Selecting a Web Host

When you are selecting web hosting there are different things you should consider whether you are going for a dedicated server or a cheap web hosting service for your blog, online business, or information site.

What are your needs?

1. Do you plan on showing video, audio, and high-resolution photos on your site?

Then you need to make disk space and monthly transfer as #1 for your web hosting solution.

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2.Are you are planning on having many mini affiliate sites or blogs?

You’ll need to have unlimited domains or multiple domains included in your account. Make a list of your web hosting needs and then you can match them with the web hosting providers that are on our website.

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3. Do you need e-mail accounts for each user in your community and forum site?

Many hosts limit you to say 10 or 50 e-mail accounts. They go fast. It is great to have many accounts then set up your e-mail client to automatically send e-mails to info and sales to one folder, and send customer service to another. Even if you are the only person reading those messages, you save time because you already know what it is about. Your web hosting solution needs an adequate number of e-mail accounts.

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4. Are you planning on providing any search able or dynamic content?

You will need to use a database. Do you want to offer a Bible search, or an auction site, a forum, or a job board? Guess what? Each one will need its own database. Oh yeah, your online store, and your CRM software will need them too! I had no idea when I started how many I’d need. In fact my first web host provider only gave me 1 database with their plan. Now I have access to 50. Believe me when I say you’ll need at least 5 databases for any serious content and community websites.

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5. Do they offer customer service via online chat and e-mail?

The last thing I want to do is call long distance and internationally for support. The next worse thing is have a problem Saturday morning that won’t be resolved until Monday because they don’t have seven day a week support.

6. Do they offer an easy to use control panel?

Not all control panels were created equal.

7. Do they offer up-to-date versions of Mysql and PHP?

Remember those dynamic programs that use databases? They use PHP and if you have an old version or a buggy version, those web applications won’t install or won’t work once installed. When I tried installing an LMS (Learning Management System) on my old web hosting provider’s server I kept getting errors. Most programs wouldn’t install. The one I am currently using is not by careful comparison of applications, but instead because I am used to the only one that would work with the bad PHP and Mysql versions.

8. How much is it?

The bottom line is that you won’t want to spend a lot especially for a content site or a blog that will only generate minimal revenue via ads and the occasional e-book or affiliate sale. If you can get a shared server for under $8 dollars a month with lots of everything, then you are doing good. If you don’t require multiple domains or much server space then $3-5 dollar a month is very possible. If you need to go to a dedicated server once you’re making decent money then the web host will be happy to charge you the difference to go to the next higher plan.

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9. Are you are in a hurry and don’t like wasting time on installing applications?

Ask first if they have ‘fantastico’. Fantastico is a web application in the host’s control panel that allows you to quickly set up applications ( and their databases) much faster than it would take you to do so manually. My old web host didn’t and I wasted hours.

I was able to install WordPress on my sites using Fantastico in under a minute instead of 10 or 20.

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10. Do they guarantee to be online at least 99.9% of the time?

If so do they credit you?

If you have an e-commerce site you want it up 24/7/365 or you’ll miss out. If you have a blog, it might not matter as much.
What ideas do you have? Please post your ideas in the forum.