One of the subjects touched on at our last meeting, was web hosting. Having the right web host is essential when deciding to set up a self hosted WordPress website.
There are lots of hosting companies out there but not all are going to be suitable for an Internet business. There are a number of things the newbie needs to look out for. If you are looking to run an Internet Based Business it is important that you start out on the right foot.
First of all, you want to make sure your future host provider operates on a Linux rather than Windows platform. This is because Linux generally runs faster and performs better. In addition, the majority or scripts and systems out there are written for Linux.
Second, look out for how much disk space you can have on your website. Watch out for hosts that provide limits. It may not be a problem when you are starting out but as you add more content, you don’t want to have any disk space restrictions.
Third, find out if you can get unlimited bandwidth. In the early days the amount of bandwidth on offer may not be a problem but as you get more traffic, it could become one so it is better to ensure you have unlimited bandwidth. You should bear in mind that videos and images can use more bandwidth and you should also assume that you will eventually get lots of traffic to your website.
Fourth, look for an up-time guarantee and a money back guarantee. You want the up-time guarantee before you sign up and you will also find that most quality hosts will offer a money back guarantee. Remember, a website is your piece of real estate so you want to make sure it is up and running at least 99.9% of the time.
Fifth, look for a hosting provider that has My SQL databases. Make sure that the host allows you to have several of them. This is useful in the event you decide to change hosts.
Sixth, it is also a nice if your web host has php. What is php – essentially it is simple scripting language that will enable you to run WordPress and other programs easily.
Other things to look out for in a host in include:
- Free set-up (watch out for those hidden fees)
- 24 hour support
I personally use Blue Host and have several websites that are hosted here. The service has been fantastic and the cost to host these websites is quite minimal – only $6.95 per month. Another good option is Hostgator. Although I haven’t personally used Hostgator, I know a number of people who use it and love it and it is also rated very highly by people in our group.
(Note: The above links to Hosting Providers are sponsored advertisements for Web Hosting. The owner of this website uses BlueHost and is comfortable recommending it).
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