Hosting your web site

Your web site hosting choice should be based on long term considerations. Cost is important, but so is reliability of service, response times, and the cost of future upgrades in bandwidth and storage space.

Here are the things I look for when choosing a host:

	I only use Linux server based hosting. The reason? Linux servers have been used for years. Windows based servers haven't.
	How long has the hosting firm been in business? The longer the better. You don't want your web sites to disappear overnight because the host business goes bust.
	Where is the facility based? Your own country can be a good choice, but I am quite comfortable with using USA based facilities where these are cheaper.
	Are you likely to use PHP data files on your website? Some hosting firms don't allow you to set the full permissions necessary to write to data files (needed for websites such as article directories) because of security issues.
	What's the upgrade path? How much extra will it cost if you upgrade at a later date?
	Is an affiliate scheme available? You have a chance of earning commissions that will cover your own hosting cost if there is.
	What are the payment terms?. Some web hosting services require a yearly payment upfront for their entry level plans.
	I rarely use free services. If a free service is a good one in terms of features, it is inevitable that over time it is going to get swamped by non-paying customers. Response times will slow, and the 'free' option may suddenly be withdrawn. Later on you may find yourself either locked-in to an expensive paid service or be faced with moving your entire website as it grows in size.
	What added features do you get with the service ?  Some hosting services came with added software features - such as ad-trackers, autoresponders and rotators. Even though the hosting service may on the surface be a few dollars dearer than others, its far better value for money. You will save a lot of money over time as you won't need to buy extra services from other places as your business grows.
	Can you register the domain name with a separate service? That way, if the worst does happen and your hosting service disappears, you can simply upload your backup website files to a new hosting service, change the DNS settings for your domain, and you are back in business with no problems. Don't enter into any arrangement where your domain name is made hostage to your hosting service provider. Its too valuable.
	Use more than one hosting service. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

You don't need anywhere near as much storage space for your website as you think. Even just 100 megabytes website space is enough to cater for roughly a 2,500 page website. Bandwidth is another issue, but 2 - 5 gigabytes per month is probably more than adequate to start with.

A 'backdoor' method of hosting is to acquire it via the purchase of some other service that you will need in the future. Most hosting companies have additional features that they use to supplement their main prime hosting facility product. Conversely, there are providers of other services who incorporate a hosting facility as an add-on to their prime product line. The distinction can be blurred in practice, the test to apply is to ask yourself the question: what is the primary focus of the business?    

You can find a list of the hosting services we use here. We've been quite happy with all of these so far, but feel free to search the net and pick another one. Just remember the points above, and don't let the apparent cost or the fact its 'free' be the only deciding factor.

Read on for links, tips and resources you can use