Top Web Hosting

Finding Cheap Web Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:04:31 +0000

When it comes to pricing, web hosting can really run the gambit. The sky is the limit, if your budget is similarly unrestricted, but for most of us, we’re looking to spend as little as possible while retaining the most desired features and performance. Thanks to improvements in shared hosting technology, most of us can have our cake and eat it too.

However, if you aren’t careful about your search, you may find yourself saddled with a less-than desirable option. Or worse, a full two year contract from Hell.

With that in mind, we’ve prepared a small course below for you to peruse, covering what you should look for in a cheap web host, as well as where to find cheap web hosting to begin with.

So without further ado, let’s dive right in!

What to Look for in Cheap Web Hosting

Unlimited Features

First and foremost, you’re going to want a web host that gives you as many unlimited and unmetered rates as possible. This includes basics like disc space and bandwidth, but also extends to more advanced features like email accounts and domains. The more of these you can snag, the better. At the least, you’ll want a large allowance in each category, should your site need to expand in the near future.

High-Quality Tech Support

This one is a bit harder to learn about on the front-end, but there are ways you can test the quality of the company’s tech-support. To begin with, you could always sign up for one of the plentiful 90-day trials. During that period, something is bound to need correcting, and you’ll then have the option to test out the technical support yourself. However, you can also do a quick Google search for reviews and information about the company or simply check WebHostingGeeks.com for real user-written reviews. If someone’s had a bad experience, they’ll likely have talked about it.

Security is the Key

Lastly, be sure the hosting provider has included copious measures to safeguard your data from outside invasion, as well as malware. Enough said there, so let’s take a look at some of our top picks for quality (and cheap) web hosting!

Our Top Cheap Web Hosting Picks

InMotion Hosting

InMotion usually tops our lists, as they not only offer cheap shared hosting but cheaply priced VPS and Dedicated hosting, as well. No matter what sort of plan you’re looking to use, the company has a feature set to match, and we guarantee the price will please your board, as well. All in all, they’re a rock solid choice.

Web Hosting Hub

We always include Web Hosting Hub in our top lists, but to be fair, they do tend to bring the quality. Best of all, their All-in-One hosting plan is priced at rock-bottom level, starting at only $3.95 a month. For that money, you’ll get all of the features listed above, as well as the top-notch support of one of the industry’s leading providers.

Top Web Hosting Options in Today’s Market

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:03:16 +0000

You don’t have to say it, we have a handle on where you are in terms of finding a web host: You’re inundated with options, overwhelmed by features, and absolutely back against the wall when it comes to your budget. Does any of that sound familiar? If so, you may want to stick with us for the rest of this: We’ll be detailing our top web hosting picks, hand picking the select few providers that meet all of our rigorous standards and more. If that sounds like a bargain, then hope on below the break, Soldier! We’re ready to roll if you are.

InMotion Hosting

One of our favorites, InMotion Hosting offers perhaps the widest possible breadth of quality features we’ve ever seen in a web host. No matter if you’re looking for stellar shared hosting, dedicated plans, or even a VPS number to keep your company online, InMotion has a plan and a price to meet your needs. Add to this some of the best customer support lines in the nation, and you’re staring straight down a seriously good suggestion.

HostGator

In the past, we’ve written a heck of a lot about HostGator. It happens to be one of our all-time favorite web hosting providers, and for good reason. The company offers a full bevy of features to tickle your interest, and with prices that start at just under $4 a month, their budget bent schemes are guaranteed to please even the most stringent of boards. We also greatly appreciate the small things the provider includes, such as some of the best WordPress support in the game, excellent PHP optimization, and even a free domain name—for life—with each new registration. They’re a top-notch company, and if you’re still undecided about your next web host, giving them a test drive is a secure way to establish a quality Web presence.

Amazon Cloud Hosting

Before you shoot us, let us explain. We’re huge advocates of the power and potential of cloud-based hosting, and no company offers a better—or more secure—look at the service than Amazon. If you’re looking to host your Internet data on the cloud, Amazon has made it incredibly easy to do so, and at metered rates that are really quite low. Add to this support for a list of other Amazon Web Utilities, and you’ve got one tight, business-oriented package on your hands.

