There are a lot of elements to web hosting that have to be considered before a host is selected. It is always going to be a good idea to know what you require before you actually sign up for a web host. There are a great number of people that start websites and overspend simply because they don't know what they actually need.
Linux over Windows
When a host is choose most of the web hosting platforms will offer people the chance to choose Windows or Linux based systems. For some people they may never know the difference. They may not have any components that need Windows applications so it may not be a big deal. There are others, however, that will certainly need to get a Windows host to run the type of scripts that they need.
A lot of web designers just go with Windows to be safe since there are so many Active X, Adobe and other plug-ins that only work on a Windows based platform. It may cost a little more for the Windows server, but sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry.
Costs Analysis
It is also a good idea to perform a cost analysis before any decision is made about a web hosts. Some hosts advertise such great deals in the beginning, but this gets expense along the way. A company can start with a reasonable price and skyrocket during the renewal phase of the hosting. It is better to know upfront what the costs will be after the webhosting sale.
Web Hosting
When you are looking for a commercial webhosting solution, what are some of the things you need to look for before you sign up?
Reliability and Speed of Access
Not only should the web host be fast and reliable, but also it should assure the time when it is functional. The web host should have a minimum uptime of about 99 percent. The host service should also provide some kind of repayments such as a discount or prorated refund if it's below the minimum uptime.
Data Transfer (Bandwidth/Traffic)
Data transfer mostly referred to as "bandwidth" or "traffic" is the total amount of byte that is transferred from your website to visitors' site when they visit your site. Do not choose a web host service that says it offers 'unlimited bandwidth". You are supposed to pay all the bandwidth you consume; therefore the host will not accept to bear all your costs.
Control Panel
This is the platform where you are allowed to manage same aspects of your web account such as managing your email addresses, add, delete and change of passwords. Don't work with a host that forces you to contact their technical support so that you can change some aspects of your web account.
Resellers
Only a few hosting companies lease or own their web servers. Some of them resell for other companies. Do not sign up for hosting companies that resell because you will be dealing with people who you do not know and also it might take longer to get technical help.
SSL (Secure server)
If you want to sell goods and services through your site, you should use a host that allows you to set up an SSL (a secure server). Through this, you will be able to receive sensitive information from your customers such as payments.
Web Host
Web hosting is incredibly important, although if you have never made a site before, you probably do not know what that is in reference to. Web hosts are networks that basically allow web pages to be on the internet. They are sort of like the power or the electricity that is running the television or the computer that you are looking at, so it is important that they have a very good reputation, are consistently online and not going out and that they have a good customer support team that can help and assist you if you run into any problems. This was one of the biggest problems in the past, as most of these companies did not even have a fully staffed office to be reached at.
Getting the Best Web Host
Therefore, if you did run into a problem that you could not fix yourself or find any answers to on their site, or even looking through various forums, you were pretty much out of luck. You may have had to even switch your pages over to another web host, which is truly a nightmare and something that you never want to do, as it takes a massive amount of time and money. Most people run all of their sites on one single web host, so you need to pick carefully. Although a few companies dominated most of the sites a few years ago, there are now many amazing new web hosts that are truly providing much better service at a far lower cost per month.