What do YOU need in a Host and What to Look and Ask For
by WebSiteHostDirectory.com
So,you have decided that you need to get online. People want to get a website formany reasons these days, be it to start a business, move aexisting business online or simply just put up a personal web page. But, allthese reasons have two things in common, you have to know what you need andfind a company that will provide it for you. With this broad overview, we willshed some light about discovering what your needs are, then how to locate a webhosting provider that will not only meet those needs, but in the long run growwith you. Your needs are essential in determining the kind of hosting provider you willchoose. Web Hosting comes in many varied sizes, prices, options and flavors.The way to make the best choice is to shop for the features and services thatyou require, this way you only are paying for what you need. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
What kind of features will you have on your website?
Start by thinking about what kinds of functionality you will need. Will youhave a database of any kind running? (Some of the applications thatrequire a database are: guest books, shopping carts, forms and forums). If so, who will be programming and installing it? Most web hosting providers havepre-installed scripts and applications that they will let you use as well, butthey may be too simple and not meet your needs. Any application you use is written in a scripting language and often connectsto a database. If you are using PHP and a mySQL or PostgreSQL database, then you should look for a UNIX host. Unix type hosts include Unix, FreeBSD, Linux and someothers. If you are using ASP and a MSSQL database then you know you will needto locate a Windows hosting provider.
What will you traffic needs be in six to twelve months?
The type of site you have and features impact the answer to this question.Every image, page and access to a database utilizebandwidth. Web hosting providers these days provide anywhere from one Gigabyteof traffic up to thousands of gigs of bandwidth. Bandwidth costs money. If youexceed your bandwidth you will either have to pay for more or face being shutoff.
If you are running a personal web page this is not going to be a huge impact onyour decision. But, if you are doing business on the web it most definitelywill. One way to discover this is by looking at how popular the subject of yoursite is. Take a look at http://www.wordtracker.comand see how many searches are made on key terms in your industry or look at theAlexa rank of sites that are similar to what you willbe building.
With bandwidth more is always better. A hosting company that owns their datacenter usually has more control over their bandwidth available, but if you donot need it, why pay for it?
OK, so now I know some of what I need, now what?
Even with all the consolidation of hosting companies, there are stillthousands of companies to choose from. Each one has different features tochoose from and provides different levels of services, some you may have nevereven of heard of. After you have discovered WHY you need web hosting you willbe able to sort through these companies just a little bit easier. So, here issome of the HOW.
Try looking through http://www.google.com ,http://www.yahoo.com and http://www.overture.com . These searchengines will provide you with search results based upon the feature you arelooking for. Say you know you need a UNIX host that provides a Miva shopping cart. Visit the search engines and type in"UNIX Hosting Miva" and make a record sheetof your results. Search engines also have advertisements to the right and topof the results pages, look for consistency in the ads and this will tell you atleast who some of the larger web hosting providers are. (eventhough larger is not always better)
Web Hosting directories are sites that focus almost exclusively on information aboutweb hosting companies. You will be able to find reviews, articles,forums and usually a database to search on hosting company plans or look at webhosting showcases. Some of these directories are in it 100% for the money, andsome are there to really help you make a decisionabout hosts. Either way there is a excellent source ofdata for researching what company will fit your needs. Search the plans, readthe forums and visit the showcases. You will start to see a pattern emergeagain on who the major players are in the industry. But, in the directories youwill also find quite a few who are not huge, but provide exactly what you needwith even better customer service.
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