Are There Any Hidden Fees?
Nothing is worse than paying more for a web hosting plan than originally intended. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself paying for domain registrations and transfers, setup fees and other charges you didn’t anticipate. We recommend that you contact the provider and explain what type of service you require to get a more accurate price quote.
How Much Space Do I need?
The amount of space needed to store your files all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Do you plan to create a simple site that merely posts information? Do you want to sell products or allow people to download content from your site? The answers here are vital as disk space can either make or break your business.
How Much Bandwidth Do I Need?
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transferred from your site. Your personal needs will vary depending on the number of monthly visitors you anticipate and if you plan to run a basic site or one that offers a rich multimedia experience.
What Features Do I Need?
If you are new to web hosting, chances are you will not require a robust set of features. Depending on your goals however, you may want to keep an eye on email accounts, FTP access and shopping cart software among other features.
How Do I Get a Domain?
Domain names are in great demand these days. Thankfully, domain registrars are abundant. You can purchase a domain name from a well known registrar such as GoDaddy or possibly from a web hosting company. Several providers offer a free domain registration upon signing up for service.
Will My Site Be Secure?
Security often gets overlooked but it very critical to your website, especially if you are running an online business. Some of the security features you may need include spam and virus filtering, DDoS protection and SSL encryption to protect your web transactions.
How Will I Build My Site?
As a newbie, comprehensive development tools are a crutch that will help you build with ease regardless of experience. Most company’s offer free site builders and technologies such as FrontPage to help create your website. The site builder is a standard feature and one you can’t do without.
How Will I Manage My Site?
In order to play webmaster and administer your web hosting account, you need a program known as a control panel. Control panels vary from host to host and no two are the same. Since this is where you will spend most of your time, it is recommended that you play around with a demo version and determine how easy or difficult the program is.
How is the Customer Support?
Reliable customer service is essential when it comes to web hosting. We recommend choosing a provider that offers various means of support, preferably via toll-free phone, email or something such as a live chat or support ticket system.
How Reliable are You?
When researching web hosts, you need to look for signs of reliability aside from price and features. You can start by looking into the provider’s uptime guarantee as well as details on their infrastructure. A respectable company will make this crucial information available on their website.
Unique IP Web Hosting
Shared vs. Unique IP’s
If you are like most website owners, you have probably invested in shared hosting, meaning your website is stored a server with a number of other sites. When hosting in this environment, it is more than likely that the web host assigned a single IP address to the server, which mean you have the same IP address as everybody else. With unique IP hosting, you are able to be assigned your own IP address, even if the provider is maintaining multiple sites on one server. More often than not, such a luxury will cost you a little extra each month. Depending on the circumstances however, you may find the fee are minimal and well worth it.
In most cases, the conventional setup of shared hosting rarely leads to problems. However, there are still a few reasons you may want to opt for a unique IP address. For example, this is the perfect solution if you want to install a private SSL certificate for your website. This will prove to potential customers that you are not relying on the provider’s shared certificate and that your website is completely secure for online transactions. Another benefit is the ability to use anonymous FTP which allows anyone to access specific information on your site. From these aspects, unique IP hosting is advantageous because it gives you more control over the security and functionality of your site.
Another benefit of unique IP hosting mainly relates to rumors. It has been speculated that search engines penalize spammers by banning the entire IP address they originate from along with all the other websites that use it. If this is true, it could be very damaging to your marketing efforts, especially if you are relying on targeted traffic from the search engines. While there is no solid proof of this actually occurring, having a unique IP address would ensure that you would not be punished for the illicit actions of spammers or anyone else doing wrong on the same server.
Conclusion
As you can see, the value of unique IP hosting largely depends on your individual needs and where you stand on the whole search engine concept. The best thing about it is that this type of hosting can be found at a reasonable price. In fact, some companies offer peace of mind by throwing in unique IP addresses when purchasing a web hosting plan. So, while you may not absolutely require such a solution, having one will not hurt the cause either.
PHP5 vs PHP4
Security and Continuous Support
The main reason you need to consider PHP5 is related to security and support. As of August of this year, PHP4 is no longer in development and therefore isn’t supported. This means that no patches are being created and distributed to address new security threats. PHP5 has also received a number of improvements that make the language more robust, secure, faster and easier to code with. The advantages of PHP5 doesn’t necessarily mean that version 4 makes a bad choice. The fact of the matter is that PHP itself dates back to the 90s and as web technology evolves and intruders get savvier, such upgrades are only warranted. With PHP6 currently in development, it is likely that version 4 will be phased out completely in the near future.
PHP5 comes loaded with a few additional features that bring a new functionality to web development. Some of the most notable features include:
Better Support for Object-Oriented Programming: One of the biggest gripes about PHP3 and 4 was the lack of object-orientated support. This all changes with version 5 as it supports interfaces, constructors, destructors, abstract classes and more. For those who love coding with objects, this feature alone is worth the upgrade.
Enhanced XML Support: XML support has received a complete overhaul in PHP5. The XML tools for PHP4 weren’t designed to work together and getting support for more advanced extensions has never been the easiest thing to do. With PHP5, all extensions have been standardized on one XML library. The language also has a new extension called SimpleXML that gives you the ability to easily manipulate XML as PHP objects.
Better Support for MySQL: PHP5 has a new MySQL extension called MySQLi, which is designed for those using MySQL versions 4.1 or higher. This extension offers both a conventional and object-orientated interface as well as several new database features.
SQLite: Although MySQL is arguably greater than it has ever been, its power is sometimes a bit much for certain tasks. PHP5 comes bundled with SQLite, a database library that allows you to store and query data by way of an SQL interface without having to install and run a separate database application.
Overall, version 5 is the same PHP developers have come to know and love - only better. Just as with any technology, PHP required improvements to make the language bigger, faster and more secure. Hostmonster has embraced this evolution with open arms, offering PHP5 with all of its hosting solutions. It’s only a matter of time before more companies follow suit.
