Location

[trying hard]

Would it be better to choose a not so well-known and tested web hosting provider nearer your location or one of the best even if it is a continent away from you?

[buzz]

Why will you get a provider that's far from you. The equipments and system are the same however what is taken into consideration here is the size and capacity of you hosting.

[linker]

I think it doesn't really matter if the server is locally available or you get your hosting service from a company that is from another country. What is more important, in my opinion, is the service that they provide. They must have at least a live chat for you to get your problems addressed and solved.

[annamae]

I agree that the location of my hosting provider is not a primary concern.  A more pressing concern would be the quality of service and the promptness of response to any question or problems that arise.

[greeny]

Would it be better to choose a not so well-known and tested web hosting provider nearer your location or one of the best even if it is a continent away from you?

While I agree that the service is the primary factor to consider, the hosting server location also matters a bit. You are recommended to choose a hosting server located in the place/country where your targeted visitors live. That will allow your visitors to access your website faster.

[FrankSpencer]

There will be minimal speed benefits to staying local but given that many sites aim their content internationally, this isn't too big an issue.

However one thing to consider is billing, and the fact that staying local means paying in your own currency.

[smiley!]

I think that technological advancement of equipment and carriers is among the bigger considerations.  I wouldn't want to use a host that is in a country where the satellite or land-line considerations would be constantly interrupted.  With Pay-Pal and other varied online money handlers what currency it is, is not that big a concern, but I wouldn't want to pick a server in a country that isn't stable with a stable economy, especially not for a first time server.  I'd pay the little bit extra to know my website is secure and that the technicians speak English as a first language.  I'm not being nationalistic, I just have a lot of trouble understanding heavy accents.

[annamae]

Like you, smiley, I'm not concerned with the currency issue because I also use PayPal.  I had not considered things like language being a barrier in communicating with customer service.  I need to develop more of an international mindset I do believe.

[trying hard]

I think that technological advancement of equipment and carriers is among the bigger considerations.  I wouldn't want to use a host that is in a country where the satellite or land-line considerations would be constantly interrupted.  With Pay-Pal and other varied online money handlers what currency it is, is not that big a concern, but I wouldn't want to pick a server in a country that isn't stable with a stable economy, especially not for a first time server.  I'd pay the little bit extra to know my website is secure and that the technicians speak English as a first language.  I'm not being nationalistic, I just have a lot of trouble understanding heavy accents.

That is exactly one of my concerns, smiley! I am not sure about the quality of service or the uptime that they could provide. It seems the more successful websites in my country are hosted overseas.

[smiley!]

Trying Hard,  you did not mention your country and I do know a lot of hosting is overseas.  Pakistan and India are huge on web hosting as well as call center types of business.  I don't have as much trouble with the Pakistani or Indian accent as I do with some other nations because English is taught in their schools and the people speak English almost as well as they do their native dialects.  You do need a bit of International Understanding because if you can't understand what the technician is saying to you, how can you fix any problem?  There are many websites where fixing the problem is handled with a live chat-board then the language problem isn't as noticeable as those who can write in English may only make syntax errors rather than dealing with pronunciation.  I wonder, however, if the international flavor of hosting sites really reflects the country of origin of the hub in question.  I have found that hosting sites in the USA tend to be on the higher end of the price scale but then we have the highest "cost of living" rate in the world, too.

[hollaback]

My understanding of location is that you should try to choose a hosting company that is near where you will be located. So your host should be on the same continent as where you are.  This makes more sense, I've been told.

[FrankSpencer]

Even with Paypal you pay conversion fees-that is what I meant. If you are paying in another currency, either the recipient or payee must pay that fee and since the recipient deserves full payment for their services, this is normally passed on to the customer.

[Webguy]

For me, there are bigger concerns than where the business is physically located.  As long as there is good customer service and the uptime is consistent, then I'm happy.

[ResidentGeek]

It would also depend on your requirements too.  Some websites need mirrors on different places on the planet to handle their traffic in that particular area.   From my own personal experience, There is a huge difference in hosting providers.

[reggie]

I don't think the actually physical location is all that important. The most important things are the host site's reliability, service, and capacity as they relate to your specific requirements.