Web Hosting Guide
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InMotionHosting |
2 |
JustHost |
3 |
FatCow |
4 |
HostMonster |
5 |
HostGator |
6 |
IXWebHosting |
7 |
Globat |
8 |
HostPapa |
9 |
WebHostingPad |
10 |
BlueHost |
BestTenHosting
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Find what security the web hosting provider offers as a standard part of their services.
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Guide to Hosting Your Website
There are a number of ways to publish a web site on the Internet.
There are web hosting provider s that offer free web hosting accounts. Unsurprisingly there are always drawbacks with this option, as they have to make money somehow. This will often be in the form of advertising on your site, usually as annoying popups. You may also be limited in the amount of space you can have and the number of associated email accounts. You might also be prevented from using custom scripts like cgi or FrontPage extensions etc. Another option is to buy and install your own web server (very expensive and difficult). You would then need to buy a leased line connection either in your own premises or at a specialist centre. You could run it on an ADSL line but this is not a strong enough solution. A variation of this is to lease what is known as a dedicated server, where you are the only client using the server and it is maintained by the web hosting provider. But this can work out to be even more expensive than running your own. The most common option is to purchase a virtual web hosting package from a professional web hosting provider. Choosing a Web hosting provider is a very personal decision based on your own unique needs. Switching a web hosting provider can be a painful process that you'd only wish on your worst enemies. So try to choose a provider that not only meets your needs today, but can also grow with you as you expand. Here's a list of more than twelve questions to ask before making that decision on where to host your website.
1) How much does their web hosting cost?
This may seem like an obvious question, but fees and costs may not be obvious. For example, is there a set up fee? Are there extra fees for secure transactions? If you need to upgrade to a higher hosting plan, what are the upgrade fees? What does it cost to host multiple URLs? What does it cost to have multiple URLs point to the same web site? What do additional email addresses cost? Is there a fee for auto-responders? In short what is included in the cost and what is extra. Check and compare hosting plans and price, contact web hosting provider if not clear or you're not sure and ask.
2) What is the minimum contract?
Is there a discount for a longer contract period? Often a web hosting provider will offer discount for longer contract periods, but paying monthly or quarterly is very common. Make sure you are clear about the length of your obligation.
3) How much storage space is included?
What does additional space cost? Your disk space needs will vary based on your business. For example, a store that offers free music downloads in MP3 format will need lots of space for all those large music files. But a personal site with very few pictures and mostly text files will take up less space. You can estimate your disk space needs based on the amount of space your site takes on your own computer. Disk space can vary from 1 MB to 1000 MB.
4) How much bandwidth is included?
What does additional traffic cost? Traffic (also called data transfer or throughput) is the combined size of all the files transferred from your web hosting computer to your customer's browsers. For example, a 10K html page (holiday.htm) that includes three 50K images (beach.gif, forest.jpg., cycletrip.jpg) requested by 100 people generates 16 MB of traffic. The html page and the graphic files only require 160K of disk space -- but if many people visit -- they create throughput. Most web hosting plans offer a set amount of traffic for free (often around 100MB.) Most web sites (especially those without any history) will not exceed the free traffic limits.
5) How many email accounts are included in the package?
How many auto-responders are included? You usually have two choices for picking up e-mail at your URL (for example yourname@yourcompany.com). You can pick them up directly (program your email software to pick up the email at yourcomany.com -- this is called a POP account) or you can forward the email somewhere else (for example to youraccount@mweb.com or youraccount@yahoo.com). If you have a serious business on the Web, it may be an important part of your image to use your own domain name for all your email. It simply may (note may)shout "Newbie!" (new to the Internet) if you place your Yahoo (yourname@yahoo.com) or Hotmail (yourname@hotmail.com) email address on your Web site page. So, you can use yourname@yourcompany.com on your web page -- but behind the scenes (where nobody can see) you tell your web hosting provider to forward ALL your e mail to where you want. And yes, that can be your Yahoo account or your M-web account. It will depend on the type of customers you may have. If there are many unknown customers or different people you deal with keep in mind a yourcompany.com email may end in a spam folder. Use a combination of both types of email and use when appropriate. Auto-responders are a special kind of e-mail address that automatically sends out a standard response to anyone who queries them.
6) Do they support FrontPage extensions?
This is only important if you plan to use Microsoft's Front Page to create your Website. In this case make sure your Web hosting company does support Front Page. Generally all Windows-based servers will support FP, and so will the majority of Unix servers, but it is worth checking beforehand.
7) Can you use your own scripts like CGI?
CGI (Common Gateway Interface) are small programming scripts that add functionality and interactivity to your Web pages. Most web hosting provider s have libraries of standard CGI scripts you can use for free. If you plan to advance past "standard" you will need to find a web hosting provider that allows you to install scripts. Many will not, especially as many hackers nowadays exploit vulnerable CGI scripts. There is a trend for a web hosting provider to either allow approved scripts only, or to make a charge to examine scripts before upload. Can you run php scripts and does the server run asp? Extra considerations might be whether they have e commerce (shopping cart) experience.
8) Do they provide usage statistics?
Most web hosting provider s do provide monthly/daily reports. Ask to see them. You will notice a large variety in the usefulness and layout of these usage reports from one company to another.
9) What kind of technical support is provided?
Is their phone number on the website? Do they provide continuous technical support? What kind of support is available after hours? Can you call them? Some web hosting provider s will not list their phone number. Who will you call when your web site is down? Is the phone number a free number, or a premium rate number?
10) Where are their servers geographically based?
What is the size of their pipe to the internet backbone? Do they have more than one pipe with intelligent switching, so that if their main pipe goes down, the network will stay live by switching to an alternative pipe?
11) How long has the web hosting provider been trading for?
12) And finally, Ask for testimonials.
