It’s a question we get asked every day….but how do you answer it?

It’s not a case of saying “this, that and the other” will be the perfect plan because we all know, every website is going to be different.

Whilst some people think it is impossible to guage your traffic each month, here are some of our “Top Tips” on how to choose a hosting package:

  1. You need to determine approximately how much disk space you will need. Your most basic HTML website can use between 20-50Mb (Megs) of storage, but if you have or are going to have alot of images and video, this can soon turn into a whole lot more. You need to allow room for your site to grow too, so make sure you choose a plan that not only gives you space you need now, but also space for the future.
  2. You need to work out approximately how much traffic you will use. Whilst this isn’t easy, some simple calculations can help you work this out. Basically, if each page on your website is 1Mb in size, multiple this by the number of hits (page views) you receive each month. Eg: 1MB x 10000 hits = 10000MB/10GB. Your sites usage might not work out to be that high, or it might be higher, so do the maths for your site accordingly.
  3. Make sure your language is supported. All too often we here the phrase “I wanted to code my site in ASP, but didn’t realise that the plan I selected does not support this!”. If you are using ASP to develop your website, then you are going to want a hosting plan based on a Windows hosting server simply because ASP is supported under Windows hosting. Linux hosting genereally does not have this support by default. If however you are developing your website in a language such as PHP or PERL, generally Linux hosting would be the best hosting plan to suit this, as it’s almost native to the language. Make sure your plan supports what you need first time!
  4. Plesk or cPanel? Which is better? Another common question asked. To be honest, it’s not so much which is better. It’s moreso which one seems easier for you. Think of your control panel like your Coke or Generic Cola. They are both beverages you can drink, just made by different companies. Effectively, your control panel is the same. cPanel is developed by cPanel, Plesk is developed by Parallels. Each control panel is designed to make your life as a website administrator easier, but each has their own unique way of doing things. They both look different and have different layouts.

    Currently, cPanel is only supported on Linux machines, so this narrows the search down a little, where as Plesk is supported on both Linux and Windows servers. So with Windows hosting, you don’t really have a choice unless a provider offers a panel such as HELM or DirectAdmin, which is different again…but let’s not get confusing!

    In our opinion, cPanel is much easier to use and learn than Plesk, although, with Parallels Plesk 9, this debate is soon old fashioned, as Plesk is now easier to use than it once was (or so we think so)

    If need be, ask your potential provider for a demo. Some providers do not offer these, others offer them. Some offer 14 or 30 day money back guarantees, whilst others do not. Check with each provider, read some manuals and make a decision you believe is right for you.

  5. Evalute/Review the provider – You want a company that is going to help you when you need it, not when they want to! Read some reviews on the hosting provider and get references from credible sources. Money back guarantees also are great options to look for.
  6. Scalability – You want a provider that can grow with you without hurting the pocket. Find a provider that will allow you to upgrade or downgrade your plan at a time that suits you in accordance with your needs.
  7. Uptime – You don’t want to choose a provider that experiences alot of downtime, so ask about site/server uptime and if revelant, ask for uptime stats or reports. Any provider who is genuine about their business will provide some form of information on this topic.
  8. Payment Methods – This is one thing alot of people need to check…how to pay. Check that your potential provider offers a payment method suitable for your needs. There is no point signing up to a provider, only to realise that you cannot pay because they don’t have a payment method you desire to pay by.
  9. Addons, Options and Upgrades – Establish where you want to take your site, what you plan to do and look at what upgrades you could potentially need in future. Some people start out with a basic website, only to work out later on they wanted to run an online store, accepting credit card payments online. For this you would require a dedicated IP address and an SSL certificate .

    Check with the provider on how this would take place and the costs involved in doing so. You do not want any nasty price surprises.

  10. And finally, budget! – Choose a provider that meets your budget requirements as well as your other above requirements. Ask questions, get answers and make sure that everything fits within the realms of how you want your site to operate and what you want it to offer.

    We can never stress enough how important it is to make notes and do your ressearch. The last thing you want is to be caught out with hidden costs, nasty bugs or the wrong plan.