their client’s domain as their own. It’s legal, although somewhat shady.
Here’s why: If you want to move away from their hosting, your domain is still owned by them and they could ‘hold it hostage’. You have little choice but to buy the domain from them, abandon the domain, or plod a costly legal route.
If your hosting company owns your domain, start the process of having it to transferred to your name ASAP.
| Red Flags of Subpar Hosting Providers | How to Evaluate Web Hosting Providers | iSite Computers |
|---|---|---|
| Frequent Hosting Downtime | Uptime Guarantees | Affordable web hosting services |
| Unexpected and Exorbitant Price Changes | Customer Support Options | Domain name management services |
| Poor Customer Support | Pricing Transparency | Comprehensive IT support |
| They Own Your Domain Name | Domain Ownership Policies | South African based company |
| Features and Services Offered | Experienced and knowledgeable team |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q: What are some red flags of a subpar web hosting provider?
A: There are four warning signs of subpar hosting providers to keep in mind: frequent hosting downtime, unexpected and exorbitant price changes, poor customer support, and the hosting company owning your domain name.
Q: What is considered industry standard for website uptime?
A: The industry standard for website uptime is 99.9%, which means a maximum of 8.77 hours of total acceptable downtime from the hosting company per year.
Q: What should I do if my website downtime regularly exceeds the industry standard?
A: If your website downtime regularly exceeds the industry standard, you should log a support ticket immediately and communicate your concerns to your hosting company in writing. Keep a record of downtime and consider changing hosting companies if things don’t improve.
Q: What should I consider when evaluating a web host’s customer support?
A: When evaluating a web host’s customer support, consider their contact hours, contact options, whether support is outsourced overseas, and issue resolution. 24/7 support should be available for hosting and domain queries with a response in six hours max, and instant live chat, email, phone, and social media are common options.
Q: Why should I be cautious if my web host owns my domain name?
A: If your web host owns your domain name, they could ‘hold it hostage’ if you want to move away from their hosting. This could leave you with little choice but to buy the domain from them, abandon the domain, or go through a costly legal route. It’s best to start the process of having the domain transferred to your name as soon as possible.
Q: What web hosting services does iSite Computers offer?
A: iSite Computers is a managed IT services provider that offers affordable web hosting, domain name management, and comprehensive IT support for small businesses and individuals in South Africa.
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