It’s always good to look at things from a balanced perspective, and since the last post I dealt with why web designers shouldn’t host client websites, it would make sense to look at it from the clients perspective.

After all, it wouldn’t be fair to suggest that all the problems come from the client side.

So, if you’re thinking about hiring a web designer and you’re wondering if you should ask them to host your website, here are a few things you should consider.

1. Hosting is not their expertise

Unless your web designer is part of a firm which has a separate web hosting department, then in all likelihood, you’re asking your web designer to do something he’s not specifically trained to do.

Even if he is trained and knowledgeable in the area, it’s not his passion.

And it’s definitely not what he loves spending his time on.

When you sign up directly to a web hosting company, you’re dealing with people who (should have) a passion for what they do, and have a credible reputation for hosting websites, and supporting client queries.

2. Lack of dedicated support

This is especially true if you’ve hired a freelance web designer.

What if you can’t get in contact with them? It’s impossible for anyone to be available 24/7. People go on holidays, are called away for emergencies, and…sleep?

A one or two man band can’t cover you. A professional web hosting service however, can. Don’t go for anything less than 24/7 email support. Preferably, 24/7 telephone or live chat support.

3. It’s (usually) more expensive

If your web designer is offering to host your website, part of the (often undisclosed) reason is to make money off you.

It’s not always true, but often (if you do your research) you’ll find that you’re paying more than what’s necessary. Your web designer probably has a reseller account with a large web hosting company, and there’s a chance that he’s charging more than if you went direct.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad that he’s charging you more. I mean, he’s trying to support you too. But, if you don’t like paying more, then it’s probably not the best choice to host with your web designer.

Last thoughts…
You many still prefer to have your web designer host your sites for you. It can often make the whole process of setting up a website run more smoothly. The above are just some points you should consider.

If you do decide to host your website with your web designer, be sure to ask where the host is located. If your website is targeted towards a specific nation, you should host your website with a web host in that country. Google notes the IP address of your host, and often favours showing (for example) people searching from within Britain, results from UK hosted websites.

The weight of this last point may be minimal, particularly if you’ve got a generic domain name (like .com) and can target specific countries using Google webmaster tools.

Have you ever hosted with your web designer? What is/was your experience?