When you’re ready to take the plunge and have a website of your own, there are a lot of choices in terms of web hosts and domain registrars. Some people choose to do everything under one roof and some buy their domain names from one source and their web hosting from another.
The following are things to consider when you decide on which Web Host to use:
• Fees – Fees can vary considerably. The cheapest isn’t always the best but shopping around for fees and for features can help you get what you want the first time. It’s definitely preferable and much easier to take time to find the right web host the first time than to deal with switching hosts after undue frustration.
• Features – Decide what is important to you in terms of website features and look at which suppliers offer the features that are important to you. If you’re hosting a blog you might not need many capabilities but if you’re hosting an online store, then features could become much more important.
• Support – A lot of web hosts have stellar reputations for top notch support for their customers. How technically inclined you are and how robust you expect your website to be should be factors you consider when looking at the type of support offered as part of your web hosting plan.
• Amount of space – Do you need a lot of space? You might not know yet. It’s a good idea to choose a plan that either offers a lot of space to you or that at least offers scalability so that you can add space if you need it.
• Bandwidth limitations – This goes along the same lines as amount of storage space. You might not know yet what you need but it’s a good idea to look for a plan that not only meets your feature requirements but that offers a lot of bandwidth in your monthly fee. You’re hoping, of course, that your site will get loads of action so it stands to reason that you plan for plenty of bandwidth when choosing your Web Host.
There’s really no such thing as a perfect web host but doing a bit of homework can save you frustrations and hassles. You might even test drive some of the top contender’s free tools such as site design tools and check out their community forum before making a choice. You might also email their support address to ask a question and see how quickly they respond and measure the type of response you get.
Today the market is highly competitive and you might be surprised at all the features you get included in a low monthly price. Looking at what you get, how much it costs, and finding out what’s included in terms of tools, templates, and add-ons is important.
Some plans allow add on domains and discount codes for renewals as well as various payment options. Taking the time to look at several plans can help you get educated on what you’re looking for.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.SeanSEO.com © 2008 - 2010
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I am glad I picked a host that has all the right qualities. Unlimited domains, unlimited addons, unlimited email addresses and great support. All for a very low price. One less thing to worry about.
Hi Sean,
You have so much great advice here. It is definitely a huge help to be able to capitalize on your knowledge and experience. I’m very happy with the host I have chosen as it has all the qualities I think I need.
Not all web hosts are created equal. You can find affordable hosts that fit both your budget and requirements. As Sean says above there are hosts with ’stellar’ reputations. It’s not hard to find them – and then compare – use an excel sheet so you can compare apples to apples – and not apples to oranges. What they list will also give you an idea of what you want or need as a beginner.
Can you use html or do you need a cut & paste system? For beginners, the latter is usually necessary. Some hosts offer both facilities. With them, as you become more experienced, you may want to expand your creativity and start using html through Dreamweaver for example.
The worse thing to do is sign up and then find that things like bandwidth are inadequate and to expand you have to pay up more on a monthly basis.
If you have no idea of what you may need – try and check out a site similar to what you will be building. See how many pages etc they use. Even give them a call and see what they think of their service from the host.
Also, support is critical – when investigating a host – submit a query – and see how long it takes to get back an answer. And, see if they give an adequate answer.
Some great tips and things to be aware of there Peter, cheers mate
Thanks for expanding [with me] a bit further on your above tips for choosing a web host. I’ve got a further couple of ideas following our last conversation.
Hi Sean
Under Bullet Point “support” I am wondering if the ‘me’ is supposed to be a ‘be’
All fixed Elly, you certainly have a good eye for detail
The way I have chosen my web host has been by recommendation in the YOTA forum and through my business coach.
One of the many great aspects of the YOTA forum is that I can ask a question and get instant feedback, The particular web host I have has all the features mentioned in this article but for anyone just starting out this is a great ’shopping list’ of tips for choosing a web host.
Thank you
It is very timely that I read this post today as I’ve just been looking into some options here. Above are some great guidelines to consider when choosing your web host.
While keeping these in mind another tip I would offer, which is what I do with most bigger acquisitions or important choices, is ask around and also be guided by other people’s experience. Having said that you may have a better experience than someone else did but if lots of people are saying don’t go there, then maybe that is not a good choice.
I don’t think I articulated that very well but hopefully you get my gist!