When you decide to utilise the services of a web hosting provider or an email hosting business, you need to consider a few things. Top of your list might be cost, but beware – cost may be a poor indicator of how good (or not) a company may be. A cheaper company might not necessarily be worse than one that costs more. Conversely, an expensive company might not be better than a cheaper one. It boils down to services provided, after sales service and whether you intend to look after it yourself, or have the company do it for you.

Is the cost they quote all-inclusive? Or is the provider likely to add on charges and fees for any queries you have? Is it yearly or monthly, and do they offer discounts for a once-off payment? Does the quote cover after-sales service, or are they charged additionally? After sales service is handy as you might need to make alterations later on – and if the company is done and dusted with your contract, then it might take another work order (and more money) for you to have the changes made. And if they are in another country, does their after sales phone number operate at times suitable to you? Does the provider allow changes to the bandwidth (if so, how much?)? Do they handle everything for the price, or is the service self-managed?

What is their downtime like? If they are in another country, is their downtime in the middle of your day (hence potentially affecting your site’s exposure to local clientele)? What backup systems do they have in place? If the site does happen to go down, how long will it take the provider to restore it? What security measures do they have in place for your site? Are these extra or are they included in the quote?

What platform do they use? If you are managing it yourself, are you familiar with the platform they use? Can they provide assistance if you aren’t familiar with the platform?

What disc space do you think you might need? Can you change this as your needs change? What will this cost?

And lastly (but not least, and certainly not finally) freebies: everyone loves freebies. But make sure that what you’re getting is free, and worthwhile. If not, ask for them to be left out of your quote.

Your website is the face you present to the public. If it’s second rate, not operational or takes too long to load you’ll lose business – so make sure you trust the people you put in charge of it.