Like most other business decisions, choosing a hosting service provider is also not easy. There are a lot of hosting providers out there and with so many options which makes it even harder to find the provider that is right for your business. When it comes to the cloud, finding a great match is quite important.
There are so many things to consider including the cost, service standards, bandwidth, etc. Here are ten questions you must ask before choosing an application hosting provider for your organization:
#1: How long have they been in the cloud network industry?
In the recent years, many application hosting providers have emerged due to the explosion of cloud interest. Because of this, it is important that when you choose a hosting provider, you should look for one who has been in the business domain for a while and with extensive experience and a reliable track record in cloud networking.
#2: What is their reputation?
When you choose a hosting provider, make sure that you pay attention to its reputation and past performances. Keep in mind that not all big companies are always better. So, don’t base your choice on how popular the provider is.
#3: Do they offer 24/7 support?
24/7 support means that you have to be able to focus on your business round-the-clock. Make sure that your provider offers a year-round level of support to keep your environment up-to-date and secure.
#4: Do they offer reliable security measures?
Security should be your first concern when selecting a hosting provider. Find out as much as you can about the security measures of a potential provider. If possible, run a background check about their security breach history.
#5: Do they offer enough scalability for your growing business?
Whether your business grows rapidly or over a few years, it is important that your provider is able to handle the volumes of your site traffic. Make sure that your environment can be scaled according to your business growth.
#6: Do they offer enough flexibility?
Along with scalability comes flexibility. Make sure that as your business grows, your cloud solution should be able to support the applications your employees use and should be able to customize the same for meeting your business needs.
#7: Will there be limitations in accessing data and applications?
To continually operate on your business, it is essential that you are able to get access to your applications at any time and from anywhere. So, even if you’re away from your workplace, you can still work on some business transactions and sensitive operations.
#8: What will be the pricing arrangements?
Pricing arrangements should be flexible. This means that pricing should be based on your business needs and there should be no locked-in contracts. Sooner or later, your organization will change. Therefore, it is important that you have different options to be able to estimate your financial expenses.
#9: Who are their customers?
Talking to the customers of your potential provider is a safe guarantee that you acquire a reliable service. This will give you an idea of the provider’s history and standards and will also help you in choosing the perfect match for your business.
#10: Do they care for the environment?
As your server runs in the cloud, it is important that you are also reducing your carbon footprint. When you choose your hosting provider, be sure that their energy sources are guaranteed environment friendly with are known to cause the lowest possible impact on the environment.