What is a good web Hosting service ?

[Hillman]

Its not easy to choose a web hosting service when there are so many to choose from, these are some guidelines on what to be aware of when choosing a web hosting service..

The technical aspect is very important meaning for programming environments namely Visual Basic scripts, Active Server Pages ASP, Access or Microsoft SQL database, Cold Fusion or Microsoft, for this, you will need a host that supports windows platforms servers.

You may also be interested in using Unix or linux based server platform which would requires a programming language like Perl, CGI, SSI, PHP or mySQL database. inform yourself on how to select a web server and server platform, http://www.storeandhost.com have both linux and windows platforms.

You should think about how much disk space you need and your bandwidth requirements, a normal web site without big files would need about 200MB to 500MB, if your site uses lots of graphic pictures, videos or mp3s then you will have to choose a web hosting plan with about 500MB to 1000MB disk space.

Bandwidth depends on your expected traffic estimation, so you should think of this while choosing a hosting plan to avoid running out of disk space and bandwidth to avoid extra costs.

There are other features that your host must be able to provide like video for your web site , compatibility with Frontpage or Dreamweaver. If you plan on setting up a store, make sure your hosting plan supports e-commerce features. Find out about how many email and ftp accounts are provided in the plan, an easy to use control panel with is always an advantage.

Reliable 99server uptime and fast internet connections are a must, most high-speed Internet backbones use OC3 Optical Carrier lines 155 Megabits per second or above instead of T1 or T3 lines. A good web host should provide high performance servers, high speed multiple backbones providers should provide fail-over redundancy, backup power generators and firewall software protection.
The hardware facilities must be designed for scalability, to allow the service to grow with your business. In other words you should be able to upgrade your hosting plan for example, more mySQL databases, more bandwidth and so on, if need be.

Another important thing to consider when choosing a web hosting service is that the host must offer excellent customer service and support, your questions must be answered within the first 24 to 48 hours, and any problems must be resolved within a reasonable amount of time.

The cost of the web hosting service should not be a major deciding factor, over the quality of the service, 24/7 email support, online knowledgebase, Interactive flash tutorials and FAQ, will be vital filters to finding a good web hosting service. Take advantage of http://www.storeandhost.com 's web hosting service that offers all the topics we covered here and more.

[fcolor]

Hi Hillman,

Welcome to the forums. is the company you have featured above your own or you are just doing marketing for them? It is fine to point consumers attention to any web hosting provider, but it is a good idea to become a part of the community and to create credibility before start promotion any kind of commercial activities.

[Hillman]

Thank you, yes I featured my company, but this thread was mainly supposed to helping inform potential customers (for any web hosting company) of what they should look out for, when searching for a GOOD web hosting service. I hope my post was informative and helpful to all who read it... Stay Blessed.

[smithers]

If you're looking for a decent web host, the smaller ones are usually better, sites like Itsjusthosting or powermonster. But yeah searching for a hosting company is definitely tough, there are so many out there.

[joshssmith]

A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center, called colocation.

Lawyer

[joshssmith]

The scope of hosting services varies widely. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.

Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also highly recommended.

The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company.
Lawyer

[kishforums]

As an experienced webmaster I recommend BH service which I’m sure it would work for you and fulfill all your requirements. They have a really great offer for hosting & I have used them for over 3 yrs now, and have never had a single problem with them.

They are a Multi-awarded Web Hosting which offer a Full-featured service only $6.95. You can see their Plan Details accompanied with reliable reviews regarding their service at:

http://www.threehosts.com/reviews/1st

Here I have copied and pasted its features from their website to view:

- Free Domain Forever
- Unlimited Space
- Unlimited Transfer
- Blog (wordpress)
- Forum (phpbb,bulletin)
- Host UNLIMITED Domains (Support All Domain Names)
- 2,500 POP/Imap Email Accounts
- SSH (Secure Shell), SSL, FTP, Stats
- CGI, Ruby (RoR), Perl, PHP, MySQL
- Front Page Extensions
- Free Site Builder
- 24/7 Superb/Responsive Sales/Support
- Free Search Engine Submission

They also offer "Free Site Builder" that helps you build your web pages without difficulty if you are not skilled in using any website creating program. (WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get) You can use this service optionally.

******IMPORTANT********
* This service was awarded “The Best Web Host OF The Year”.
* If you sign up for this service you will have $75 credits to advertise your website with the google & yahoo search engines for free!
* You Can Register A Free Domain or Use Your Existing Domains. They Support All Domain Names.
**************************

Another useful link:
http://www.threehosts.com/build
There you can find a step-by-step guide to start your website.

And also a cheap, reliable service:
http://www.goldpuma.com

And the easiest way to create a website is reachable here (web host offering 4500 decent templates):
http://www.threehosts.com/tell-me-more/hg.html


Good Luck!