How to select a good web hosting company?

[Carol]

I am new to web hosting. I am starting a small online store. I wanted to know how I can select a good web hosting company. With so much of competition around, it really becomes difficult to make the right choice. I also wanted to know which hosting package would be beneficial for me.

Can someone please guide me in terms of selecting a good web hosting company?

Thanks

[Rachael]

Hi Carol

You need to consider the following aspects in order to select a good web hosting company:

1. The amount of web space and bandwidth provided an also the provisions for expansion
2. The FTP access provided
3. Reliability and speed of access provided
4. Technical assistance and backup provided
5. Market reputation of the company
6. Types of hosting packages provided and their prices
7. Location and management of the data center

If you consider the factors mentioned above, then you will surely be able to decide on the best website hosting company and the best deal. If you have a small online store, then you may start with a shared hosting plan first. However I would like to know if you have any specifications in terms of web space and bandwidth required; so that I can help with an appropriate web hosting plan.

[Carol]

Thanks for the prompt reply. The information that you have mentioned seems to be very helpful; thanks for sharing that.

My specifications are that I m looking for a web space of at least 10 GB and monthly bandwidth of at least 80 GB.

[Rachael]

I suggest you consider the web hosting plans offered by Web Hosting UK. In terms of the specifications mentioned by you, the Linux shared hosting or Windows shared hosting plan can be a good option for you. In terms of Linux shared hosting, the advanced shared hosting plan can be a good option for you whereas in case you are using the Windows operating system, then the Supreme shared hosting plan is a good choice for you.

[amk2010]

Reliability, Stability, Uptime, Usability, Customer technical support and Price are some of the major factors which can not be ignored during the selection of a web host.

[kerian]

Here are some qualities that you should look while choosing a hosting provider :-

1) Their server uptime Guarantee.
2) Last 1 years uptime report. Have their servers gone offline, if yes the reason for the same and the time required to bring them online ?
3) The level of support they offer, different medium through which support is provided and do they provide support 24X7.

If the hosting provider has all these qualities, than you can definitely say that the hosting provider is good and reliable to go with.

[LEWIS]

Check if they offer phone support. It is important that they are available 24/7. The price and features do not matter when your website is down and you cannot reach them and get the updates. Live chat and phone support are preferable modes.

[Crish Bronzs]

You need to compare pricing before you finalize a web hosting service. Some may provide you better services but at low pricing. It's not always true that the best hosting services are always the most expensive. Do your research and then finalize.

[williams_k]

Hello Carol,

I Would rather say that go with your requirement nor the flow. There are multiple companies who will provide you with the hosting service. But there are very few who are very good at support. So do think for the same. As there would be some hosting service provider. As per your need you have to decide as what kind of marketing strategies you are planning for. There are many of the other way where you know what kind of information you would like to go ahead with.

[WhatNow292]

The requirements that you should look for in a web host are

Cost of Hosting-Consider your budget before choosing a host.
Addon Domains – If you have multiple websites, get a webhost that allows addon domains.
Down time – Look for hosts that have low down time.
Web Space – You need a lot of webspace if your site is growing especially if you have addon domains.
Customer Support – A good web host should have online customer support.
Cpanel – Having a Cpanel feature would save you a lot of trouble.
Money Back Guarantee – You might change your mind later and decide to cancel a hosting service.

[peterpark]

I think If one want's to run a business website than security is of utmost importance than depending on needs such as bandwidth, FTP accounts etc. should be considered. Application Hosting provider should also have good customer support in case these is some sort of outage. And of course price is crucial as well.

[Carol]

I have also come across web hosting packages that include content management systems. What is the importance of content management systems? Would it help in website creation?

[Rachael]

Content management systems provide with the perfect platform for creating a website, blogging and maintaining a good online presence. Efficient content management hosting platforms like WordPress Hosting UK, Joomla Hosting UK and Drupa Hosting UKl when combines with web hosting plans help you to create an impressive website, manage the content and thereby create a good online presence. Moreover a hosting plan that contains a content management system will also help you to get a better ranking in the search engines as efficient SEO tools are provided.

[Carol]

If I decide to opt for WordPress Hosting, can I incorporate it in the other web hosting plans?

[John233]

Bandwidth is a measure of the amount of data traffic that can occur between your website and the rest of the internet. If you have a sufficient amount of bandwidth for your website, it will be easier for the visitor to view the site. If you do not have adequate bandwidth, items such as pictures, audio and video will not be able to load onto the page quickly, and can be very frustrating for those attempting to use the website.