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The Long Road to the Perfect Site Host
The Bottom Line Follow my steps to determine your needs, research and choose a web host!
As the webmaster/web editor at work, I do not have to worry about finding a
web host. We're on a fairly large network with a T3 line and updating or creating new pages on the site is as easy as the click of a button.
Finding a web host for personal or on-the-side professional use is another story entirely. There are so many options and packages available and every web host out there wants your business. The following epinion discusses my basic steps and philosophies in finding the perfect web host.
Each step will be looked at from the perspective of a personal website and a professional one.
PERSONAL SITES
1. Determine Your Needs
What is your site for or about? Is it worth spending money on? Are you planning to have lots of photos or graphics? Do you want/need anything included? Do you want your own URL?These are all questions to ask yourself before beginning to search for a host. Most personal sites do not require their own domain name. Unless you are generating income from your site or do not want it affiliated with any company, a free web host is probably the way to go.
In my case, I wanted to create a personal web site where I would not be selling anything. Since I do not intend to make any money from it I didn't want to spend money on it. Therefore, I did not need to register a domain name or pay a host for anything. I also didn't need a large amount of space, email addresses or premade scripts.
Because I didn't need a large amount of space or any extras a free host was the way to go. Unfortunately, free site hosts almost always require advertisements on your page, so be prepared for banners or pop-ups on each page of your website.
2. Research
I did a search for free web hosting and found hundreds of possibilities. Each offers different amounts of space for your site, different methods of creating/uploading a site and various add-ins including CGI scripts, site statistics, etc. At this point you will need to invest a little time into reading up on each host.
Many hosts will allow you to preview their services and view their methods of site management. I actually signed up for 3 or 4 different hosts just so I could test out their services and ease of use before actually building my website. This is clearly time intensive but saved a lot of time in the long run as you can insure a particular host meets your needs.
3. How to Choose
The most important criteria for me at this point was the host's method of creating/uploading a site. Now, many of the top hosts offer templates and user-friendly modules for creating a website. If you have no HTML or design experience, this is the way to go. However, if you are like me, you may want a host that allows you to create your site offline using the web editor of your choice and then use FTP to upload it to their servers.
I use DreamWeaver exclusively and definitely wanted to find a host that would allow me to use this program for FTP. Believe it or not, it took me quite awhile to find a web host that not only offered FTP, but that would allow me to use DreamWeaver instead of a special program.
I found that in Lycos' Tripod. This host offers a fair amount of space and FTP using DreamWeaver is a breeze. Also, Tripod allows you to create a URL that is yoursitesname.tripod.com--This is much nicer than the extremely long URL's some free hosts have.
4. The Bottom Line
Because I spent some time researching free web hosts, I found the one that best suits my needs for a personal site. I'm not stuck or hassled by a free host that doesn't offer what I want and if I eventually want to buy a domain name, I can use the same host.
PROFESSIONAL SITES
1. Determine Your Needs
Most professional sites need their own domain name. This helps establish a clear-cut identity for your business or internet venture. They also generally require more server space, email addresses, and extras. You will have to cough up some money, although how much depends on the host.
In this situation, I am helping a friend's band maintain their website. It was designed by someone else and the domain name and server space were purchased through Yahoo. When I came into the picture, I found Yahoo's tools confusing and cumbersome and the decision was made to move the site. I needed to find a host that offered at least 4 email addresses, as well as the direct FTP using DreamWeaver mentioned above.
2. Research
You can go about researching a site host for a professional site very much as you would for a personal site. In this case, though, it's important not to get too caught up in a particular host's bells and whistles. Many will try and tempt you with huge amounts of server space, tons of email addresses and frightening numbers of add-ins and extras.
Be careful! If you have clearly determined your needs, then don't let yourself get suckered into paying for capabilities you don't need. In most instances, you will end up paying less if you do not opt for every feature and perk a host offers. Do allow room for the potential of your site growing, but be realistic.
Unlike a free, personal site, you really can't test drive a host's services before buying. Therefore, read everything you can about the host and talk to other people if you aren't sure. If the host's information confuses you, chances are their services won't be a good match. Take your time and narrow down your choices.
3. How to Choose
Once you've narrowed down your choices, it time to really compare the pros and cons. By now, you should have eliminated any hosts that offer MORE than you really need. If this is true, your options should really be offering very similar services and price will become one of your biggest concerns.
Reputable hosts will usually charge you a one time fee to register your domain name (or transfer it from another host) and then charge a monthly fee for their server space. We choose
WebCraftsHost.com because they offered everything needed: direct FTP, a small number of email addresses with the choice of POP3 accounts, forwarding or autorespond, a generous amount of server space, site statistics and more. The company was also recommended by a friend.
If you find several hosts with similiar services it is alright to shop around. Monthly rates can vary greatly from host to host, as can fees for domain name registration. Unless you enjoy overpaying for things, it is only to your benefit to compare and contrast hosts.
4. The Bottom Line
For a professional site it was important to only pay for what was needed, but like a personal site have room to grow when necessary. We found a host that will add on more email addresses, storage space and data transfer for very low fees.
What's right for you?
Ultimately, whether you choose a free or paid host depends on your needs and experience. Some people want complete control over their website while others want the host's services to do the majority of the work. While finding the right host can be a daunting task there is no one perfect host for everyone. If you follow these general steps, you will be well on your way to finding the right host for you!
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