Windows Web Hosting vs. Unix Web Hosting
Windows Reseller Hosting
The Windows operating system is known for its power and comprehensive tools. From the desktop setting to the server environment, it has always been valued for its user-friendliness. Most Windows reseller accounts come included with ASP or ASP.NET, powerful development tools that allow you to create dynamic web pages and applications. Other tools commonly offered are products such as ActiveSync and SharePoint, both of which are great for marketing and enjoying steady income from your reseller account. In most cases, you are also provided with MS SQL, an efficient database management system that allows you to organize and analyze essential business data. Additionally, this platform provides comprehensive development tools to your clients such as FrontPage extensions for simple web design and a control panel such as Helm or Plesk.
Unix Reseller Hosting
The Unix operating system is best known for stability and out of the box security. Unlike Windows, Unix has been used primarily in the network setting opposed to the desktop environment. Although it is compatible with a few Windows components, Unix mainly supports various open-source technologies. Instead of ASP, a Unix reseller account typically offers programming languages such as PHP or Perl. Instead of MS SQL, the database tool for this platform is usually Postgre SQL or MySQL, the most widely installed system in the world. In most cases, a Unix reseller hosting plan will come included with a control panel such as Web Host Manager. WHM gives you the ability to offer cPanel to your hosting customers which allows them to easily incorporate a wealth of other open-source programs. The Unix platform is suited for demanding operations and ideal for multiple domain hosting, which is what you need for reselling.
So, what’s the difference? The major difference between these two systems is the supported technologies. The Windows platform thrives off Microsoft products while Unix is largely supported by the open-source market. Though traditionally more expensive, the web hosting industry is so competitive that Windows hosting packages are typically just as affordable as its long time rival. At one time security was also an issue for the Microsoft platform. However, the recent edition of Windows Server 2008 has made the Windows system one of the most secure platforms on the market.
Windows vs. Unix always makes a good debate but the best platform for your reseller account may not be either - it just could be Linux. Based on the original Unix system, Linux is primed for the web hosting environment and the first choice for many resellers. HostGator offers one of the best reseller deals on the market with plans as low as $24.95 per month. This package offers great value and more than enough features for you and your hosting customers.
Read more on Windows Web Hosting
Read more on Unix Web Hosting
World-Class Hosting-InMotion
Personalized Support
A web hosting provider can make all the boisterous claims it wants but without quality support, those claims do not hold much meaning. The industry has evolved to a point where almost everything is automated. You’ve got email, support tickets, online video tutorials, live chat and more. This all comes in handy but nothing beats personalized support. When problems arise, you need the reassurance of being able to contact a real person, not a voice recording. A world-class web hosting company has this area covered by keeping its customer service staff on deck 24/7.
State of the Art Data Center
A top-notch web hosting company is anything but without a first-rate data center. This is where the magic happens, thus the facility must be equipped to keep the operation thriving and most importantly, keep you online. World-class web hosting is provided out of a facility that features redundancy at every point - data backups, backup power sources, internet connectivity, network security, physical security - they should all be covered to the point where if one isn’t able to perform, another is there to step in its place. Without a well kept data center, it is highly unlikely that a company can live up to its uptime guarantee and service level agreements.
No Hidden Fees
Defining world-class hosting may be difficult but it certainly isn’t a company that surprises you with hidden fees. It is a terrible feeling to calculate your annual hosting bill only to find out that it will cost far more than anticipated and advertised. A respectable company will keep things real with you upfront and never spring any unexplained fees into the mix.
References
To this day, web hosting providers come and go, so a respectable host must give you the assurance that they will be around. A reliable company has references that indicate their track record. The best references to look for are always awards and customer feedback. The testimonies posted on the website are good but do a little research to get a good mix of opinions.
The Epitome of World-Class Hosting
inMotion Hosting boasts world-class hosting and we are in agreement. This company is one of the industry’s leading providers with a solution designed for webmasters at every phase. It isn’t the technology and affordable prices we’re impressed by, but rather the highly responsive support and reliable platform that their global bases of customers depend upon.
ASP.NET Hosting - Pros and Cons
A Closer Look at ASP
Famed for its popular Windows desktop and server applications, Microsoft delved into the arena of server-side programming with ASP. Short for Active Server Pages, ASP is similar to dynamic programming languages such as PHP but slightly more advanced. For example, it consists of various objects that allow you to generate web pages and serve them to clients based on individual needs. The major difference is that the language requires an IIS-based server application such as Windows Server 2003 or 2008, Microsoft’s answers to the Apache web server. ASP is efficient at basic web design and advanced development, making it the first choice for many businesses.
The Next Generation
ASP.NET represents the next generation of Microsoft’s server-side scripting evolution. Instead of upgrading Active Server Pages for added functionality, ASP.NET is an entirely different language and not simply a new version of ASP. Hence the name, ASP.NET is based on ASP and the Microsoft NET Framework. It provides a programming interface that allows anyone who is proficient with Visual Basic and other Microsoft-based development tools to easily create dynamic web pages. ASP.NET has evolved quickly as web hosts like IX Web Hosting now offer the latest version, ASP.NET 3.5.
If you are familiar with Microsoft-based client-side programming, there is a good chance that you will excel at server-side development with a powerful tool like ASP.NET. The language allows you to merge a variety of existing components including C++ and Java with ASP.NET web pages. Aside from its power, ASP.NET is designed to enable easy database integration and development. You can still rely on your raw development skills while benefitting from WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors that make the process is even easier. When using either an SQL Server or Microsoft Access database, ASP.NET can reduce the development time dramatically.
ASP.NET offers advanced functionality but it comes at a much steeper price than open-source technologies such as PHP and Perl. Because the web host must acquire additional licenses, the price for an ASP.NET hosting plan tends to higher, often significantly more than its ASP counterpart. The good thing is that this amazing tool can save a lot of time on the development process, especially if you are already proficient with Microsoft client-side programming. On the other hand, if you aren’t well versed with Microsoft development tools, ASP.NET probably wouldn’t be a good move. Outside of price, the learning curve is steep as the language is very distinct from other technologies. In this case, you would be better off with an open-source tool as they are more affordable and often easier to code with.
Read more on ASP Web Hosting
Famed for its popular Windows desktop and server applications, Microsoft delved into the arena of server-side programming with ASP. Short for Active Server Pages, ASP is similar to dynamic programming languages such as PHP but slightly more advanced. For example, it consists of various objects that allow you to generate web pages and serve them to clients based on individual needs. The major difference is that the language requires an IIS-based server application such as Windows Server 2003 or 2008, Microsoft’s answers to the Apache web server. ASP is efficient at basic web design and advanced development, making it the first choice for many businesses.
