What to consider when choosing a web host
Deciding on the right web host is a difficult decision. Multiple factors such as connection, uptime, support, and advanced features, should be considered in selecting the proper host. It is critical that you select the host/hosting plan which best suits your website. Make a poor decision in this area, and you could find yourself paying for a host which limits, rather than expands, the potential of your future website.
Selecting the proper web host is a multi-step process. First, begin by figure out what you want in your website. Make a list of what features (i.e. flash media, music, file sharing) you would like to offer. For example: if your site displays various forms of artwork, than you might consider a content filter. After listing your desired features, consider how much space your site will need. Once you have considered space, the last thing to think about is expandability. That is, where you see your website heading in the future. For example, if you have a growth-model business site, than you might consider choosing a space plan that outweighs your current needs, which would leave room for later expansion. This is not to say that you cannot simply upgrade your hosting plan later. But in some cases, planning ahead with the right hosting plan may save you money in the long run.
Now that you have a general idea of what to consider, let us get more specific. When deciding on a host, there are four main things to consider with regard to your future website:
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Type of Site
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Space
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Features
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Bandwidth
Type of Site
Is your site e-commerce, or an online journal? Deciding what type of site you want is central to later figuring out other factors such as how much space you need, what features, etc. If you are not sure what type of site you want to have, first consider what you want the site to do, or its agenda. Common agendas include blogging, community posting, and e-commerce.
Space
The amount of space your site will require depends on its type. A multi-page e-commerce site, complete with its own forum and online payment system, will use vast amounts of space when compared to a simple, read-only informational site. Before choosing a host plan, estimate the amount of space you will need, based-on the data/feature capacity of your site.
Features
For generic, HTML-based websites, a simple host plan providing minimal language features is fine. However, if your site includes advanced applications such as image libraries, content filtering, or custom media, a larger plan, one with better support, is required. For example, e-commerce sites often use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption for their online payment systems. If you wish to sell products off your site via an online payment method, make sure you choose a host plan which supports SSL.
Bandwidth
Calculate bandwidth by starting with script code, and adding graphics. Next, multiply by estimated number of hits received per day. Multiply this sum by the average number of days in a month (30), and you have your total.
Thus, your bandwidth calculator looks like the following:
(Script code + Graphics) x (Hits p/day) = Total(30)
Let’s try an example. Say your site’s base HTML code, plus graphics, equals 10 kb. You estimate one-hundred hits per day. Based on the bandwidth calculator, you should use approximately 30,000 kb per month (10 x 100 x 30).
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