Web Hosting – A beginner’s guide (Part 1)

Choosing a web host can be a daunting task, particularly if you are new to websites and the hosting of them. We’ve written this guide to give you some help and advice in what you should be looking for when choosing a host. This is an independent guide and we’re not going to recommend any specific hosts here. However, with the information we provide, you should be able to make an educated decision on the right hosting choice for you.

Before you choose a web host, you first need to look at your own website. Consider why you designed (or had a website designed) and remind yourself of your website’s purpose. Is it a personal website or a business website? Personal website and business websites are both catered for by most web hosting companies; personal website owners are generally more budget conscious but expect good value for money with lots of features to make managing their site easier. Business customers place more emphasis on site uptime and performance, particularly if it’s an e-commerce website. Consequently, business packages tend to cost more but are often backed by comprehensive uptime guarantees.

You also need to consider the technical requirements of your website. Is it just html/css, or does it bring in more complex programming requirements such as PHP, Perl or ASP? Perhaps it has a database backend; is this MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL or different database software? The technical requirements of your website will determine the type of hosting most suitable for your website.
Undoubtedly, LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL & PHP) is the most popular type of hosting. Linux is the operating system, Apache is the web server software, MySQL the database software and PHP is the programming language. LAMP type hosting setups work for the majority of websites and they usually support Perl/CGI, Python and in some instances, Java too. However, if you have an ASP/MSSQL website, then a Windows based hosting package is a must. Whilst ASP can run on Linux servers, it is often buggy and is no match for the integral support of ASP on Windows hosting. If we’ve lost you with some of the technical terminology here, then don’t worry. It probably means that your website isn’t using any of these advanced programming languages and that either Linux or Windows web hosting will be fine for your website.

If you’ve looked into some hosting plans, you’ll see that the pricing differential is usually worked out on disk space and bandwidth, i.e. the more you pay, the bigger amount of disks space and bandwidth you get with the hosting package. Obviously, you a generous amount means that you won’t have to worry about running out any time soon but bigger is not always better; it’s far wiser to choose a host with generous packages and excellent customer service instead of a host with huge packages but non-existent customer service!

It’s all very well us telling you to place more emphasis on good customer service instead of price but how do you measure this? Or more importantly, how do you as a client determine if the web host you are interested in has a good level of service? Here’s a few pointers:

• Google the hosting company. Read reviews, and look for a balance of reviews. Mostly positive with a few negative is a good sign (all positive mean that the reviews are likely to be false). For the negative reviews, does the hosting company take the time to respond and try to clear up what happened?
• Look at other hosting review sites. www.findmyhosting.com and www.hostsearch.com both have established review sections and list many reviewed hosts.
• Look at the reviews that we have here! We only allow independent reviews and put a lot of emphasis on making sure they are authentic.
• Look to see if the host has a testimonials area. Forum-based testimonials are useful; text on the website is often just marketing text so less useful.
• Does the company respond to sales emails? Live support? Phone calls? Try these methods to see if you get a quick and friendly response.
• Lastly, make sure the hosting company has a money back guarantee. If things don’t feel right whilst you’re in the eligibility period for the money back guarantee, you can always close your account and get a refund.