How to Select a Web Host
The question, “How to select a web host?” is for an experienced webmaster something that is not remotely difficult. However, for one that is not an experienced webmaster, it is something that is extremely difficult, or it should be in that if you don’t have experience with web hosts, you just might bump into a few obstacles before finding one that you really like.
I won’t go into great detail, because I also am quite inexperienced with this myself.
What little I have learned, I have learned on my own by hosting sites on different hosts.
An important thing is that no host will have unlimited disk space or bandwidth as both of these are physically limited by the equipment they are using. The thing to remember is that the more accounts on the least sources available, the greater their return on investment. Therefore, if they squeeze 500 accounts on one server and it works for them all would seem to be well. The end result is called, “CPU Throttling”.
The problem is that the very vast majority of sites will use less bandwidth and less resources than planned in many cases. Someone feels that they need several gigabytes, but once their site is up, they find that it is a minute fraction of this that they are actually using. I have read that it is often less than 25% of the sites that will use even close to the maximum that many hosts provide on the smaller sized sites.
In simpler terms, the cpu will hold x number of sites at full capacity. Most hosts know that only a very small percentage will use even close to this so they put x + 30% or more on the system. This still creates no problem if the new accounts have small sites, with a relatively small amount of traffic.
The problem will come when the accounts become more successful and the bandwidth increases requiring cpu throttling which will slow all of the sites down. Visitors do not stay and wait for the average site. There is no reason to stay on most sites. There are a hundred thousand more with exactly the same information on the next page of sites on the search engine.
I say this, as I personally do this, I just back out of the site and go to the next. Regardless of what your site is about, this will lose your visitors and it will even drive away those that join a forum or blog, because almost no one will tolerate a slow moving site for any length of time.
I mention this as it is to me, an example of unlimited bandwidth and storage. You might have both, but in the long run, you will lose.
All businesses need a certain return on investment. I don’t begrudge anyone that.
I know of only one site that has hosting that doesn’t do this, or at least I am sure doesn’t and that is Jack Web Design. I only know of this one, but I do know there are many more it’s just that I don’t personally know what they are.
If you are new, I very strongly recommend either talking with other webmasters, or choosing a host that might be slightly more per month, but at least has some set amount of storage. I should add that it shouldn’t be many times what others have for the same price.
It is the most common gimmick on the internet as far as hosting goes. Over selling anything is not good for the consumer.
I use bluehost, but I feel that they are overselling but I also feel that they are one of the better hosts. I had Hostmonster which is a sister company which was also good. I say good in that their tech support is very good.
If I had a complaint, it would be the complexity of submitting a support ticket, instead of just sending an e-mail. Not a big deal and you get used to it, but it is more complicated and takes more time.
I have been dealing with Jack Web Hosting for a short time. The tech support is much better than either of the two top rated hosts I mention above, and as I said, I find them both very good, just not as good as some of the smaller hosts.
The one disadvantage of the smaller host might be that it might take slightly longer to get a reply or to reach the tech support. The thing that makes this much better is the fact that some of the smaller ones work much harder to satisfy the customer. This includes getting into software issues that the larger hosts like bluehost or Hostmonster just don’t. I assume this is because they have grown so large, that their staff can’t all be trained in all software.
It is similar to calling Gateway or Dell support only to get a bottom level technician that knows less than your, or is programmed to say, “format and reinstall your operating system”. Training costs money so larger sites only cover the major issues with their panels and the like. This we should all understand. However, for nearly everything they really are first class.
If you have a business, small enough to get by with a smaller account, do yourself a favor and go with a smaller host, or one that has a fairly small limit on disk usage.
You have a much better chance at having your site work well, be as fast as possible, and often tech support is much better. If you have a larger business it only makes sense to go with a dedicated server and much more expensive hosting package as it will run faster and provide the bandwidth for a large commercial site.
I read this and never really believed it in that I thought it was only the tech support that was sometimes poorer but I have found that it really isn’t so. I do know that the last two hosts I have vary greatly in speed using the same equipment, running the same programs. Actually the slower one runs slower running the same programs with a fraction of the information.
It can be very true that you get what you pay for and also that bigger isn’t always better.