I was looking for a decent webhost and I forgot a few things that I was supposed to check for. So I thought why not make a list of things that we should all look into before choosing a webhost.
Well we all know the basics. See how much space and monthly bandwidth you will get. Don’t forget email accounts and databases. You know the usual stuff. So lets move on to the more important ones.
Are they overselling?
Oh please don’t go with a overselling webhost. Chances are you’ll be hosted on a oversold piece of s*** if you go with them. So how to tell if they’re overselling or not? Well is it too good too be true? Are they giving you 500GB or 1500GB of space and 100TB bandwidth for just $5? That’s overselling my friend.
And you won’t even need more than 2-10 gigs of space. Trust me. And for bandwidth I would go with like 50-200 gigs (just so it can handle traffic spikes).
Are they a reseller?
Most resellers are fly-by-night hosts. They take your money and they go poof! Say goodbye to your money and files. You don’t want that to happen. And even if they are a reseller check how long they have been in business.
The database size limit
This is very important if you plan to host a forum or a database-based site. I’ve looked around and most big webhosts have about 100MB limit in a shared environment. 100MB should be good enough for a while. Like if your site grows you’ll probably move to a VPS or a dedicated server.
Number of concurrent users on a database
Oh yeah this is 100% geeky thing. Its the number of database connections being made at the same time. This is really, really important if you have a forum (especially if its running on vBulletin). Now the limit ranges from 10-250 depending on the webhost.
Just call the support people and ask them about it. Most hosts don’t have info on it on their site. You might also wanna check their AUP (acceptable usage policy).
Reviews! Good or bad?
I would do a quick Google search and check for some reviews. Now don’t fully make your decision based on the reviews. Some might be fake (like written by a competitor). More important is word of mouth.
Type of support available
Most hosts do have a support number on their site and offer 24/7 email and/or live chat support. But how long do you have to wait till you get help? Here’s the mini checklist for support.
- Call support and see how long you have to wait till you talk with someone. You might get a host that puts you on the line until you hang up or just take messages.
- Email support with a few questions. Like concurrent users, database limits, etc. See when you get replied.
- Yep you got it! Use the handy live chat. See how long do you have to wait till a rep. gets on the chat and see how professional they are (like the replies and stuff).
Big fish or small fish??
I don’t care if some new host is giving an awesome deal, I would always go with a big host with a good reputation. Wondering why? Well you’ll be hosting your files and databases there. How do you know if they follow the privacy policy? How can you be sure that they won’t download your files and databases and make a clone or sell it somewhere? The list can go on and on. But you get my point, right?
Using a big host always makes me feel safe. I’m not saying that something like this is never going to happen on hosts like GoDaddy, MediaTemple, DreamHost, etc. But if it happens then you can at least sue their a**. They won’t just go poof unlike the small fishes.
