Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Buy Cheap Web Hosting - Finding the Best Hosting

Web hosting companies are popping up all over the internet and it's not just hosting that they offer. They are vying for your business with competitive pricing, special features, and problem solving support. So how do you decide which web hosting company is right for you?

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First, you need to decide the size of your website. If you are just looking to post a small blog or forum, you may want to search for a web hosting company that offers smaller package plans. This can save you a lot of money, as some web hosting companies have more affordable plans that are specifically designed for those with smaller needs. If you have a large business or plan to use your website for eCommerce hosting, you may want to find a hosting company that offers unlimited space and broadband, and unlimited or at least a large number of email accounts.

Anther item of concern when shopping for a web hosting company is price. On average, competitive hosting prices range from free hosting to about $20/month. Many offer great specials in pricing, but often there is a contract, prepayment requirement, or set up fee that apply, so be sure to read all of the fine print. If you are planning to host multiple domains, find out what the hosting company charges annually for each one. Often times, the first domain is included in the price of the package. However, for additional domains, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1.99 each /year to around $15 each /year. Shopping around for a good deal can really save you money over time. You can always look for hosting coupons - especially certain deals from bluehost coupons, yahoo coupons, and hostmonster promo codes.

In addition to looking at price, it is important to know exactly what you are getting in terms of features. Features of web hosting companies can be divided into the categories of site building, eCommerce, multimedia, site promotion, and support.

Site building features are programs that make it possible to build your own website as opposed to hiring someone else to do it for you. These can save you time, money and frustration. If you are shopping for a hosting company with a built in site builder, you should look for one that offers a large number of templates and claims to be user friendly. This makes it possible to build a site, even without prior experience. In addition to a general site building program there are many click-and-install softwares available to help you design your web pages. Some programs that are commonly included in hosting packages are Wordpress, Gallery, Moodle, Ruby on Rails, FrontPage Hosting, Media Wiki, Guestbook, and many more.

Also, if you are planning to sell items/services from your web site, many hosting companies come with shopping cart programs for eCommerce. This can save you a lot of money as it keeps you from having to buy these programs separately. Some of the commonly included shopping cart programs are Os Commerce, Agora, and Zen Cart. Your web hosting company should also provide you with an SSL secure server for the safe exchange of private information. Also, look for GoDaddy shopping cart.

You will want your website to be able to accommodate the latest in media technology, so it is important to know if your hosting can support live streaming video and audio. Your hosting company should include such features as Macromedia Shockwave, real audio/video support, and flash support.

It is also important to check out the site promoting perks that are offered by some hosting companies. Some web hosting companies offer free SSL certificate, which increase sales by giving your customers the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are using a secure website. Some hosting companies offer credit towards advertising with Yahoo and Google, and some provide search engine submission.

When it comes to customer support, it is important to do your research. Your hosting company should provide 24/7 customer support by phone or by email and have a money-back guarantee.

There are many business hosting companies to choose from, so do some shopping and read the reviews. Your web hosting company should be competitively priced, secure, full of useful features, and geared toward your individual hosting needs.