The Next Generation
ASP.NET represents the next generation of Microsoft’s server-side scripting evolution. Instead of upgrading Active Server Pages for added functionality, ASP.NET is an entirely different language and not simply a new version of ASP. Hence the name, ASP.NET is based on ASP and the Microsoft NET Framework. It provides a programming interface that allows anyone who is proficient with Visual Basic and other Microsoft-based development tools to easily create dynamic web pages. ASP.NET has evolved quickly as web hosts like IX Web Hosting now offer the latest version, ASP.NET 3.5.
If you are familiar with Microsoft-based client-side programming, there is a good chance that you will excel at server-side development with a powerful tool like ASP.NET. The language allows you to merge a variety of existing components including C++ and Java with ASP.NET web pages. Aside from its power, ASP.NET is designed to enable easy database integration and development. You can still rely on your raw development skills while benefitting from WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editors that make the process is even easier. When using either an SQL Server or Microsoft Access database, ASP.NET can reduce the development time dramatically.
ASP.NET offers advanced functionality but it comes at a much steeper price than open-source technologies such as PHP and Perl. Because the web host must acquire additional licenses, the price for an ASP.NET hosting plan tends to higher, often significantly more than its ASP counterpart. The good thing is that this amazing tool can save a lot of time on the development process, especially if you are already proficient with Microsoft client-side programming. On the other hand, if you aren’t well versed with Microsoft development tools, ASP.NET probably wouldn’t be a good move. Outside of price, the learning curve is steep as the language is very distinct from other technologies. In this case, you would be better off with an open-source tool as they are more affordable and often easier to code with.
Read more on ASP Web Hosting
About Free Web Hosting
Lack of Control
When signing up for a free web hosting account, you are pretty much at the mercy of your provider. For example, most companies will insert banner ads on your pages or worse, pop-up advertisements that create an intrusive experience for your visitors. Why would they do such a thing? Well, because customers like you are not paying for service, the company isn’t generating money directly from web hosting. By taking out third-party advertisements, the web host is able to stay in business and continue to provide a free service. Great for them, yet bad for you. A web page littered with irrelevant advertisements are a surefire way to scare off visitors and potential customers.
Lack of Flexibility and Functionality
Advertisements are a common thing in free hosting but the disadvantages do not stop there. Other essential aspects you will have to sacrifice are flexibility and functionality. Need a solution that offers a decent amount of disk storage and features? You typically will not find it in a free hosting service. If you are lucky, you will be allotted a minimal amount of server space and bandwidth that supports a small amount of traffic each month. In terms of features, they are almost non-existent. This means you get no database access, no advanced programming tools, shopping cart software and other features that have become standard on the professional web hosting market. With issues of stability, security and lack of technical support, it becomes apparent that free hosting isn’t suited for businesses of any size.
Shady Practices
The biggest downside of free hosting is an emerging technique that has caused a lot of controversy on the web. Some hosts are actively trying to cheat their way to profits with the practice of cookie stuffing. These companies abuse affiliate programs by sneaking cookies on the computers of your visitors. The more cookies they stuff, the better chance they have of making a sale. When the affiliate products are sold, the free web host gets all the credit and cash. Cookie stuffing is a growing problem that manipulates popular affiliate programs such as ClickBank and many others. The worst part is that they will use your website as a medium for distributing cookies and cheating the system.
Don’t Limit Yourself
With all the limitations and trickery, free hosting could actually end up being rather costly as far as your image is concerned. This type of service definitely isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Even if you just want to create a personal site, the restrictions and instability could result in numerous problems. Needless to say, if you are trying to run a business online, there is no way it can survive in this environment.
When signing up for a free web hosting account, you are pretty much at the mercy of your provider. For example, most companies will insert banner ads on your pages or worse, pop-up advertisements that create an intrusive experience for your visitors. Why would they do such a thing? Well, because customers like you are not paying for service, the company isn’t generating money directly from web hosting. By taking out third-party advertisements, the web host is able to stay in business and continue to provide a free service. Great for them, yet bad for you. A web page littered with irrelevant advertisements are a surefire way to scare off visitors and potential customers.
Lack of Flexibility and Functionality
Advertisements are a common thing in free hosting but the disadvantages do not stop there. Other essential aspects you will have to sacrifice are flexibility and functionality. Need a solution that offers a decent amount of disk storage and features? You typically will not find it in a free hosting service. If you are lucky, you will be allotted a minimal amount of server space and bandwidth that supports a small amount of traffic each month. In terms of features, they are almost non-existent. This means you get no database access, no advanced programming tools, shopping cart software and other features that have become standard on the professional web hosting market. With issues of stability, security and lack of technical support, it becomes apparent that free hosting isn’t suited for businesses of any size.
Shady Practices
The biggest downside of free hosting is an emerging technique that has caused a lot of controversy on the web. Some hosts are actively trying to cheat their way to profits with the practice of cookie stuffing. These companies abuse affiliate programs by sneaking cookies on the computers of your visitors. The more cookies they stuff, the better chance they have of making a sale. When the affiliate products are sold, the free web host gets all the credit and cash. Cookie stuffing is a growing problem that manipulates popular affiliate programs such as ClickBank and many others. The worst part is that they will use your website as a medium for distributing cookies and cheating the system.
Don’t Limit Yourself
With all the limitations and trickery, free hosting could actually end up being rather costly as far as your image is concerned. This type of service definitely isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Even if you just want to create a personal site, the restrictions and instability could result in numerous problems. Needless to say, if you are trying to run a business online, there is no way it can survive in this environment.
The Pros and Cons of Free Blog Hosting
If want to get started with a blog, rest assured that there are many options available. When it comes to free blog hosting, WordPress is clearly the most popular. Getting started is easy. Simply visit Wordpress.com, sign up for a free account, name your blog, choose a template and stat posting. You get an administrative area to manage your categories and posts, built-in themes, widgets and other customizable features. Whether it is WordPress or any other platform, you can usually get up and running fairly quickly.
