If you plan to search for the right web hosting provider, remember that there is more to the process than settling for the cheapest package.
Even when prices are comparable, the services web hosts offer their clients can vary widely.
You should take the time to study each offer carefully and decide which one best meets your needs.
Here are some points to consider.
1. Disc space
Today, even the least expensive web hosting package will include a good amount of disk space for your site, and you should look for at least a gigabyte of disk space for your present and future needs.
As a rule, web hosting providers offer their subscribers many gigabytes, and the monthly fees are minimal.
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth signifies the amount of data that you will be able to send and receive, as specified in your web hosting agreement.
Most providers will give you a good supply of band with on a monthly basis, and according to the traffic you website attracts, the more your bandwidth will increase.
If you come close to reaching your monthly limit, that will be an indication that you should increase your bandwidth.
Ideally, you should look for a good starting bandwidth to avoid problems, and most reliable providers offer bandwidth ranging from 250 gigabytes to more that a terabyte for monthly traffic.
3. Access to at least one database
Whether you need a Microsoft SQL or MySQL database, be certain that the plan you chose will give you access to it.
Even if that isn’t an issue at this time, you will probably need it later on, and your provider should offer access to at least one database in their basic package.
You will need a database to complete a wide range of activities, including storing your company’s proprietary information or creating storage for your blog add-ons, such Joomla or WordPress.
Otherwise, it will be impossible to make such features work properly.
4. Linux or Windows server?
Although a beginning web hosting package from your provider may offer Linux because it costs less to run, note that Linux is also a fast operating system that you can count on.
Even if you create the pages for your website on a Windows PC, you will not encounter any problems by hosting them on a Linux server.
Something else you should look for
Along with searching to find a web hosting provider that offers the features you need and want, be certain that the one you choose has been operating for some time and
- is well-known for 99% server “up time”
- is reliable,
- has a large subscriber base that is increasing
- provides excellent customer service
By doing this, you can ensure that you will accomplish what you set out to do when you created your website.
What makes a good web hosting provider for you?
As always I would love to hear your good and bad experiences and don’t forget to leave a comment below.
An informative post Dragan.
Perhaps the main thing people should be aware of, is that many hosting companies make promises of unlimited bandwidth, disk space and databases. This is only a marketing gimmick that many web hosts employ, to pull in the customers.
In reality, you are better of choosing a host that does not make any false promises, and delivers what they say.
People should always remember that nothing is unlimited.
Thanks.
Norbert
Hi Norbert,
I definitely agree with you.
Thanks for your comment.
Dragan, I just experienced a major outage with Bluehost and only found out about it “officially” via Twitter. That, to me, was inexcusable. I would have appreciated a notification acknowledging the issue – even if it was not immediate. But I never received any communication, either during or after.
Soooo, I am looking for another provider. Thanks for the checklist – great timing for me!
So I’ve heard about that downtime for customers of BlueHost, HostGator and HostMonster. They all belong to Endurance International Group. Really not a pleasant situation to see site outage for whole day.
Thanks Alison for bringing that out, I appreciate it.
I just switched to LiquidWeb shared hosting. They offer 100% uptime and SSD disk space! It is a premium host coming in at $15/month, but I wanted a professional and reliable hosting company for my site.