|
Rank
|
Web Hosting Company
|
Price
|
Disk Space
|
Bandwidth
|
Domain Name
|
Setup Fee
|
Overview
|
Rating
|
Link to Website
|
| 1 |
|
$3.95/mo
$3.45/mo
|
unlimited
|
unlimited
|
Free*
*with annual plan
|
Free
|
Free Existing Website Transfer
Custom Tailored Support
Free Script Library
|
|
|
| 2 |
|
$7.95/mo
$6.95/mo
|
unlimited
|
unlimited
|
FREE
|
FREE
|
Unlimited Hosted Domains
Free Site Builder
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
|
|
|
| 3 |
|
$7.95/mo
$6.95/mo
|
unlimited
|
unlimited
|
FREE
|
FREE
|
24/7 US-based Phone Support
Free Domain for Life
30+ Free Scripts to Install
|
94%
|
|
| 4 |
|
$4.95/mo
|
unlimited
|
unlimited
|
$15.00/yr
|
Free
|
Free
Website Builder
99.9% Uptime
45 Day Money Back Guarantee
|
|
|
| 5 |
|
$4.95/mo
|
unlimited
|
unlimited
|
$9.95/yr
|
Free*
*with annual plan
|
Free Website Templates
24/7/365 Support
Unlimited Databases
|
|
|
How to Choose A Web
Hosting Company
Web
hosting is becoming a real
commodity in today's mature Internet environment. There are
thousands of companies offering web hosting services from nearly free
to astronomically high prices. What should you as a consumer be
aware of when looking for and ultimately selecting a web host?
1.
Price
Price is
almost always the first
concern for anyone buying web hosting. If you are looking for a very
expensive and ultra high reliability server then looking at web
hosting for under hundreds of dollars is simply the wrong way to go. If
you are a small business or individual then considering shared web
hosting offerings is often the best course of action. There are many
plans starting for under $5 to $10 that will offer more than you will
ever need. Figure out your budget and then move on to the next
criteria in selecting.
2.
The Offer
The
offer is what the web hosting
company has to offer you that sets itself apart from the rest. Each
web host generally has similar features because of the nature of web
hosting using the same basic setups. Often this causes price
competition but some do offer non-technical advantages too. For
instance, a money back guarantee is a great way to try a web hosting
company with confidence. Some web hosting companies will offer free
tools beyond just basic web hosting such as site builders,
advertising credit, free domain names and more. You need to evaluate
what is important to you and rank them before continuing on to the
next criteria.
3.
The Support
This can
be the deal breaker for many
people. If you know what you are doing often this is not an issue,
but many of us don't know the first thing about web hosting or
building websites. That is where the support comes in. What sort of
support do you need? Are you the type that needs to be able to call
and reach a person 24/7 or someone who is happy putting in an email
or support ticket that will be responded to within 24 hours. Depending
on your nature and the nature of your website deciding what
sort of help you want and/or need from a web host can be the most
important selection criteria of them all.
4.
Your Needs
If
you've been following this guide
then you should have been evaluating what you want and what you
require the whole way through. This is when you have to figure out
what makes the most sense for you. Are you just setting up a
personal website for a hobby? Maybe the cheapest option regardless
of features and support is the choice for you. Are you a small
business trying to compete on the web? Perhaps a more featured
option with higher levels of support is right for you. Nobody can
evaluate your needs for you. You need to consider carefully what you
want from a web host and what you will be doing with that web hosting
and then make a choice.
