Choosing a web hosting service provider is no easy task. Even professionals sometimes have a difficult time making a decision. Qualities to consider when choosing a web host include affordability, reliability, tech support, and personal taste. You have to be careful with looking at Top Ten lists because sometimes the results are skewed by fake reviews for advertising and affiliate purposes.
Different types of hosting are available too, many of which are labeled as business, professional, email, budget, shared, green, cheap, or unlimited hosting. More important than those simplistic, yet often confusing, labels are the actual types of hosting.
The four main types are Shared Hosting for personal blogs and websites, Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting for business and e-commerce websites, Reseller Hosting for those that buy server space and sell to their own customers, and Dedicated Server Hosting for large portals and enterprise websites. With Shared Hosting, there are two main types: Linux (or Unix) based and Windows based.
The reasons for needing a web host will dictate the type that you’ll need. If you’re just starting out and want a small website, go with Shared Hosting. If you’re the CEO of a large corporation, go with a Dedicated Server.
Affordability
Price is certainly an important aspect to consider when choosing a web host, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Any hosting service that charges less than $10 a month is considered by most to be affordable. Many services offer monthly fees ranging from $2 to $6, especially when offered in conjunction with a special offer. They often offer sales and special discounts. Many also offer introductory rates. Don’t go with the cheapest offer though. Remember that you get what you pay for. The three ranges are $5 and under, $5-10, and $10 and over.
Reliability
A web hosting provider is only as good as the services they offer. If the sites you create are constantly crashing or you don’t have access to make updates, the that provider is considered to have a considerable amount of down time. The best providers have ratings of 99% reliability or better.
Tech Support
If the customer service department of your current provider doesn’t speak English, it might be time to find another provider. A good customer service department will be available via telephone or e-mail 24/7. They should be able to answer any question and solve any problem. Unfortunately, it is difficult to judge this aspect of a company before signing on with them. Make sure a phone number or contact info is listed.
Personal Taste
This is where even more research comes into play. Search the web for as many Top Ten reviews as you can find. Look for overlapping company names then choose your own top ten and go to their websites. See how you like it. Is the site easy to move around in? Do they have a lot of advertising? Does that bother you? Can you find any contact info? Are the prices within your range? Is the layout nice? Do they provide examples or customer testimonials? Narrow it down to your top three choices, then go with your gut instinct.
This TOP 15 list is a compilation from several other sites’ top 10 lists:
- In Motion Hosting (Dedicated, VPS, Linux)
- Web Hosting Hub (Linux)
- Web Hosting Pad (Linux)
- iPage (Linux)
- Blue Host (Reseller)
- Just Host (Reseller)
- Host Gator (Dedicated, Reseller)
- Go Daddy (Linux)
- 247 Host (Dedicated, Reseller)
- Fat Cow (Linux)
- Green Geeks (Linux)
- Win Host (Windows)
- My Hosting (Windows)
- Arvixe (Windows, Reseller)
- Host Ahead (Windows)
If you need more help, do a web search for “web host ratings” and choose a site to visit. Good luck and happy hosting!