Managed web hosting has exploded in the world marketplace since the turn of the century. Both small and large businesses alike are discovering the appeal of having web servers available without the need to maintain large IT staffs to keep them up and running. In addition, the relatively inexpensive cost is good for the budget.
While managed web hosting certainly has many great benefits, it's not always a rosy scenario. Managed web hosting is no different from any other service a business might contract for. It requires due diligence not only in selection of a provider, but also in maintaining a solid relationship with him. With that in mind, there are three big traps in managed web hosting that can break your business if you get caught.
Bandwidth Usage
Managed web hosting is now so popular that competition is driving providers to offer "unlimited" accounts at incredibly low prices. The question is how does a given provider define "unlimited"? Some use the word to describe how much hard disk space a customer can use, how much email they can send and receive, how many sub-domains they are allowed, and so on. But customers really need to know if bandwidth is unlimited, because bandwidth is what drives the effectiveness of a web site.
If bandwidth is truly unlimited, you're golden. If not, and your website really takes off like you hope it will, you could end up paying a fortune in bandwidth charges down the road. And it's not cheap. Make sure you are fully versed in every detail of what your annual fee costs so you're not trapped by bandwidth charges.
Up Time vs. Down Time
Managed web hosting providers are notorious for advertising 100% up time with no service interruptions. But ask yourself how often the computers in your own office suffer down time. It's not realistic to believe your web server will continue running in perpetuity until the end of the world, or your business. So don't believe the claims. Instead, inquire about the redundancy your service provider carries.
In simple terms, redundancy means that a web provider has multiple duplicate servers in other locations separate from the main server. If the main server goes down, all traffic is re-routed to one of the redundant servers. A managed web hosting provider with adequate redundancy should be able to minimize service disruptions to the amount of time it takes to engage a re-route.
Content Protection
Perhaps the biggest trap of managed web hosting is the false assumption that the service provider is as interested in your content as you are. Almost none of them keep backup copies of your site content unless specifically contracted to do so. If your provider loses his server you could be down for the count, so whoever builds and maintains your website should keep a backup copy on an in-house machine at all times, which includes updates, just as you do with your business documents.
Other than managed hosting, you can turn to cloud hosting that has the same level of managed commitment for your websites and applications. At Rackspace Cloud, your businesses are taken seriously. Another form of managed hosting is shared hosting. It rarely guarantees resources, but it's a cheap start. Be sure to use the Dreamhost promo code for substantial discount.
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