Why Ignoring the Unlimited Hosting Plan is the Smart Way to Go
Anyone in the market for a Web site host has certainly come across a hosting company offering unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space as part of their hosting packages. How do they do this? How physically, can they offer unlimited disk space when each server has a finite amount of disk space available for use? Perhaps more importantly, how can they offer unlimited bandwidth when the Internet does indeed have limitations?
Some consumers see the term unlimited and assume that that they can’t go wrong. This is merely a marketing ploy just like unlimited minutes on your cell phone or unlimited trips to the salad bar. At some point, there will be a limit. And in most cases, it’ll cost you.
So why are unlimited plans even around? Because there are still consumers that just don’t know enough about Web hosting and assume that bigger is better. They generally see a low cost plan (sometimes under $10/month, watch out!) and don’t think twice. If you have a business Web site, the least you should be paying for quality Web hosting is $20 per month.
However, if you decide to go that route, be sure to read the fine print. Unlimited hosting packages generally have terms dictating that when you reach a certain point, they can either raise the cost of hosting drastically or even shut down your Web site! Remember, they’re in business to make money and aren’t going to run their business at a loss to simply retain your business.
So what can you do to avoid a hosting nightmare? First, find a hosting company where you can actually talk to a live person. This may sound obvious, but many large hosting providers only offer technical support via email with up to 24-hour response times. If your site goes down, are you willing to wait 24 hours for a response? Check to see if they even list a phone number on their Web site. Many large hosting providers don’t and consumers don’t even think to look for it until something is wrong with their site.
Second, discuss your needs with the Web hosting company. While most companies have set packages, some will be willing to customize hosting plans so that you only pay for the services you need. If a host isn’t willing to discuss the needs of your site with you, how helpful are they going to be as your site expands and your requirements increase?
Finally, plan for your growth. Don’t simply choose the cheapest plan because it meets your current needs. Assume that your Web site is going to increase its traffic over time and be sure that when it does, there are no hassles or downtime. Pay a little bit more if you have to because in Web site hosting especially, you get what you pay for.
If you have a Web site for your business, Web hosting is the most critical aspect because without it, your site is useless. Knowing that your hosting provider is dependable and responsive can make all the difference because ideally, the only time you ever really need to talk to them is when something is wrong. It all comes down to the idea that if they’re willing to be deceitful to get your business by offering an unlimited plan, how can you be confident that they’ll be honest when you need them the most? Taking time to select the right host can make all the difference and let’s face it, while there is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space, there also is no such thing as 100% uptime. You’ll need your host, so choose wisely.
WebSolutions is a professional Web site design, development, and hosting company based near Chicago. Their expertise in eCommerce has been highlighted in print and television and their custom developed solutions and pre-built shopping cart application (The Marketplace) has been successful for businesses nationwide. Jon Kee handles all sales and marketing related activities for WebSolutions and can be reached by phone at 630.375.6833 or email @ sales@wsol.com. Visit us online: http://www.wsol.com
Tags: ecommerce hosting, unlimited web hosting, Web Hosting, web site hosting, website hostingSave Money - Only Pay For The Options You Use To Host Your Website
Every Web Hosting Provider offers you a multitude of options, and if you’re new to the game of Hosting a Website, this can be a daunting task in knowing which options to choose from. I have often come accross people that are paying too much for what they’re actually doing with their website. If you don’t use a database, why pay for it?
Knowing what each option is for, can really save you from paying more than what you really need to pay.
HTML: Websites are written in a language called HTML, and this is the basic function that every Web Host offers you - without HTML, there is no web site.
HTML code tells the web server what the website should look like, where to load the images, and the links to other pages. HTML isn’t really difficult, and is fairly easy to pick-up. To learn more about HTML you can go to http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp which has some great tutorials on HTML. You can also use tools like Front Page and Dreamweaver to build pages,but having a basic knowledge of HTML can only help.
DISK SPACE: The size of the disk space is important if you’re going to have a big website with lots of pages. This is where your pages get stored, and you need space for them. I always like to start small, and then upgrade as my requirements grow.
