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Web hosting companies advertise all the wonderful benefits you will get from setting up your web site — they film TV commercials of small business owners making new sales on a beautiful new website hosted on their platform. Alternatively, they sell price; they think that hosting is a commodity and the lowest price will win. Web hosting customers usually think about one of these two things. They either buy based on slick advertising that makes them feel good about their new website, or they buy based on price because they can’t see how any of it is different. What is forgotten in all of this is the actual task of website administration — a task you will have to engage in once you buy a hosting plan and set up your website.
If you get the sense that most web hosting plans are basically the same, that’s because they mostly are. There are some standout companies doing really unique or amazing things — especially in the managed hosting world — but most web hosting customers don’t need particularly unique or amazing services.
That probably includes you. You don’t need a $99/month state-of-the-art managed hosting platform with artisanal WordPress optimizations (unless you do). What you need is a solid web hosting company with a decent plan at a decent price. Thankfully, there are a number of companies providing exactly that. Whether you need a VPS plan or can get by with a shared hosting account, there are several really good options available.
So what makes them different? Should you choose based just on price?
The major difference between one hosting company and another — and the thing you are going to notice day after day — is the experience of website administration. Basic tasks that you, as the website owner, will need to do. This is everything from setting up your site in the first place to dealing with domain registration to what happens if everything breaks.
High powered technology, state of the art servers, bleeding-edge coolant systems — all of this stuff is good and sometimes worth paying for. But the real test of quality in a hosting company is whether you can do what you need to get done and get back to business. If logging in to your hosting account fills you with dread or confusion, you will avoid taking care of things that really need doing. If your hosting plan is easy to use, even fun, then you’ll take care of your website and have fewer problems. That is worth paying an extra dollar or two a month for.
Web Hosting Administration Features
Control Panels
The control panel is the primary interface between you and your hosting account. It is where you will deal with account management issues, handle payment, set up email accounts, transfer domains, and pretty much every other task you can imagine. Most hosting companies only provide one, but some offer a few options to choose from. If you are looking at several different hosting companies, and you have the option to try a demo of the control panel, you should try it out before you make a decision. This will have a huge impact on your experience as a web hosting customer.
- Ajenti
- Control Panel
- eXtend Control Panel
- HELM
- ISPConfig
- Kloxo
- LXAdmin
- ZPanel
- cPanel
- DirectAdmin
- InterWorx
- Plesk
- RVSkin
- vDeck
- Webmin
- WHM
- WHMCS
One Click Installs are the web hosting equivalent of desktop installation wizards. If you plan to use a popular app like WordPress, Drupal, or Magento, a One Click Installer will help you get up and running very quickly.
Website Analytics
Website analytics tools help you know how many people are visiting your site, how they got there, and what they are doing once they arrive.
- Daily Access Statistics
- TraceWatch
- Analog
- AWStats
- BBClone
- Modlogan
- phpMyCounter
- phpMyVisites
- Plog
- Webalizer
You don’t have to run your domain-based email through your web hosting account, but you might want to.
- AspSmartMail
- Auto Responders
- Catch-all email
- cgiemail
- Email Forwarding
- FormMail
- GigaMail
- NutsMail
- Railgun
- Spam Filter
- SpamAssassin
- Uebimiau
- Custom MX Records
- IMAP Support
- POP3 Support
- SMTP
- SPF
- Webmail
- SquirrelMail
Server Administration
Basic server tasks should be easy to perform from the Control Panel. If you are technically savvy, you may want more advanced access. Make sure, in that case, that the company doesn’t block access.
- Access Logs
- Backups
- DBO Access
- File
- File Manager
- paFileDB
- Password Protected Directories
- Raw Files
- Shell Access
- SolusVM
- suPHP
- Video
- Crontabs
- Custom Error Pages
- DNS Zone File Editor
- SSH Access
- Anonymous FTP
- FTPS
Security
It is more important than ever to be mindful of security issues, especially if you collect any form of user data. This is even more true in the case of ecommerce sites. Security can not be an afterthought; you need to include concerns about security at every stage of development, including the selection of a web hosting company.
- ASPSecured
- Sender ID
- SSL Certificates
- TRUSTe
- Firewall Protection
- Hotlink Protection
- IP Deny Manager
- Private SSL
- Proxy SSL Encryption
- Shared SSL
- Snapshot Backups
Support
A good support plan — backed up by a good support team — is possibly the single, most important feature of a web hosting company.
- Email Support
- Live Chat Support
- Online FAQs
- Support Forum
- Free Module Installation
- Free Shopping Cart
- Instant Activation
- Phone Support
- Transfer Support
- Uptime Guarantee
Sales & Marketing
Many web hosting companies provide tools and services to assist in your sales and marketing efforts. These “freebies” are usually not a good reason to select one host over another, but you should take advantage of them if they are available.
- Announcement Lists
- Merchant Account Support
- PowerPay
- Constant Marketing Tools
- Credit Card Payment Gateway
- OpenX
- phpAdsNew
- SEO
Account Management
Sometimes, its the most basic things that matter — like how easy or complicated billing is, or whether the company will take payment the way you want.
- Bitcoin
- Check Payments
- Credit Card
- Free
- Money Order
- Money-Back Guarantee
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
- Domains
- WHOIS Privacy
