ideahost Introduction

ideahost is a US-based web hosting company specializing in low-cost and unlimited shared hosting.

Unlimited Shared Hosting Simplicity

ideahost is all about simplicity. They offer a single hosting package with unlimited storage and bandwidth, on a shared server. The only decision you have to make during the sign up process is whether to purchase a new domain through ideahost or use a domain you already own.

With your enrollment, you receive a free domain registration (free for the first year only), unlimited domains, and unlimited MySQL databases. Each account includes unlimited, personal email addresses, access to webmail, spam filters and email virus protection, and email forwarding and autoresponders.

ideahost aims to make getting your website setup as simple as possible. Their plan includes a free drag and drop website builder with thousands of templates, a blog setup wizard, and a photo gallery setup wizard. While the free drag and drop website builder only supports 6 pages, additional pages can be purchased as an add-on.

For the slightly more tech-savvy, ideahost also provides easy installation of most major content management systems, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, all of which will let you create unlimited pages and choose from thousands of free and paid templates. For online retailers, ideahost also includes a free online store, your choice of shopping carts, and PayPal integration.

All of these options are easily accessible through cPanel, the most popular control panel in the world, as are the many free offers available to help you market your website. These include a Google AdWords credit, Yahoo and Bing Credits, Yellowpages.com listing, a toll-free US phone number, and access to several online marketing guides.

Although ideahost offers unlimited storage, it’s important to note that stipulations are in place that this space cannot be used for storage, of files, media, or other data. They reserve the right to review your account if you are utilizing excessive CPU or storage resources.

This same language can be found in the terms and conditions of most shared hosting plans, in particular those offering unlimited storage. And it should be viewed as a positive restriction, since it prevents one account from monopolizing all of the resources on a shared server.

Support and Customer Service

Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via phone, online chat, or email. All calls are answered within 2 minutes. For the do it yourselfers out there, they also offer an online help center and step-by-step tutorials for most common tasks.

Transfer service is available within the first 30 days of sign-up, though this is considered a courtesy and not a guaranteed service. Transfer services are available after 30 days as well, but you will incur an additional charge.

Backups

ideahost runs weekly backups, which are stored until the next weekly backup. However, the backup service is not a part of their guaranteed service, and they are not responsible for lost or corrupted data. Additionally, any sites that exceed 20 gigabytes in size are left out of weekly backups; if your site exceeds this size limit, only your databases will be included. As with any hosting plan, it’s a good idea not to rely on them for backups, but to instead set up your own backups to a separate location.

Uptime Guarantee

ideahost offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee. If they fail to meet this guarantee, you may be eligible for a one-month account credit. In the event that you believe this guarantee was not met, you simply need to submit a support request, and ideahost will review the server performance for the month and determine whether or not a credit is due.

Billing and Payments

Payment is typically made using a major credit card, though other payment methods are available upon request, including bank wire transfer, Western Union, checks, and money orders. All accounts are auto-renewed, using the information you provide ideahost at the time of enrollment. Changes to your billing information should be reported prior to your next renewal. If they are unable to process a renewal, your account may be suspended or cancelled.

Accounts may be cancelled at any time using the cancellation request feature in your control panel. Accounts cancelled within 45 days will receive a full refund. Accounts cancelled after that time may receive a partial refund, covering any full months remaining in your service. Returning customers or add-on customers are not eligible for the 45-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

ideahost is very clear about what they are: a low-cost, unlimited hosting plan. They don’t try to sell you on special upgrade options or higher-priced plans you don’t need. In fact, they don’t have any of those things.

They offer a single plan, which includes everything the average website owner requires. If you’re looking for a low-cost option, this is definitely worth considering. Not only is their price and features competitive, but for the first year they typically provide substantial discounts.