BANDWIDTH: When ever somebody visits your website, information is being transferred from your website to their web browser. This transfer creates traffic that is and this traffic is measured as Bandwidth. As with diskspace you can usually upgrade this as needed. I have found that it’s better to go with a webhost that charges you extra whenever you go over the allocated amount as this usually ensures that your website stays up and running even if it costs you a bit extra.
PHP/ASP/CGI: Allows you to write various scripts into your website that does little extras that HTML cannot do on it’s own - Anything from allowing people to make comments on your website to creating full member areas. If you want a website that allows people to interact with your website, then you most probably will need some form of Scripting. There are alot of free scripts out there, with PHP being the most popular. It’s important to first know what scripts your website’s going to be running, before going for a webhost - as not all webhosts offer every type of scripting solution out there.
DATABASES: If you want to store hugh amounts of data to make available to your visitors, or run a content management system like Joomla, then you’ll need a database for this. You also need a way to get the data in and out of the Database, so you’ll need PHP as well - But, most web hosting companies will give you
both options bundled together.
CONTROL PANEL: There are various control panels that web hosting providers use, and they all perform the same function - allowing you to control your website. I have no real preferance for any specific control panel, as they pretty much all do the same thing.
DOMAINS: Most Webhost providers will register a domain for you at a extra cost. Be sure to check out registrars of domains, to see if you cannot buy it for cheaper. Registering a domain at something like Go-Daddy.com is pretty cheap, and pretty easy to do. What makes it sometimes better to go via the hosting company is that they will manage the whole aspect of the domain for you, where with a service like Go-Daddy it’s up to you to manage the whole domain - So, it’s sometime a cost saving option to go with the Web Host.
A lot of these options you can add to your website as you need them. It’s not always best to go for the most expensive package out there. Find out what you need, and then only purchase those options you need. You can save yourself some real money at the end of the day.
Finding the right Web Site Hosting Provider is important. Read reviews of Web Hosting Providers at Web Hosting Provider Review
Gerard Korsten is a Web Master who uses various Hosting Companies and runs the website: http://www.HostingProviderReview.com
Tags: hosting options, hosting provider, Web Hosting, web site, web site hostingWeb Hosting Providers - Find A Newbie Friendly Web Site Host
If you’re about to set up your first web site and are completely new to running a web site, a dependable web hosting plan with stellar customer service is an absolute must. You’ll want to choose a web hosting provider that can be of assistance from the moment you choose one of their web hosting plans. You need a company that offers more than web space with their hosting plans. Here are a few extra perks you should look for that will make your life as a newbie webmaster far. far easier.
Web Site Building Tools with Flexibility
With the competition for web hosting business high, one of the hottest selling points that many use is their web site building tools. When you’re looking for a web host, read the hosting plan description to see which building tools they offer. Your best choice is a web hosting service that offers you a variety of tools - from Easy build 1-2-3 site designers to an online html editor. The EZ-Builder is a what you need if you want to get your first site up and running quickly, but a builder that offers you flexibility and customization will help you move from ‘Make it for me’ to ‘do it yourself’ in the shortest amount of time.
Excellent Documentation and Help Files
When you’ve narrowed your choice down to one or two web hosting providers, point your browser to the Support section of their web sites and check out the documentation. Pick the one that offers help files on every single tool they offer, and step-by-step tutorials that show you how to do everything you might need to do. Look for a search utility and a FAQ page that will help you find the answers on what you need to know.
The better the help files provided by your web hosting provider, the easier it will be for you to create a great web site with little outside help or support.
24/7 customer support
Sometimes, no matter how good the help files, you can’t find what you need. Sometimes there are things that your web hosting company has to set for you. 24/7 customer support is VITAL. Check the support options that the web hosting company offers - email, phone, live chat? Can you reach them 24 hours a day and get a real live person in case of an emergency? If you can’t, especially on your first web site, pick another web hosting company.
Starting your first web site can be exciting and frustrating. Choose a web hosting company that gives you options, choices and support that will make it easier for you.
To view our top recommended companies for web hosting, visit: Recommended Web Hosting Companies Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of Ezerk, an
informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics, including web hosting.