Written By: Nancy Long
In a previous article, I wrote about What to Look for in a Web Designer . Along with a web designer, your site also will need a domain name (internet address) AND a host.
When you're quoted a price by a web designer to design your new website, the costs of web hosting often aren't included. If it's not mentioned, ask. This is an area where there should be full disclosure. Where is your account being hosted? For how long? For how much?
What is a Host?
They're your office building. They hold the pages that make up your site and display them on the internet. They deliver your site to the internet so that it can be found. In a nutshell, a host is connected to all of the routers around the world necessary to populate and inform the internet of your website's presence. It's the holder of your domain name (website address). It's the keeper of your email address and the "storefront" of your website.
Prices may vary, but on average (at the time this article was written), I find that web hosting should cost you around $200 for two years and will preferably include unlimited bandwidth and storage space. Some hosts may cost more, and some may cost less--make sure you examine all the features offered to ensure you are getting what you need for the money. Most of the work of figuring out what you need is your web developers responsibility but it certainly doesn't hurt for you to know and understand what you're paying for. FYI, your host relationship can outlive your partnership with your web designer.
All Hosts are not created equal. Important things to know about your host are:
- How long have they been in business? I personally would not choose a new company. Make sure they have the experience to handle such a large responsibility.
- What is their up-time? (i.e. how long are they up and running with no problems as opposed to the amount of time that their servers are down due to unexpected crashes and scheduled maintenance). I expect no less than 99% up-time from my hosting companies.
- What limits are they going to put on the amount of data that you store (disk storage)? Many hosts in the $200 range offer unlimited storage.
- What limits do they have for the amount of traffic that your site generates (bandwidth)? Again, many hosts offer unlimited bandwidth. Beware those that try to cap you or want to charge you extra beyond a certain amount of disk storage or bandwidth.
- How many email accounts are you allowed?
- How many d...
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