The downside to free blog hosting is that it leaves you limited. For instance, there are rules that restrict the posting of advertisements, a factor that prevents you from generating ad revenue. This is a crucial blow because many bloggers live off third-party advertisements, Google AdSense and other programs. Another drawback is that you can’t brand your name into the domain. For example, if you sign up for a free WordPress account, your domain would read something like myblogsite.wordpress.com as opposed to myblogsite.com. It may seem like a small difference but identity is vital for any website and it starts with a domain name. When considering that free blog hosting generally suffers from a lack of themes and add-on modules, it might have you thinking twice about what you’re willing to sacrifice.
Pros and Cons of Paid Blog Hosting
Paid blog hosting is the ideal solution for someone who wants to generate ad revenue, hype a particular product or service, and establish a long-term presence on the web. This is the type of service you get when signing up with a web host such as BlueHost. The blogging software comes included with your hosting account and can be incorporated into the environment in a few easy clicks. You get to use your own domain name and have access to a wide variety of themes and plugins. Even though you don’t need programming skills, a basic knowledge of HTML and PHP helps as you can write your own themes and plugins. The downside here of course, is that you have to pay for service. The key is finding a reliable web hosting company to host your blog.
Recommendations
Free blog hosting is great for getting started but can only take you so far in the long run. Therefore, we recommend Lunarpages and Bluehost for those looking to take blogging to the next level. These companies offer the one-click installation of blogging apps like WordPress, B2Evolution and Nucleus. With extensive help documentation and responsive technical support, you have all the ammunition you need to make it in the world of blogging.
Top 10 Lists of Web Development Cheat Sheets
| Type of Website | Primary Consideration | Ideal Hosting Solution | Overall Benefits |
| Blog | Powerful blogging software | HostMonster | The best blogging programs on the market. Many different features to design and promote your blog. |
| Video | Media support, bandwidth | WebHostingPad | Support for Silverlight, Real video and flash content. Numerous features for your video and animation needs |
| Social Bookmark | A CMS, powerful databases | InMotionHosting | The PHP-Nuke CMS. Several MySQL databases. The PHPMyAdmin database management tool. |
| Forums / Web Board | Web building tools, quality software | Omnis | The phpBB forum software. Free web building tools. |
| High Bandwidth | Quality servers, uptime | StartLogic | A 99.9% uptime guarantee. Use of high-powered servers. Mirror backups to ensure functionality |
| Business / E-Commerce | Comprehensive control panel, e-commerce tools | IXWebHosting | Free shared SSL certificate. SSL secure server. |
| Messaging | POP3 support, IMAP support | LunarPages | Unlimited email accounts, email forwarders, Auto responders, Webmail, Mailing lists |
| Domains | Domain registrar | LunarPages | One free domain name. Unlimited domains. Unlimited sub domains. Unlimited domain aliases. |
| Personal | Affordable, easy to use | BlueHost | Free domain name. Free site builders. Low monthly fee. |
| Online community | Site builders, management tools | HostMonster | Blogging software, PHP-Nuke CMS, professional templates, chat scripts, RSS-feed support |
Shared Hosting VS VPS Hosting VS Dedicated Server VS Reseller Hosting
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is what most people use to host their website. This is the cheapest form of web hosting available and will suit the needs of most webmasters.
Shared hosting is pretty cheap, with some plans starting at only $5 per month. The price of the plan you choose will be dependant on how much space and bandwidth you will need. If you are willing to pay enough, you can get a shared hosting account that has unlimited space and bandwidth!
The one major downfall for shared hosting is that since you are sharing a web server with many other websites, your site may load slower when there is a lot of server usage from other sites.
VPS Hosting
The next step up from shared hosting is VPS hosting. This is actually a hybrid mix of a shared server and a dedicated server. A VPS partitions space on the server and allows multiple dedicated servers to run on one machine. This gives you control over most of the settings on your server, but it does not cost as much as a dedicated server.
Dedicated Server
This is top of the line web hosting. This means that you are given access to your own server and can do almost anything you want with it. You don’t share it with anyone and you can control most of the settings.
This is a great solution if you have one very large and busy website, or multiple smaller websites. The main downfall to this solution, though, is the price. Dedicated servers can easily cost over $100 per month.
If you run a smaller website, you don’t need to spend your money on a dedicated server.
Reseller Hosting
Reseller hosting has pretty much one use. Reseller hosting allows you to partition of the space and bandwidth assigned to you, so you can package your resources and resell them to others.
Shared hosting is what most people use to host their website. This is the cheapest form of web hosting available and will suit the needs of most webmasters.
Shared hosting is pretty cheap, with some plans starting at only $5 per month. The price of the plan you choose will be dependant on how much space and bandwidth you will need. If you are willing to pay enough, you can get a shared hosting account that has unlimited space and bandwidth!
The one major downfall for shared hosting is that since you are sharing a web server with many other websites, your site may load slower when there is a lot of server usage from other sites.
VPS Hosting
The next step up from shared hosting is VPS hosting. This is actually a hybrid mix of a shared server and a dedicated server. A VPS partitions space on the server and allows multiple dedicated servers to run on one machine. This gives you control over most of the settings on your server, but it does not cost as much as a dedicated server.
Dedicated Server
This is top of the line web hosting. This means that you are given access to your own server and can do almost anything you want with it. You don’t share it with anyone and you can control most of the settings.
This is a great solution if you have one very large and busy website, or multiple smaller websites. The main downfall to this solution, though, is the price. Dedicated servers can easily cost over $100 per month.
If you run a smaller website, you don’t need to spend your money on a dedicated server.
