A Few Notes
After reading everything you need to know about web hosting, be sure to check out the four web hosting providers we recommend.
This guide will evolve. Some subjects just require too many details, and are therefore better suited as individual posts – which will be linked to from here after we get around to writing about them.
8 Web Hosting Facts
1. Why pay full price? There are almost always web hosting coupons available. You should be able to find them easily with a quick Google search. If you’re looking for a virtual private server, or a dedicated server, it’s a good idea to check out the deals announced on popular web hosting forums.
2. Most web hosting reviews and recommendations are bogus. They’re simply trying to make an affiliate sale. Some might even feel obligated to hype up their own web hosting provider . A lot of sites are sponsored, and receive free web hosting. Make sure you’re reading real reviews from real people. My favorite happens to be HostJury.
3. The term “unlimited” is deceiving. Many shared hosting packages offer unlimited bandwidth. The truth is, you’re never going to see that bandwidth, because providers place caps on the amount of server resources your site can use at any given time.
4. Shared hosting is just that… shared. You have to remember that your site is on a server with many other sites that belong to other people. Therefore, if your site is using up too many resources, you’re going to slow down every other site on that server. Web hosting providers need to protect every client on that server. Host Gator for example, allows you to use up to 25% of server resources for 90 seconds. If you go over this cap, your account will be frozen until you’re able to work things out.
5. Don’t assume that a VPS is better than shared hosting. Just because a VPS costs more, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to see better performance. Again, lets use Host Gator as an example. Their shared packages start at only $4.95 a month. Looking at the server specs on their shared servers, and taking into account what I’ve mentioned above (25% cap), you’ll be able to calculate that you’re allowed to use the following resources (in bursts):
- 2.0 GHz CPU
- 2 GB of ram
Now lets say you’re in the market for a VPS, because your site has received a ton of traffic lately. Maybe you just got featured on the front page of Digg, and got the boot from your shared server. Obviously, you’re going to want at least the same amount of resources you had on the shared server (2.0 GHz CPU, 2 GB of ram). A fully managed VPS with those specs will run you around $100 a month. So, if you were to move from your $5 shared server, to a $30 VPS, you’re actually downgrading in many ways.
As you can see, the shared server was allowing your site to expand with bursts of traffic when needed, but once you’re forced to move to your own server, you have to purchase ALL of those resources, regardless of whether or not your site is using them at all times.
6. Don’t assume a dedicated server is better than a VPS. There are plenty of VPS servers that can out-perform lower-end dedicated servers, even though the dedicated might actually cost a lot more. One of the biggest disadvantages of a VPS however, is disk i/o, since it can’t be isolated.
7. All hard drives are not created equal. Typically, SSD > SAS > SCSI > SATA. You’ll also want to check the raid setup.
8. Your database or media files can be served from another location. Amazon for example, offers a variety of CDN and cloud services, and there are even wordpress plugins to help with integration. Depending on your needs, this could be a cost-effective solution.
11 Questions To Ask The Web Hosting Provider
1. Are the servers fully managed?
2. Is there a network uptime guarantee?
3. Is there a hardware replacement SLA (question doesn’t apply to shared hosting)?
4. Is there an initial response guarantee (for support)?
5. What type of access do I have to support? Phone? Email? Live chat online? Available 24/7?
6. How scalable is the server? Easy to upgrade? Do files need to be transferred or is an upgrade automatic? Will my site experience any downtime?
7. Is there a setup fee? Are there any discounts available for paying an initial setup fee?
8. Is there a contract?
9. Is there a money back guarantee?
10. What control panel and/or features does the server have?
11. Does the data center (where my server resides) have the following safety precautions: Fire suppression systems in place? Authorized access in a secure area? Temperature controlled environment? Back-up power supply?
Note: Many of the answers to these questions can be found on the sales page itself.
8 Server Specs To Look For Before Making A Decision On A VPS Or Dedicated Server
1. Processor: Check out this article on server load.
2. Memory
3. Hard drive
4. Operating system: Plan on using Windows or Linux?
5. Control panel
6. Bandwidth
7. Port speed
8. Dedicated IP addresses available