SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS

Before signing on the dotted line, carefully read the web hosting service’s “Terms of Use” and “Acceptable Use Policies.” Many hosting services put important qualifying statements in those documents. For example, this is where content limitations (if you have a controversial site) are usually stated. That is also where you will find statements qualifying the host’s uptime guarantee (are they responsible only when the server is down, or also when their connecting network is down?), and limitations on the so-called “unlimited” plans. Also look for “catches” such as daily bandwidth measuring, sale of personal information, and limits on the size of your database.

Go with a hosting service that offers, at a minimum, a 30-day money-back guarantee, which should be posted in easy view on their website. However, even with a money-back guarantee, the setup fee might not be refundable, so check.

If everything is copasetic, the last item for discussion is the service level agreement. While you might attempt negotiation of a service agreement, you probably won’t get very far. So be realistic; a web hosting service will not guarantee to provide 100% uptime, nor will it offer more than pro rata compensation for down time or reimbursement of paid service fees. That being said, most of the down time your site experiences will probably be a direct result of something that is done from your end and not from service outages attributable to the hosting service.



The Complete E-Commerce Book. Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-based Business
The Complete E-Commerce Book, Second Edition: Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-based Business
ISBN: B001KVZJWC
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 159

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