When it comes to start a blog or website, one of main question is surely how do to select the ideal web hosting provider, or better yet, which are the specific features and key criteria to be used for selecting a web hosting solution.
So, if you want an exaustive answer, keep reading and I’ll tell you more about how to make your choice among multiple competing hosting services.
What Is A Web Hosting Provider?
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Hosting provider is necessary if you want to create your own website without utilizing free platform like Google Blogger or WordPress. To get a full sense of what a web hosting provider is, according to Wikipedia a web hosting service is:
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center, called colocation.
In general, there are different key factor that you have to check when you’re going to select a web hosting for your blog or website.
- Storage – Storage space for your web site pages and data.
- Custom support – You should wonder to this question first to chose a web hosting: Have a customer support Phone number? Have an email support? Which hours of the day and which days of the week do you get it?
- Stat and analytics – Check up if your web hosting are able to give you all tool to look well inside the traffic data and tracks your progress.
- Online reputation – Just don’t go for any name, check out if they are serious guys first.
- PHP, Perl, MySQL Support – Some of features required to run a website or blog today are PHP or some kind of Perl programming language. Also you have need of create MySQL database in order to build a website.
- Bandwidth – It is the maximum amount of information (bits/second) that can be transmitted along a site.
Why Free Webhosting Is not Recommended?
Image Credi: charneski
I think there are 4 reasons why I never recommend Free Web hosting to anyone:
1. No control – The main downside of using free webhosting service is that you’re not direct ownership. As a esult, once the hosting change their service their service and policies you risk to have need to switch to another hosting service and taking a risk to lose your content during the transfer of your files.
2. No maintainance – Just because you are using a free service and not paying for getting any support. If your website face downtime, there no guarantee that webhosting will try to get your website upp soon.
3. No extra benefit – If you’re looking to have sub-domains for promoting new products, or you want more diskspace or bandwidth as well you wont get with free webhosting
4. Advertising – When I used Altervista as my first web hosting they do not allow me to add banner Adsense to their site. That was the reason I switched to a paid hosting service. Also, many of free hosting want that you host your blog in exchange of add one link back to mantain hosting site.
Top Web Hosting Provider Compared
Below I listed what I think are the best Web hosting on internet. To help you compare these different services I highlighted the main features through different colors. In particular:
- Unlimited domain: You are able to create many domain as possible.
- Unlimited bandwidth: You are able to carry an unlimited amount of data from one point to another in a given time period.
- Unlimited Disk space: Amount of space to store your files and folder.
- cPanel: It is a graphical web hosting control panel used to make managing and hosting a web site much easier. For instance it allows you to install WordPress in a few click.
Note about unlimited bandwidth: Despite this is a promise often made by web hosting companies, it is impossible for any provider to actually provide an unlimited amount of bandwidth or disk space. It’s just not possible.
Host Monster – It is become one of the better known web hosts in the industry by being themselves. You can have unlimited domain, unlimited disk space, cPanel, and many more. Hosting plans start at around $5.95/month.
HostGator – It is probably the best company available out there. For just $4.95 per month you can get unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, cPanel, single domains($7.95 for unlimited doman), unlimited email accounts, Cpanel access, 1-Click Script Installs, unlimited FTP accounts and a lot, lot more. It also provides good support, easy to contact, and competitive pricing.
DreamHost – DreamHost boasts perhaps the most loyal customer base in the web hosting industry, with many customers rising to defend the company in times of trouble. The most recent promotion gives you unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domain names, full shell access, unlimited email accounts, unlimited MySQL databases, and a Linux operating system. The company’s hosting plans start at around $8.95 and they offer free domain registration.
Justhost – Justhost is a hosting company which offers to be host and provides servers and domains to many companies on their websites. JustHost provides unlimited domain , unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space. The number of e-mails can be unlimited so that you can provide each of your employees with a personal e-mail address. Plans start at around $3.45 per month.
Bluehost -It is another great web hosting company; which is born in the year 1996. There are a lot of customers which benefit by the service of Bluehost. They gives new customers unlimited disk space, bandwidth, unlimited additional domains and features like 2500 POP3 internet-based email accounts, FTP, PHP, CGI, cPanel, and much more.
FatCow – This web hosting provider was born in 1998. From the start they wanted to offer their own twist to the hosting industry. They offer a hosting package that is only $66/ year. This plan has unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space, unlimited mailboxes for the whole herd and much more.
Great post bro. Bandwidth and disk space are the most important features to consider while going for any web hosting service.
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
@Ankit, Thanks Ankit!, Yes these are two important factors to consider when you have to select your web hosting provider.
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There are several hosting plans available in market whose price range is very cheap. That is very important for newbie or small business owners have need to save money.
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
@Awesh Bansal, Hi Awesh, yes I agree there a lot of offers today and some are very affordable.
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Brilliant and informative. Well, I started my blogging on Google Blogger platform. I was doing it well till someone suggested me to have my own domain name and hosting. It was not at all needed yet I decided to have my own domain name. I got my domain name and finally I have my hosting solution from godaddy..though a bit expensive yet has been quite affordable for me till date. Free hosting is good..no doubt but if you need real freedom with your blogging then you should move ahead with paid hosting and your own domain name. It really pays off in the long run..just like it has been for me and many others..I hope
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
@Aswani, Thanks Aswani, I agree, blogger has did a lot of improvements these month, but I always think that a paid hosting give you more advantages and make your blog more professional.
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Great post bro. Nice and useful information about web hosting provider. Thanks for sharing.
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
@shenoyjoseph, Thanks shenoyjoseph!
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Great post. Choosing the right web hosting is very important to successful blogging
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
@Chaci, Thanks Chaci!
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Great job bro. Keep writing
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Nicola Deiana Reply:
November 29th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
@Kimball, Thanks Kimball!
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thanks for the complete guide…
i was looking something like this for me….
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Great post bro! I am using Hostgator which i am happy with them for the customer support and the service they provide!
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Great post Nicola. I will use this a guide next time when I go shopping for the webspace.
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