When looking for a Web Host there are lots of factors that come into play. Usually the deciding factors are price and bandwidth. A common overlooked item is the uptime guarantee. This is the percentage of time your account will be up and running
What do these numbers really mean?
If we look at these percentages and convert them into the amount of time your site is going to be down we get some very telling information. The chart below lists the uptime gurantee percentage and how that equates to time.
99% - 5256 Min/Yr or 87.6 Hours/Yr ? 438 Min/Month or 7.3 Hours/Month
99.5% - 2628 Min/Yr or 43.8 Hours/Yr ? 219 Min/Month or 3.65 Hours/Month
99.9% - 525.6 Min/Yr or 8.76 Hours/Yr ? 43.8 Min/Month or .73 Hours/Month
99.95% - 262.8 Min/Yr or 4.38 Hours/Yr ? 21.9 Min/Month or .365 Hours/Month
99.99% - 52.56 Min/Yr or .876 Hours/Yr ? 4.38 Min/Month or .073 Hours/Month
As you can see that while 99% uptime sounds like a lot, it actually allows for the host to have over 7 hours of downtime per month, or a whopping 87.6 hours per year. Your host could be down for over 3 ? days over the course of a year and still hit their target of 99% uptime. As you go to 99.5% and 99.9%, it gets much better, and with 99.95% and 99.99% you would have little or no downtime.
Is this realistic?
Is it realistic to get 99.99% uptime? Probably not, but it is always nice if you can get compensated for downtime. However, if the host only compensates you for the actual downtime you have, it probably won't be a large amount. Let's assume you pay $20 a month for your hosting, which is probably on the upper end of what you'd be paying ofr a hosting account. We will also assume there a 30 days in the month. Breaking that down, you're paying roughly 3 cents per hour for your hosting. This means if you site is down for 24 hours, 1 full day, you will only get 72 cents of compensation. By no means is this good if it means your site goes down and you get some pocket change.
So what does this mean to me?
So the more decimal places, the better the uptime guarantee. We also now know that we probably won't be getting lots of money back if our site goes down. The ultimate goal is to find a web host that has an uptime guarantee and maintains that level of service. You don't need the money back but you do need the peace of mind of having your website up and running.
Scott is the owner and chief designer for Smith-Concepts a successful web development firm.
Related Links: http://www.smith-concepts.com
If you're about to set up your first web site... Read More
Whether you are disgruntled with the level of service your... Read More
Linux web hosting is so named, based on the operating... Read More
When you first start out trying to get a site... Read More
When building your first site the main things that you... Read More
A web host reseller account is a web hosting account... Read More
So you want to publish a web site do you?... Read More
Many online entrepreneurs these days are faced with the problem... Read More
It may seem simple yet it is often times overlooked.... Read More
First of all, some people are worried that they will... Read More
If you run a website hosting business, you already know... Read More
Does GoDaddy really suck?I am in the process of registering... Read More
After the dot.com bubble burst a few years back I... Read More
Anyone who has ever shopped for web hosting knows that... Read More
Your new website is ready to upload, and now you... Read More
Why is dedicated hosting such a big hit on the... Read More
These searchers are looking for a hosting company in a... Read More
General rule of thumb is not to sign up for... Read More
As a web host reseller, one of your most important... Read More
If you've ever browsed the World Wide Web and wondered... Read More
Reseller webhosting can be a great way to earn some... Read More
Many start-up web hosts in their desperate attempt to get... Read More
You've made your decision to move from your website from... Read More
What sort of web hosting options should you go for... Read More
The basic command for changing file permissions in unix based... Read More
There are a number of things to consider when choosing... Read More
If your like many another webmasters you might be thinking... Read More
There are so many hosting companies offering to host your... Read More
A Virtual Private Server (VPS), also referred to as Virtual... Read More
Web hosts are service companies that provide space on their... Read More
The DNS is a distributed, hierarchical database where authority flows... Read More
Does GoDaddy really suck?I am in the process of registering... Read More
It may seem simple yet it is often times overlooked.... Read More
Choosing to make a web site is a very big... Read More
You're the webmaster of more than one website. You design... Read More
What is web hosting? Whenever you visit a website, what... Read More
The basic command for changing file permissions in unix based... Read More
Every year as school starts web hosts see an up... Read More
Well? you've purchased a domain name? created a pretty design?... Read More
This article is meant to all who already have a... Read More
There are few things as critical to your e-business success... Read More
First things First. Why would you like to have Windows... Read More
Web hosting can best be described as a modern-day marriage:... Read More
"Bargains for sale, Unlimited Hosting for only a Dollar.""Get your... Read More
The website hosting business is very competitive these days with... Read More
In my opinion, free web hosting is one of the... Read More
Bandwidth can make all the difference when choosing where to... Read More
One of the most confusing decisions someone new to web... Read More
If you're looking for a professionally designed web site at... Read More
As a web host reseller, one of your most important... Read More
Web Hosting |