GreenGeeks

We really like these guys. Maybe it’s the emphasis on saving the environment, or perhaps the total dedication to superior web hosting, but their budget plans and stellar service keep us coming back. If you’re looking for a 300% energy efficient option to host your site, there’s really no one quite like GreenGeeks. Best of all, their plans are fully loaded with all the trappings you’d expect, including a full range of unlimited features and one of the best tech support lines around. All in all, they’re a superior offering to most other providers, and the energy optimization is only added frosting to an already sweet cake.

Finding the Best Web Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:02:36 +0000

If you’ve been researching the industry long, you’re likely acutely aware of the fact that web hosting is a bit of a complicated mess. There are easily a thousand features to be considered, and depending on your specific circumstances, potentially hundreds more.

It’s a maddening world out there, and without any sort of guidance, you may quickly find yourself up to your eyeballs in essentially useless information and sales pitches.

We feel your pain, and are here at the ready to give you a much needed pointer. If you’re looking for the all-around best possible web hosting experience, you can use our guide below, as well as the names we drop at the end to find a new way out.

So without further ado, let’s dive right into the what of the matter:

What’s Required of an Incredible Web Host?

Unbeatable Features

First and foremost, any web host that qualifies as “best all around” simply has got to offer a full bevy of unlimited features. This includes unlimited disc space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email accounts, unlimited domains, unlimited customer support calls, etc.

Essentially, you’re looking for an host that’s not trying to throttle or meter your account in any way, allowing your data to bloom and blossom as it should. This may sound like a lot to ask, but you’ll quickly find that most web hosts offer these features, and only the truly terrible ones do not. At the least, it’s something to keep in mind the next time a web host catches your eye.

Unbeatable Support

Secondly, you’re going to want a web host that gives you as much possible support for tools and utilities as you can manage. If you’re looking to use a content management system, you’re going to need one-click installs and technical support for services like Drupal and WordPress. For coding, you’ll want jQuery, PHP5, Perl, Ruby on Rails, CSS, HTML5, Ajax, MySQL5, and Apache support—and that’s just the requirements!

The best way to shop is to simply ask a representative at the company what kind of tools and utilities support they offer: if they inundate you with real names and features, you’re in the clear.

Where to Find Quality Web Hosting

That’s the basic what of an overall incredible web host, but we have a feeling you’re wanting a few names at this point. We hate to disappoint, so here are a few of our choice offerings in the field!

InMotion Hosting

For business hosting, InMotion has been the staple in the industry for some time now. Their plans are budget oriented, but don’t skimp on the tools your company needs on the web.

Web Hosting Hub

If you are looking for the fast start, there’s really no one better than Web Hosting Hub, a customer-oriented budget hosting provider.

HostGator

HostGator offers a lot of features at one incredibly low price. Add to this a reputable name and years of experience, and you’ve got a serious contender.

Best Free Web Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:01:11 +0000

Do you want to get on the Internet with the least possible amount of work on the front-end? Or, are you looking to create a Web presence for either yourself or your company without having to put any cash on the line at the front-end? If so, your best bet is so-called “free hosting,” or plans companies have created to give you full-access to an FTP enabled web space, but without a monthly fee or complex contract. Still a little confused? We don’t blame you, so here’s a more in-depth look at the technology, as well as a few of our choice places to find such web hosting, starting with:

What is Free Hosting?

First and foremost, let’s analyze the way paid web hosting works. A consumer first locates an hosting provider, who then offers the consumer a space on one of their servers at a monthly premium. This space is largely the consumers to do what they will with, finding themselves limited in only disc space and bandwidth. However, free hosting does much the same, but without any need for a monthly fee. A free-based web host will offer the consumer a space to put their Web data without a charge of any kind in return for placing small advertisements onto their content. In this way, the hosting provider makes money off the adverts, while the consumer doesn’t need to have a budget to found a website.

The concept is really no different than what you’d find with any of the more popular social networking venus. Facebook, Twitter, Xanga, MySpace—they all use advertisements to offset the cost of their operation while still providing users a webspace to call their own. Granted, a free web host will offer a lot more control than a social networking site, but it’s largely the same concept.

So now that you have a handle on the what, let’s talk a bit about the who of free web hosting! Below, you’ll find our choice picks for this kind of service, starting with:

Angelfire: These guys have been around for a long time, and as such, pretty much have their plans down pat. At no cost, the company will supply you with an advertisement free location to put your data, also offering 20 megabytes of storages space and 1 gigabyte of data transfer per month. It’s not much, but for a site that costs nothing on the front-end, we aren’t complaining.

