How to Tell if a Host is Dodgy

There are literally thousands of webhosts today. Every single one of them is after your business. But how should you choose which of these companies is right for you? How should you be able to determine a hosts integrity and professionalism without risking being ripped off? In this article we are going to cover ways to uncover bad webhosts before you hand over your credit card.

1) Their website is a template
If you go to a hosting website and you've seen the design before on a different site, leave. The only hosting companies using templates are those who are either on a very limited budget, or are fly-by-nighters. Admittedly, some hosts using templates are fine, however you have to ask yourself "if I was a successful hosting company with many happy clients, wouldn't I invest in hiring a designer?".

2) They offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee
There are 44640 minutes in a month. A 99.9% uptime guarantee would allow for just under 45 minutes of downtime each month. 45 minutes is not enough time to maintain servers let alone upgrade them. A 99.9% uptime guarantee basically means your host either won't be upgrading their equipment (which is always nice), or that they think you just won't notice. These hosts are lying to you.

3) Google their testimonials
Remember that not everyone is honest. Alot of webhost use generic customer testimonials that aren't from customers at all. Copy all or part of a testimonial and do a Google search for it. It's amazing how many hosts use the exact same testimonial, as shown here. At the time of writing, Google finds 143 websites containing the same generic testimonial (some change the name, yet the comment is the same).

4) They don't provide a phone number
Any webhost you deal with should provide a phone number on their website for you to contact them, regardless of other contact methods they have (msn/email/etc). Even if they do not provide 24/7 support, why would a host neglect to include contact information? The only reason not to provide a number is if they don't want the hassle of dealing with customers, in which case they shouldn't be hosting at all.

5) They are offering amazingly low prices
No webhost can offer you 500mb space and 10gig transfer for $0.99 a month and remain profitable. Neither can a host offer "unlimited space" or "unlimited bandwidth". These companies are hoping you use only a fraction of your space. Even if they were somehow breaking even on the offer, what level of service would be provided for a dollar?

6) They can't provide registered business details
Is their company name registered? Are they a registered business? Quality webhosts will register their company name and their status as a business. It doesn't cost much to do, and shows commitment.