Choosing A Hosting Plan

[Collabora]

One of the most frequent questions hosting providers get from new hosting customers trying to figure out which hosting plan to choose is "how much space do I need?" and "Which plan do I choose?"

The folks at HTTP Archive provide statistics that can help answer that question. I ran a query for average page size of the top 1000 sites on the web as ranked by Alexa. The result: about 2 MB.

Thus we can now estimate that for every 1 GB of web space in a hosting plan, you can store about 500 pages. Obviously, every new customer with zero pages, (and even many veterans that already have as a personal or small biz site that is suitable for a shared hosting environment) need no more than 1 GB or so of web space.

Thus proper advice is: Estimate the number of pages in your site and choose a hosting plan that fits. If the host you are considering has a confusing array of multi-tiered plans, save your money and choose the smallest one and upgrade later if needed.

Of course, an unlimited plan will always fit -- whether it zero pages, 500 pages (1GB) or 5000 pages (10GB) its all one plan and such plans eliminate all the confusion borne out of the situation above.
.
.
.

 

[Rado_Ch]

I am sorry to be a bit of a pest and I would like to emphasize on thanking for your efforts to conduct this research in the first place. However if you would've skipped the very last paragraph this post would have much more meaning to it (at least for me).

I know that you are a big supporter of the theory that Unlimited hosting does exist, even for web space, and I know that you offer such. Not really gonna argue about that, there are other topics on this matter. But the way you structured this post it just sounds to me like - "calculating your needs and finding the right amount of resources is a big and complicated deal. Screw all that and bet on Unlimited hosting to make your life easy". Sorry but I cannot help to overlook the hidden interests in this post.

Again, nothing against you an not trying to stir the pot. I really found the post useful and cool up until this very last part...

 

[24x7server]

Hi,

When it comes to selecting a hosting plan, of course, factors that should be considered as :
1. What do I have to host? whether I have a website ready or if I will create the website afterwards like wordpress or something in a live environment altogether. Is this the only site I am going to host, what if I need to add in another subdomain to facilitate my business?
2. Hosting space is not only for web contents, but for mails too, so if you are going to go into business through your website, then you will be expecting lot of mails on it too.. ( of course, you can use google apps, but that is personal choice)
3. Backup you may want to take of your site periodically and store it in the web space rather than your local machine.

These are the most important factor and much more to go if in discussion.

 

[Collabora]

"calculating your needs and finding the right amount of resources is a big and complicated deal. Screw all that and bet on Unlimited hosting to make your life easy"

Those words in quotes are not mine and you are mischaracterizing the post. You are elevating an afterthought to the main idea. If you would have read my post more carefully and did not have an ax to grind regarding unlimited hosting plans you would not have missed this part:

Thus proper advice is: Estimate the number of pages in your site and choose a hosting plan that fits. If the host you are considering has a confusing array of multi-tiered plans, save your money and choose the smallest one and upgrade later if needed.

Perhaps I have touched a nerve by revealing web hosting's dirty little secret: Most customers need less than 1 GB of stuff, almost all of them need only a couple GB of stuff. Moreover, those confusing arrays of multi-tiered quota based plans are designed to convince them they need more than they actually do, and as such, are marketing gimmicks.
.
.
.

 

[LorisZ]

According to me selecting the Hosting Service on the basis of User's requirements and Usage of Service will make sense.

 

[cheapdedicated]

The general belief in the myth of "Unlimited" hosting tends to make clients skip the critical part in choosing a right host for them. Instead of clearly defining what they want to host and its potential impact on different server resources they tend to just look around for Unlimited hosting which they wrongly interpret to mean "Infinite" hosting. Of course later they knock the Fair Usage bla bla and realize they actually should have just defined their need rather than jump at the word unlimited.

 

[Collabora]

The general belief in the myth of "Unlimited" hosting tends to make clients skip the critical part in choosing a right host for them. Instead of clearly defining what they want to host and its potential impact on different server resources.....

And just how does a customer know this? They absolutely do not know!

And is it a myth before or after you offer unlimited email, unlimited databases, unlimited domains, etc? I don't call that a myth...I call it hypocrisy

....they tend to just look around for Unlimited hosting which they wrongly interpret to mean "Infinite" hosting.

The only reason they would think that is because they read foolish posts in forums like this telling them that it means infinite (and of course everyone knows there is no such thing as infinite....blah blah blah, as the typical straw man argument goes).

Your premises are false and therefore any conclusions derived from them are necessarily false. There is no magic in having, for example, a 3 GB, 5 GB and 10 GB plan when just about all web sites suitable for a shared hosting environment requires only a couple of GB. Removing these limits (creating an unlimited hosting plan) obviously makes choosing a plan easier.

Nothing has changed on server by changing the plan. A 1GB site is no different if it gets provisioned via an unlimited plan or a 3GB plan. A 4GB site is no different if it gets provisioned via an unlimited plan or a 5GB plan, etc.

Call that a "myth" at your own peril
.
.

 

[Collabora]

More secrets revealed! A random sampling of 10 websites at Pingdom shows an average page size of 1 MB -- half of my OP analysis at HTTP Archive. That means a 1 GB hosting plan can accommodate a whopping 1,000 pages!!!!!!!!!!
.
.
.

 

[luis123456789]

1024 if you think like that. Remember 1 gb = 1024 mb.

 

[cheapdedicated]

And just how does a customer know this? They absolutely do not know!

