: Things to consider while choosing a web hosting service? Possible Duplicate: How to find web hosting that meets my requirements? Also does the country matter?

@Carla537

If you are running php/mySQL I have found I like the following:

Versions:

Some services believe it or not still only run php 4. It's good to be able to run php 4 or php 5 and to be able to change that without calling tech support.

Server:

Linux/Unix is great, but some hosts try to offer php/MySQL on a Windows server, and that is no fun.

Chat:

Live tech support chat is great, much better than having to call.

Databases:

This one is tricky, but I would try to choose a service that doesn't cram many databases onto a single server. This is really where you pay for what you get. If your database is on a server with many other hosting accounts it WILL slow your site down. Not a big deal for a small blog but if you are getting 1000 hits a week or more you will feel the difference.

Even with cheap hosting services this varies from company to company. You might go with /month account from Company A and have an okay site and if you went with Company B your site will take over 12 seconds to load every single time!

Basically, google your company of choice and the words "complaints" or "problems" and see what kind of comments are coming up.

Ease of use and control panel:

Depending on how much php/mySQL you know, it's good to have phpMyAdmin installed (if not you can run desktop software like mySQL workbench or whatever). It's also nice to have auto-install of software like Drupal or Wordpress if available.

It's nice have SSH (shell access) as a FREE option.

Also, having a direct link to your control panel (i.e. something like mydomain.com/controlpanel/). There is nothing more annoying after while than having to click through a company website five times every time you need to log in and make changes to your service or billing.

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@Dunderdale272

Longevity is another consideration. Do some searches on the provider and see how far back your results go. If they've been around a while, they're much more likely to stay around. Switching when a fly-by-night goes down and takes all your data with them is a painful process.

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@Heady270

Country matters a lot. Modern search engines give attention to the location of the hosting, so the site will rank better

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@Becky754

Country mainly matters in your ability to deal with the particular webhost and if the location affects the connectivity of you and your target audience to the server.

1. How many resources will your website(s) consume?

Are you just dabbling around on a personal blog or practicing some scripting? You could get by with cheap, shared hosting or a VPS. Or maybe you already have an application/website with decent traffic/activity and want to go straight to a hybrid or dedicated server. For most people just wanting their first website, I'd recommend a managed VPS that has an easy interface for installing applications like Wordpress. You can get a basic package for -15/month.

2. Do you know how to set up your server or do you want managed hosting with support staff that can help you do things like install applications and change your server environment for you?

This is often overlooked. Find out if a hosting package is "managed" or not. If you're unfamiliar with things like configuring Apache or working with the command line, you'll most likely want managed hosting. Else, you can find yourself lost off the bat.

3. What are you developing?

Are you just dealing with PHP applications like Wordpress with a MySQL database? Then you can get by on most generic Linux server packages. Do you need access to the command line or the server root? Do you need a webhost that can make server root changes for you?

I'd guess that 90% of people just getting their first website only need a cheap, generic Linux/Apache/MySQL VPS with a support staff that can help deliver their fundamental needs and questions.

If you want further advice, you'll have to give us more information.

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@Berryessa370

You want to check to ensure they are a legit business, and then run some basic speed / network tests to ensure optimal connectivity to your home or business location where you or your users will be accessing your website from.
A good test is to wait until about 4 am and email any providers your thinking about and see how well their replies are, and how quickly they come.

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