Short-term contracts 'best at first'

People looking for a new web hosting provider should try to agree short-term contracts at first, an expert states.

A blogger, writing for Hosting Information, asserts that avoiding longer deals can protect new webmasters from being stuck with any "nasty surprises".

They argue that new users should try to pay month by month as they can then change their hosting service if they are dissatisfied with any aspect.

Companies and individuals should seek an experienced web hosting provider and ask for examples of previous work before agreeing anything, the blog post concludes.

Earlier this year, TheSiteWizard.com said the most important aspect of any web hosting service is that it should be reliable and allow high speed access.

Ideally, a web hosting provider should offer a refund if its downtime exceeds a previously agreed limit, the website recommended, adding that this can often be a difficult thing to prove but gives the supplier a big incentive to deliver.

At Global Gold, director Debra Hastings-Henry points out that you can opt to make payments on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis.

The longer a customer commits for, the higher the discount they receive. New clients can also trial the service practically for free for two to three weeks if they wish and if they pay in advance but wish to cancel the service the company will always refund them pro rata.

She adds that any decent web hosting company will do this without delay.