Cheap Hosting - Is It Bad?

If you're searching for a inexpensive web hosting service, there are lots of companies that offer low monthly rates to host (store) your site. Some examples are Yahoo, Bluehost, Network Solutions and Hostgator, just to name a few. Of course, not everybody is searching for the exact same webhosting functions, but are all offers the exact same? The answer is no.

Believe it or not, there are web hosting companies that have millions of websites on their servers. In the event you multiply that by the average monthly fee of around ten dollars a month, that adds up to some significant cash flow! No wonder they are able to offer special deals to new subscribers with all the bells and whistles.

The information that follows is based on the widely used Linux server webhosting packages, even though some firms offer Windows web hosting also. Forget about the difference here, as it will not impact you, unless you are an advanced user and intend to produce your website using ASP, FrontPage, the .NET environment, Windows Streaming Media, Access, MSSQL, or any of the other Microsoft technologies, in which case, you most likely need to make use of a Windows host.

Keep in mind that a web host is simply a company that provides a storage area for your website. Along with this service, they generally provide many different clearly essential along with other nice to have add ons. Some of these include, bandwidth, disk space, a sitebuilder, free web site templates, customer and technical support, MYSQL databases, POP e-mail accounts, Fantastico, statistics like Webalizer or referrer logs, much more than one hosting plan and obviously other functions too numerous to mention.

Much more specifically, we all want and require to save cash and we don't wish to waste it, so, based on what's discussed on internet forums and elsewhere probably the most, here is what to look for when searching for the best inexpensive web hosting plan. However, right away, it would be advisable to make sure you are not paying much more than $10 a month for hosting, because it is not essential unless you want extra unique management controls. We'll also assume that you only want one web site, but in the event you plan to produce more in the future, greatest to get a strategy that permits several or unlimited domains.

For the list that follows, 1 point should be given for each of the five items if the web host has these features. When researching hosting businesses, a total score of 4 is extremely great, but 5 is outstanding.

Top five Inexpensive Web Hosting Service Features

1. Customer Service and Technical Support - does the company provide email, phone and live chat (at their web site) 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24-7)? Do they reply to your questions within 24 hours or within minutes using live chat? How would you know? Attempt them out, even if you are not a customer however - send them an e-mail or try their live chat. Or, go to business forums like the Warrior Forum and search for similar discussions. If they've these functions, then add 1 point for this business.

2. How lengthy have they been in company? At least 1 year? Go to Google and type in "Who Is" and kind in the company name, like xyz.com and see when their creation date was - if it was more than a year ago, you are able to a minimum of know they've been in company for a while and will hopefully be here to stay. I would give them 1 point if they have been in business for a minimum of 2 years to be on the secure side.

3. Do they provide unlimited bandwidth? Bandwidth could be best described as gas for a automobile. If your web site runs out of bandwidth nobody will probably be able to visit it. 1GB of bandwidth is equal to over 100,000 hits. The average website uses much less than 2 GB of bandwidth a month. Your bandwidth number used will normally reset back to zero on the initial of every month.

Similarly, do they provide unlimited disk space? The more disk space you've the more files, pages, emails, and every thing else you will have the ability to use and store. Yes, unlimited sounds excessive I know, but if they offer it, much better safe than sorry. If the business offers unlimited in both cases, give them one more point.

four. Guarantees - do they provide a money back guarantee, if for any reason, you want to cancel? If it is a minimum of a 30 day guarantee and they'll refund 100% of your money, that's great. Also, do they guarantee your site's uptime, in other words, that it will be live on the internet all of the time, or over 99.9% of the time? If that doesn't occur, will they provide you with a full refund for that month? If the answers are yes to both of these questions, then add 1 much more point.

five. Do they've Fantastico Deluxe? This program will permit you to install over 50 scripts immediately. Examples are WordPress, Joomla, discussion boards, ecommerce, polls and so on. Many people these days develop web sites based on WordPress because of it is search engine optimization functions and obtainable plugins, so using fantastico makes it simpler. Give them one point if they provide fantastico at no additional charge.

And yes, you will find some free web hosting plans available, but do they location ads on your website? Do they offer 24-7 customer service? Will Google view your website the exact same if you're not willing to pay for hosting every month (they know which sites are free)? Frankly, are you significant about your internet website and are you treating it as a business? If so, then you need to be willing to pay out a couple of dollars a month for an essential service. Also, in the event you wish to develop more than one domain, do they let you develop them under one account? Not likely. All in all, it is advisable to skip the totally free webhosting for life offers available.

So, there you have it. If you watch for these five recommended cheap web hosting functions, you should have the ability to find 1 heck of a good home for your web site.