Picking First Web Host

lessonlearned

New member
Hey guys,

I'm currently looking to purchase my first web hosting package. Here is what I'm looking for with a host:

Domain Name Included
Cheap Monthly Fee
1 Year Signup
Reliable Host

I don't need anything fancy. I'll be using php/mySQL and I'll have a forum with the site as well. The website will be a personal training and fitness website. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to note that money is a big concern.
 
It seems as if you would need a very basic hosting plan. You can get all of this for just $3.95/per month at most web hosting companies.

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Hi there and welcome to HD lessonlearned, firstly most hosts could offer you what you are looking for with relative ease the difficult part as always is the decision between them. There are threads after threads with suggested methods so those might be a good place to start though a good summary would be the following:

Guarantees | 99.9% Uptime is almost a standard though it can be hard to get a true value, most 3rd parties will show a provider having 99.9% however this is generally rated on their corporate site and not their entire network, reviews are often a better source for such information though as always there will be the good and the bad.
This holds true also for Money Back guarantees, most providers will use prorated or full refunds (minus domain or other registration fees) however as before some companies have had mixed customer response when requesting such refunds meaning forums are again a good place to start.

Support | Support really is one of the be all end alls for the hosting industry, a lack of it could mean 5 day waits for questions to be answered or 30 minuet or live turnarounds to your questions... don’t be afraid to send the company you choose a question before signing up with them ;) and see how they react.

Unlimited | Worth a mention just on the off chance of someone stumbling across this, unlimited bandwidth and disk space are the bane of a large number of ethical vs. unethical debates here and in other hosting communities, myself being on the side of unethical as such the recommendation is to avoid such offers as they can lead to poor support, server performance/response and uptime.

Domains | Often hosts will bundle a domain with a yearly package, though being both a provider and firstly a web developer I have and always will (despite offering domains) recommend to purchase your domain from a domain registrar (123-reg.com possible example) on the most part it is as cheap and offers you the control and freedom to change providers without hassle or ownership issues that often lurk in the small print of some providers.

Yearly signups/offers | They can be good and bad however armed with the above look for prorated refunds and discounts for signing up for a longer period (check the terms of service) and you shouldn’t get caught in a trap.

Forums | Like anything they are a place that allows both clients of a company and the company itself to communicate freely meaning reviews and opinions can be voiced, verified and or checked both the good and the bad... there are a wide range of providers on HD as an example and a lot of discussion... it’s always an advantage to look at such commitment to the hosting communities from hosts to possibly get a firsthand experience of their team and or knowledge as well as commitment to the field.

Hope that helps or is a rough enough guide, a good place to look also is the marketplace section also :)
 
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What sort of budget do you have? Any other requirements? Perhaps we can make a few recommendations for you
 
Great reply, Charlie.
@lessonlearned - if you're looking for providers to contact you with plans to match your requirements, do as 2WDH.com recommends. The best in your search. :D
 
Yes Lessonlearned , post your request in Hosting Requests section as suggested along with your budget so we could recommend some hosting providers. :)
 
I would suggest not doing a 1 year term with your first host. You may find out it wasn't the right choice and want to move before your year is up
 
whatever you do.. DO NOT GET YOUR DOMAIN FROM YOUR HOST. just bite the bullet on those 8 dollars and register it with someone reputable like name.com(my personal opintion). stay away from godaddy and their resellers (it's easy to spot them.. they will take you to a "securepaynet" domain when registering unless page is cloaked (framed) which should trigger bells in the first place)

i personally have 2 great packages with 2 different hosts both are hosted at The Planet. one is with valcatohosting @ 35 dollars per year. i've been with those guys for four months and can't recommend them enough. the other one is with plexihost at an even cheaper <30 per year but i've only been with these guys for a couple of weeks now and can't yet comment on them except that i've had no issues and the one request regarding 3rd party dns servers was resolved quickly.
 
csn-uk .. Great reply :)

Most hosts can offer you domain registration but I have seen so many customers getting issues over domain names when moving hosts. (Esp those free domain offers)

So it's good idea to get your domain from different providers. I will suggest getting domain name from NameCheap or Godaddy.
 
whatever you do.. DO NOT GET YOUR DOMAIN FROM YOUR HOST. just bite the bullet on those 8 dollars and register it with someone reputable like name.com(my personal opintion). stay away from godaddy and their resellers (it's easy to spot them.. they will take you to a "securepaynet" domain when registering unless page is cloaked (framed) which should trigger bells in the first place)

If you are going to get a domain name from your host, talk to them about their policies on you transferring the domain elsewhere in the event that you move your hosting elsewhere. Some hosting providers will try and con you by charging excessive fees to transfer the domain to another company (or even forbid you to do so in general).
 
Like others stated, stay away from free domains because chances are you won't be able to move your site to a different host. If they do let to transfer or use different nameserver, chances are there will be a hefty fee.
 
Never keep your eggs on the same basket :) Get your domain from a provider other than your host in case you want to move host for whatever reasons you'll have less problems with your domain.
 
Safest bet imho is to keep them seperate. Buy your domain name from one company and find hosting somewhere else. Save's any problems in the future.
 
I would agree with others here, you may want to keep your domain name separate from your host, especially if you are going to purchase a year at a time. There are companies that will comply with your requirements though, have a look in the offers section.
 
I think the complete opposite. I think you should have the hosting and domain together. It is one less separation you need to worry about.

When I got hosting from MyHosting and other hosts like Host Gator (and other usual suspects) I would always get the domain through them.

It is just cheaper than going with say GoDaddy.

And another key thing to know is try getting a host with a 30-60 day money back guarantee.

Do your research and be safe about it.
 
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