How to find a good webhost
There are a few things to consider when you decide to get web hosting for your blog or website.
I know it may be tempting to just find a web host with a toll free number and just get started, but you might be locking yourself into something which won’t work well for you in the long run.
A good example of this is when you decide to get a website and it suddenly becomes popular. Unless you like porting databases, reconfiguring scripts, and moving files, be sure the web host you choose gives you lots of options in the hosting packages.
HOSTING OPTIONS
This is probably the first thing to look for when choosing a host, how many add-ons, features, or packages do they have? The more the better because if your circumstances change, it is much easier to just upgrade or downgrade a package than it is to move everything to a new host.
Another thing about having options is it implies the host supports a large variety of customers and thus is able to offer AND SUPPORT a package which is best suited to you. Sometimes, you’ll find web hosts who only offer one package, but this is not a good thing. It says they are a small operation and/or unwilling to accommodate different types of customers or requirements. Stay away from them, unless you personally know the owner.
With multiple options, you can also learn more about what is possible with your website. Let’s say you have a static website now. Your web host may offer a CMS, forums, AJAX, or custom web applications to add to your website. I’ve found that as my websites grow, it’s interesting to see all the different ways to grow them by looking at my web host’s different packages. Of course, to really learn about them, you want to talk to someone.
Toll-free number
The most important thing to a website, besides being online, is having access to tech support. Web hosts without a toll free number need to be ashamed of themselves. Now, I understand there is a significant expense to having tech support, but making your uses bear additional cost just seems a bit much.
While a toll free number is important, it does not necessarily mean you are going to be speaking with someone who is knowledgeable about your problem. But, at least, you’re not paying for the call!
DOMAIN SERVICES
Let me say this loud and clear – DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEBSITE AND YOUR DOMAIN with the same web host! You are just asking for trouble if your web host goes down. Then, you lose the website AND the domain!
What I like to do is use a registrar and then host with another company. Or, if a registrar offers web hosting, then have a registrar/host point to the other registrar/host. This has worked well because when a better registrar comes along, I can just switch the domain. If you buy the domain with hosting, they make it an ordeal to transfer the domain (if you can do it at all).
BILLING
Some web hosting companies like to run all types of gimmicks and bait-and-switch schemes to get you to buy from them. My favorite is when they advertise one price, and then when you try to buy, place all these additional requirements and obligations to it. For instance, one prominent web host offers a $6.95/month deal. Of course, when you try to get it, you have to commit for 2 years! This leads me to…
Never commit to a web host for more than a year, MAX! This is because once they have your money, what is the incentive to try to keep you. Plus, they know by the time the plan ends, you will have so much in place, your tendency to want to move will have diminished greatly, despite better offers. I can’t tell you how much money I have wasted overpaying web hosts when better deals were available.
HOSTING PLANS
Always go for Linux/PHP if you can. It is cheaper, there is better support, and you get more features. After working with Windows for years, I thought it would be the better option for building a website. WRONG! It took me about 3 years to understand this.
AVOID
I would stay away from domaindirect.com, register.com, and nsi.com. Though I have used them for years, this is changing as I find better offers. They offer weak services (domaindirect.com), what services they do offer are overpriced (register.com and nsi.com), and they tie-up domain names you want to buy (nsi.com).
RECOMMENDED
My personal favorite is GoDaddy.com Hosting Plans.
They are great for the beginner to the expert. It took me awhile to move to them, after about 3 years of trying different hosts. They are not the only one I use, but you need at least 1 account with them since they offer so much to compare with other hosts you may want to use (or are using). Their only downside is they have no toll free number, but the phone support is good enough.
Another web host I like, so far, is 1and1 web hosting.
They were suggested to me by another webmaster, and I must say they have not disappointed.
They do not offer as much as GoDaddy.com, but they have a toll free number, their prices are competitive, and sometimes they run special offers.
So, get a web host with GoDaddy.com or 1and1.com and get started with a strong foundation!
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