Reseller Hosting
Reseller hosting has pretty much one use. Reseller hosting allows you to partition of the space and bandwidth assigned to you, so you can package your resources and resell them to others.
| Shared Hosting | Virtual Private Server | Dedicated Hosting | Reseller Hosting | |
| Details | Shared hosting means that there are many different websites all residing on one server. They share the servers resources. | VPS servers are made by partitioning a dedicated server. Each partition can run as its own individual server. | Dedicated hosting gives you the use of a whole server. It is not shared by anyone. | Reseller hosting allows the administrator to partition his resources to allow clients to have their own hosting account. |
| Advantages | -Lower Cost -Easy to set up | - More customization available - Mid range price | - Usually the fastest servers - Complete control over all aspects of the server | - Very easy for you to partition accounts for sale |
| Disadvantages | - Not much flexibility, can be slower than other hosting options | - A little more expensive than shared hosting | - Higher costs - More work to maintain | - Higher cost - Might not be as fast as a dedicated server - More maintenance needed |
| This type of Hosting is for you if… | This plan is great for people running smaller websites and that don’t need total control of everything. | This plan is great for people who want to have a dedicated hosting plan, but don’t want to spend a lot of money | This plan is great for people who run large and popular websites. People who have a lot of technical know-how usually use dedicated web hosting. | This plan is great if you want to resell hosting to other people. It is also great if you want to run a large number of websites by yourself. |
| Our recommendation | HostMonster | LunarPages | StartLogic | HostGator |
TOP Web Hosting
1BlueHost |
|
2Globat |
|
3HostGator |
|
4HostMonster |
|
5HostPapa |
|
6IX Web Hosting |
|
7LunarPages |
|
8WebHostingPad |
|
9StartLogic |
|
Web Hosting Ethics-web Hosting Tutorials
It's a very clear and simple pattern, actually a series of behaviours on the part of web hosting companies. These behaviours cause these companies to lose customers and gain poor reputations. To sum it all up in a single word: ethics. Web hosts need to act ethically. As long as they are ethical towards their business and customers, they thrive. When they become unethical, they will fail. What are web hosting company ethics? This is a code which all hosting companies need to follow if they want to stay in business for the long term. The most important goal is up-time - Almost anything can be forgiven as long as sites are up and running, as close to 100% of the time as possible. Every feature provided by a hosting company needs to be working and working properly. A small amount of downtime (an hour or two in a month long period) is acceptable, but more than that is not. Every time I’ve had to change web hosts, this was the base reason. Unexplained and unexpected downtime. Oh, there were many excuses and many reasons which I'm sure were perfectly valid. But the basic reason why I create and maintain a web site is so people can see it - and they cannot see it if the site is down. To make it even worse, sites which are down for a significant length of time have side effects. Webrings owners often check for broken rings using automated code - down sites will trigger suspensions and even deletions. Search engines tend to drop sites which are down too often or for too long a period of time. And, of course, visitors may remove your site from their bookmarks, thinking you have closed it or moved on.
The second most important goal is performance - I understand that you want to jam as many sites on a single server as you can. This is how you maximize your profits. Please understand that all of the web sites which you host must perform well. So don't overload your servers. Stay in communication - We all know that things happen. Sometimes servers do crash and once in a while they require maintenance. Let your customers know about important events. If you are concerned that they might consider it spam, give your customers the option to receive updates if they desire. I had one host which performed, in my opinion, one of the most hostile acts that I have ever seen against a paying customer. I had a CGI script on my site which logged each 404 error in a text file. Normally this script was harmless and used little CPU. Unfortunately, with the new breed of worms striking the internet, 404 errors went way up and the script began using large amounts of processor. One day I tried to reach my site and didn't get my friendly front page. I got a "forbidden" error. I freaked out and sent off a quick email to the web host support group. I didn't receive a response. Not a word (and it was only early afternoon). I sent another, then another. Nothing. Finally, 18 frantic hours later, I received a note that my site was closed down because of the script. The number of four letter words that spewed from my mouth that day would have turned a street girl's face red. I was so angry - not because they closed my site, but because these idiots didn't tell me what they had done. Because of that, I wasted almost an entire day trying to figure out what was wrong. What I would have done had I been the technical person in their company is simple. Just disable the script and send off an email to the web site owner explaining why and telling him not to do it again. If the owner ran the script again, then shut down the site (and, of course, send another email). Needless to say, I regained access to my site, copied my databases to my hard drive, then switched web hosts. Within two days I had moved my site to another, much better hosting service (and, of course, I deleted the offending script).
Don't test on your production servers - I know you want to upgrade your Apache to the newest version or install the new control panel right away, but please don't immediately install anything on your production servers. Believe me, your customers don't care about any of this - they want working sites. Saying "everything is going slow because we upgraded" is not acceptable - the host should know ALL side effects of any upgrades from actual testing long before any change, however, small, is made to a production system. Do what you say you are going to do - I was with a hosting company for over a year. They were good most of the time except for (a) excessive downtime, and (b) they didn't deliver on their promises. They kept saying CGI will be released in April, then May, then June. Finally, I decided I could not wait anymore (and also concluded the host was down too much) so I moved my site. Free hosting companies seem to have a bad habit of using production systems as test beds. This is one of the strong downsides to using free hosts - they really don't care if your site is up or not, as long as the advertisements are displayed. Acknowledge your trouble tickets - One web hosting company that I was with for quite a long time had easily the best support so far. What stands out in my mind is every single message that I sent got acknowledged by a human being. The sequence was as follows: I would send a trouble ticket and get an automated response. A short time later, I got a note that the ticket was handled. I always respond with a "thank you", because I've been a support person before and I understand the power of getting thanked. They even responded to the thank you with a "you are welcome" message! To contrast, another hosting company had a nasty habit of just closing tickets. I'd send in a question and get an answer, then ask another question as follow-up. I would never get a response, then check to see that the ticket was marked "closed". This is not the way to keep a customer happy. Actually read your trouble tickets - I write very clearly in trouble tickets, precisely because I've been a support person and I know exactly what is needed. I'm constantly surprised at how many times web host support people simply don't read the ticket and thus do the wrong thing. One particularly glaring example was a ticket which I sent in which said to set up a certain domain with bigmailbox. The support person (from Hostrocket) changed the MX record for an entirely different domain, in spite of my message clearly stating "change it for domain xyz". This caused my site to lose email capability for two days until they eventually figured out what they messed up.
Most importantly, remember where you get your money from - This message is for all web hosting companies everywhere. Your money comes from those people called webmasters. Free hosting companies get their money indirectly via the content provided by webmasters. With paid hosts the relationship is direct and to the point - money is paid by webmasters. If you annoy your customers or don't provide service, then you will find yourselves out of business. And in these days of a looming recession, good customers are gold. Keep them happy and your company will prosper.
