A New Web Host for Your New Website

submitted: Jul 29th 2008 | by: MattHedges | Total views: 2 | Word Count: 990 | PDF View | Print Article

Many individuals are venturing onto the Internet and accessing the World Wide Web to build a presence online. In the exciting world of technology we are in users can become online gurus sharing knowledge, or entrepreneurs of business. Web hosting allows people of all types to use the internet like never before. Space is purchased by the potential website owner and is accessible to viewers online. Web hosting companies offer these services at a monthly fee. They provide the processing and storage of data, disc space and connection to their services via internet. There can be large upfront investments required for such services. However, there are many high-quality low cost services available for those who seek them out. These services are perfect for the individual with limited financial resources.

Before someone starts a website they need to take their goals for that site into consideration. What do they want their site to do? This is the first step to being sure you get what you need from a web host. Most individuals want a popular site, whether they are just looking to share information, or have a product to sell. Many web hosts offer search engine and SEO services to give the client the traffic they desire. Questions like who will be interested in this website are the things a site owner needs to address before beginning a website.

Some tips for deciding on a web host for your website are:

Choosing a web host:

This is the first and the foremost, function that a potential website owner, has to perform. There are several parameters based on which you can make your selection of the websites.

* Tech support: Be sure the web host offers technical support. Find a server that has 24/7 support so that they will be there when you need them. It's preferable that they have this available in several ways such as via email, phone, or live chat. Check out their performance in this area by reporting an issue and gauging the time of response.

* Packages and/discounts: Try to select a company that offers special package and discounts. Free templates and software provided by companies can interest user and they might be used for enhancing the web hosting service of a new website.

* All in one Hosting: Web hosts that offer bundles of services make it easier for individuals without IT knowledge to use their service. These bundles make it unnecessary to buy a variety of different tools to get one website online.

* Companies providing MySQL: It is always better to go for company that provides a couple of MySQL databases. This is expected to be there within their hosting plan. If there is a requirement of building database driven website, then MySQL databases have to be used. There are also many programs that require MySQL databases in order to function effectively.

* Available SSL certificate: If you are launching a website to provide a business, service, or product like an eCommerce site you will require security for your customers. The need to accept payments using credit cards, and gather vital information from customers such as addresses and other private information necessitates a 'Secure Socket Layer'. The web host you consider must provide this service. It is typical for the beginning website owner to focus on storage capacity and bandwidth and overlook SSL. This can be a costly mistake in future operations.

Calculate Disc space

Disc space requirements vary depending on the desired site applications. Stores with big socket needs for shopping carts, etc, or individual sites wanting chat rooms, forums, or multiple email accounts will require a large amount of available disc space to operate. The average 10-15 page website without the above extras will be able to operate much lighter and cost much less. The web host will charge for each degree of extra disc space so be sure to value this accordingly. Start small is always available and will allow you to grow as your needs expand.

Using a dedicated server:

This is not as expensive as it might seem, and it offers a great benefit for the cost. One of the many benefits with having a dedicated server are increased stability over a shared server. There is lesser risk of crashing due to the other operators sharing space with your website. You run into less chance of violating the search engine guidelines and devaluing your website on account of it. You have a much greater flexibility, degree of independence, and higher performance with utilities and abilities with a dedicated host for your website.

Deciding on bandwidth:

New websites typically do not require large amounts of bandwidth and can start at the lower rates available. These plans usually last 3 to 4 months. You can adjust your needs accordingly at that time. Starting small saves you unnecessary charges at the start.

Hosting should be country specific:

It is desired to have a hosting provider that is country specific. It is a search engine necessity. If your website is hosted in another country you will violate the search engine guidelines and suffer in ranking and status accordingly, possibly even banned from the engine. This will cost you valuable traffic. Search engines like Google identify the relevance of a company based on its users needs. If your site isn't relevant to the country where you are hosted, you will lose ranking.

Selecting the proper operating system

Most new sites use services based on Linux, or the UNIX based BSD. These servers allow for applications in Perl/CGI, PHP, FrontPage and such. It is essential that a Windows environment is used if you need ASP, .NET, MySQL, Access, or SBS as these require Windows to operate. This selection can be difficult if you are not aware website technicalities.

While hosting a website several 'ifs' and 'buts' will come into the way. Impediments, that are highly technical, can also hinder web hosting services. But one has to seek the aid of a web hosts who can perceive the requirements professionally and implement it with efficiency.

About the Author

This article is published with permission from WebHostingMadness.com, a provider of hosting company ratings, comparisons and detailed articles about the web hosting industry.


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