by LunaWeb

Shared Web Hosting – Criteria For Picking Your Web Host

Shared Web Hosting varies greatly in the features each hosting company provides so we wanted to explain the features worth understanding before choosing your shared web host service.

Before reading the features below we would advise you to READ THE FINE PRINT for any shared web hosting service because despite claiming unlimited storage, bandwidth,etc.there are limits and conditions stated in the fine print.

When it comes to shared web hosting, the following features are the things you should be aware of:

1. Total Web Space Provided

Web storage space corresponds to the amount of files you can upload to the server. Of course, the bigger the web space provided the more sites, software applications, and sub-domains you can host.

Understand that many hosting companies may advertise unlimited storage but they limit the number of Inodes, which is the number of files. Inodes can add up quickly if you are adding lots of content to your site with images, videos, multiple websites,etc. Some shared hosts limit it at 50,000 inodes and some at 250,000 or more.

2. Server Uptime

Obviously you want your website up 100% of the time but that isnt always the case. Server uptime is usually dependent on the quality of your web-hosting provider so go with the company that is totally reliable.

Go with a reputable provider that offers 24/7 support and generally you shouldnt have too many problems with downtime. Honestly though, when you see unlimited hosting with unlimited bandwidth/storeage/etcfor less than dont be surprised to see some downtime.

We have found the cheapest shared hosts to be less quality or overloaded servers that cause your sites to be really slow. Not always the case but it does happen.

3. Unlimited Bandwidth / Traffic

Many shared web hosting services will advertise UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH. When it comes to this feature, understand that when you have a large amount of traffic on a shared server then your site can slow down or if lots of different users are causing lots of processes to run when they click on posts with images or videos,etcthen you will hit the CPU limits.

There really is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth unless you keep upgrading your account to bigger and better servers. Shared web hosting providers would just lose money giving unlimited bandwidth.

Bandwidth is limited to what is provided by the server and when you are sharing a server with hundreds of other websites your site will probably load slowly or timeout if you start getting a lot of traffic/bandwidth usage.

4. Software, Applications and Bundles Included

Software can be a differentiator between shared web hosts. The most commonly used control panel/account management software is called CPANEL. Some hosting companies use a different control panel software or their own. We would avoid those because if you need to transfer your account then CPANEL is easier to transfer when upgrading to a VPS or Dedicated Server account that uses WHM software. Some hosts will charge extra for CPANEL.

Also, many hosting companies provide free web design software or free website templates. Almost all shared web hosts will provide free application installation support.

The most common web hosting scripts and programs today are Java, Php, and Frontpage. If you use specific software then make sure it will be supported by your web hosting provider.

Generally if the hosting provider is well known and you are using a common software then you shouldnt have any problems.

If you plan on using WordPress then go with Linux Servers and make sure the shared hosting provider provides MySql databases and the latest PHP scripts. Also many provide autoinstallers software like Fantastico (which is a great tool for wordpress users).

The performance of your website relies on your web hosting service. Make sure you trust your website only to the experts. Go with the company that understands the needs of their clients when it comes to uptime and functionality. Also, DONT overlook the quality of support offered as it varies dramatically between shared web hosts.

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