One Man Hosting is a No-No :)

     If you see somebody selling cheap reseller hosting, unless you see some good reviews from that person then don’t buy it!  They can’t be on 24/7 and usually charge around the same as good hosting companies who have way more features and better support.  This post is going to be quick and simple.  Anyway, they get a reseller plan and usually want to make atleast 2x what they are paying.  So they will charge lots, or some are really cheap though the hosting isn’t too great.  Host Gator still has a $7 plan which comes with a lot, it is way more worth it.  So if you see somebody on forums selling hosting, make sure it is all good .

2 Hosts To STAY AWAY FROM!!!

     I have gathered a list of hosts which you should never use, they are horrible and are no good for you.  Here they are…

1. 1AND1 - This host is terrible.  It seems all good because of the good pricing and how much you get, but it’s not.  Believe me.  I was on a year contract with them paying $30 every 3 months, except for the first 3 which was $15.  Anyway you get so many features, which is cool.  But it seems as if everything done needs to be confirmed by the 1and1 support crew or something, if I create a MySQL database, it takes about 40 minutes to be ready for usage.  Also domains take a few hours to be ready to use on the account.  The support is slow and they are not too forgiving.  Please, do not use 1AND1 dot com.
2. Profit Host Plus - I have never experienced this host, I would of but they are gone now.  As you can see the domain is parked.  I saw this thread on the V7N Webmaster forums though.  And this is what the user said…
   “I signed up for profithostplus in February on a Friday. They claim to activate your account within 24 hours. Boy, was that false advertisement. lol I waiting till Monday, and still was not activated. Well, I called them and believe it or not, they have no 800 toll free number, so imagine the bills I received from calling them. lol Anyway, that guy claimed that he never received my order and to email him to another email address my domain name, username, and password. lol Well, I did that, and then waiting another few more days and was still not activated. Well, I called him back again since that is the only way to contact him, because I found out he never replies to his emails, even to threatening emails.He said there was a glitch in the system and they are working on it. Anyway, after repeat calls to him, and repeat emails(which he never replies to), I finally got activated 2 weeks after I signed up. lol

   Well, anyway everything in the control panel doesn’t even work(they programmed their own control panel). I had nothing but problems with that hosting company, it is unreal. lol

   So, I suggest not to goto this company at all.. That is the worse experience I ever had, not to mention I had thousands of headaches, and tons of money short from my pocket.” 
        Seems pretty brutal eh?

Coupons Are Great!

     Many hosts put coupons out on their website, or post them in forums, etc.  They are discounts or freebies you get with your hosting plan.  Like, enter “spring” into the coupon code area and receive 50% off the first 2 months!  Also for registering domains, like 99cent dot info’s, discounts, etc.

     Before ever getting a web hosting plan, always look for coupon codes for your desired host.  They are so awesome, it saves you so much money for little work.  I would just hop on to Google and get me a nice search goin’ for web hosting coupon codes.

    Also on forums like “The Digital Point” there is a voucher section where people post coupon codes and sell vouchers for advertising.  So please make sure to look for these great thing, thanks for reading!

What to look in finding a good host [Part 2]

     I received even more emails about some other things that you should look for in a good host.  So I am now deciding to make a part 2 of this post.  These are also very important, and are needed for good web hosting.  Here they are…

• Customer Service - Many small hosts don’t have very good customer service.  It usually is one guy with a reseller plan cashing in.  The one person cannot be online 24/7, and that could be when you need help ASAP.  Many hosts (like Host Gator) have a live help system with many representatives.  They have some on 24/7.  At 3am I am still able to find live help, which is great.  Also you can contact them by email, or phone!
• Type of Hosting - There is always a certain kind of web hosting you need.  For example, for proxy hosting you need a host which allows them, has a small amount of disc space, and a large amount of bandwidth.  What one person may need could be the exact opposite of what somebody else needs.
• Location - Some hosts find it cheaper to place their servers somewhere else in the world.  Though it will be much slower if you live in the US and your site is hosted in Mexico.  Am I right?  You need to make sure it is in a secure location, one that will be steady.  If you like in the States, find something in the States or atleast near it.
• Speed - I don’t know about you, but I just hate sites that are horribly slow, as if the web host is in somebodies basement on a 20-dollar server with a 56k connection.  It just really makes my angry.  I don’t use those type of websites.  And you shouldn’t own one either.  What you need is a fast host, if somebody has fast internet, they expect for a website to load as it is supposed to.  You will lose up to 99% of visitors by having a slow-loading website.
• Sufficient Email - If you have a site which need support, it seems unprofessional to have a free hosted email like Gmail, MSN, Yahoo, etc.  You need like yourname@yoursite.com.  If your host doesn’t have a sufficient one, then don’t bother with it.  Host Gator allows thousands of emails, and has 3 different POP/IMAP email readers.  Including HORDE, Squirrel Mail, and RoundCube.  If one of these are down, there are still 2 others available.
• Site builder or Free Templates - If you are a newbie at websites, you want a free site builder or atleast some templates.  Every good host will come with software like that just for this reason!  It usually comes free, but even if you have to pay a couple extra bucks per month, DO IT!  It will most likely be better if it is not free.  This is just for those who do not have website building experience.

     I really hope this 2nd edition of finding a right host helped.  Thanks to many people for commenting and emailing me other things to find a good host.  I might make an edition #3 depending on what I find.  Please email me of anything I should post or other topics for web hosting. 

email: tristan@hostadium.net

What to look in finding a good host

     I have been getting some emails, and people are wondering how to find a good host.  I decided to make this small post on finding a good one.  Having a good host is important, and now you will find a nice one.

• Space/Bandwidth Radio - This is to deal with how much transfer it takes to load your page every time, and your total bandwidth.  Let’s say you have 100GB bandwidth (100,000 mb), and your site has a bunch of images on the frontpage so it is 2MB.  This means you can have your site loaded 50,000 times.  That is alright until you get a lot more traffic. 
• Feature Tricks - Some hosts will throw in a bunch of other crap that you don’t need.  Like “$399.76 of software which somes free!”  That is totally stupid, and don’t fall for it.  Also like a bunch of email accounts, etc. You only need 500 emails max that is if you own a billion sites like I do, some might need more.  Also like $100 Google Adwords and crap advertising, make sure you look at the prime hosting details.  Like Space, bandwidth, and the price.
• Are They Known? - Some web hosts just start up and are not totally reliable.  I’ve had a few problems where the hosting is hown for 80% of the month and then 30 days later ask for the monthly fee.  Like honestly, get real.  Look around on google and see if they are talked about anywhere, then get with them.  Most likely huge companies like Host Gator will have much better service and a cheaper price, in some cases I may be wrong.
• Software - Having the correct software in a host is good.  Some have free or very cheap control panel softwares, many use direct panel or vista panel.  That is a no-go.  The way to go is cPanel.  Atleast cPanel 10.  It is what you need definately.  Also if you are new, make sure it has Fantastico.  It is an automated script installer.  It saves a bundle of time.
• Price - Well, you get what you pay for.  If you are seeing 1TB Space and 10TB bandwidth kind of stuff, don’t go for it.  I bet if you reach the 500gb mark on your bandwidth they will shut you down or charge you.  If you see 100mb and 1gb bandwidth, don’t go for it even if it says $1.

     This will guide hopefully helped you out, Host Gator is still in my eyes the best host.  If you can prove me wrong, then do so via email or msn; tristan@hostadium.net or diggservice@live.ca (msn).  Thanks, and take care.