Showing posts with label web servers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label web servers. Show all posts
Monday, 15 August 2011
As a web designer I am sometimes asked to recommend or provide hosting for clients, but often clients like to shop around.
Here is some information to help you when looking at Web Hosts based on a personal experience of these 4 companies which are the ones I have worked with most frequently.
Cheap 'n' Cheerful - UK Cheapest
This is a very basic web hosting service. They do support a lot of web applications like wordpress and joomla and they make life easy if you are not web savvy since since all updates can be done automatically.
I do not recommend these for e-commerce sites or those using content management systems like wordpress which take up a lot of space, or sites which are expected to expand rapidly. I do use them for my own site which requires little in the way of stored images, etc. Shops, and other sites where a lot of detail is uploaded they can quickly become full, and the company will suspend the account immediately if you go over your allocation. Even if you upgrade immediately expect the site to be off-line for at least 24 hours. They will not commit to a timescale for reinstatement.
The other thing to consider is their storage space vs cost. If you were to buy a site large enough for a mid-scale ecommerce site run on a shopping cart programme, it could work out more expensive than a better package elsewhere.
They score poorly on customer service - they have no dedicated phone lines so all support questions have to be dealt with online. They will report that they are dealing with all support "tickets" within 1 hour but rarely do, even on an urgent ticket you can wait at least 24 hours for any response and the customer support you do get is pretty lack lustre.
Verdict: Cheap, you get what you pay for, OK for small trades based sites and personal sites.
Good Service - 123 Reg & UK Host4U
Although I find the UK Host4U website irritating in the extreme (especially the online chat window that zooms across the screen), I have never had any problems with either of these companies, they are reasonably priced and offer a good customer support service which is based within the UK. They also support many web applications, content management systems and e-commerce carts. With 123-Reg, if you purchase their business package or higher you can choose to host more than one site with them for the same fee. The sites are mainly shared, non-managed server sites and I would say they are good value for money.
Verdict: Standard shared and non managed web hosting service, various packages to suit the needs of different sized businesses as well as the smaller website.
Top of the Range - Your Site Here (YSH)
Without doubt the best web hosting service I have ever used in terms of its customer service. Run by the Dark group the customer service availability is limited to office hours but the telephone is answered immediately, the staff actually know your name and can help with every aspect of your site from basic uploading issues, right through to intricate little problems you may have with any one of the number of web based applications they support. This, in my view, is top of the line hosting and you will pay accordingly. The downside is that they whilst they do offer web applications and content management system support, once something like wordpress or joomla is installed space is at a premium. Even smallish sites can quickly become full even on their Platinum service which offers 1GB storage compared to 10GB+ on other servers.
Verdict: Fine for non content management based sites. Excellent customer care.
Quick Comparison - Cost vs Storage Space
UK Cheapest: 10GB storage for £7.49 per month.
UKHost4U: 10GB storage for £14.99 month
123-Reg: 25GB storage for £4.99 month
YSH: 1GB storage for around £25.00 per month (this is the largest storage available with this host)
Here is some information to help you when looking at Web Hosts based on a personal experience of these 4 companies which are the ones I have worked with most frequently.
Cheap 'n' Cheerful - UK Cheapest
This is a very basic web hosting service. They do support a lot of web applications like wordpress and joomla and they make life easy if you are not web savvy since since all updates can be done automatically.
I do not recommend these for e-commerce sites or those using content management systems like wordpress which take up a lot of space, or sites which are expected to expand rapidly. I do use them for my own site which requires little in the way of stored images, etc. Shops, and other sites where a lot of detail is uploaded they can quickly become full, and the company will suspend the account immediately if you go over your allocation. Even if you upgrade immediately expect the site to be off-line for at least 24 hours. They will not commit to a timescale for reinstatement.
The other thing to consider is their storage space vs cost. If you were to buy a site large enough for a mid-scale ecommerce site run on a shopping cart programme, it could work out more expensive than a better package elsewhere.
They score poorly on customer service - they have no dedicated phone lines so all support questions have to be dealt with online. They will report that they are dealing with all support "tickets" within 1 hour but rarely do, even on an urgent ticket you can wait at least 24 hours for any response and the customer support you do get is pretty lack lustre.
Verdict: Cheap, you get what you pay for, OK for small trades based sites and personal sites.
Good Service - 123 Reg & UK Host4U
Although I find the UK Host4U website irritating in the extreme (especially the online chat window that zooms across the screen), I have never had any problems with either of these companies, they are reasonably priced and offer a good customer support service which is based within the UK. They also support many web applications, content management systems and e-commerce carts. With 123-Reg, if you purchase their business package or higher you can choose to host more than one site with them for the same fee. The sites are mainly shared, non-managed server sites and I would say they are good value for money.
Verdict: Standard shared and non managed web hosting service, various packages to suit the needs of different sized businesses as well as the smaller website.
