Choosing the Best Web Hosting Companies
The best way to market products and service nowadays, is through the Internet. Huge companies, small business and even individuals are creating websites and indulging in other forms of online marketing so as to succeed in selling their products and services. There are several things that one needs to consider when creating a website. One of them is web hosting. There are many web hosting companies that one can host his or her website with. However, they do not offer the same services and hosting plans. Therefore, one should know what to look for in a web hosting company before making a choice.
Function
Running a website requires a web host provider. In layman's language, websites can be described as pieces of virtual real estate. For a person to own one, he or she has to find a place, platform and address to set it up on. Web hosting companies are more like real estate agents in the online environment.
Web hosting companies offer space on servers, where websites can be hosted. The web space is usually rented on a yearly, quarterly or monthly basis depending on the packages offered by the provider. Subscriber packages come with features such as storage space on server, email services, auto responders, domain registration and add-on software applications that can be run on websites among many other things.
Features
Before selecting a web hosting provider, there are several things that you need to consider. Some of them include:
• Operation platforms
• Email service
• Storage space
• Bandwidth
Those are the most important things that one should consider. They determine the price and quality of a package and also the operation and efficiency of your website.
It is common for people to consider the cost of hosting first when choosing a web hosting company. However, that is more like putting the cart before the horse. Ideally, one is meant to check whether the features offered are adequate for the smooth operation of his or her website and then move onto checking the price.
Operating Platforms
There are two main types of operating systems that servers use. They are Windows and Linux. Linux is designed for web server applications, while Windows is designed to work on a Windows machine. The type of operating system one chooses determines the scripting language that he or she is going to use. There are three main types of scripting languages: PHP, Perl and ASP.
Windows operating system supports ASP, while Linux uses PHP and Perl. There are some companies that offer both Windows and Linux platforms, but it is better for one to check and ensure that the hosting provider has the right platform. This is because the platform will determine the performance of a website.
Storage Space
A website normally requires adequate storage space to store data on. This storage is offered on the server that hosts the website. Web hosting companies usually offer varied amount of storage space on the different subscriber packages. It is important for website owner to consider this before making a choice on which company or package to go with.
Storage space varies from as little as 1GB to unlimited space. For instance 000Webhost offers 1500mb for the free package and unlimited space for the premium package. Also GoDaddy offers 100 GB for its cheapest package and unlimited space for its premium package. Therefore, it is up to one to choose.
Expert Opinion
If one is new to web hosting, it is better for him or her to get advice from an expert. Choosing web hosting companies or switching to a new provider is not as easy and one needs to be well informed. This can save one a lot of money and help him or her get the best web hosting for his or her website. This is the key to running a successful website.
