Do You Know How Your Web Hosting Service Verifies You?

Spammers and hackers love signing up for websites whenever a web hosting company offers promotional packages. Then they love to take it to the next step and sign up for more expensive packages using a credit card number they ripped off from someone. Kind of nerve wracking to think about, isn’t it? This is one of the reasons why today you have to go through a longer sign-up process with a web hosting company in order to get your website up and running. This longer sign-up process is for your protection and in the long run, it is well worth the wait.

Many people are unsure how web hosting companies actually verify that your account is legitimate compared to a hacker account. A good indication of the steps your web hosting company is taking to verify that you really are who you say you are, is based on the amount of information you have to provide them upon sign-up. The company will then score your application based on an algorithm they have developed that looks at you submitted data. The three key items they look at is your credit card information, your physical address, and the IP address in which you applied from.

If your information scores too low based on the web hosting company’s criteria, they will contact you and ask for additional proof of identification. This additional information could simply be questions regarding the use of the website or about you and it will come in an e-mail format. Obviously if the hacker/spammer does not respond to the additional questions or responds incorrectly, you will receive notification from the web hosting company informing you that someone is attempting to commit fraud in your name. Therefore, if you sign up with a web hosting company that requires additional information, give it to them so that you can be verified and your website launched sooner. More often than not your hosting account will be up and running within a few hours.

A very frustrating issue when signing up with a web hosting company is the fact that their welcome message somehow got lost in cyberspace and never made it to your e-mail inbox. Or if it did make it to your e-mail, your spam filter ate it or tossed it in your junk folder. Check there first. It might be a good idea to white list the web hosting company’s domain in your e-mail before you finish the sigh-up process. This way you can be assured that the e-mail will come through without an issue and you will not have to wait any longer to get your website started. Also, make sure that your inbox isn’t full or that you mistyped your e-mail. We all make mistakes and it’s nothing to be embarrassed over. Feel free to contact the web hosting company as well by e-mail or telephone requesting a resend. They will be more than happy to help.

Some web hosting companies will take that extra step and call you to verify that you have everything you need to get your website up and running with the hosting service they provide. In order to make the entire process as smooth as can be from the time you choose your provider to the time you upload your first website file, here are a few tips to follow:

  • Enter all of your information carefully and accurately and make sure that you verify each item prior to moving on to the next section of the sign-up form.
  • Make sure you enter your credit card information correctly and verify it before moving on. One wrong number could keep you from getting your website up and running.
  • Always use the same postal mailing address as the one your credit card company has on file when you sign up.
  • Make sure you sign up from an IP address that is in the same geographical area that your billing address is. It is best to sign up from the computer you will use the most to develop your website, such as your home computer. If the area is considerably different from your address, you can be sure that your application will be flagged for additional review.
  • If you are applying for a web hosting package in a country that has high spam activity, such as parts of Asia and Africa, be prepared to provide additional proof of identification.
  • Check your junk mail folder, blocked or rejected e-mail folder if you have not received a confirmation e-mail within an hour after signing up. The e-mail is probably in there, but if it is not, wait an additional hour then contact the web hosting company.

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