Host2Host wants you to know the facts before you start hosting a site (or sites) on the Web. Below we introduce you to our contract agreement that each Host2Host customer must agree to. On the bottom section of this page we have put together a hot list of features to look for in an ISP or Web hosting firm, (be it Host2Host or some other company) and what to look for in an agreement and / or contract with the same.

Host2Host New Client Contract -- Agreement

The Host2Host.com customer agreement can be filled out on-line or a hard copy can be mailed to you at your request:
The On-Line version is found here: http://www.host2host.com/contract.htm
E-mail us at info@host2host.com to request a hard copy.

Pitfalls in a Web Hosting Contract -- A Hot List

Choosing ... a hosting company is like getting married or buying a house. Making the right choice doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, but making the wrong choice can lead you down a rough road.

The Best ... and cheapest method, for small to medium sized businesses with new Web sites, is to host the site on an existing server. Unless your staffers are overflowing with technical talent and have a whole bunch of free time on their hands, it's generally simpler and cheaper to rent the space rather than build your own server. But this is only true if you choose the right host.

Choices ... Your e-mail box is probably full with offers from companies offering "the best" deals on Web hosting. It is in your best interests to choose a Web host that will remain stable as the Internet continues to grow, preferably one that has a proven track record and qualified staff.

Your ISP ... or sites such as GeoCities can offer free space for Web pages, however, these sources are not likely to offer the services you'll need to build a professional looking Web site. Most of those sites, can't associate your site with a custom Domain name. A URL of http://zbestsoftware.com looks a lot more like a real business than http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/97437/~zbest/software.html. Consider potential visitors with your URL on a business card in hand, they are more likely to hand type the earlier than the latter in a browser's address bar... draw your own conclusion.

There are no guarantees ... that the first hosting service you start with will your last. The site hosting business is a volatile one, switching providers can sometimes be as easy as changing your long-distance telephone service. However as in the latter, it can sometimes be a difficult proposition. Often the hosting services offerings can be as misleading as the MCI and AT&T advertising. (MCI's cracks me up, "5¢ Every Day" except weekdays. What does that leave left?)

Wouldn't it be nice to set it up once and stay with that hosting provider for good? It is possible ... here are nine things to look at that will increase your chances;

1 -- Dialog ... Does the host speak your language or do they only speak "ISP"? Remember, your language is business, not HTML and you are not a MIS engineer. Does your prospective provider show that he or she understands the needs of a small business Web site? Do they go out of their way to help you to understand the parts you "need to" while giving you access to answers to any other questions you may have.

There are two critical factors that tell whether a hosting service understands your small business hosting needs.
Factor 1 -- If you find yourself speaking with someone who was flipping burgers two weeks ago, or to a fresh college IT grad who knows the server side of hosting inside and out but doesn't know anything about business, chances are they won't be able to help you much.
Factor 2 -- Make sure you find a provider who shares your same enthusiasm about keeping costs down.

2 -- Reputation ... Do they provide references on demand? Probably the most important way to judge a potential host is by experience. A prospective Web host should be able to provide references to other satisfied customers. Talk to those people and listen carefully to what they say. Ask other Webmasters and Webmistresses what they know of the host's reputation. Keep in mind that a hosting service is different from an ISP. The fact that a company has lots of satisfied subscribers to its Internet access service doesn't say much about its ability to host a Web site.

What is the company's history? What is the history of the principals? Do they provide the email addresses of the principals on their Web site? While no one can claim decades of Internet hosting experience, (if they do, find a new prospect ... fast!) it's probably not a good sign if you're going to be their very first customer. Even if the company doesn't have a long history, the people running it may. If they've got Web experience or business-related experience, that's a big plus.

3 -- Services ... Your new hosting service should be willing and able to provide you with your sites statistics, critical information you can use to help you make future decisions about your site that includes regular, automatic reports on site activity, uptime and availability numbers, load on the communications channel and so forth. If the service won't give you the information it means either they don't understand your needs or they simply aren't collecting the information.

Is there customer service? How do you get in touch with them? Such a contact should be immediate and put you in touch with a knowledgeable service person, voice mail and a receptionist don't count.

What kind of connection do they have to the Internet? T1? T3? This refers to what is actually installed and running, not the theoretical capability. "T1 capable" is not the same as a T1 link up and running.

How heavily loaded is the connection? A connection that's approaching its limit is probably going to have to be expanded in the near future, this can involve reduced availability during the cut over and/or taking the site down completely for a period of time. Again, ask for references and find out from existing customers how the service fairs for speed.

What size customers are they aimed at? Due to the nature of the hosting business it's hard to be a one-size-fits-all Web host. Most Web hosting services target Web sites that get a certain range of hits per day.

Hosting companies are commonly offering FrontPage server extensions, which let you update your site from your PC with the click of a mouse in FrontPage. This software allows lets you edit the pages "live" right off the server. Some hosting companies charge extra for this service, so make sure it's included in the plan you choose.

4 -- Reliability ... How often have they been down? The service should be able to provide you with its average and current reliability levels.

