How to Choose a Web Host: The Ultimate Guide To Finding the Right Web Host

Planning to put a website online in the near future? Trying to figure out how to choose a web host?

There is a virtual tonne of web hosts around every corner but how do you know if you are deciding on the right one? Is there even a “right one”?

Before I give you my suggestion for shared web hosting, (which I do at the end plus an incredible discount!) let’s look at everything you should take into consideration before making your final decision.

(Image Credit: coconv)

What is a Web Host?

It’s important to know what a web host is prior to investigating different web hosts. A web host is a company that rents out space on their servers for you to use. You will need to rent space on a server so that you have a place to put the files that make up your website.

A server is usually housed inside of a larger data center which is made up of many different servers. A server is basically just a regular computer that contains hardware that is optimized for serving files on the internet.

Hosting Resellers

Some smaller web hosts rent servers from larger web hosts or data centres. This means that they are actually resellers or middle-men. There isn’t a problem with this type of setup but it is more likely that when you have a problem with your web host, they aren’t going to be able to respond as quickly.

The reseller approach is common when you have a website that is completely designed and managed by someone else. It is best avoided when you want to manage your own hosting and when you want to choose a web host of your own.

Types of Web Hosts

There are essentially three different types of web hosts:

When you are just starting out, a shared host is going to work out just fine for you. A shared host is usually a lot more cost effective and there are a lot more processes in place to guide you along.

Shared Hosting

A shared host is when a group of users are on a common server. This means that each user’s files reside in their own part of the server but they share common resources. The downside to this is that if you happen to be on a shared host with someone who is using a lot of the server’s processing power or memory, your site can also slow down.

The analogy that I use quite often for this is comparing it to roommates. When you are sharing an apartment with one or more people, you often have to share a kitchen, bathroom, etc. This can lead to problems when all of you want to use the bathroom at the same time.

Most shared hosts have fail-safes in place to prevent one user from hogging all of the resources. If you or one of your server-mates starts using too many resources, the web hosting company often “encourages” you to upgrade to a VPS.

Another thing to be cautious of when you choose a web host is the promise of unlimited hosting. You’ll see claims of unlimited bandwidth or unlimited disk space. All of which are true unlimited’s but it won’t be bandwidth or disk space that will cause you to upgrade to a VPS, it will be memory (RAM) or processor (CPU) power and allocation.

You can use all of the disk space and bandwidth you want but if your server doesn’t have the RAM or CPU to serve the files to you visitors then they will still receive server errors in their browsers.

With all the limitations of shared hosting, it is still the best option for most people starting new websites or blogs. The limitations of shared hosting is often not felt until your website starts getting LOTS of traffic. Unless you know (not just hope) you are going to be getting massive amounts of traffic, shared hosting is what you need. When you are fortunate enough to have piles of traffic, it is a simple process to move to a VPS.

Virtual Private Server

You will probably want to move to a VPS after you have outgrown shared hosting. A VPS is still on a shared computer but the server is virtualized. This means that you can restart your server if you need to. Each virtual server is independent of the other virtual servers so that you always have the resources you need. I will be going into more depth on VPS’s in a future article but I felt it necessary to at least give a brief overview. Don’t worry about VPS options when you choose a web host since the best host for shared hosting isn’t always the same host that you would choose for a VPS.

Dedicated Server

At some time in the future when your traffic has reached the level of overwhelming proportions, it will be time to move to a dedicated server. A dedicated server is one that you have complete control over. All the RAM, CPU and disk space is yours to abuse. Dedicated servers are usually expensive and unnecessary for the average person with a simple website or blog.

How to Choose a Web Host?

So back to our original question of how to choose a web host. First, we need to look at what we are going to be using it for. Since you are here, I will hazard the guess that you want to start a WordPress website. So let’s look at what to consider:

Bandwidth and Disk Space

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred to and from your host. Disk space is the amount of data you can store on your web host. The industry standard these days is unlimited or nearing unlimited. It’s like having 24-hour gym access when in reality you really only need one or two hours a day but it’s nice to have just in case you want to hit the gym at 3:00am. When you choose a web host, this should just be a given.

Also, as I mentioned above, your RAM and CPU will run out long before your disk space and bandwidth do.

PHP and MySQL

There are two different technologies that WordPress relies on to do it’s job. Both of which you should be aware of when you choose a web host. The first one is PHP and the second one is MySQL for databases. It isn’t that important to know exactly what these two technologies are but it is important to make sure your host is capable.

As of writing, the latest version of WordPress is 3.2 and it requires PHP version 5.2.4 or greater and MySQL version 5.0 or greater. If you’re not sure, ask your host. To be honest, most hosts will be up-to-date but if they aren’t, then you really should run the other way.

One-Click Installs

There are many different hosts out there, so there are many names for this type of service. Essentially a one-click install is a feature in the web host’s control panel that makes it easy for you to install WordPress or other similar scripts.

Some hosting companies have their own custom control panels and others use a commercially available one. You’ll hear arguments for and against each. Nevertheless, once you get used to either, you’ll be fine.

Some hosts don’t have a control panel which means that you will only be able to access the host via a command line. Unless you are a UNIX wizard, you should avoid these types of hosts. Some hosts don’t have one-click installs which means you have to manually setup your WordPress database and configure WordPress. Everything will still run fine in the end but it is just more complicated.

To simplify the whole process, make sure you choose a web host with some form of one-click install.

Support and Own Data Centers

It is very important to make sure that you have access to a support team. It is also important that your host owns or leases their own data centers. This will benefit you when it comes to support.

Since resellers don’t have their own data centers, they need to contact the support at their parent hosting company to find out what’s going on with their servers. This adds a middle man to the whole process and can slow down response times.

Most web hosts will have support that will help you with one-click installs and general questions. I wouldn’t touch one that didn’t with a ten-foot pole.

Multiple Hosted Domains

In the beginning you will probably only need a single domain for your website. However, you may decide to start a second site in the future. In this case you will need to add an additional domain name.

Make sure that your host doesn’t limit the number of domains that you can host with them. Some hosts do and it really is just an artificial limitation so that they can up-sell you to a higher cost plan in the future.

Many larger hosts will give you the ability to also register your domain with them. It is fine to do so but if you are concerned about putting all of your eggs in one basket, you may wish to register your domain at a separate domain registrar. I use Hover to register my domains. You don’t need to use the same registrar that I use but if you do decide to go with Hover, use the coupon code honest and save an extra 10% off all registrations. Hover will also do private registrations for free which is something that a lot of domain registrars charge for.

Which Web Host Do I Use?

In my opinion, Dreamhost is one of the best shared hosting options available. They meet or exceed the requirements I have above. They are not perfect but you won’t find a shared web host that doesn’t have the odd hiccup once in a while. I’ve been with them since 2006 and overall my experience has been good.

I do encourage you to shop around and find the best solution for you and your needs. However, if you do decide to use Dreamhost, use a Dreamhost promo code (click this link to see codes) to save $100 off your hosting.

Do you have any questions or comments about hosting or domain registrars? Leave a note in the comments.