CHEAP WEB HOSTING SERVICE
Cheap web hosting service or webpage hosting is what you'll see widely
advertised on the web, and may be just what's wanted. But before signing
up, read some of the articles listed below. You get what you pay for, largely,
but your ideal requirements for a cheap web hosting service may be somewhat
detailed, perhaps like this:
competitive prices
good reputation: look for awards and genuine testimonials.
uptime of 99.9% or better.
7/24 email and telephone support.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to provide security for payment transactions.
adequate security measures.
appropriate operating system (Unix, NT/Windows 2000, Frontpage, ColdFusion).
direct feed of website data into accounting and inventory databases.
Adequate disk space, with opportunity to add more.
sufficient bandwidth, with affordable increases.
no more than 10 accounts on same server.
online help: tutorial, manuals, control panel.
detailed traffic statistics.
regular site backup, preferably daily.
opportunity to upgrade package, preferably to dedicated server.
T3 connection (with no more than 30% average utilization).
close proximity to backbone (not many upstream providers).
redundant connections (to minimize bottlenecks).
backup power supplies, usually diesel generators.
guarantees, e.g. free monthly trial.
fast and helpful response to detailed pre-contract questions.
No hosting of porn or gaming sites, or your site may be blacklisted
by the search engines.
Consult the directories of hosting companies for helpful articles on
requirements in this list, and security aspects:
Cheap Web Hosting Service: Directories
:US-Based Hosting Companies
Compare Web Hosts. Includes
tutorial and directory of web designers.
DotEasy. Cheap/free webhosting and
emails (without banner ads).
Host Compare. Wide choice, excellent
articles and resources.
Host Review. Helpful articles.
Over 1600 hosting plans listed.
Top Hosts. Leading directory with
good articles and extensive listings.
The Directory. Internet resources:
webhosting company by area code lookup in USA, Canada and Caribbean.
Web Host Directory. Hosting companies
by type: ecommerce covered.
Web Hosters. Extensive searchable
lists: also online tools to test your site.
:Hosting Companies Outside the USA
Host Index. Worldwide listings,
helpful articles and detailed ecommerce search
HostSearch UK. Directory of
UK and European hosting companies.
Hottest Hosts. Helpful articles.
Also listings for Canada and Europe.
Top Hosts Australia Directory
for hosting companies in Australia and Singapore.
Top Hosts Canada. Directory for
Canadian hosting companies.
Top Hosts UK. Directory for UK
hosting companies.
UK Host Search.
Searchable database of UK hosting companies.
US companies generally provide the better rates, but you may prefer a local
or national company when it comes to telephone support.
Cheap Web Hosting Service
If you're in a hurry to find a cheap web hosting service, then consider
one of these:
123Ehost. Basic hosting from
$4.17/month for 100 Mb and 3 Gb transfer.
Altair. Basic hosting with MySQL
database: from $2.95/month for 50 Mb web space and 1 GB/month data transfer.
Arrivo. Basic hosting, but good value:
from $2.50/month for 25 Mb and 2 GB transfer.
BlueHost. 6 domains and 999 GByte/month
datatransfer for $7 /month. Good (cPanel) control panel, but technical support
slow and unhelpful.
DWHS. Single domain hosting $3/month,
and 3 domain hosting $7/month. Excellent control panel but slow technical
support.
GoDaddy. 5 GB
webspace plus 250 GB transfer and 10 MySql databases: from $3.56/month.
Host Color. Basic hosting
competitively priced from $25/year with MySQL database. $95/year package
includes domain registration, 600 Mb webspace and 20 GB/month data transfer.
HostMonster. Unlimited domains
and 999 GByte/month data transfer for $5/month. Good control panel.
Hostony. 10 domain package, MySQL
database and 10 GB data transfer/month costs $6.95/month. Emails slow, but
good technical support.
IndHosts. Basic hosting at very
affordable prices. From $12/year for 5 Mb disk space and 250 Mb/month data
transfer.
iPowerWeb.
Packages from $7.95/month and include free shopping cart, MySQL database
and 500 Mb storage space.