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Getting the best performance from your hosting server is vital, but so is getting the most out of your Hosting Support options. Check out our top 3 tips :

Find out if the problem you are having is covered by the hosting support included free of charge by your host.

Shared hosting is one of the most cost effective ways to host a website. It generally includes server level support only, and additional support for design or configuration aspects on your website will be additional.  In short, if the issue is caused as a result of a problem on the hosting server itself, it will normally be covered by your included support.

It tends to work like this:

– If the problem is linked to any development work on your site, SEO, Google rank, image changes, website security or can be resolved by the access your host has provided you with to cPanel/Plesk etc, then free support usually will not apply.

– If the troubles you are having are caused by your local device, PC or network then support will not be covered and charges will apply.

But a good hosting company will always try to help where they can. Fantastic support (even if its just the support included in your hosting package) will always do what they can to help, and at the very least, give you an explanation of the issue and at some tips to point you in the right direction to get the problem sorted. Most hosts will offer very well priced hosting support and quick resolution times for any problems you log with them.

Recommendations:

– Check your providers online knowledgebase and tutorials for a fix.

– Search Google for the issue you are having.  Remember to try different variations of what your search term. If you are having a problem on your site, its likely somebody else has already had it and been able to fix it!

Good hosting companies will provide paid support and design options. These are normally cheaper and quicker than your usual onsite IT contractor, meaning there is good value in using your these support services.

Report an issue by opening a support ticket.

Its wise to always log an issue via the hosting support ticket system. Even if you also speak to the support team via phone, it is good practice to always have a written record of both the fault and all the steps taken to repair or resolve the issue. It can also be very handy if the issue occurs again. Not to mention, it will ensure the hosting support team is accountable for how much time is spent to reply and resolve your issue.

When you report an fault or issue, make sure you provide all the information you can, this makes its a lot easier for the support to investigate the error and find a fix and will end up with a much faster resolution time. The error message, web URL, email addresses, screenshots and anything else you think may be pertinent are all vital to ensuring you get a fast result.

If you have more than one issue, it is always wise to submit separate tickets per issue.

Keep a backup of your site.

This is incredibly important. Good hosting companies do store backups of the hosting servers but this will not always mean the exact copy of your site or email account, is going to be present and available to be restored. Always keep an offsite backup of your website files on a local PC or external drive. Many website horror stories could have been avoided if the client only had a backup.