The second most important goal is performance - I understand that you want to jam as many sites on a single server as you can. This is how you maximize your profits. Please understand that all of the web sites which you host must perform well. So don't overload your servers. Stay in communication - We all know that things happen. Sometimes servers do crash and once in a while they require maintenance. Let your customers know about important events. If you are concerned that they might consider it spam, give your customers the option to receive updates if they desire. I had one host which performed, in my opinion, one of the most hostile acts that I have ever seen against a paying customer. I had a CGI script on my site which logged each 404 error in a text file. Normally this script was harmless and used little CPU. Unfortunately, with the new breed of worms striking the internet, 404 errors went way up and the script began using large amounts of processor. One day I tried to reach my site and didn't get my friendly front page. I got a "forbidden" error. I freaked out and sent off a quick email to the web host support group. I didn't receive a response. Not a word (and it was only early afternoon). I sent another, then another. Nothing. Finally, 18 frantic hours later, I received a note that my site was closed down because of the script. The number of four letter words that spewed from my mouth that day would have turned a street girl's face red. I was so angry - not because they closed my site, but because these idiots didn't tell me what they had done. Because of that, I wasted almost an entire day trying to figure out what was wrong. What I would have done had I been the technical person in their company is simple. Just disable the script and send off an email to the web site owner explaining why and telling him not to do it again. If the owner ran the script again, then shut down the site (and, of course, send another email). Needless to say, I regained access to my site, copied my databases to my hard drive, then switched web hosts. Within two days I had moved my site to another, much better hosting service (and, of course, I deleted the offending script).
Don't test on your production servers - I know you want to upgrade your Apache to the newest version or install the new control panel right away, but please don't immediately install anything on your production servers. Believe me, your customers don't care about any of this - they want working sites. Saying "everything is going slow because we upgraded" is not acceptable - the host should know ALL side effects of any upgrades from actual testing long before any change, however, small, is made to a production system. Do what you say you are going to do - I was with a hosting company for over a year. They were good most of the time except for (a) excessive downtime, and (b) they didn't deliver on their promises. They kept saying CGI will be released in April, then May, then June. Finally, I decided I could not wait anymore (and also concluded the host was down too much) so I moved my site. Free hosting companies seem to have a bad habit of using production systems as test beds. This is one of the strong downsides to using free hosts - they really don't care if your site is up or not, as long as the advertisements are displayed. Acknowledge your trouble tickets - One web hosting company that I was with for quite a long time had easily the best support so far. What stands out in my mind is every single message that I sent got acknowledged by a human being. The sequence was as follows: I would send a trouble ticket and get an automated response. A short time later, I got a note that the ticket was handled. I always respond with a "thank you", because I've been a support person before and I understand the power of getting thanked. They even responded to the thank you with a "you are welcome" message! To contrast, another hosting company had a nasty habit of just closing tickets. I'd send in a question and get an answer, then ask another question as follow-up. I would never get a response, then check to see that the ticket was marked "closed". This is not the way to keep a customer happy. Actually read your trouble tickets - I write very clearly in trouble tickets, precisely because I've been a support person and I know exactly what is needed. I'm constantly surprised at how many times web host support people simply don't read the ticket and thus do the wrong thing. One particularly glaring example was a ticket which I sent in which said to set up a certain domain with bigmailbox. The support person (from Hostrocket) changed the MX record for an entirely different domain, in spite of my message clearly stating "change it for domain xyz". This caused my site to lose email capability for two days until they eventually figured out what they messed up.
Most importantly, remember where you get your money from - This message is for all web hosting companies everywhere. Your money comes from those people called webmasters. Free hosting companies get their money indirectly via the content provided by webmasters. With paid hosts the relationship is direct and to the point - money is paid by webmasters. If you annoy your customers or don't provide service, then you will find yourselves out of business. And in these days of a looming recession, good customers are gold. Keep them happy and your company will prosper.
Benefits of a Dedicated Server
Hosting your web sites on your own dedicated server may seem a little expensive in comparison to shared web hosting, but the end result is more advantageous. Shared web hosting, no matter how well managed, cannot be 100% reliable and stable. However if you have your own dedicated server you can manage to avoid most of the variables affecting the reliability and stability of a server, commonly experienced by shared hosting accounts; variables such as: overload, bad codes and scripts from other users (especially beginners); and, too many applications and components uploaded, and so on. On a dedicated server you will install only software and applications you want to use, while on a shared hosting server you will find a host of other softwares and applications installed for other users. By the very nature of the account, a dedicated server: reduces your dependency on the web host; and bypasses time delays and possible expenses incurred from these.
With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server. A reliable, and fast support service is vital for your own business growth just like the stability and reliability you wish for your own website. In business, reliability is reflected through word-of-mouth as one of the most effective promotional activities. For people with clients, such as Graphic Designers and Web Designers a dedicated server is invaluable. A dedicated server will bring extra income into the studio, not just as a hosting facility, but, as a designer knows only too well, for the extra 'bread and butter' income value. If you have 24hour access to your own dedicated server then you can adjust, correct or update a clients website in minutes, allowing you to keep the dollar back in your studio and not in someone else's. Ready availability results in reduced labour costs for the client, but higher studio-income frequency for the designer. Hence you will see the return of all your regular offline clients, bringing their web work with them.
The need for a dedicated server to your average shared server user is realised when stats tell you: how quickly people left your site because it was taking too much time to download; or how many daily visitors you are down by, because your site was not up. The true negative is the worry of how many lost visitors could have been your future paying-customers. The loss could easily equal the value of the upgrade to a Dedicated Server! For a business, a website that is quickly downloadable and up all the time gives the visitor encouragement that your service is just as reliable, hence you will be more likely to make a sale. It will also enhance the company's image and encourage existing customers to refer your service to others. This will result in more sales for less promotion. If you are serious about your online presence you need to get a Dedicated Server.
With dedicated server hosting you can provide instant support to your own clients whenever required, which is not possible if you are on a shared server. A reliable, and fast support service is vital for your own business growth just like the stability and reliability you wish for your own website. In business, reliability is reflected through word-of-mouth as one of the most effective promotional activities. For people with clients, such as Graphic Designers and Web Designers a dedicated server is invaluable. A dedicated server will bring extra income into the studio, not just as a hosting facility, but, as a designer knows only too well, for the extra 'bread and butter' income value. If you have 24hour access to your own dedicated server then you can adjust, correct or update a clients website in minutes, allowing you to keep the dollar back in your studio and not in someone else's. Ready availability results in reduced labour costs for the client, but higher studio-income frequency for the designer. Hence you will see the return of all your regular offline clients, bringing their web work with them.
