Points to Remember When Switching Web Hosts - Telephone and Cable Connections

Okay, I don't mean these literally--though these days with VoIP and other interesting technological convergences, who knows? But seriously, in this case, I'm taking the analogy of moving to a new home a step further, with "telephone and cable connections" standing in for the way you and your website communicate with the rest of the digital world. This is one issue that could really bite you.

The most obvious way this could come up as a problem is with bandwidth. Like the amount of storage you take up and the operating system being used, you should find out the amount of bandwidth you use from your current host, and check how much your new host supports. Laugh if he says that you'll have "unlimited bandwidth" and get him to explain what that really means. Just like a landline or a cell phone, you may be able to make as many phone calls as you want to wherever you want--but wait until you see the bill at the end of the month. This is of particular concern if you own a website that eats bandwidth for breakfast by hosting podcasts, videos, or any kind of streaming content.

If you're a business or organization, you should also pay attention to the email account situation. You probably use a certain number of email accounts, autoresponders, and mail forwards with your current host. Will your new host let you have a similar number? Actually, if you think you're going to grow, you may want more than your current number. (And this is of course another reason to check what counts against the amount of storage your plan permits, as I mentioned above).

At this point, it's worth mentioning that you should set up the email accounts you currently have on your new web host's server before transferring your domain name to the new server. It will help smooth the transition. And lots of website owners overlook this little detail.

Next: Taking Care of Business >>
 

More Web Hosting Articles Articles
More By Terri Wells