All Web Hosts are NOT Created Equal
by jay mock
Better Business Bureau Small Business Internet Advisor

After 15 years of working in the internet marketing business and teaching small business and entrepreneurs how to market a successful website. I have earned a reputation of building and marketing websites that generate millions visits  per month in traffic. I've hosted my accounts in numerous places and know one thing; all web hosts are not equal and depending on who you chose,  can dictate the success or failure of your website.

The short of it all comes down to one fact. You have two types of  web hosts: quality hosting vs. quantity hosting. As a consumer, you have to decide which you need for you site. Don't be fooled into thinking these two types can ever live harmoniously. Bluntly put, they can't.

The Quantity Web Host: Don't fall for the price trap.

The quantity host is easy to spot. They offer much larger web space and huge amounts of bandwidth. They appear to offer piles of features, many of which you will never use. And most of all their prices seem like a real steal of a deal.

The truth of the matter when reviewing the quantity host is this: Everyone's cost for bandwidth is the same.  Everyone's cost for hardware is the same.. If the price makes you wonder why it's so low, you should expect an extremely slow site.  This is  because they've  maxed out the bandwidth. When you find a web host that is offering large plans and what appears to be a steal of a deal, it may be a steal, but not really a deal.

Bandwidth is expensive, and you are sharing that cost among many people . So, if the host is offering some huge space and some huge bandwidth amount, in order to pay the bandwidth bill,  they are going to have to cram that many more people on the server. The analogy I like to draw is a city swimming pool that has one pool for a whole city, a community pool that may serve just a subdivision and a private pool. A city pool is crowded because of how many people is serves. A community pool only serves a select number of homes in a community, and it's limited by the number of houses in that community. And, of course, the private pool not shared. The lower the price a host charges, means the more people that are going to be needed on a server to off set the cost.  It's just simple economics.

I have found these type hosts dramatically overselling the machine in hopes that you won't use the space or the bandwidth. This overselling of a machine or bandwidth pipe can cause your site to be sluggish and unresponsive, costing you sales, reputation, and ultimately customers.

Lastly, look for testimonials on a web site. Then look really hard at them. Do they have a contact name, or web address, or are they signed "Bob." Contact those people. After all, you have an important decision, and where you would check references for a new employee., why not do the same before you choose a host?

The Quality Web Host: How to find them

The quality host may be harder or more time consuming to find. They require you to do some investigation. Usually the price is higher and the space is lower. Don't discard these web hosts. If you are serious about your website, you need a host that is also serious.. They are the ones that are going to keep your site running, making sure your site is fast, and they meet their uptime guarantee. They provide support if you need it. They provide redundancy and run multiple hard drives (a raid array). They answer the phones, and their employees are based in the United States, not some overseas phone bank.

Additionally, quality web hosts know the value of enhanced statistics so you can track visitors and improve your search engine rankings. They are knowledgeable about a variety of topics, and are willing to help.

Admittedly, I refer all students and customers to  ACTWD , the owner of this site. There are so many reasons why. First and foremost, the level of service I have received there is second to none. I searched for many years for a host that could provide the bandwidth, the speed, and the uptime that they do, and the genuine commitment to the customer. They recognize that each of my students makes, on average, over $250,000 a year from their websites, and it is imperative that those sites are always reachable so they don't lose business and customers.

They provide superior support for web marketing as well. The comprehensive stat package that they provide is unparalleled. It properly tracks the places that refer to our sites and the keywords used allowing us to make adjustments as search engines change. ACTWD also understands the web marketing business and works with customers to help them succeed.