These days most of the hosting sites you’ll see offer fairly similar services, and the bulk of them are at least decent. Some of the better known hosts, like Godaddy, 1and1, Lunarpages, and Host Gator, aren’t night and day different. How do you make a decision, then, when there are so many choices?
Competitive pricing is nice, but features are more important. A lot of times the majority of the given features at any tier of hosting will be similar, and it’s kind of sneaky sometimes. It’s the 10% that differs that really matters.
Hosting Packages
For example, in doing some comparisons recently I noted a couple differences between two of the hosting companies I am most familiar with: Godaddy.com and Lunarpages.com. Godaddy’s basic hosting is cheaper than Lunarpages, but you don’t get unlimited storage, SQL databases, or the ability to host multiple domains. Even Godaddy’s intermediate hosting package, which allows unlimited domain hosting, still does not offer unlimited storage or unlimited SQL databases. Godaddy also does not provide domain email by default; you have to pay extra for that. If those features are important to you, you might end up having to purchase Godaddy’s maximum hosting package, which is much more expensive, to get some of the features competitors may offer.
In Lunarpages’ case, their basic hosting package offers unlimited:
- web storage
- monthly bandwidth
- SQL databases
- add-on domains
- sub domains
- FTP accounts
…and to reiterate, email tied with your domain is a free add-on with this hosting, i.e. johnsmith@yourdomain.com.
To be fair, Godaddy’s basic hosting does offer 10GB storage space, which for a lot of websites is more than enough. Does having a limit matter if you’re unlikely to hit it? Fair question. Your WordPress website may never exceed a few hundred MB, for example. Same goes for its 10 SQL database limit; is your typical user likely to exceed that? Consider your specific needs. You might even be a person like me that likes the sound of unlimited even if it’s not necessary, and if that’s the peace of mind you’re after, pursue that in your searching.
What Are The Extended Features?
Other things to consider, depending on the complexity of your hosting needs, is the cost and availability of the following:
- Additional language support
- Dedicated server (a server machine that hosts only your site)
- SSL certificate (secure connections)
- cPanel access (a more standardized back-end management)
- Number of email addresses and email storage amount
- MS Access databases
- Java support
Discounted Pricing
Some hosts and domain registrars will offer discounted pricing if you buy for longer periods of time. For example, a given domain might cost $11.99 for one year, but $8.99/year for two years. Hosting often works the same way, so if you’re opening a site you plan to have running for several years to come, you should consider buying a few years in advance to save cash.
Universal Hosting
As mentioned above, some hosting packages allow you to host multiple websites through one account. You pay for one hosting account and can then funnel as many domains through it as needed (you still have to buy all the domains). This can be a lot cheaper than obtaining individual hosting for each domain, or having hosting for your different websites spread out across multiple hosts.
Ask questions! If you’re considering a certain host and want clarification on their different packages, don’t be afraid to call their support number and talk to someone. Chances are, they’ll be more than happy to explain everything to potentially gain a customer. If they’re not very enthusiastic about answering your questions, you’ve just learned something about their customer service, and you might want to look elsewhere.
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