FAQs

5. What do I need to know about hosting and maintenance?

Hosting is a service that many design companies will offer, but there may be several ways in which this is taking place. Hosting means that your website is *stored* or *sitting* on a remote server (although some businesses may choose to host their own websites). If that remote server is with your web developer, then they are hosting your site. But more often than not, your web developer is using co-location facilities. This means they rent or own servers at the premises of a specialist host.

Whatever the scenario, you need to be aware of a few things. Firstly, a host should be able to guarantee a service level for the site - this might be for instance, an amount of time that the website can be accessed via the internet. Check out what arrangements there will be with regard to maintenance or downtime.

Will the host set-up email accounts for your organisation? If so, how many do they offer and are there cost-implications? Does the host have terms and conditions set out in terms of possible liabilities?

Similarly, with maintenance issues, you need to be sure what you will be offered and that the level of service is suitable for your organisation. What does the maintenance cover under the Agreement for Services or contract? Do you need support - telephone or just email support? How quickly do you anticipate needing turnaround of such a service?

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