If you are a big business and lease a dedicated server you have something in common with an individual on a basic web hosting plan.
You both need a web host that offers top-notch support for everything from simple customer service to highly complex technical issues.
When you run into problems with your site, you need help right away.
Outstanding customer support is critical to your business since your website rests in the hands of your web host.
Here are some things to consider when evaluating hosting services and their level of support.
Quick Response Time.
When evaluating a support staff, you will look at several things but one of the most important is the response time.
When something goes wrong you want help right away.
No matter if you contact them by phone, email, or help desk, they should reply in a timely manner to your initial inquiry.
When your site goes offline and you don't know what to do, the last thing you want is to wait on hold for twenty minutes waiting for a tech person to pick up your call.
A web host may boast that they provide phone support but if only one person is working and you can never get through, it is basically useless to you.
How quickly you can get through to a person who can actually help you is an important consideration when selecting a web host.
Take The Support Staff On A Test Run.
Test the support staff before you sign up with a particular web host.
Contact them through the recommended channels whether it is by email, phone, or help desk and see how quickly your questions are answered.
You can even ask them basic questions you already know the answers to so you can test their technical knowledge.
By asking these questions before you become a customer, you get a chance to test out the support staff and find out if they treat you kindly, respond quickly, and know what they are doing.
This gives you an idea on what to expect when you call them with a real problem in the future.
First impressions are important when evaluating a support staff.
Get Peace Of Mind.
Things do go wrong with hosting providers, even ones that are known to be reliable.
It is usually something beyond their control and out of your hands to fix.
Their servers could be affected by power problems, corruption, or even attacks.
You want peace of mind in knowing someone is always working behind the scenes to keep your sites up and running.
When your site goes down, you want to know all you have to do is pick up the phone and a tech person will get to work on what is wrong and fix it as quickly as they can.
If your web host can't give you speedy support then you will run into all kinds of problems that can drive your visitors away and cost you money.
Expect The Unexpected.
When something goes wrong with your website, and sooner or later it will, there is no need to panic.
Always expect something can go wrong so when it does, you won't be shocked.
Just choose a web host that has stellar support so you can rest assured that your problems will be fixed as fast as humanly possible.
It is impossible to find a web host that can deliver 100% trouble free service to you, but it should be easy enough to find one that can provide top-notch support and customer service.
Web hosts depend upon you to keep their business alive so it only makes sense that they strive to keep you happy.
If they do not, then it is time to move on and find a web hosting company that makes quality support its priority.