Select a web hosting company
To find a host is to locate a place on the Internet where your web site will live as well as your services such as mail, ftp, database, etc. It seems like there are dozens of new hosting companies coming up and going down every day.
You need to really read and understand their service agreements before you select one. Some really look good and blow a lot of smoke…until you use them. Then they turn out to be scams. Some really look good and they are. You need to be able to pick them apart and be able to see things that automatically throw up a red flag when you're searching.
The problem today is that just about anyone with a broadband connection and a server can be a host. So it's important to have an understanding of what you're looking for in a hosting company.
Things to look out for
Unlimited AnythingThis includes disk space, bandwidth, CPU time etc. This is a gimmick. When you see "unlimited" plans, you really need to inspect their "terms of use policy". Find out why in the Up and running ebook.
Setup fees
Make sure you are thorough when looking around their site. It might look like a good deal until you get to the signup page. All of the sudden you see a one time setup fee.
Limits on database size
If your collecting data from people make sure that your original disk space will be sufficient. If you think your going to need more in the future, see how much it will cost to upgrade down the road.
24/7-phone support
If they only have support by email or chat…you really need to send them some emails and check the response times. Check for support on weekends.
No control panel
This may be OK for experienced webmasters but many new users need a control panel to change settings. It's much easier. Some of them will even let you navigate it before you buy to see how it's going to look and feel.
Long commitment Don't settle for one that makes you pay yearly. You may have a hard time getting money back if you decide to quit. A year is an eternity on the Internet.
Money back Guarantee
If there is a setup fee, see if it's refundable if you decide to quit.
How much bandwidth do you need?
To figure out how much bandwidth you'll need, use this simple example and plug in some different numbers. You probably don't need as much as you think. This is where it's nice to know how much extra it will cost you to upgrade your hosting account later if you need more.
Take your average page size including any graphics that you have. Example: 50KB (kilobytes)
Now how many page views do you expect per day. Example: 1000 (views per day) 50 x 1000 = 50000kb per day equals 50MB 50MB per day x 30days = 1500MB or 1.5GB per month
Build your list of potential hosts. Now that you know some of the things to look out for, it's time to start looking.
The best way to learn about which ones might be right for you are from people who are using one already. If you know somebody that has a web site, ask them who they use. Ask if they would recommend them.
Write down the ones that you may have heard about or seen an advertisement for.
Here are a couple of links to some review sites. I don't really value the reviews that much. Some hosts will pay for good ratings. But if I see the same host on several of them, they might be worth checking out.
http://www.hosting-reviews.com/index.php
http://www.great-web-hosting.com
One other place that you can go to for a side-by-side comparison is www.iceishot.com
You can also go to a search engine like google.com and do a search on "web hosting". You'll get tons of them that way.
Visit webhostingtalk.com and do a search on your potential hosts. You'll see a lot of what other people are saying about them. Don't take all of it to heart though. Believe me, everybody has been burnt by somebody. Just try to keep an open mind when you read some of the comments. Soon enough, you will be able to make sense of valid complaints versus plain old bashing.
Go to each site and check them out. Initially, just look at their site design. Is it professional looking and easy to navigate? This doesn't mean that they are any better than someone else but they should take pride in the looks of their own site.
Carefully read the terms of Use and Acceptable Use Policies. Make sure you read it and understand it. Some of them can be quite long and seem to relay the same information. But, they're not. Do yourself a favor and print them out and read them completely.
Highlight the important parts for your records. Keep them, along with anything else that you receive from the host including your emails. If there's a discrepancy later, you'll be better prepared to deal with it. If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask them. Email them.
You're the one who is paying. Look through the site and make sure there are phone numbers for you to contact them. Some might make it hard for you to contact them.
If the host has a FAQ (frequently asked questions) link, look through it. This will help you collect even more information.
It's important to do your own research but here's a couple that I've had minimal problems with.