Managed hosting is something that is catered to clients that are technologically proficient, but they lack the time or acumen to navigate servers, troubleshoot applications, and manage the operating system. It’s a specialty that can do wonders for your business – large or small.
Interested?
Well, if your interest has been piqued, then you’ll quickly realize that there are so many services that are vying for your IT loonies and toonies. Of course, it can be difficult to choose a managed hosting company, but with some due diligence and know what to look for, you can succeed in this endeavour.
Here are five tips for choosing a managed hosting provider:
1. What is Your Budget?
Every business has finite funds – unless, you’re Amazon or Google, which seem to have an infinite supply of money. In each aspect of your company, you need to allocate a specific amount of resources, and a lot of the determination comes down to priorities.
As private enterprises are quickly realizing, the IT element is the highest of priorities.
When you’re in the market for a managed hosting provider, you need to crunch the numbers and calculate how much you’re able to afford. Remember, each service has tiered products, and how much you’re willing to spend will determine what kind of managed hosting you’ll receive.
2. It’s All About the Data Centre
Once you begin to navigate through the complex and immense market of managed hosting, there is one specific function you will need to pay attention to: data centres.
Moreover, as you dive deeper into the world data centres, there are two specific features to hone in on:
- Controls
- Hardware
The former relies on security controls and security systems. The latter focuses on enterprise-grade equipment that combats data failures.
3. Customer Support is Key
If you comb through the studies, you will notice one trend: consumers are beginning to care more about customer service than savings. This is a surprise to many in today’s economy.
So, during your journey to locating the best managed hosting provider tailored to your corporate needs, it would be prudent to establish which brand offers sublime customer support.
Ultimately, there are three items that you should demand:
- 24/7 customer support.
- Zero service interruptions.
- Professional agents to guide you through the process.
Should the firm maintain these functions, then you can be confident in that particular brand.
4. Find Out the Provider’s Performance History
What has been the managed hosting firm’s performance history? What is their reputation like? Have the won any awards or distinctions.
By finding out the company’s performance history, you can have some assurance that they are not a fly-by-night operator and that they are dedicated to their industry.
You will want a managed hosting provider that does not have any security infiltrations, data breaches, or investigations from authorities. Also, you need to discover if they have are accredited or recommended by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
One more thing: peruse reviews, testimonials, and ratings from previous clients.
5. Recovering from a Disaster
Here is an age-old question: why do we fall? To learn to pick ourselves up of course.
How a company recovers from any disaster can really tell you quite a bit, including that the business has the expertise, the equipment, and the enthusiasm to fight back.
In the event that a disaster does take place, you need to know how the business implements a disaster recovery protocol. Indeed, you don’t want your data lost or stolen. You want it recovered. This can only be done if the host has what it needs.
Every startup, corporation, or organization should add a managed hosting service to its information technology structure. Since you are not tech-savvy, you lack the time, and your business model depends on the web, a managed hosting product is the best course of action to take. This will ensure your firm is always online.