And is it a myth before or after you offer unlimited email, unlimited databases, unlimited domains, etc? I don't call that a myth...I call it hypocrisy



The only reason they would think that is because they read foolish posts in forums like this telling them that it means infinite (and of course everyone knows there is no such thing as infinite....blah blah blah, as the typical straw man argument goes).

Your premises are false and therefore any conclusions derived from them are necessarily false. There is no magic in having, for example, a 3 GB, 5 GB and 10 GB plan when just about all web sites suitable for a shared hosting environment requires only a couple of GB. Removing these limits (creating an unlimited hosting plan) obviously makes choosing a plan easier.

Nothing has changed on server by changing the plan. A 1GB site is no different if it gets provisioned via an unlimited plan or a 3GB plan. A 4GB site is no different if it gets provisioned via an unlimited plan or a 5GB plan, etc.

Call that a "myth" at your own peril
.
.

First I didnt say that there is such a thing as infinite hosting I say that many times clients will interpret unlimited to mean infinite which is wrong.

I also agree with you that most websites will fit in just under 1GM but you are making one grave mistake forgetting for example emails are part of the space you get. I know clients who will need over 4 GB for a single email account and they are about 10 in their organisation that need that. Do the maths this client actually needs a bit of space. And that sometimes goes for a whole lot resources.

For me the baseline is always describing your needs the best you can and if you have an honest host they will be honest sometimes to tell you "Sorry you might need a VPS" not that "Unlimited" plan.

 

[cheapdedicated]

More secrets revealed! A random sampling of 10 websites at Pingdom shows an average page size of 1 MB -- half of my OP analysis at HTTP Archive. That means a 1 GB hosting plan can accommodate a whopping 1,000 pages!!!!!!!!!!
.
.
.

In my opinion, You still are forgetting that in shared hosting the space you use for emails is actually counted and that might prove 1GB is way too small for most clients who regularly use emails with attachments.

 

[Collabora]

In my opinion, You still are forgetting that in shared hosting the space you use for emails is actually counted and that might prove 1GB is way too small for most clients who regularly use emails with attachments.

This is true in some cases. Of course in virtually all cases a new site/domain won't have much email for a long time. One can choose a host that would allow a seamless upgrade from, say, a 1 GB plan to a 5 GB plan as the email volume demands. Or just choose an unlimited plan and just not worry about it. Another option, one that I prefer and use is a dedicated email server on a different network than the web server.
.
.
.

 

[cheapdedicated]

Of course in virtually all cases a new site/domain won't have much email for a long time.
.
.
.

Well from time to time you will get an old organisation that is new online. Imagine an a studio that is just going online but has actually existed for a while and will be attaching their audio samples in their mails. They will need space pretty soon LOL

Another option, one that I prefer and use is a dedicated email server on a different network than the web server.
.
.
.

Its a great option but again a client who is starting with shared hosting will hardly think of this option and in many cases wont even afford it. They want something "simple" and reasonably priced.

 

[Collabora]

Well from time to time you will get an old organisation that is new online. Imagine an a studio that is just going online but has actually existed for a while and will be attaching their audio samples in their mails. They will need space pretty soon LOL

One can only do so much with shared hosting. An organization such as the one you describe would be in a predicament due to lack of planning and IT knowledge/resources -- not because of a shared plan's shortcomings. As someone who derives most of his revenue stream working with customers on site I can tell you that is an unlikely scenario.

Personally I prefer setting up my shared hosting offers according to 99% of the customer's requirements (that fit within the shared hosting realm), not the 1% -- it works out better for the 99%

 

[GCJHOSTING]

you say choosing a hosting plan. You needs to decide how much space you will be using, and how much bandwidth you will need for your traffic to your website. If you need ssd or hdd, and what features will be require, and then once you have decided that you can chose your plan. If you think your website is going to be resource hog, then you will be needing something a bit bigger like a VPS.

 

[cheapdedicated]

you say choosing a hosting plan. You needs to decide how much space you will be using, and how much bandwidth you will need for your traffic to your website. If you need ssd or hdd, and what features will be require, and then once you have decided that you can chose your plan. If you think your website is going to be resource hog, then you will be needing something a bit bigger like a VPS.

In an ideal world that is the best way to choose one but then in an imperfect and normally the practical world you chose the two most critical ones and compromise on the rest hehehehe

 

[Collabora]

you say choosing a hosting plan. You needs to decide how much space you will be using, and how much bandwidth you will need for your traffic to your website.....

But if you don't know what those needs are because you are not tech savvy, or are but don't have everything planned out, or both, you are unable to decide. My guidelines above are for those types of people.

 

[cheapdedicated]

But if you don't know what those needs are because you are not tech savvy, or are but don't have everything planned out, or both, you are unable to decide. My guidelines above are for those types of people.

If you don't know, start by opening a sales ticket. describe what your site will be about, what you intend to use it for etc. Someone that understands it will then do the mathematics for you.

 

[GCJHOSTING]

If you don't know, start by opening a sales ticket. describe what your site will be about, what you intend to use it for etc. Someone that understands it will then do the mathematics for you.

That is 100% what people are going to do, if they don't know what they need, they will create a ticket and ask does you hosting do a b and c and you then reply yes or no. Then they will ask what package they will need. :agree:

 

[Collabora]

If you don't know, start by opening a sales ticket. describe what your site will be about, what you intend to use it for etc.

if they don't know what they need, they will create a ticket and ask does you hosting do a b and c and you then reply yes or no. Then they will ask what package they will need. :agree:

That's it, make them work for it! It will also give you the opportunity to talk them into a plan that provides and costs more than they need.

(Read the first sentence of my OP. You are just restating the problem but disguising it as a solution!)
.
.
.