Do they guarantee a level of reliability? Ideally the service should guarantee that they will be up and available for a percentage of time every month. Most hosting services guarantee between 95 and 99 percent. A guarantee of 100 or 99.99 percent reliability should mark a red flag for you when you are looking at various hosts! Necessary and routine maintenance makes those numbers impossible.

Hosting firms should have some method in place to constantly monitor the network and the software that powers your hosted site. Such monitoring should take place 24/7 and be capable of immediately alerting staff on hand of problems that come up.

What is their level and depth of technical support? You want knowledgeable people. Your Web site can't wait until someone gets back from the doctor's office -- or from vacation -- to fix the problem. If there is only one person who really knows the system, sooner or later you're going to have a big problem. Is someone always on call?

This is one of the biggest problems with Web hosting services today. Technical talent, experienced with Web servers, scripting languages and so on, is scarce and expensive. At the pace the Internet is growing, new applications are being introduced at record pace. Who is keeping up? A good Web hosting service make sure they have sufficient expertise on site at all times.

5 -- The Basics ... How much space are you allowed? Typical Web hosting services allow several megabytes as a basic allotment of space for their clients, this can range anywhere from 10mb to 50mb. The size of this offering also tells you the size of the customers the service is targeting. Small increments usually means you're dealing with a company aiming at hosting personal Web pages rather than business class sites.

How much bandwidth can you use? Most services are based on a certain number of hits per day or data transfer rate for each Web site. As of late, hosting firms have gotten away from counting "hits" and tend to measure traffic based on data transfer. No hosting company can really afford to offer unlimited bandwidth. "Unlimited Bandwidth" means that the company is betting your use will stay under a certain size, if you go over that size you can expect to get your contract re-negotiated. Up front, this seems like a shady way of selling a service, but for multi-hosted servers is is the most equitable way to distribute the load.

How much do they charge for additional storage space? Are these costs made known to you in advance? This can be a big factor on the cost of hosting, should your site become the next "ebay.com". With some hosts initial storage is reasonably priced, but additional storage for your site isn't.

Does the server offer e-mail aliases? POP accounts? Does it support lists? Control Panels?...

6 -- Security ... What is your access level? Does the provider allow root access? Root access is often made available to select users, or in some rare cases, all users on a Unix or Linux server. Having root access is very convenient when you're working on your site or doing scripting. But if your site shares a multi-hosted server with others, your site and data is vulnerable if one of the other users screws up while using the system as "root". On multi-hosted Windows NT systems, this type of access is called "Administrator," and is usually strictly limited.

Can you write and/or install your own CGI scripts? Java applets? ActiveX Controls? Scripting is an important part of most Web sites, but scripts and controls can cause problems ranging from security holes to server crashes. Does the prospective host offer support for and/or debugging of scripts as part of the package? Hosting services policies vary widely on this issue. A few still refuse to allow scripts or controls at all. Others insist on writing them for you ... for a price! Others charge for checking and debugging them. Others will allow scripts or controls in one or two languages but not others. Some adjust policy on a case-by-case basis. In a nutshell, the one for you is the hosting service whose scripting policy you can live with.

Does the provider offer secure services? Could another hosting client inadvertently make changes to your files? "Secure" is relative term as it relates to a Web server. There are some basic things to look for, but there is no such thing as absolutely confidential information on a Web server. This is one of the reasons many companies go to a hosting service for Web related content rather than install a machine in-house. Insist that reasonable protections for confidential information be pre-built into the server software.

Can the server support secure electronic payment systems? This is very important if you're planning on doing electronic commerce (taking orders for product on-line).

7 -- Domain Names ... Who will register your Domain name? Normally the hosting provider will register the Domain name for you, if not for free, for a fee. This is an important issue because only the Registrant (registered owner), Administrative Contact, Technical Contact or Billing Contact can make changes to a Domain name record. For your own protection, you should own the Domain name yourself, the bills for registration should come to you, not the hosting provider.

8 -- Legalities ... Can you examine their standard contract? Is it posted on-line? The company should be glad to provide you with a copy of their standard hosting contract for you and your attorneys to study.

Who owns what? Make sure you actually "own" all the material on your site, and the hosting company cannot make claim to the content. In reality you're getting nothing more than server space and maintenance from your hosting provider. However that's not always the way the contract reads, this may be especially true if you've also contracted with the hosting company for design and/or other services.

What are your responsibilities, potential penalties and so on? How much notice do you have to give to terminate the hosting agreement? Do you have to agree to a term contract? Are there any penalties for not fulfilling a term contract?

9 -- Prepare Yourself ... As you go through the process of selecting a Web hosting company, make note of your other top choices, consider them for possible alternate providers if your relationship with your first hosting provider goes sour. You will want to be able to switch to your backup providers quickly, without your customers and clients realizing there has been a change. Often, the switch will go that smoothly, but you need to do as much as possible before hand to minimize downtime. Keep current on your alternate hosting services. Keep an eye on their rates, conditions of service and reliability statistics.

Always maintain a current copy of your Web site on a machine off of the hosting firms server or on removable media like a CD-RW, zip disk, DAT tape or magneto optical drive. If your current provider will not provide access so you can maintain a copy off site, demand it, take legal action if necessary. If this is the case, take action today to to secure a new hosting service that is more in tune with your individual needs.