The need for a dedicated server to your average shared server user is realised when stats tell you: how quickly people left your site because it was taking too much time to download; or how many daily visitors you are down by, because your site was not up. The true negative is the worry of how many lost visitors could have been your future paying-customers. The loss could easily equal the value of the upgrade to a Dedicated Server! For a business, a website that is quickly downloadable and up all the time gives the visitor encouragement that your service is just as reliable, hence you will be more likely to make a sale. It will also enhance the company's image and encourage existing customers to refer your service to others. This will result in more sales for less promotion. If you are serious about your online presence you need to get a Dedicated Server.
How to Select a Web Hosting
Whether you're considering starting a website or you have one and want to possibly move it, this article can help you decide what the best webhost means to you. To begin, every website is hosted on only 3 platforms: Unix, Windows NT, Macintosh Very few sites are hosted on a MAC server, so the majority of webhosts use Unix or NT. For these reasons we will focus on only those 2 platforms. Unix and NT both offer various options and have different abilities. Your choice of which platform to use depends on what applications you want your site to run and the amount of control you want to have over your site. Unix is the oldest and one of the most widely used operating systems. It is the basis of the internet and most webservers originally ran on a version of Unix. Unix is know as a multitasking operating system which means that it can run many applications at the same time without them affecting each other. This is very important when you consider that hundreds of websites, running thousands of CGI scripts, all receiving thousands of hits could be running on one webserver.
Why Use It?: It's reliable Ability to host many websites on the same machine. Almost all CGI scripts run better on Unix. Programming flexibility. Much more administrative control. With Unix, webmasters can really tweak their websites (assuming they know what they are doing) to run at optimal levels. Developers can run CGI scripts and create applications specific to their needs. Down Sides: Is case sensitive. It is not an easy operating system to learn. Must use telnet or Ftp to make changes. Windows NT is a relative newcomer to the webhosting game but it is fast gaining a large share of the business. NT was built to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft's web authoring tool, Frontpage. As such, it is often the perfect solution for newcomers who do not want to learn HTML or CGI programming or deal with the day to day hassles of administering a webserver. Up Sides: Can use Microsoft Frontpage to publish your website as opposed to using Ftp or telnet. Can use Cold Fusion. Somewhat easier to administer (especially for the average webmaster). Is not case sensitive. If you do not plan on learning the in's and out's of the web and administering your site, NT is probably your tool of choice. Down Sides: Provides poorer security than Unix. Because of the security issues, the hosting provider will usually institute tighter security measures. Cannot run all CGI scripts although this is changing. Your needs as the webmaster and your visitors needs will determine the type of webhost and the platform you need. Once you have done some more research into what platform you need, stop by an independent website like: http:www.tophosts.com and choose one of the top 25 hosts to fulfill your needs.
Some issues to consider while pondering which host to choose:
1.Uptime: This is probably the most critical piece of information you need to know to make an informed decision. How often a server goes down means lost business and lost sales and no one needs that. Our webhost is up 99.9% of the time as compared to the first one we had which was more like 25% of the time.
2.Bandwidth Usage: Some hosts actually charge you for the amount of traffic you get once you pass a certain percentage. Why on earth would you want to be charged for that? Our webhost offers us unmetered traffic at no extra cost (this is what you should look for).
3.Server Space: Look for hosts that give 50-500 mg of space. As the technology changes sites will take up more space. You should try to get as much as you can right now even if you don't use it all.
4.CGI Access: This is critical. You need the ability to use CGI and especially custom CGI. If a host doesn't offer it, run screaming!
5.MSQL; Real Audio; Real Video; Cold Fusion: This is the future of the web and in particular web marketing. Make sure a host offers support for these applications even if you don't presently have a use for them. You will be glad that you spent your time doing this research before you jump in and choose a host or switch to a host that provides you with nothing but problems. You deserve the best, go for it.
Why Use It?: It's reliable Ability to host many websites on the same machine. Almost all CGI scripts run better on Unix. Programming flexibility. Much more administrative control. With Unix, webmasters can really tweak their websites (assuming they know what they are doing) to run at optimal levels. Developers can run CGI scripts and create applications specific to their needs. Down Sides: Is case sensitive. It is not an easy operating system to learn. Must use telnet or Ftp to make changes. Windows NT is a relative newcomer to the webhosting game but it is fast gaining a large share of the business. NT was built to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft's web authoring tool, Frontpage. As such, it is often the perfect solution for newcomers who do not want to learn HTML or CGI programming or deal with the day to day hassles of administering a webserver. Up Sides: Can use Microsoft Frontpage to publish your website as opposed to using Ftp or telnet. Can use Cold Fusion. Somewhat easier to administer (especially for the average webmaster). Is not case sensitive. If you do not plan on learning the in's and out's of the web and administering your site, NT is probably your tool of choice. Down Sides: Provides poorer security than Unix. Because of the security issues, the hosting provider will usually institute tighter security measures. Cannot run all CGI scripts although this is changing. Your needs as the webmaster and your visitors needs will determine the type of webhost and the platform you need. Once you have done some more research into what platform you need, stop by an independent website like: http:www.tophosts.com and choose one of the top 25 hosts to fulfill your needs.
Some issues to consider while pondering which host to choose:
1.Uptime: This is probably the most critical piece of information you need to know to make an informed decision. How often a server goes down means lost business and lost sales and no one needs that. Our webhost is up 99.9% of the time as compared to the first one we had which was more like 25% of the time.
2.Bandwidth Usage: Some hosts actually charge you for the amount of traffic you get once you pass a certain percentage. Why on earth would you want to be charged for that? Our webhost offers us unmetered traffic at no extra cost (this is what you should look for).
3.Server Space: Look for hosts that give 50-500 mg of space. As the technology changes sites will take up more space. You should try to get as much as you can right now even if you don't use it all.
4.CGI Access: This is critical. You need the ability to use CGI and especially custom CGI. If a host doesn't offer it, run screaming!
