They can be nothing more than a list of copied and pasted functions
You see it all the time, those so-called “reviews” of web hosting services that are nothing more than a list of features that are already displayed on the web host’s sales page. That’s not a review, it’s redundant information that you can get just by going to the web host’s home page.
Get objective web hosting reviews
While low prices and a wealth of features play a part in selecting the best web host for your needs, the most important thing to consider when doing your research is feedback from real people who have dealt with technical staff. , customer service or the billing department. , bad or indifferent.
Look for unbiased reviews from real customers based on first-hand experiences. Everything else is just a subjective comment. Did they receive responses from the help desk in a timely manner? Were your issues resolved, if not why? Were the staff courteous or did they act like they were doing the customer a favor by showing up for work that day? You want to hear from people who actually have web hosting accounts with the hosting company. Is the system slow? Is there a lot of downtime?
Help desk systems are not all the same
Do they have a ticketing system where you can submit questions and then track the responses, or is it their version of a help desk just passing emails back and forth? Emails have a way of disappearing into spam filters, getting lost over time, or accidentally deleted. Names are also dropped into a maze of Cc’s and Bcc’s as they go from help desk to technical staff.
Write your pre-sale questions
If you don’t find any customer reviews you like and have pre-sales questions, please make a list and feel free to contact the company. While making a phone call is faster, it’s better to send an email or use their ticket system because you’ll have their response in writing, should you need to use that information at a later date. In addition, you will also be able to measure how quickly they respond to tickets.
Guarantees must be of the money-back type
Most web hosting companies have a 30 day guarantee, but not all guarantees are a 100% money back guarantee. Make sure you understand the warranty before registering. Be especially wary when customers complain about unanswered calls to the billing department, promised refund requests but nothing happens, or the “check is in the mail” trick.
Check the company’s reputation with a reporting agency
If you are in the US or Canada, go to the National Sites section of the Better Business Bureau website to see if any complaints have been filed.
Beware of “too good to be true” testimonials
Look for testimonials on the host company’s site. Do they seem believable or made up? They must include the real names and URLs of the people who create them.
Does the web server have any awards?
Take any awards they have shown with a grain of salt unless they are from reputable companies and publications. Click on those awards and follow the links to the site that issued the award. If necessary, contact the award giver and ask why they issued an award to the web hosting company.