<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Protect-Your-Business.jpg" alt="Protect Your Business" width="270" height="180" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9033" />Some bloggers have run into a bad web hosting company in the past that has affected their business. It’s vital to have a reliable web host to keep your site up and running for your clients to be able to access it anytime. It shouldn’t have much downtime if any, but a bad host can cause downtime and hurt your success through killing the traffic and SEO ranking. 

A smart business owner needs to take the time to learn about avoiding bad web hosts so that they can choose one that is reliable with a great reputation. When you run your business online, make your web hosting decision very carefully. Here are some tips on how to protect your business from bad web hosting companies. 

<h2>Look for blacklisted IPs</h2>

For starters, look for blacklisted IPs and avoid them. A hosting company can get blacklisted for a bad reputation. If you were to sign up with one, your emails sent from your domain could get blocked by other providers because of the IP. Ask for the IP address of your web host before you sign up and run a quick check through Spam Haus Lookup Tool. 

<h2>Register the primary domain with a different party</h2>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Domain.jpg" alt="Domain" width="296" height="180" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9031" />If you spend just $15 to register your primary domain with a different registrar, you can protect your business because you’ll be able to switch hosting in the future without having your domain tied to it. It’s much easier to switching hosting companies when you’ve registered the domain with a different party. If you just go with the free domain registration with the purchase of a hosting package as is usually offered, when you go to transfer to a new hosting company you’ll have to wait for them to release your domain. 

<h2>Do a long trail period with a hosting provider</h2>

It is smart to do a long trial period with a hosting provider. Some hosting companies offer trials of 30 days or more. They will usually offer an anytime money back guarantee so if you pay for a year and dislike it after a few months, you can request a refund. 

The good news, if you choose ITX Design, you’re unlikely to want to cancel since the service will be good. A company that offers this guarantee though is a good one to use. Check out online reviews if you’re still unsure about them. 

<h2>Payment methods</h2>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/PayPal.png" alt="PayPal" width="360" height="180" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9032" />You’ll want to be careful with your payment method. It’s convenient to use automated payments, but its bad news when you wish to cancel. You don’t want your credit or debit charged after you’ve cancelled. Typically you can choose from PayPal, credit card or debit card as your payment method. 

PayPal is a safe bet while a credit card might have to be cancelled if the charges don’t stop. Debit cards are easier to replace than credit cards but you may have to pull all of the money from your account when charges don’t stop. 

Finally, be sure to compare features and prices with other hosting companies asking if one seems too cheap or expensive, back up your site regularly and track your uptime with tools like WHSR Uptime to make sure there is little downtime. Along with using strong passwords that you change regularly, you can protect your business by using these tips above. 

