Web Hosting Guidelines

So you’re out to find a web host, right? Before you go looking all around the internet for the perfect web host, you might want to make a list for yourself.

#1. Figure out your goals.
Figure out what you want. Do you know how to code web pages? Do you plan on having a business site? Will you need to handle credit cards? Is your site just for fun? Do you need alot of space? How many visitors do you think you’ll be having? These are just some of the first things you’ll want to know before you pick a web host. #2. How much disk space and bandwidth do you need?
This is one of the first thing you want to figure out. Think about your goals. If you plan on having alot of content on your site, you’ll need alot of disk space (Remember, videos, flash, pictures, etc. all take up fairly large amounts of disk space). If you plan on having many people come to your site, then you’ll want alot of bandwidth.
#3. What kind of support do you need?

If you are just starting out on the internet, you’ll probably want some good support. You’ll need someone to answer your questions when you are having trouble with things. But if you are already an expert at working online, you probably won’t need as much support. It will play a smaller role in deciding your hosting company.

#4. How much are you willing to pay?

If you are looking to start your business online, I would pay the extra dollars a month to be sure you’re with a reliable web hosting company (possibly a semi-dedicated server). But if you are just looking to start up a fun (hobby) site, I would just go with shared hosting.

#5. Do you need a SSL Certificate?
If you’ll be handling credit cards or personal information on your site, you should probably look into getting a SSL Certificate.

#6. Can you code HTML?
If you can’t code HTML you’ll want to make sure your web hosting company includes self installing scripts (like Fantastico). If you can code HTML you still might want them (like if you don’t know how to create your own forum).

#7 How many e-mail accounts do you need?
While this isn’t overly important, you might want to check out how many you get.

#8 Search for reviews on the web hosting company you like.
Before making any decisions, search for reviews about the company. You might be surprised by what some people say.