350 Pages: This is, above all others, our choice pick for free web hosting. The company offers each of its users a similar 20 megabyte and 15 page load, as well as a gigabyte of data transfer per month. However, the provider also offers a built-in web editor to meet your website construction needs, as well as a quick and simplistic way to manage your content once it’s online. All in all, they’re a solid choice for any individual in need of superior (and free) web hosting.

How to Find the Best Email Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:59:58 +0000

Sure, web hosting is essential for websites, but there are plenty of other reasons to register a domain and set up a monthly plan with a hosting provider: chief among them, email support.

We ourselves use an ungodly number of email accounts, and as we rely on each and every one of them, we require the absolute best hosting experience. If you’re in a similar boat, but aren’t sure what to look for in your next web host, don’t fret! We’ve got your bases covered.

Use the checklist below to find a web host that best meets your emailing needs:

Unlimited Everything

First and foremost, you’ll want to find a web host that doesn’t throttle or meter your emailing accounts. This means unlimited services across the board, and though that may sound harsh, it’s really not asking much: emails are typically quite small, and any host worth their weight in gold will give this level of service to you. You’ll want unlimited email accounts, unlimited disc space, unlimited transfer limits, etc. Make sure there are no holds on your emailing experience, and you’re guaranteed a smooth ride from the start.

Security Measures and Management

Next, you’ll want to ask what sort of security measures your web host provides as far as email management is concerned. Have they added any way to encrypt or protect your accounts? What about backups, or even secure password creation? These tools may not be essential for each and every one of your emailing accounts, but we guarantee you’ll want it for your more sensitive lines. All that’s required of you is that you ask your web host what they offer, and start with their response. Vague or uninformed answers are a serious turn-off, and should be avoided at all cost.

How to Find the Best PHP Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:58:48 +0000

PHP, especially the latest PHP5, is a beautiful thing. It allows us to do things with our websites and systems that we simply couldn’t do before, and in a way that requires less code, fewer headaches, and even less time spent slaving away behind the computer. However, not all PHP hosts are created the same. Sure, most budget-based shared hosts out there offer some kind of support for PHP, but unless you know what to look for, you’re likely selling yourself short where full-on PHP support lies.

With that in mind, use the checklist below to ensure your next web host provides the most possible bang for your buck.

Support for the Latest and Greatest

First out of the chute, your next web host absolutely must support all of the latest editions of PHP5. This should be the top requirement on your list, and if you haven’t asked your web host—or are just unsure what they support—ask them directly. If they’ve got the support, they’ll be the first to tell you. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure the host supports the latest MySQL5 for all of your database needs. Both of these are essential to an heavily coded hosting experience.

PHP Optimization

Next, any web host worth their weight in gold where PHP is concerned will tout their optimization at you. This means that their servers have been optimized so that PHP code uses less RAM, requires fewer I/O requests server side, and generally speaking, runs better. Again, just ask the host’s representative what kind of optimization they offer, and you’ll do just fine! When combined with support for the latest softwares, both of these points can create a hosting experience that knocks the socks off the competition, and supplies you with a better website.

How to Find the Best Forum Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:58:05 +0000

Remember the days when forums absolutely ruled the Internet? These were the days before Twitter, when discussion threads and upvote-less posts created an entire community for the Web driven to cling to, establishing not just a network of digital friends, but an identity in and of itself. Yeah, those days totally aren’t gone. If you’re looking to host a good forum-based website, it’s just as possible now as it was “back in the day.” However, you’ll need to have a few qualities in mind when looking for a web host, if you’re to find the best possible hosting experience. Starting with:

One-Click Installation: No matter what forum software you decide to use—or even if you’re going to use a content management system like WordPress or Drupal to serve as a graphical front-end for a forum plug-in—you’re going to want to ensure your host makes it easy to install. This means a one-click installation across the board, where most of the script and server load is taken care of automatically by the hosting provider. You should demand this level of service, otherwise, you’re selling yourself terribly short!

Ease of Management: Secondly, if you aren’t going to use a popular forum software to handle your discussions, you’ll want to ensure your host makes it easy to manage their proprietary forum panels. Most hosts come with some sort of stock forum item, but often times this monstrosity can be unbelievably difficult to manage. Just ask your host how easy it is to take stock of your forums on a daily basis, or how much of a challenge it is to moderate them with their included software. If they give you terribly vague answers, move onto the next offering, as they likely aren’t your best bet.

