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    • What to look for when buying web hosting

    Firstly, this page is assuming you have already decided, not to host your own server in house. This is certainly possible, but incurs the most cost both in setup and in maintenance. Running your own server also requires the most in house knowledge. You can get the same benefits by setting up a dedicated web hosting account.

    So, what steps should we follow when attempting to find a web host. Well first you need to ask your self some questions about the site. The first question you should ask yourself is: Are there any specific technologies, my web site needs to take advantage of? This is your biggest differentiate as many web hosting companies use software and technology availability as either a package delimiter or a sometimes as an enticement. So that even realizing when you don't need a specific technology can save you money by helping you avoid unnecessary enticements and sale offers. If there is a team or even another person helping you to put together any part of the site, discuss this with them before you begin to research companies. Especially if you have a web programmer building the site for you. Ask her what functionality she needs to have on the hosting server. If you are building all or most of the site yourself, or if you are planning to make significant use of open source site building packages, there are a few technologies and software capabilities you need to know about before hand. These are:

    Server Software

    A server can be two things. The computer that physically 'hosts' your files, or a server can be the software program on that computer which handles requests for the files that make up your web site. Depending on which software server package you are using even simple things like creating a new folder or renaming a file could be quite different, not to mention more complex tasks like server side processing. The server software you use also very often control or sometimes limits the other software and technologies available to your web site.

    Although there are many server software packages, the two most popular are Apache, an open source software maintained by the Apache Foundation and one of a couple of Microsoft Products, Internet Information Server and Windows Server 2003. Apache is the most popular server software on the planet, not just because it is free. It is a robust, complete and well tested product. It powers most of the public web sites on the web. It also plays well with other open source software, so you will most often find Apache running on open source Linux computers. If some other software you use requires a Windows computer, (such as using Microsoft Access for your database), you need to make sure your hosting account is set up properly.

    Databases

    Many modern web sites require a database for full functionality. Your database will also require a certain environment to run in. If you don't have a programmer to handle your database work for you, I suggest going with an open source database. The most common open source database you will see offered is called MySQL. Because it is free, many web hosts will include it as a 'feature' on even basic hosting packages. Also, there is an open source interface that can help you populate and maintain your data called phpMyAdmin that is generally available whenever MySQL is available. So with a little work, you could be using a database strong enough for a 100,000 product web site, for little or no cost.

    There are other options also with various increases in either cost, technical know-how, or both. The most common choice that will severely affect your web hosting decision is MS Access or MS SQL Server. Not only do you have to have a copy of the software on your development computer, the web hosting account for these proprietary databases could cost more or could have some setup fee attached.

    Server Side Scripting

    There are numerous server side scripting languages. PHP, Perl, ASP, ASP.NET and others. One of these languages will be used to among other things, talk to your database. While most any server side scripting language can talk to most any database, the code to make things go smoothly differs in complexity. So you need to be sure which programming language will serve you best.

    For MySQL, the open source PHP scripting language is the most common partner, although others could be used. You should find PHP included for free in even the most basic web hosting packages. In fact, if you look closely at this and the two previous sections, you will see we have described the most common software setup for basic, (lowest tier) web hosting packages:

    This configuration is known as a LAMP server and it is a very capable package. For it's capabilities, I don't know of another configuration that can match it in total cost of ownership. Because all of the components are open source, even updates to the software are free. Web hosting companies will delimit hosting packages by things such as, the total size or number of your MySQL databases, the capability to install a different version of one of the software packages than comes installed by default and so on. Also in general, going with Microsoft product will cost you more for your web hosting. The trade-off is supposed to be ease of use and setup.

    Other software issues

    These usually include things like:

    So you can see why software and technological requirements can be your biggest hurdle. The choices are varied and can be difficult to figure out. There are a few other things to ask yourself if you want to make the best purchase of web hosting services. These are also often areas used as delimiter as far as different level packages go:

    Storage Space

    This is the amount of room you have for all of the files in your hosting account. This include files that are being used by your web site and any other files stored there. Not really a big deal for a simple site with a few pictures, or even a video or two. But if you have hundreds of photo, or a lot of video, or mp3. These files are hundreds of times larger than regular HTML files and can quickly eat up your storage space. So if you plan on having a lot of these types of files you may need to opt for larger storage space. If not, the most basic storage space level will be fine for years and years. You can also consider off site hosting for your media files. Media hosting is becoming more prevalent and there are even some free services, like flicker and You Tube that will allow you to store as many files as you want.

