Do you have a small business that you’ve decided needs a little online management assistance when it comes to improving your site’s visibility? If so, it is probably time to look at website hosting companies to help you.

What is website hosting? Web hosting is a type of Internet service that allows individuals and companies to make their site more accessible to other Internet users. The web hosting industry is expected to grow at least 26% in the next four years, and it already holds a current industry value of $12.3 billion dollars.

Here are the top ten questions — and answers — you should ask website hosting companies before you hire them:

• How long have you been in business? It is best to choose a quality web hosting company that has been around the block a few times. No matter how flashy their online advertisements are, if they lack experience, you probably won’t enjoy their services. Check out their “About Us” section on their website.
• Do your technicians have experience? This shouldn’t be just a “yes” or “no” answer. The leaders and technicians should have previous hosting and IT industry experience. You want tech and computer competent people. It can’t hurt to ask about any certifications they have, either.
• Can I pay ahead? Affordable web hosting is easy to find. In fact, most of the time it is free, or you pay a low monthly charge. If you pay up front for a year’s worth of website hosting, many companies will give you a discount for paying it forward.
• What are the setup fees? If you do come across free website hosting, there may be an initial setup fee between $20 and $50. Expect to pay a good deal more for top of the line website hosting companies — but the pay will be worth it. Sometimes, the website hosting providers may waive or reduce the fee if you mention a competitor’s pricing.
• Are there charges for using extra bandwidth? Bandwidth is how many bits per second you are using. At first, you will probably not need to worry about over-using this, but as your website traffic increases, you may go over your bandwidth amount and be subject to a fee. Ask if the web host will give you a warning if you are approaching your bandwidth threshold.

Outsourcing managed services, such as hiring website hosting companies to maintain a website, allows a business to cut out day to day management tasks, and also become more cost effective. Check out this site for more: go-mst.com