Tips On Finding a WebHosting Company

Before choosing the right Web Hosting Company, You need to determine your hosting needs. How to do that? Rest assured as I am going to reveal to you 14 solid tips that can keep you save and stick with the best web hosting company.

They are:

1. Do you need to pay for the potential host setup? Setting up your account is definitely free of charge.

2. Are you allowed to sign up for month to month basis services or do you need to sign up for the entire year? By signing up a long term, you may get a better deal, however, you are also stuck paying the host for that contract period if you are unhappy.

3. Do select a host that offers enough server space (typically in megabytes) for as many as your pages and images required so your site can grow.

4. You need to calculate how much traffic/bandwidth usage you expect to have to your site. Bandwidth or data transfer rate is the measurement of the amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given time. Some hosts charge a lot if you exceed your transfer limit. Even if you don't expect a lot of traffic, keep in mind that images on a page use more bandwidth than plain XHTML pages.

5. What kind of technical support does the host offer? Read the hosts support pages; are they comprehensive and easy to understand? Do they provide setup help to new users? Will the hosting company send out notifications when they are performing system maintenance and upgrades?

6. What type of control panel does the hosting company use? Many hosting companies now use CPanel. CPanel is an interface that allows users to control their domains. Through CPanel you can configure and check email (using multiple web interfaces), check site statistical information (visitors, referrals, etc.), manage databases, set directory permissions, edit .htaccess files, add hotlink protection, create and manage FTP accounts, upload and manage files, perform site backups, submit sites to search engines, and perform one click installation of CGI and other scripts. Many sites that offer CPanel will also offer Fantastico, an auto installer. Fantastico will allow you to install numerous content management systems like WordPress, Xoops, Mambo, pMachine, shopping carts, help desk systems, wikis, and loads of other scripts with a click of a button. Even though my current hosting company does not have CPanel or Fantastico available, if I was to move to a new hosting company I would make sure that both of these services were available.

FTP should be offered. You do not want to have to use a control panel, web interface, to upload files all the time.

7. What kind of scripting host will your site need now and in the future? Do you want to add database interactivity in the future?PHP/MySGL and/or ASP should be a part of the package. CGI should be available. If you plan to use FrontPage then FrontPage Server Extensions should be installed and supported. Is SSI offered? Does the host have a plan that would allow you to implement e-commerce?

8. What kind of statistical information does the host provide? You will want to track your site usage, make sure that traffic reports is offered by the host.

9. Does the host have a reseller plan? You may want to offer hosting to your clients when you get your business off the ground, check to see if your host has a reseller plan.

10. How is domain name registration handled? Do you have to register your domain name with the host? How much does it cost to register your domain name. Can your register your domain and have the name transferred for free or do you have to pay a fee?

11. How many mailboxes does the host offer, is there POP3 access or is the e-mail forwarded?

12. When you are compiling this information, be sure to plan for future growth. Be sure that the host that you select has other plans available if your needs change.

13. What is the hosts backup plan, how often do they backup client sites? This should be daily.

Once you have a list of potential hosts, use Google or another search engine to search for those hosts. Read comments about the host's support, down time, etc. Read forums like WebHosting Talk to find out more information about the hosts. Avoid top 10 lists of host, these are frequently nothing more than paid advertising. Look for reviews by real people on their web sites or in message forums.

14. Some hosts will handle the Domain Name Registration, but at a cost. Find out if your host will transfer your domain and if there is a cost.