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Important Features to Consider When Choosing a Web Host

Article Description:
====================

It is important to choose the right web host for your needs.
This article explores the various features to consider when
selecting a web host and associated hosting plan. The features
discussed include operating systems, bandwidth, disk space,
databases, programming languages, domain names, e-mail accounts
and e-commerce features.


Additional Article Information:
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1161 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2007-02-13 11:00:00

Written By: Harold Leahmon
Copyright: 2007
Contact Email: mailto:harold.leahmon@...



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Important Features to Consider When Choosing a Web Host
Copyright (c) 2007 Harold Leahmon
Ingenuity Network
http://www.webhostingusers.com



In this article we explore the various features to consider when
selecting a web host and associated hosting plan.

Operating System

Web hosting companies provide plans that run various operating
systems. The most common are Linux and Windows, although you can
also find UNIX, Solaris and Mac OS X operating systems too.

The operating system you select is important because it
determines which web servers, databases and programming languages
you can use. For example, if you want to develop your website
using ASP or ASP.NET, then you will need a Windows operating
system. Unix and Linux hosting plans are often less expensive
than those running Windows.

The operating system you choose should be one that you and your
web site developer(s) are experienced and comfortable.

Bandwidth / Data Transfer

In website hosting, bandwidth or data transfer is the amount of
information downloadable from the web server over a prescribed
period of time. Web hosting companies often quote a monthly
bandwidth limit for a website, for example 100 GB/month. When the
monthly bandwidth is exceeded, then additional bandwidth charges
are incurred, which can be expensive. It is best to choose a
plan with enough bandwidth to avoid these charges. You will need
to check out the hosting company's policy and costs when
bandwidth is exceeded.

Be wary of web hosting companies that tout "unlimited
bandwidth" as they will have some sort of "fair use policy" or
"acceptable usage policy" that somehow defines "unlimited
bandwidth" to be limited, so you should ask for their policy on
bandwidth and read it carefully.

Disk Space

Getting ample disk space should not be an issue with any hosting
plan or dedicated server unless your site has a lot of multimedia
or graphics files or very large forums. Currently, you can find
$4.99 a month plans with 100 GB of disk space. This is more than
enough space for most websites. What is important is to know the
space you need prior to signing up for web hosting, so that you
buy the right plan.

Databases

Many websites require one or more databases to store the
information to be shown on the website and information users
enter on the website. Which database you need will depend on the
development languages used for your website, the operating system
used and in some cases personal preference. If the web hosting
company is setting up the database, then it must be one that they
support. So, before choosing a web host, you need to decide
which databases will work. If you are using a web development
company, they should be consulted to make sure that they have
experience with the database selected.

Programming Language Support

You may need your host to support multiple programming languages
for your website needs. Here are a few to consider: CGI, Perl,
PHP, ASP, ColdFusion, and Ruby on Rails. Also, you should make
sure the host supports the version of the language(s) you need.

Domain Names

Independent Domain Names

In the past, some hosting companies would give you a domain name
off of their domain name, like
www.hostcompany.com/yourwebsitename. Today many hosting
companies include one or more domain name registrations with your
hosting plan. We recommend that you use a company different from
your hosting company. This way, if you change hosts you will not
have any issue with transferring your domain name to the new
host.

E-mail Accounts and Features

E-mail Accounts

There are two main e-mail account types: POP3 and IMAP. You
should make sure that the hosting plan supports the e-mail type
you want to use.

E-mail Alias

Your host should provide E-mail Alias accounts which forward all
e-mails to another e-mail account. Using e-mail aliases is a way
you can have unlimited e-mail addresses to meet your needs with
only a few actual e-mail accounts.

E-mail Catch-all

E-Mail catch-all is a nice feature where incoming e-mails with
misspelled or incorrect names will go to an e-mail account you
select rather than being returned as undeliverable. This way,
e-mails to you will always be delivered, even with a typo or the
wrong address.

E-mail Auto-responders

An e-mail auto-responder allows you to automatically generate
customized responses whenever a specific e-mail address receives
a message. If you are on vacation, unavailable, or just want to
let your customers know that you have received their e-mail, you
can set up an auto-responder.

Spam and E-mail Virus Filters

Most hosting companies provide Spam and E-mail Virus Filters for
the removal of spam and computer viruses. Bulk E-mail / Mailing
List Features Many web hosting plans provide tools for you to
setup and maintain a mailing list of customers or friends so you
can easily send e-mails or newsletters to your list.

Webmail

Webmail is a Web application that allows users to access their
e-mail through a Web browser from any internet connected
computer.

Server Side Includes (SSI)

Server Side Includes is a server-side scripting language
primarily use for including the contents of a file into another,
via a Web Server. If your web site uses SSI, then you need to
make sure that the web hosting plan you purchase supports SSI.

FrontPage Server Extensions

Microsoft FrontPage is a WYSIWYG HTML editor and web site
administration tool from Microsoft for the Windows operating
system. FrontPage Server Extensions are server-side scripts that
extend the functionality of FrontPage. To use these extensions,
make sure that the hosting plan you select supports them.

FTP

FTP or file transfer protocol is a protocol for exchanging files
over any network that supports the TCP/IP protocol (such as the
Internet or an intranet). FTP is a way to transfer files between
two computers independent of the operating system that each
computer is using. For web hosting, it allows web site files and
data to be easily uploaded to or downloaded from the web host
server.

Web Analytics

Web analytics tracks the behavior of visitors to a website. For
businesses, it is important to track which aspects of the website
work towards the business objectives; for example, which landing
pages encourage people to make a purchase. Many hosting
companies provide web analytics software.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a cryptographic protocol which
provides secure communications on the Internet for such things as
web browsing, e-mail, Internet faxing, and other data transfers.
The protocol allows client/server applications to communicate in
a way designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message
forgery. If you plan to process credit cards or similar secure
transactions over the internet, then you will need a hosting plan
that supports SSL.

Shopping Cart / E-commerce Features

Shopping cart or e-commerce features are software used to assist
people making purchases online. Similar to an actual retail
store shopping cart, the software allows online shopping
customers to "place" items in the cart. Upon "checkout" the
software calculates a total for the order including shipping and
handling and taxes, if applicable and allows for payment via
credit cards or other electronic means.




---------------------------------------------------------------------
Harold Leahmon writes for Ingenuity Network. This article
is part of The Ultimate Guide for How to Choose a Web
Host. Please note that our community of WebHostingUsers
is continually updating this guide and making it better.
View the latest, unabridged guide here:
http://www.webhostingusers.com/article2-unabridged
Visit our website at http://www.webhostingusers.com
for user to user web hosting ratings and web hosting
help.


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