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Selecting a Web Hosting Provider

Here are some tips when selecting a Web hosting provider. Many of the following suggestions are based on IHR's year's of experience.

• If you are serious about your Web site, pick a hosting provider that specializes in Web hosting and does not simply provide hosting in addition to providing Internet access. Many ISP's provide Web hosting as an add-on service, but they do not provide many features (see below) that are important to operating an effective Web site.
   

• Pick a provider that has been providing Web hosting for many years.  This will help you avoid lots of their learning errors.
   

• Pick a provider that can provide all, or many of, the following features:

  • Access to the configuration files

  • Ability to use server-side includes and Cascading Style Sheets

  • Ability to run cgi scripts

  • Access to other features you may need in the future, such as database access, multimedia, or Web community boards.
     

• Ensure that your Web hosting provider collects and maintains the raw access logs for your Web site and that you can have access to Web statistical reports generated from the access logs.
   

• Select a provider that has excellent phone support and online help. 
   

• Select a provider that has an excellent uptime record.  You do not want hours and hours of downtime for your Web site.
   

• Do not select a provider on price alone. In doing so, you may be "penny wise, yet pound foolish." If you want to use your Web site for promotion, then it is wise to ensure that they also meet the above criteria.
   

IHR provides Web hosting services for dozens of infertility organizations.