Should You Choose an Overseas Web Host? When you are trying to choose a host for your website it can seem like there are thousands of website hosting companies, from all around the world, clamouring for your business. There are many different considerations to take into account when choosing your hosting and depending on your needs there will be still be a lot to you to choose from. You may find that by outsourcing your hosting abroad (outside UK and US) you will save money, whilst still meeting your requirements.
So what should you know about hosting overseas? The Price Difference You will often find that hosting companies abroad will provide services for a very low price. Sometimes this is just a way to get more sales, but often the price simply reflects the lower cost of living in those countries. For example in India and Pakistan it is much cheaper to live than in the US or UK.
When considering overseas hosting it is important to make sure that they can fulfill your requirements. Remember budget hosting does not always provide the same standard as slightly higher priced options. It is always worth reading reviews on the company you are considering and making an informed decision from there.
Location Versus Speed The location of your server can make a difference to your website's speed. The closer your server to your visitors, the quicker the website will load. If the majority of your visitors will come from the US, it would be wise to pick a host in the US, especially if your site will have many graphics or multimedia, that needs to load quickly. If your website is basic text and simple, quick loading images, this will not be of much concern and you would not have a problem hosting further away.
Customer Support Customer service is an important factor to consider, when choosing a web hosting company. Many overseas companies are highly trained in customer service and know that in order to keep customers they must provide excellent service, due to high competition. However it is important to take into consideration time zones if you are buying overseas. It may be hard to find a good time to contact your web host, if they are in a different time zone. Although many companies will claim to have 24/7
customer support, it is not always easy to get good service at night time (in that country) as there may be less staff on.
It is not right to generalise all overseas hosting companies, so each should be looked at on their own merit. Always take the time to do your research and read reviews on the company you are thinking of going with.
Great web hosting can mean the difference between your website being a success or a failure.
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