E-commerce: Six Things To Know Before Choosing a Web Host

* Unmanaged dedicated hosting is very similar to collocation. The good: You lease a server from a host and do not actually own it yourself. The bad: Some limited support, typically Web-based, is included, but the level of support varies widely from host to host.

* Managed dedicated hosting means leasing a server from a host and having that company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server that’s backed by quality guarantees. The good: This maintenance typically includes services such as server uptime monitoring, a hardware warranty and security patch updates. The bad: Make sure your host is specific about which managed services are included so you can be sure it isn’t disguising an unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server.