    Bandwidth

    This is the total size of all files either uploaded to or downloaded from your server. So for every HTML file, picture or video you upload to your server, (so that others can see them), counts against your bandwidth total. Also every single time some one views one of your pages, they have to download every file (HTML, picture, video, etc) on that page, from your server, to their computer. So for a 100,000 product site, loading the product pictures the first time could take a huge chunk out of your bandwidth. Also if your site is very popular and there is a video on the index page, you could soon see your bandwidth limit being reached. If you reach your bandwidth limit, one of two things will happen, either your account will be suspended or you will be automatically charged for overages. Both eventualities can be unpleasant so make sure you know what will happen if you reach your bandwidth limit.

    Uptime

    Ignore it. Every host will offer 99% uptime. It will also say in their terms of service that uptime is averaged over your payment period. So if you pay for a year in advance, your site could be down for a couple of days and the web hosting company will still be within their uptime guarantee. The only time you want to pay extra is for a 100% uptime guarantee. This will provide you with a fail over server they will automatically switch to in case of any problems. Only mission critical sites should consider this option.

    Email accounts

    Almost every host will give you one free email account. They will also increase the number of email accounts based on the package level. It's not uncommon to see dozens of email accounts on even the most basic hosting plan. This is usually because on the lower levels you are not given individual email accounts. You are given one account with the ability to create different aliases. On higher levels you will probably have access to hundreds or maybe even unlimited email accounts. Even for an individual this can be very robust for your image, (e.g., sales@example.com, info@example.com, etc.). Other than that, hundreds of emails mean nothing if you don't need them. More important are the email extras like mailing lists, autoresponders and multiple mail server types. These will help you turn email into a business tool.

    Support

    The importance of support services varies depending on in house capability and the technical difficulty of maintaining your web site. If you have a simple site or a lot of programming experience, getting an email answered within 24 hours may be plenty. If you are doing something more complex though, even with in house knowledge, you may need capable responsive personnel manning your hosting account. For sites with time sensitive information, instant response, or off-hour/weekend support may be most important. Ultimately, no site is going to tell you they have horrible support. If you can't find any credible information on a hosting company's support level, base your decision on how much support you get for free. If you can send an email for free, but a phone call costs money, try to predict how much you might have to call. It may be worth paying more for a hosting package that has phone support included.

    Control Panel

    Every web host will need to give you access to the features of your hosting account through a password protected, web based interface. These interfaces can vary widely, from open source choices that you will see again and again, to in house applications that will be completely foreign to you. It can be hard to research these control panels as some hosting companies don't want to give non-members access for security reasons. Ask you prospective web host if there is an online demo of their control panel, or at least a screen shot.

    Domain Registration

    Most web hosts offer you the ability to reserve a domain name at the same time you purchase your hosting account. This is not a requirement of buying a hosting account but is still important. Some web hosts make it difficult to switch your purchased domain to a different web host, sometimes requiring separate phone contact and a fee for the service. It doesn't have to be this difficult. More savvy web hosts have a simple form where you can effect the change. Just ask you web host how much control you have over your, 'nameservers'.

    Fees

    This is the last section for a reason, cost should be the least of your concerns, or at least, the last of your concerns when it comes to securing your web hosting. Primarily, there is so much competition on price in the industry, that choosing based on price will not lead to finding a successful web host, i.e., every one has a low price. Also the other elements are more important to a successful web site and that's what really determines how much value we receive from our web hosts, how successful we can be in our web endeavors. What you want to look out for are hidden fees, like restoring from backups, (should be free) and unreasonable support fees, (if you need a lot of support)

    Conclusion

    Remember, don't be afraid to call a web host and ask these questions. If they don't seem to have the time to answer you, or if they don't have a phone number, I think you have your answer. And be leery of opinions. Few web master have had experience with more than a few web hosts and all of them are biased. Solicit opinions but take them with a grain of salt. Good Luck