Part one of this article described the benefits of the “one click” installation feature provided by some web hosting companies. The article also touched on the value of online site building software. Both features bear consideration when trying to decide on the best web hosting company to use, but webmasters who wish to make an informed decision may wish to look at several other features.
Unlimited Traffic
Some web hosts place a limit on the amount of traffic a site is allowed to receive each month. If a website’s traffic exceeds the permitted amount the hosting company may make the site unavailable until the following month or until the web hosting company receive additional payments. Many good web hosting companies allow unlimited traffic and, as webmasters hope to get as much traffic to their sites as possible, this is a much better option.
NOTE: Unlimited seldom means unlimited. The small print in the hosting contract will usually state a fair use policy is in place, but the chances of the fair use policy coming into play are very unlikely.
Storage
Some web hosting companies allow an unlimited amount of files to be uploaded to their servers (again, a fair use policy may apply), but others place a cap on how much data can be stored. Owners of larger sites—especially sites that incorporate lots of images or media files—may find companies that impose such restrictions are not the best web hosting company for their needs.
Shared Hosting or Dedicated Server?
Owners of large, high traffic websites may be forced to choose a web hosting company that can provide dedicated servers, but the majority of small and medium-sized sites (up to a few thousand visitors a day) should function fine on a shared hosting package. The majority of sites are hosted on shared servers, it keeps hosting costs down.
Free Domain Registration and Renewal
Some hosting packages included free domain registration and renewal. There are arguments for keeping the two separate, but packages that combine hosting with domain registration and renewal can save webmasters time and money and reduce the likelihood of absent-minded webmasters losing their domain because they forgot to re-register it.
How Much Does the Hosting Package Cost?
Everyone likes to save money, but the cheapest web hosting company may not be the best web hosting company; so this consideration comes at the bottom of the list. It is always preferable to get the best deal available, but not at the cost of necessary features so the merits of hosting packages should always take priority over the price.
Which is the Best Web Hosting Company?
This is a question that webmasters must answer for themselves because the real question is, “Which is the best web hosting company for me?” It’s a personal question with a personal answer that webmasters need to consider seriously before choosing a web host. The best way to find that answer is to take a look at some of the options available. This page may prove a useful starting point.
