subject: Picking The Right Website Hosting Company [print this page] Picking The Right Website Hosting Company
Choosing a web host can be difficult for both the advanced internet user and beginner- so don't rush your decision. A number of steps should be thought about and then written down to begin with.Why do you want a web host?First off we are asking why you want a web host. These reasons all need to be taken into account and play a role in how to go about choosing a host. Also what platform you want it hosted on either Linux or Windows. You now know what the primary use is for your needs. E-commerce will need to support things like PHP and MySQL. If you are collecting the card details and storing them within your site then you will need a dedicated SSL certificate. This is to keep your customers card details safe. With blogs you would need mySQL and PHP, but would not need lots of bandwidth or disk space. Or if you are just using it for personal things then you would need to find out if you wanted anything at all. When it's just going to be email, then you are going to look at the number of email accounts you can have rather than just the bandwidth and disk space. PHP and mySQL are what?I hear you asking what am I talking about when referring to PHP and MySQL? During everyday internet use these are all things you use without even realising you are using them. PHP is Hypertext preprocessor used for scripts in dynamic pages. MySQL is a Relational Database Management System, and is used to allow data to be stored and accessed dynamically. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and is a cryptographic protocol that provides a secure communication over networks. SSL has been replaced by Transport Layer Security or TLS but does the exact same job that SSL did. SSL is still the commonly referred name as this is what people know and understand.How much bandwidth?Managed dedicated servers will all come with X amount of bandwidth. So we have talked about usages and some technical terms used. Now lets move onto some of the really important and gritty stuff. You then need to consider the bandwidth or data allowance. Normally shown in gigabytes, bandwidth can sometimes be hard to work out. When you find a potential host ask them about how much bandwidth you will need. Otherwise, if you run out there is normally a charge for the extra bandwidth or your site may be suspended till the end of that month.Getting your new web hosting companyNow we know your server is going to be for, and the spec and bandwidth to along side it, you must locate a business host. Get hold of a computer magazine and this is the best tip I was told, discount any web hosting company with a big shiny advert, then see what has been left, large companies will have really low prices but their customer services can be some what poor. You are far better off searching on the internet for hosting forums and posting up what your web hosting is for. You would then get information and reviews back from users about the companies, you would not go too far wrong then.
