Selecting a web host? - 10 factors to consider.
Choosing the most suitable webhost is no doubt a demanding task more so if this is your first website. I have decided to make website hosting easy for you by discussing 10 factors you need to consider when selecting a website host.
Let’s get started.
1) The amount of disc space you need for your website.
You need to make up your mind on what type of a website you want to create. If you plan to create a huge website with numerous content pages and several scripts, you will need a hosting plan that offers unlimited disk space so that you never have to get worried about how large your website gets. Some hosting plans offer a set amount of disk space with no ability to upgrade to get more. So if you reach the limit you will need to find a new host and transfer your entire website which can be very stressful and time consuming.
2) The number of domains you require to host.
If you plan on creating many different websites you will need a hosting plan that offers the ability to host multiple separate domains on one account so that you don’t have to create a new account for each domain.
3) Support for both Dreamweaver and FrontPage.
Whether you use Dreamweaver or FrontPage, you will need a hosting plan that offers compatibility with both in case you decide to switch and use one over the other.
4) The amount of data transfer.
The amount of data transfer is also known as bandwidth. If you plan on sending a large amount of traffic to your website every month you will need a hosting plan that offers a large amount of data transfer so that you never have to worry about how much traffic you send to your website. Incase you reach the limit of your allocated monthly data transfer your website will become unavailable for the rest of the month which can result in a massive loss of profits.
5) Support for the latest versions of PHP, Perl, JavaScript, and CGI.
This becomes very essential incase you intend to install various scripts on your website such as blogs, forums, article directories and many others.
6) Access to MYSQL, SSL and shopping cart.
You need to be able to create MYSQL databases if you plan on using scripts on your website. If you want to collect credit card information you will need SSL for encrypted security.
7) Shared or dedicated server.
A shared server is also referred to as a virtual server. The main disadvantage with a virtual server is that only a small amount of disk space and data transfer is available and that many other websites will be hosted on the same server which can reduce the loading speed and availability of website. It’s far much better and reliable to use a dedicated server because your website will be the only one using it and you will have far more disc space and data transfer.
8) Personalized email accounts.
Of importance is the ability to create personalized email addresses for your domain name including mail forwarding addresses, catch all addresses auto responders addresses and the ability to retrieve mail with your email software.
9) Windows or Linux Server.
A while a go there were some major differences between windows and Linux based servers but recent improvements have meant that these differences now diminished to the point where you can make your choice of hosting company based on features they offer rather than the operating system
10) Live Support.
This is one of the most important factors when choosing a website host because if you ever have problems you need to be able to instantly communicate with professionals to solve the issue. It can be frustrating if you have to wait several days for your help desk ticket to be answered.
Its my hope that with this information you can make an informed choice of a good hosting plan. It is a good idea to plan for the long-term and buy as much disk space and data transfer as you can afford to ensue that you don run into any problems in the future.
For a reliable web hosting plan and excellent live support, consider D9 hosting which provides all essential features for very low prices.
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