How to Find the Best Blog Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:57:33 +0000

Disregard what others may tell you: Owning and managing a blog can be a fantastic way to not only establish yourself on the Internet, but also to make money. Through advertisements, personal readership, and a steady stream of quality content, you stand to make a real bundle off of your Internet writing. However, if you’re looking for a web host to manage and maintain your blog, you’ll want to ensure you’re purchasing several key features alongside your contract.

These aspects are all equally important, and chief among them, we’d like to suggest:

Support for Blogging and CMS Software

First and foremost, you’ll want to ensure the blogging host you’ve chosen actually supports popular blogging softwares like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, etc. These tools can be essential to your blogging experience, besides simply offering a unique way to create and manage your content once it’s been placed on the web. However, without support for these, you’re train isn’t likely to be going anywhere right out of the station. Just double check with the provider, asking about one-click installations of each of these, as well as support for regular updates.

Easy Advert Support

Secondly, you’ll want to ensure you can include services like Google AdWords easily and effectively within your blog. This is how you’ll be making your money, and without steady support for these services, you’ll be making no additional income to offset your monetary and temporal investments. Ask your new hosting provider what kind of support they offer, and if they give you vague answers, move onto the next option. There are plenty of other ships in the sea, and ideally you’re going to want one that makes your life simpler, not more complex.

How to Find the Best Green Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:56:46 +0000

Believe it or not, web hosting servers are some of the world’s largest producers of pollutants. Sure, they’re not directly clogging up the skies like a factory, and they’re certainly not dumping toxic chemicals into the river. But all of the energy required to run a vast database like the sort used by most hosting companies does come from somewhere. Typically this means coal plants, or from oil. However, there’s a trend going on in modern web hosting that we couldn’t be more proud of. More and more companies are swapping to sustainable energy, and if being environmentally friendly is of the utmost importance to you, there are key aspects you should be looking for in your next web host. Starting with:

1. 200% Energy Production: First and foremost, any green web host worth their stuff will be producing at least twice as much energy as they consume. Yes, you heard that right. Sure it’s an high bar to match, but with wind-energy at the helm of most of these innovations, it’s really not too much to ask. Companies like GreenGeeks, HostGator, and InMotion are all giving energy back to the grid, meaning you should demand this level of comprehensive production from your next host.

2. No Paper: Does your current host send you paper bills for their services? If so, shame on them! Paper is the largest killer of rain forests the world over, and any business that still insists on sending you paper statements can hardly call themselves green. Demand digital replacements for these mundane notices, otherwise you’re damaging the planet’s ability to deal with and recycle carbon dioxide.

3. Recycling: Lastly, all green hosting companies will recycle their hardware once it’s become outdated. Ask your host if they have a recycling program in place, just to be sure, though.

How to Find the Best cPanel Hosting

editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:56:05 +0000

What WordPress is to the modern blog, cPanel is to the modern website. The utility has made it unbelievably easy to manage, secure, share, and modify our existing websites, and all without having to dip our hands into messy code. We can’t get enough of this graphical front-end for complex shell coding, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some terribly hosted options out there. Before you sign onto a web host with cPanel in mind, you should know to look for the criteria listed below. Sticking to the guide will keep your eyes sharp, and will prevent lots of headaches in the long run.

1. Latest Editions: First and foremost, you’ll want to ensure the web host is in fact using the latest editions and updates of cPanel. This is sort of a no-brainer, but if you haven’t considered it already, you very much should. Enough said, there!

2. Security: cPanel is a fantastic utility, but to be honest with you, it’s also quite prone to being tampered with. As such, you’ll want to ensure your web host has adequate security measures in place. Be sure they update their systems regularly, and have safeguards around should any malware make into the mainframe. Likewise, any host that can backup your data on a daily—or even weekly—basis is well worth the money and investment.

3. A Killer Interface: Lastly, though cPanel is a standard offering, be sure the host has modified it to meet its systems at an optimal intersection. What we mean is, be sure the web host provider has modified the vanilla offering to be easy to use, quick to navigate, and above all, powerfully integrated into the system. This isn’t hard to do, and all quality hosts will have thought about it. If you can, see if the host has a cPanel demo on their homepage.