As a
Web
Designer, I am often asked for my
advice on which Web Hosting
Company to choose, which is why I have
added this page. If you are
interested in having your own Website
online,
you will
eventually find yourself in the
position of having to choose a Hosting
Company.
What
exactly is a Web Hosting Company?
In a
nutshell, a Web Hosting Company is in
the business of housing, serving, and
maintaining files for one or more Websites. They provide space on their
servers for individuals and companies
which allow them to publish their Websites,
store information, images, video, or
other content so that it is accessible
via the World Wide Web. More
important than the computer space that
is provided for Website files is the
fast connection to the Internet.
Typically, an individual business
hosting its own site would be quite
expensive. Using a hosting service lets
many companies share the cost of a fast
Internet connection for serving files.
Which
Hosting Company should I choose?
You need
to do your research, but here are a few
points to consider:
Speed
and reliability of the servers and
hardware. Have a good look online and check out different web
hosting providers. There are many
large web hosting companies, which I
find advantageous, because with a larger
hosting company, there is less downtime
and their servers are fast and
up-to-date.
Backup
Systems in place in case of power
failures, etc., is important because
without it, you could lose valuable
data. Ask how often backups are
made. (They should be done at least
on a daily basis).
Web Hosting costs can vary greatly,
but you will see prices that range from
$5 - $50/month for a small web hosting
package. Do not jump in because it
is cheap, and do not think the service
is great just because it is costly!
Check around and talk to other people.
(I pay $6.95/month)
Quality of their support
services is
critical! I would opt for no less
than 24/7 live support! If they
claim to include this service within the
monthly fee, be certain that they don't
mean voicemail or email 24-hours-a-day!
You need a live person. This is
REALLY important! You do not want
to have to go through hundreds of
"Frequently Asked Questions" before you
are allowed to send an email, or have to
wait on hold for an hour before being
asked to call back at another time!
Which
Hosting Company do you
recommend?
I,
personally recommend two hosting
companies: Godaddy.com and
Bluehost.com. I will publish
your site to any hosting company you
choose. I use these two
companies for my own Web hosting
needs and I am very happy with their
services and support.
