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How to
choose a good web host
by Godfrey Heron
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Three years ago, I started my grand campaign to
profit from the Internet gold mine. I was buoyed by the
statistics of increasing online spending, and was convinced that
some of those trillions circling the globe should come my way. So
the perfect way to start, I reasoned, was to build an online
store stocked with the right products. Now the trick was to find
out how on earth to get "on" the Internet.
One of the first things I had to do was to find
a web host. The Web expands every day, and so do our choices.
Just how do you find a web host to meet your business needs?
There are literally tens of thousands, each one with a different
focus and services designed for a specific segment of the market.
As you study your options, you might consider the following tips
from a battle scarred entrepreneur:
How much should you spend to
host your site?
When I started out I (like most persons) was
initially mesmerized by the "free" hosting services.
After all, why pay for something when you can get it
"free". I realized in time that this was a very poor
move on my part. I'll tell you why:
Strike 1: Free web hosting services are quite suitable for
personal, family or hobby activities. However, if you are looking
to establish an online business or become an affiliate and earn
commissions, free sites often limit your flexibility in terms of
real time credit card processing, choice of shopping cart, and
use of customized scripts (for order forms or other interactive
data gathering from users).
Strike 2: Many affiliate programs will not accept persons who are
hosted on a free web service. Additionally the constant barrage
of advertising by the free service, will lure your customers away
and eventually hurt the sales-effectiveness of your site.
Strike 3: Free sites don't get treated with much respect by the
Search Engine spiders, and your site is almost certainly not
going to be listed. Here's what Danny Sullivan, the most
well-known Search Engine guru on the Net, had to say about free
hosts in the August 18, 2000 issue of THE SEARCH ENGINE UPDATE...
"... get your own site, under your own domain, rather
than doing it within Tripod.com or any place offering
"free" home pages. Sites offering free home pages are
often looked upon with suspicion by search engines, because
search engine spammers also make use of them. It's like sharing a
house with bad roommates. Move out, get your own house, and
you'll probably do better with search engines."
We have all seen those Internet hosting advertisements that offer
massive amounts of data storage for truly ridiculously low
prices. Always remember that you get what you pay for. Data
storage is generally cheap and easy to supply, however it is much
more difficult to provide customers with uninterrupted high-speed
access, quality customer care, technical expertise, and
guaranteed uptime.
It is important to make sure of exactly what you need, and what
you are getting, before you jump at a bargain. Choose a provider
offering prices commensurate with the range and quality of its
services. In general, the typical hosting package for most small
companies requirements will cost about US$25 per month. A small
price to pay for your online store monthly rental.
What operating system is
best for your web site?
An operating system or "platform,"
such as Microsoft's Windows NT or DOS is the basic set of
commands that tell your computer how to open applications and
store files. In the early days of Internet activity, most servers
operated on a UNIX platform, an extremely powerful and flexible
system that requires considerable technical expertise to
administrate. UNIX is still as popular as ever, but today you
have a choice: Windows NT and UNIX variations such as Sun
Microsystems Solaris, Silicon Graphics' Irix, and Berkeley's BSD.
Experts offer significantly different opinions as to which
platform works best for web sites. In the end, the choice depends
largely on what you want to do with your site. UNIX servers are
compatible with certain Microsoft extensions and applications,
for example, MS SQL (a database program) or Microsoft Front Page
(a web authoring tool). You might however, be more comfortable
operating your site on a Windows NT platform, as most persons
using a PC are familiar with the windows interface. On the other
hand, many engineers prefer the flexibility, security, and
control of UNIX servers. UNIX also allows for more web sites per
server, lowering the cost of hosting per account.
As your site grows in size and complexity, in all likelihood
you'll decide that a particular platform is desirable. It's best
to anticipate this contingency and choose a web host that offers
different operating systems which are scalable and backs them up
with technical expertise.
Eight attributes you should
expect from your hosting provider.
1. Your Own Domain Name
With most hosting packages you will have to purchase your domain
name separately, however, your host should have the capability of
searching and registering your domain name. A domain name e.g.
www.mycompany.com gives your site instant credibility. New
customers will have a good first impression, and returning
visitors don't have to remember where your site is hosted in
order to reach you. It's like having a direct phone number rather
than an extension.
