Let's Talk About Hosts

Hosting is more affordable than ever, but when looking for a host, do not proceed with the assumption that all hosts are created equal. There are a number of factors that should be considered in selecting a host- provided you are not going to use your own hardware to host your site.

Hardware Believe it or not, there are some web hosts who are using Intel Atom processors on their web servers. This is NOT an ideal platform. Between the Atom's optimization for low-power computing, low clock speed, and dismal performance under load, if your website requires consistent and speedy performance, this is not the solution you want to pay money for.

Also determine whether you are going to be receiving shared hosting or dedicated hosting. If your site is being hosted on the same physical machine as 100 other sites, you can be assured of a resultant reduction in the performance of your website. You may save money by using a shared host, but if your web presence demands high performance in order to ensure your operation is profitable, you will lose more money than you will save.

Operating System For websites that are built with mainly open source and cross-platform tools such as MySQL, PHP, Java, and Ruby, Linux-based hosts are a sensible and economical solution.

On the other hand, if your business relies on proprietary web applications that require Microsoft's specific version of SQL, ASP, or simply are available only as Windows binaries, Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 is the only way to go.

Bandwidth If you are streaming media files or otherwise moving large amounts of data outside of your LAN, your host needs to provide you with ample bandwidth. If you are running a business, you do not want to lose clients (and potential revenue) when visitors to your website receive a notice along the lines of: "The bandwidth for www.acme-widgets.com has exceeded its alotted bandwidth. Please try again later."

Quality of service Let's face it. A host can run on the latest hardware, support all of the apps you want, and provide boundless amounts of bandwidth, but if when you call, you are stuck talking to an intern who doesn't know hosting from a hole in the ground, you have paid too much money for your hosting. If you are met with rudeness when you call for support, your host doesn't deserve your money. Most of all, if your hosting provider tries to up-sell you despite your actual needs and over your objections, bail. Hosting providers can make plenty of money without having to mistreat their potential customers.

When choosing a host, its always a good idea to do some research. Speak with colleagues in your field to find out their experiences. Utilize resources such as the Better Business Bureau and RipOffReports.com. Google any potential hosting companies. Keep in mind that even the best hosting companies have their share of customer complaints. Be sure to account for the scope of these complaints and whether they were resolved in addition to merely the number of complaints.