I have been in the web business for about 5 years – since 2006. I was smuggled into web development when I joined one of Uganda’s oldest webhosting company – Uganda Home Pages. I joined as a web programmer. I must admit that it was there that I started the road into web development and I have never looked back. Now I run my own Web Development Company – Hosting Smiles (where we host only and only happy clients – anyone not happy with our service is free to go).
As a web developer, I have come to appreciate certain facilities that I believe and do encourage every web hosting company to have or provide for its clients. These facilities or tools as you may call them enable both the client and the web developer to manage the websites with ease. If your webhosting provider does not offer any of the below facilities, just move and get another provider – if you have no options, come to Hosting Smiles and we shall gladly add you to our list of happy clients.
1. Control Panel. The webhosting company should provide a control panel where the account owner will be able to manage all the aspects of the website from email management, file management, backups, databases and all. The control panel should be all conclusive. Advanced users should even be able to manage their custom php.ini settings, DNS records, create sub domains and mailing lists without involving the service provider. Some service providers provide a link to the database and maybe a link to the DNS records and that’s all.
2. Ability to zip and unzip files: Uploading files is not enough. A good hosting company should allow its clients to upload all kinds of files and allow them to manipulate the files once uploaded. Some hosting companies never allow their clients to unzip files. The client has to first call the service provider and ask them to unzip for them. And you know what? Most of these web hosting companies never work on weekends and on public holidays. So clients have to wait till the next working day to have a file unzipped. One wonders why they don’t subscribe to data centers so that the data centers provide 24/7 online support to their clients. I have logged onto many websites to ask for support only to be told that I have to wait for the next working day! Even the MTN 24 hour’s response time becomes a better offer.
3. Ability to install plugins/updates on the site: Nothing is so irritating like having no power to add a new plugin to your website simply because the webhosting account cannot allow installs from your CMS. A good webhosting company should allow its clients to install any plugins, modules, updates and any other application they need without the need of downloading the entire site first and then re-uploading it. Honestly if your webhosting company is still behaving like this, kindly move. Even when you get hacked, you will not be able to install a patch to fix the security hole!! That’s how bad it can get.
4. Ability to change DNS records: I have seen webhosting companies where a client cannot adjust their own DNS records. The client must inform the hosting company which then decides to change the DNS records. I believe that clients should have an option to manage their own DNS records – MX, CNAME etc.
5. One hour maximum response time: A webhosting company that does not respond to its clients requests within one hour is taking its clients for a ride. Having wrong information on the web for just a few seconds can cost you. Imagine having the wrong price of an item on the web for one hour – you will lose terribly. So ensure that your webhosting response time is maximum one hour – else move to a host than can guarantee you that.
In conclusion, you will notice that I have not mentioned a thing about price or location of servers. Being a liberalized economy, I believe the price will be set by forces of demand and supply. As for the location of servers, honestly, as long as the place has good internet link, am not bothered. You can host locally or abroad as long as the provider can offer 99% uptime.
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