2. Data Storage (Disk
Space)
In order to have your web files served to the world, you need to
have a generous amount of disk space on servers where you can
upload your pages, images, sound clips, etc. and store them. As a
general guide, a 100 page site will easily be accommodated on 50
Megabytes of server space.
3. Bandwidth (Data
Transfer)
Bandwidth is the amount of data transmitted or received through a
unit of time. In web hosting, bandwidth is consumed when visitors
make requests for files on your web site and download them to
their personal computers. When you add up the total of all files
downloaded off of your site in a particular month, your total
should be lower than the amount of bandwidth allotted with your
hosting plan. If it is not, your file sizes may be too large or
you may be generating a lot of hits - in which case you may need
to upgrade to a larger hosting plan or to a dedicated hosting
server. Plan to use at least 50 Megabytes of bandwidth for every
1000 visitors per month.
4. POP3 E-mail Accounts
and Auto-Responders
You should be able to send and receive mail through Post Office
Protocol 3 (POP3) accounts, so that your e-mail addresses end in
your web site's unique domain name. Additionally, e-mail aliases
and forwarding arrangements allow you to set up
names@yourdomain.com that forward to a POP3 e-mail account that
you may already have (from your ISP). This allows you to check
multiple aliases by downloading mail from one e-mail account.
Auto responders are also a great feature with hosting accounts
since you can automatically respond to customer e-mail's sent to
a particular address with a standard message, like "Thank
you for contacting our Support team. We will be have a technician
responding to your queries within 24 hours."
5. Technical Support
Weather you are a newbie or veteran on the Internet, you will
want your hosting provider to have great technical support
online. This way, when you have a question or concern you can
find the help you need in a timely manner and have the ability to
find the information in the format you wish to receive it.
6.
Redundancy/Reliability
This is a term bandied about in the hosting industry.
Essentially, no matter how excellent the equipment, or the
expertise of the engineers, technology fails occasionally. A web
host with multiple servers, high speed connections, and UPS
systems with backup generators can provide consistent, high-speed
access and guarantee at least 99% uptime.
7. Security
It takes many layers of Internet security, from password
protection to fire wall barriers, to prevent determined hackers
from wreaking havoc with your Web data. Make sure the hosting
company you choose has enough security measures in place to
ensure that your data is completely protected.
8. Speed
Web hosting companies typically connect to the Internet through T
(Transmission), OC (Optical Carrier), and DS (Digital Signal)
lines. Many smaller web hosting providers still use T1's to
connect your site to the world at a rate of 1.544 megabits per
second (Mbps). The best hosting companies use redundant lines to
ensure that customers' sites remain responsive even if their
primary Internet connections are temporarily unavailable. It's a
good idea to determine which providers offer backup connections
fast enough to maintain your site's performance in the event of a
primary line failure.
In addition to offering the fastest network connections, a host
should provision its lines and circuits to use less than 50% of
available bandwidth. Overburdened network connections will
inevitably result in poor site performance. In fact, a lightly
used T1 line will transfer data faster than an overused T3
connection.
Where to find good
hosts
OK, so now you know what to look for. Where can you find a good
host with all the above qualities. Two very comprehensive sites
are available: www.hostindex.com and www.tophosts.com. These
allow you to enter your own requirements for a web host.
Alternatively, you can choose from their list of top 25 hosting
companies. These lists are derived from a combination of account
features, technical support, and customer feedback. Good luck in
your search!
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Godfrey Heron is the Website Manager of Irieisle Online .
He is also a distributor of the amazing AWARD
winning firestarter flash tool which
makes complex flash sites in minutes.
Download your Free evaluation
software at
:http://www.irieisle-online.com/Services/onlinestore.htm
He is also web editor of a
monthly free ezine.
Receive $195 in freebonuses when you subscribe. newsletter@irieisle-online.com
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ShaneMcDonald.com and ShaneMcDonald.org are Hosted at HostRoute.co.uk - excellent hosting rates,a variety of packages, special offers, PHP, MySql, CGI, Excellent Control Panel.
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