5.MSQL; Real Audio; Real Video; Cold Fusion: This is the future of the web and in particular web marketing. Make sure a host offers support for these applications even if you don't presently have a use for them. You will be glad that you spent your time doing this research before you jump in and choose a host or switch to a host that provides you with nothing but problems. You deserve the best, go for it.
Web Hosting Migration Guide
Changing your Web Host can be an expensive, time consuming and difficult practice; being the main reason why many dissatisfied customers prefer to stay and put up with an awful hosting service. During most website migrations, through lack of knowledge or experience, many website owners end up loosing clients and damaging time-built company images, because their sites are unavailable for days or weeks on end. Another problem is loss of emails, some crucial, making migrations very expensive and even dangerous. Migration from one web host to another is not difficult; it can be fast and safe when one knows what the experts know. By following the steps below you will stand a better chance of a smooth transfer.
The most important start to website migration is finding another web host, one that will not give you reason to migrate again, or soon. A whole book can be written on how to choose a web host; or by searching on 'choosing a web host' in a major search engine, there will be many articles available. The steps below will give you an idea on how to start and how to avoid a lot of the pitfalls.
1. First, make a list of all the features your website uses or requires, and will require in the future, be prepared.
2. Make a list of web hosts who offer these features; you can find hosts in web hosting directories, message forums, or by searching on a major search engine.
3. Read the information on their websites carefully, specially their terms and conditions.
4. Avoid any long-term contracts and full-payments in advance.
5. Ask questions about all things you have a doubt about.
6. Email their support department at various times (both day and night) and check the response time.
7. You will find customer reviews on hosts in web hosting directories. (Unfortunately they may not be the most accurate due to much web host guerilla activity, but greater scrutiny will often help.)
8. Talk to people in web hosting related message forums; you may find useful information on hosting companies by their existing or past, customers. Sign-up an account with your new host. Upload all of your files, databases and test your site using the IP address given to you with your new account. Make adjustments in the coding, necessary for the change in the server environment. Then check each and every page, link and image on your website. On your new mail server, re-create all email accounts currently in use; and set up auto-responders, forwarders and aliases at the same time. If available, enable the "catch-all" feature; this will help you to retrieve all emails sent to a non-existing email account; which you may have forgotten to create! Remember though, the new email addresses will only work after the transfer of domain is complete. Unfortunately, there is no way to test them on new server before the transfer.
The next step is transferring the domain; to do this you need to start by changing the DNS server details, which is pretty easy to do. Obtain the Primary and Secondary nameserver details from your new web host. Go to your domain registrar's site (the site from which you registered the domain name) and login into your control panel, offered by most of the domain registrars, to maintain your domain name. In the control panel, look for the 'DNS', 'Nameserver' or 'Delegation' option and change the previous nameserver details, with the new one (you just obtained from your new host). Some domain registrars confirm these changes by sending an email to the address you nominated while registering that domain. You will need to reply using that email address. Most of the hosts offer a free domain transfer service and will be happy to make the necessary transfer changes for you. The domain transfer can take 24 to 72 hours to be confirmed by the domain registrar; and, so too for the new host, if doing this service for you. If it is not transferred within 72 hours, it is advisable to contact the domain registrar and look into the matter. Once your domain is transferred you will start receiving emails from your new mail server and see your website from your new account. Leave your old web hosting account open for 3 or 4 more days, just to ensure you receive all emails, including those losing their way in the domain transfer and directed back to your old email account. After a few days, ask your previous web host to cancel your account. Make sure you follow all of your previous host's closing procedures, and leave cleanly. You will find that the transfer should go smoothly and all parties will be more helpful.
The most important start to website migration is finding another web host, one that will not give you reason to migrate again, or soon. A whole book can be written on how to choose a web host; or by searching on 'choosing a web host' in a major search engine, there will be many articles available. The steps below will give you an idea on how to start and how to avoid a lot of the pitfalls.
1. First, make a list of all the features your website uses or requires, and will require in the future, be prepared.
2. Make a list of web hosts who offer these features; you can find hosts in web hosting directories, message forums, or by searching on a major search engine.
3. Read the information on their websites carefully, specially their terms and conditions.
4. Avoid any long-term contracts and full-payments in advance.
5. Ask questions about all things you have a doubt about.
6. Email their support department at various times (both day and night) and check the response time.
7. You will find customer reviews on hosts in web hosting directories. (Unfortunately they may not be the most accurate due to much web host guerilla activity, but greater scrutiny will often help.)
8. Talk to people in web hosting related message forums; you may find useful information on hosting companies by their existing or past, customers. Sign-up an account with your new host. Upload all of your files, databases and test your site using the IP address given to you with your new account. Make adjustments in the coding, necessary for the change in the server environment. Then check each and every page, link and image on your website. On your new mail server, re-create all email accounts currently in use; and set up auto-responders, forwarders and aliases at the same time. If available, enable the "catch-all" feature; this will help you to retrieve all emails sent to a non-existing email account; which you may have forgotten to create! Remember though, the new email addresses will only work after the transfer of domain is complete. Unfortunately, there is no way to test them on new server before the transfer.
The next step is transferring the domain; to do this you need to start by changing the DNS server details, which is pretty easy to do. Obtain the Primary and Secondary nameserver details from your new web host. Go to your domain registrar's site (the site from which you registered the domain name) and login into your control panel, offered by most of the domain registrars, to maintain your domain name. In the control panel, look for the 'DNS', 'Nameserver' or 'Delegation' option and change the previous nameserver details, with the new one (you just obtained from your new host). Some domain registrars confirm these changes by sending an email to the address you nominated while registering that domain. You will need to reply using that email address. Most of the hosts offer a free domain transfer service and will be happy to make the necessary transfer changes for you. The domain transfer can take 24 to 72 hours to be confirmed by the domain registrar; and, so too for the new host, if doing this service for you. If it is not transferred within 72 hours, it is advisable to contact the domain registrar and look into the matter. Once your domain is transferred you will start receiving emails from your new mail server and see your website from your new account. Leave your old web hosting account open for 3 or 4 more days, just to ensure you receive all emails, including those losing their way in the domain transfer and directed back to your old email account. After a few days, ask your previous web host to cancel your account. Make sure you follow all of your previous host's closing procedures, and leave cleanly. You will find that the transfer should go smoothly and all parties will be more helpful.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
