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Rules of Engagement – Do’s and Don’ts of Managed Hosting

September 5th, 2010 By: Hosting News

After you become a seasoned managed hosting customer, you come to know certain key factors and elements that play a big part in whether you stay or go. Choosing a hosting company and staying with them usually means the hosting company is going above and beyond what they are supposed to do, often times with a level of service that is almost impeccable.

Some of the mistakes you don’t want to make in managed hosting can actually improve your profit margin. For example, if you sign up for a hosting account with fewer features than you need, you’ll end up being dissatisfied for the duration of the contract,. If you don’t sign a contract, you could still be wasting money on a less than full featured account. Get what you want out of a hosting account to start with, plan ahead! You can save yourself the trouble of having to back pedal your life into a different hosting account.

Many hosting sites offer discounts, depending on what you purchase. Some offer a percentage off your hosting fees if you sign up on a contract. If your business stays pretty normal, without a lot of fluctuations in the number of customers and hits, signing a contract will be safe. Simply choose the features and options you want and bring on the savings!

If you haven’t already figured it out, business websites always have a “ranking”, so to speak. Whether it be the number of hits they get or customers they pull in, they are charted somewhere. Web hosts use these charts to determine the type of account, bandwidth and amount of data transfer you’ll need. You can usually trust customer service associates from companies which require this kind of data.

You don’t want to spend more than you should, so you should have an idea of what your business needs before you spend. The more popular a managed hosting service is, the better quality you’ll get for your dollar

As far as features go, you’re always going to want a server with the best uptime guarantee. Not only does this ensure your quality of service for your dollar but it also keeps things competitive and moving as they should. You can only offer the best service guarantees if you truly outperform the competition

There are different types of managed hosting you can choose from. Most are all alike, except for a new type of hosting called cloud hosting. Cloud hosting offers the same level of service but through a more reliable configuration structure. You’re safer on a cloud network than a regular one any day.

Managed hosting should be acquired using skill and knowledge. Know how much you are willing to spend on a specific plan and try and stick to that. If you overspend for options you don’t need, it will cut into your profits. You want to run as clean of a ship as possible, with nothing you don’t need. Part of the luxury of owning your own business revolves around you being able to make the right choices.

Automatic scheduling of service renewals is a definite do in managed hosting. It automatically pays your bill from either a credit card or your PayPal account.

If you’re looking to make all the right moves when it comes to your managed hosting efforts, talk to a friend or business associate who has already gone through it. You can learn a lot from someone’s past experiences and even get some help with your own efforts.

Managed hosting is great for keeping your business with a low overhead cost, providing you know how to configure your options. Each option you select, especially in the custom managed hosting market, will cost you an additional amount. Only pay for what you need initially, and then upgrade your account with new features and options. Managed hosting will also allow you to keep your mind on other things, while a portion of your income is set to be made online. This means more time to prepare your business for whatever might happen.

Don’t sign up with the first hosting company that catches your eye. Let them “compete” against each other! Price, performance and reliability are three very important areas you need to be focusing on. If a hosting company lacks these key business ingredients, then move on. More often than not, you will be left with sub-par quality service and less than desirable feature performance. However, if you can match yourself up with a hosting company with everything you need for a great price, what more could you ask for more?