Dec

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Choosing a Web Host
by: Martin Bradley

Once you have your website finished and you have purchased your domain name, you need to start thinking about what sort of Hosting Package will best suit your business needs. There are all sorts of things to think about; web space, data transfer, PHP and MySQL, web statistics, mail boxes, the list goes on. But what does all this mean and how do you find out if a hosting provider supplies your requirements.

Web Space

This relates to the amount of storage space in megabytes (MB) that the hosting provider allocates for your website on there server.

Data Transfer (Bandwidth)

This is the amount of traffic your website is allowed to receive per month. To work this out you take the amount of data transfer that they offer and divide it by the overall size of your website. Therefore if the data transfer is 10,000 MB (10GB) and your website size is 4MB.

10000/4 = 2500

This figure represents the total number of visitors your website is allowed to receive, if they read every page of your website. Your web designer will be able to tell you the size of your website, and your hosting provider will discuss your requirements and advise you which package would best suit your needs.

Mail Boxes

A mail box stores all e-mails from your customers on your hosting providers mail server until you download it using a client such as Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird. This is done by attaching your e-mail address to the mail server. Ask your provider for details.

SSL – secure server access

This facility allows you to accept data securely via your website, like credit card transactions, without fear of someone else getting hold of it.

MySQL

MySQL is a multi user database server that stores all kinds of information. Not all hosting packages provide this facility. Check with your chosen provider for details.

Web Statistics

These packages allow you to check how many visitors your website receives, what browsers they are using, the referring website and a whole host of other information. It’s a worth while addition to your website. Some hosting providers offer this feature for free. Check with them for information.

There are lots of other features that come with web hosting packages and this information can usually be found on the provider’s website.

Free or Paid

Some hosting providers offer free hosting packages but there are usually conditions attached to them. They could include the following:

Free

1. The URL or website address could show signs of free hosting like www.freewebhosting.yourname.co.uk. These sorts of URL’s are not very professional and you loose your company identity.

2. Web space and Data transfer are both usually low. Your website could be taken offline until the following month if bandwidth is exceeded or you could be charged for any bandwidth used over your allowance. Always read the terms and conditions.

3. Hosting providers offering free packages usually place banner or pop up advertising on your website. This can be very confusing and annoying you your customers and drive them away from your site.

4. Features such as PHP, MySQL databases, sub domains, SSL secure server access and more are usually not available when using free website hosting.

Paid

1. You can use your own domain name (URL) with the hosting package. You can usually purchase them from the provider.

2. You can usually gat 24/7 support

3. Uptime is the amount of time the web hosting servers are online. Sometimes maintenance work can mean their servers are offline for a short while.

4. You can choose a package that supplies the correct amount of web space and data transfer.

5. Lots of features are usually offers. Check with the provider.

6. A control panel is usually offered so that you are in control of managing your hosting package.

So there you have it. Just a few things to think about when choosing a website hosting company. Remember, it’s your company and its reputation that’s at stake. If you project the right image your customers will want to stay at your website. Projecting an unprofessional image could drive them away, and after spending good money on a wonderful website design it would be a pity to spoil it.

Good Luck

About The Author

Martin Bradley is the Creative Director at Bullbreed Design Studio. The company provides Website Design, Hosting and Corporate Identity Packages. http://www.bullbreed.com.

I suspect that there are many people who are in need of a web host but have spent an ample amount of time doing research. This is smart shopping. However, it is also likely that if a few days go by between active research, the process starts all over again. Then, it is probably safe to say that many people review the same Top 10 List and/or customer reviews on over and over again. For those that can relate, this article offers opinions about what might be preventing you from actually making a decision.

1. Don’t Know What You Need

If this is you, you are not in this boat alone. Although the internet has been around for a while now, tons of aspiring web site owners enter the scene everyday and guess what? There is a learning curve for everyone. If you feel that your curve is a little steeper than most, there is help. I guarantee that if you do a search for a phrase such as “How to Choose a Web Host”, you’ll get more information than you can stand. The nice thing is that much of this information is provided by none other than web host providers. They understand that education about web hosting is a necessary purchasing prerequisite. So, if a lack of knowledge about web hosting is keeping you from making a decision, take a step back and become a student so that you can better evaluate your web hosting needs.

2. Fear of Losing Money

Let’s face it, no matter what you’re shopping for, you want to make sure that you get the most for your buck. With web hosting providers, you could indeed lose money if you decide to switch to a new provider –UNLESS their policies specifically offer anytime money-back guarantees. So, if a fear of losing money is one of your biggest concerns and likely one of the reasons you have not made a decision, begin to evaluate hosts’ Terms of Service as they relate to refunds. You may be able to weed out a few options (those that don’t offer refunds) just by doing this.

3. Overwhelmed by the Sheer Amount of Web Hosts Out There

Okay. I’m sure I can get a witness here. It seems like every day, there are new web host providers that appear on the net scene. I mean, really, how many variations on the word “host” can there actually be? This certainly doesn’t make it easier for the web host shopper, unless you wouldn’t even consider newbie hosts because of their perceived “lack of experience” as a host. Just a side note here: Many experienced web hosts have several different companies under different names so what appear to be a new host provider may actually have many years of experience. I’m back to my point now. It is completely understandable that it is hard to make a decision because there are just too many choices. It might be helpful to behave as you would in the grocery store where there are way too many choices for everything. At the end of the day, most people will look at a few options and either go with the cheapest or the one that represents what they’re looking for. The ideal situation is when you can get the best of both worlds-what you want for a low price. This analogy could also be applied to help eliminate a few web host choices especially since many may boast a cheap price but may not serve your specific web hosting needs.

4. You’ve just read one too many reviews (the same one a few times perhaps)

I alluded to this scenario in my introduction, so I won’t beat it to death here. In short, while the research phase has its place, one day, you really do have to make a decision. It is my hope that this article has helped you understand why you haven’t made one and give you some insight into how to move forward. Your internet business or interests depend on it.

Since many people are stuck in the web hosting decision process, what would a responsive and credible web hosting provider do? I’ll tell you. In an effort to prove to you that they are the best choice, they remove the risk of joining by offering an anytime money back hosting guarantee. If you join a provider such as this, you’ll have what you need to confidently move one step closer to meeting your internet goals.