Web Host Information
Choosing your Web Host: This page will define what a web host is, how to choose the right web host and a list of recommended web hosts you can choose from.
What is a Web Host?
A web host provider is a company who rents out web space and bandwidth to those who wish to publish a web site. The web host gives its customer an account, which can be used to upload HTML documents, PHP scripts, graphics, and more.
How to Choose the Right Web Host
When choosing a Web Host you have the following two options.
Free Web Host Solutions
Commercial Web Host Solutions.
The criteria for choosing either of these methods differ slightly although they do overlap.
Back To TopFree Web Host Solutions
Advertising: Many Free Web Hosts impose advertising on your website. Some will have you put banner ads and others impose pop-ups every time your web page loads. This is done to cover the costs of giving you free web space on their server. Many times these forced methods will cause problems when submitting your website to the search engines. Please Note: Free Web hosts without forced advertising is not always the perfect solution. These have been known to close down suddenly and frequently.
Web Space: What are your web site needs and does the Web Host provide enough space to support them? This is a question you have to ask your self when choosing a Free Web Host. Your needs will vary and you would have to communicate those needs to the Web Host providing they have good customer service.
FTP access: FTP means File Transfer Protocol. It is a method used to transfer a file from one computer to another across the internet. It is used by webmasters to publish their web pages on the internet. This transfer is usually accomplished by using a software program known as an FTP client. But some web browsers have FTP plugging allowing webmasters to upload their files without the use of software program.
Some free web hosting providers only allow you to design with their online website builder. Some allow you to browse for your file and depending on which host you are using up to 5 files at a time. You would then upload these files to the server. If you are a beginner, then these methods are ideal. Overtime you will gain experience. When this happens, you will most likely have to buckle down and purchase a Commercial Web Host. It is with these solutions, you will gain much more control and flexibility.
File Size and Type Limitations: Some free web hosts impose a maximum file size and should not exceed that amount. Other free web hosts limit the type of files you can upload to HTML, and JPEG/GIF files. Again, know what your needs are. If your file size is over 200KB and you need to use scripting languages, such as PHP, ASP (classic and .NET) then Free Web Hosting may not be right for you.
Reliability and Speed: These two factors are important because no one likes to go to a website that is down due to server issues or just takes too long to load a web page because it can't handle all the requests. There are two ways to tell if a web server is fast and reliable. One is to get some feedback. If that fails, then your other option is to try it out on a trial basis. It is free so you have nothing to lose.
Bandwidth Allowance: These days free web hosts force a limit on the amount of traffic your website can use per day or in some cases per month. This means that if your web page and graphics on your website are loaded by visitors beyond a certain number of times per day or month, the free web host will disable your website. And maybe perhaps, send you a bill! Recommending a specific minimum amount of bandwidth is not easy because how you design your website, your target audience, and the number of visitors you are able to attract to your website will determine how much bandwidth you need. In general, 1-3GB traffic per month is usually enough for a simple website just starting out.
Back To TopCommercial Web Host Solutions
Reliability and Speed: Commercial Web Host Solutions should function 99.5% of the time.
Bandwidth Allowance: Most commercial Web Hosts will claim "unlimited bandwidth". These are the ones you have to watch out for. The host will pay for the bandwidth, if you consume a lot of it, but you WILL bear the costs via hidden fees. For more detailed information on this topic you can visit: The Fine Print in Web Hosting:Resource Usage Limits.
Technical Support: This is a must. Especially if you rely on your website to function at all given times. You want 24/7 technical support that is all year round. And what about the response rate? Send technical support an email and see how long it takes for a response. Lastly, do they know what they are talking about. Basically, are they technically competent. Don't be fooled by sales persons pretending to be technical support representatives.
FTP, PHP, SQL, MYSQL, ASP (classic and .Net:) If you have to pay for your site to be hosted then your host should have all of these available. Beginner or not.
Recommended Web Hosts
Note:The recommended hosting websites are not guaranteed to still be live.
Here is a list of suggested Free Web Hosts.
ZeroCatch
TopCities.com
Hostrator
Here is a list of suggested Commercial Web Hosts.
