If you have an online business or maybe even several like I do, web hosting can be a significant expense not to mention the fact that reliable web hosting is absolutely crucial to the success of your business. All it takes is a server going down during a big marketing promotion and your reputation suffers. In this article we will explore some of the things to look for in a quality web hosting company for a fair price.

First off let’s get some basics out of the way for those who may not fully understand what web hosting is. Web hosting is simply the place that your website’s files and documents are located which allows your site to be pulled up on the internet. This is why it is crucial that the web host be reliable, if there server isn’t working neither are you.

When you are looking for web hosting online there are so many to choose from that it can be an overwhelming task to try to hone it down to a handful to consider. You need to keep a few things in mind before you get started however, and the first is don’t just go with the cheapest because of that reason. They are the cheapest web host because they aren’t giving certain features so you need to identify basic features that you need before you start shopping.

Some of the basic features that you will want from your web hosting company will be a choice of programming languages, databases, email addresses, bandwidth allowance, disk space and how many domains you are allowed to host. You will also want to know what kind of server and administration or control panel is offered, basically your choices will be Linux or Windows based servers. I prefer Linux servers with Cpanel installed because I am familiar with it and it makes my job a whole lot easier. Linux systems are usually less expensive than comparable Windows web hosting services plus they will offer the MYSQL and PHP programs that you will need for your online business. Most Linux based programming and databases are free, which is another reason why servers offering Linux are less expensive.

It is nearly impossible to find inexpensive web hosting with a Windows based server due to the fact that it cost the hosting company so much to get it in the first place and like anything else in life, that expense is passed on to the end user. To get a Windows based system at the same price as a Linux one you will probably have to give up many features so bear that in mind as well.

When assessing the reliability of a web hosting company do a little research on them, don’t just take their claims of 99% up time on their sales page as gospel. There are many web hosting companies out there that allow spammers to operate on their servers and they end up causing problems for everyone on that server, especially if you are on a shared server that is also sharing a block of IP addresses. You could end up having your site delisted and banned and have your emails blocked because of something someone else is doing.

One way that I like to check out hosting companies support is to either email them or if they have it enabled, have a live chat with them and ask them all my questions. If you email a web hosting company and it takes them awhile to get back to you when you are a prospective client what kind of service do you think they will give you once they have your money?

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. He operates over 500 websites personally and therefor has a lot of experience dealing with web hosting companies. For more on inexpensive Web Hosting or other web hosting issues go to http://www.virtualwebhostingplus.com

Bookmark to:

For those webmasters whom desire more control over their website hosting environment, virtual private server, or VPS web hosting is a viable alternative. The extremely low cost web hosting service provided by shared hosting has it’s limitations. Because a single server is home to possibly several hundred websites, some of their resources such as CPU, disk space, and bandwidth have to be shared by all of the individual hosting account customers. These shared resources normally are not necessarily an issue for small to medium sized sites. The major limitation is the restraint of control over system level software such as http servers, mail servers etc.

You don’t have options such as being able to select a different operating system and you cannot compose programs or do administrative functions like putting Spam filters or firewalls in place. For most of you this isn’t a problem because you either don’t know how or don’t want to do that stuff anyway! The majority of website owners don’t have any interest or the skills to deal with this sort of work and are content to leave it to the hosting company. Those who want or need more control over their server situation or desire to try out new software, however, can attain this level of management with a Virtual Private Server.

A virtual private server (VPS) is a physical server that has been split into several virtual machines by software. Each of these divisions acts as an autonomous dedicated server. The physical resources such as RAM, CPU and disk space are still shared, but each VPS acts independently of the others. Each VPS can even have a different operating system and can be configured any way you want. The central asset of VPS is that it lets each VPS administrator have access to the root level of his virtual server. This accessibility allows the web master to install and remove software, set permissions, and create accounts. You have the same control as if it were a “real” server. In addition to allowing you a greater degree of control over your hosting environment, a VPS is more secure than shared hosting. If a hacker were to gain access to the root of a shared server he could wreak havoc on any or all of the websites on that server. A VPS is sub-divided in such a way that even if a hacker were to obtain entry through one account, he could not get to the others. Each VPS is invisible to the others and there is no way to set up root level access from one VPS to another.

The most common configuration of virtual private servers ( VPS) is to evenly divide all of the physical resources by the number of accounts. So if there are 10 virtual servers, each would be allocated 10% of the total bandwidth, CPU, memory and disk space. The control that a VPS account provides can get you into a real mess if you don’t understand what you are doing. You are capable of deleting files, setting permissions improperly, allowing virus-laden software on the system and, in general, really putting your website in jeopardy. If you don’t have the skills necessary to administer a server, or are not able to get assistance, VPS is not a wise choice for you. If your website has grown beyond the capabilities of shared hosting, then, VPS may offer an affordable option to dedicated hosting. Be certain to ascertain how system resources are divvied up, how many VPS accounts are on each physical server, how you upgrade if needed, and what the choices of operating systems are.

Paul Moore is a tractor-trailer driver that passes the long and lonely miles by composing articles like this one. For more info about website hosting or website design please visit: http://www.OurWebsiteHosting.com/ and http://www.WebsiteDesignEtc.com

Bookmark to:

You see, many hosts will advertise all kinds of deals that look great if you only look at the features they flash in front of you and you don’t read their fine print. For example, a host might offer a terabyte of transfer, bandwidth, or disk space but in their fine print they have a clause that allows them to simply turn your website off if you exceed their cpu limits. These limits that you will find in their small print is what really matters. And, I’m not suggesting that you read the fine print of 10 or 20 websites everytime you want to change your host, but it would be nice if there was a trusted website that you could go to read feedback from other clients of this host to know whether or not they have the goods that you are after.

Registrars have similar difficulties and problems that can make your life harder or easier. Some will make it cumbersome to transfer or change your whois details, but others are known for making this a snap and cater to those who buy and sell and change whois details often. The last thing you want when trying to sell a domain name is to have to fax your registrar all your details and then wait a few weeks for them to respond to you.

So, the website idea that naturally lends itself too is a feedback based forum where users can rate and review their web host and registrar. Incentives might need to be offered to keep others honest and open about their opinions, but this will only be needed to get things going at first. After you have established a community of a significant amount of members, things will get rolling and then you can throw up some advertisements and you’re golden. Don’t get me wrong, this might not be an easy website idea for the novice webmaster, but if you’re ready for a challenge and willing to put the effort into this, you can establish yourself as a respected leader in this area of web development.

Joann Brooks is a web developer and freelance writer who like to write about website ideas. Visit http://www.websiteideas.org for more great website ideas.

Bookmark to: