Choosing the Perfect Deluxe Web Site Hosting Plan
by: Gary Gresham
If you are looking for a deluxe web site hosting plan there are
some important considerations before you make a choice. Everyone
has different needs so what is deluxe for you might be completely
different for someone else. You want to end up with a complete
web hosting package without paying for something you don't need.
Reliability
This is the percentage of uptime the host guarantees and don't
accept anything under 99.5% of uptime. Look for what safeguards
and backup servers a hosting company uses because downtime means
your site is invisible.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of material that can be downloaded or
transferred from your site each month. Inexpensive web hosting
packages offer you a lower amount because when your site is new
you probably won't need much. But if your traffic takes off and
you need that bandwidth your additional monthly charges could be
high. Look for 10GB minimum with many web hosts offering 40 to
50 GB at no additional charge.
Disk Storage Space
You may start out with a small web site but when you expand you'll
need more disk space. Again some less expensive web hosts will
offer you a low amount of space and charge extra when you need
more. Look for 200MB disk space as a minimum with 800MB to 1000MB
being offered by the best web hosting packages.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
FTP allows you to transfer files to and from your Web site from
your computer and is this recommended so you are in total control.
One reason free web hosting services are not a good idea is most
don't offer FTP. If you consider a web host without FTP you will
be sacrificing price for control over your web site.
Advanced Features
Complete web hosting packages offer you advanced features like
CGI Scripts, PHP, MySQL, and PERL. You may start off with a basic
web site but these advanced features will be valuable tools once
your web business grows larger. If you don't have the software
to build your site, look for a deluxe web site hosting plan offering
you a web site builder. This saves you from spending additional
money on web building software.
Price
While price should always be a consideration, the best value for
your money is always better than the cheapest monthly price. Be
careful of web hosts charging low monthly fees because many make
it up by charging you for additional services.
Guarantee
The complete web hosting packages should offer a 30 day money
back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied. At least the
best web hosting plans offer this kind of guarantee.
There are many more advanced options you can look for in a deluxe
web site hosting plan but these basic considerations will make
you aware of what is offered and make your choice a lot easier.
