When we find a good, cheap web site hosting company, we often want to jump at the opportunity and get our web site online as fast as possible. However, it will pay off exponentially if you take a few hours to research the company prior to buying into a cheap hosting package. Here are some things to look for when you are choosing your host that will let you know if you are just shopping too cheap:
- What is the amount of storage you are allowed? Hosts will often limit the amount of storage you may have on your server. This limit can be anywhere from 10MB to 5000GB. Some hosts even promise unlimited storage, but there is a limit eventually, because it costs a great deal of money IF you utilize all of that storage. Many hosts will offer “unlimited” storage because it is a great sales pitch. However, they are banking on the fact that most users will not go above 200MB – 5GB worth of storage. This is true in most cases. However, this practice is definitely flawed. If you get a lot of users on one server using that “unlimited” status to its fullest extent, you will quickly run out of space. Typically, all cheap web site hosting companies are very forthright with the amount of storage you are allotted in each hosting package, as this is one of two MAIN factors that determine the pricing of your package. The other main factor is:
- What is the amount of bandwidth you are allowed? This is the other key determination in the price of your cheap web site hosting package. Again, be cautious with affordable web hosting companies that offer unlimited bandwidth. Each bit of bandwidth does cost money and if every user is trying to take full use of this unlimited status, you will quickly run into an issue of “bottle necking” and lag with your host. Contact your web hosting company if you need clarification on how much bandwidth is included in your package. Again, this is typically information that is made very public and accessible due to the importance of this value when selling the package. In order to calculate the amount of bandwidth you will need, take the size of your website and multiply that by the amount of visitors you will expect monthly. Then, add 50% for spam bots, crawlers, and people who have just stumbled onto your site. It is good to give yourself a little bit of wiggle room here, as you never know when your site will suddenly be in high demand.
- How many domains are you allowed? Sometimes, cheap website hosting companies will market phenomenal affordable hosting packages with enormous amounts of storage and bandwidth, but you are only allowed to have one domain hosted on that package. If you have more than one domain, this option will probably not be the best choice for you. If your other domains will just redirect to your main website, your domain registrar or hosting company may be able to offer you forwarding services for a small additional charge.
- How many databases are you allowed? With the advent of Web 2.0, web databases are almost essential for a website to function. Web forums, blogs, e-commerce sites, dynamic CMS systems (like Joomla, Mambo, PHPNuke, and Post-Nuke) all require the use of a web database. Sometimes, you will be able to write the tables for different programs all into one database, but this requires extensive programming knowledge. Check the limit of databases with your hosting company and compare that against how many databases you will need.
- How does their technical support work? Ensure that your cheap web site hosting company offers some kind of technical support. If your website goes down, you want to ensure that there is someone to contact. Many cheap web site hosting companies will offer limited hours of customer, so compare that with your working hours to see if you are a good fit for each other. Some budget web hosting companies will attempt to cut costs by not offering technical support at all. Phone support, email support, and ticketing support systems are all fantastic ways of getting technical support. Things like fax and postal mail are completely unacceptable.
It is vital that you stop, think, and ask questions before getting into a hosting agreement. This will ensure that you and your cheap web hosting company are a match made in web heaven!