Top of the Range - Your Site Here (YSH)
Without doubt the best web hosting service I have ever used in terms of its customer service. Run by the Dark group the customer service availability is limited to office hours but the telephone is answered immediately, the staff actually know your name and can help with every aspect of your site from basic uploading issues, right through to intricate little problems you may have with any one of the number of web based applications they support. This, in my view, is top of the line hosting and you will pay accordingly. The downside is that they whilst they do offer web applications and content management system support, once something like wordpress or joomla is installed space is at a premium. Even smallish sites can quickly become full even on their Platinum service which offers 1GB storage compared to 10GB+ on other servers.
Verdict: Fine for non content management based sites. Excellent customer care.
Quick Comparison - Cost vs Storage Space
UK Cheapest: 10GB storage for £7.49 per month.
UKHost4U: 10GB storage for £14.99 month
123-Reg: 25GB storage for £4.99 month
YSH: 1GB storage for around £25.00 per month (this is the largest storage available with this host)
In order for your website to go live online it has to be "hosted" on a server owned by a Web Hosting company.
It is often possible to purchase your domain name (web address) and hosting from the same company, for example 123.reg offers this service as do many others. This is probably the easiest way of getting a host, but some people like to shop around for the best deal. If you decide to go down this route it is best to look out for some key issues that will effect the quality of the hosting you receive.
Cost
Don't over prioritise cost in terms of your hosting. "You get what you pay for" is the key here. Make sure you are not losing out in terms of time connected to the internet, or lack of support when you need it. Look out for customer support that you can access via the telephone if you need to.
Support
Closely linked to cost, if you go very cheap (especially if you go overseas) are they going to have experienced systems administrators on their support staff? This can help avoid wasting hours talking to unskilled staff at a call centre with an issue that will take a systems administrator 5 minutes to sort out.
Look for hosts that support applications like wordpress, joomla or drupal if you plan on using these to manage the content of your site. You could find that many cheaper hosts will only give support for initial set up and so if you do get into difficulties there will be no one available with any knowledge of these to help you sort them out.
Check what is and what is not available as free support, if in doubt ring them and ask, otherwise you could find yourself faced with so many hidden charges that you may as well have just gone straight for more expensive hosting in the first place.
Size Really Isn't Everything!
Just because a company is large it is not a guarantee of stability or of good service. If you are buying hosting of any kind, but especially the higher end expensive hosting services, check to see that the company are making a profit, if it has changed hands frequently and check in the online forums to see if people have had issues with them in the past and what those issues are.
Using Cheap Foreign Hosts (Or even UK based ones!)
Be aware that many of these hosts may be charging peanuts for hosting but many may not be that discerning about the type of sites they allow on their servers. Porn and spamming sites will eventually be blackholed, essentially blocking the transit of electronic information from their sites to others. If you happen to be on the same server you could end up having security issues or problems with electronic communication via your website. It is not unknown for blocked IP addresses to be recycled to new clients which will immediately cause issues for your site.
Use Word of Mouth Recommendations
If you are planning an e-commerce site, go and talk to someone else who has an online shop and ask about their experience with the hosts. People will not usually hold back if their is a problem! Or ask a web designer, even if they are not doing your site themselves, they are often happy to give opinion as to the best hosting service for your needs. The benefit of this is that they have often worked with different hosts over a period of time so can give you some useful background on more than one company.
Finally, remember that the service provided may change over time, so when your hosting comes up for renewal take some time out to look at other hosts and see if it may be ime to make a change.
It is often possible to purchase your domain name (web address) and hosting from the same company, for example 123.reg offers this service as do many others. This is probably the easiest way of getting a host, but some people like to shop around for the best deal. If you decide to go down this route it is best to look out for some key issues that will effect the quality of the hosting you receive.
Cost
Don't over prioritise cost in terms of your hosting. "You get what you pay for" is the key here. Make sure you are not losing out in terms of time connected to the internet, or lack of support when you need it. Look out for customer support that you can access via the telephone if you need to.
Support
Closely linked to cost, if you go very cheap (especially if you go overseas) are they going to have experienced systems administrators on their support staff? This can help avoid wasting hours talking to unskilled staff at a call centre with an issue that will take a systems administrator 5 minutes to sort out.
Look for hosts that support applications like wordpress, joomla or drupal if you plan on using these to manage the content of your site. You could find that many cheaper hosts will only give support for initial set up and so if you do get into difficulties there will be no one available with any knowledge of these to help you sort them out.
Check what is and what is not available as free support, if in doubt ring them and ask, otherwise you could find yourself faced with so many hidden charges that you may as well have just gone straight for more expensive hosting in the first place.
Size Really Isn't Everything!
Just because a company is large it is not a guarantee of stability or of good service. If you are buying hosting of any kind, but especially the higher end expensive hosting services, check to see that the company are making a profit, if it has changed hands frequently and check in the online forums to see if people have had issues with them in the past and what those issues are.
Using Cheap Foreign Hosts (Or even UK based ones!)
Be aware that many of these hosts may be charging peanuts for hosting but many may not be that discerning about the type of sites they allow on their servers. Porn and spamming sites will eventually be blackholed, essentially blocking the transit of electronic information from their sites to others. If you happen to be on the same server you could end up having security issues or problems with electronic communication via your website. It is not unknown for blocked IP addresses to be recycled to new clients which will immediately cause issues for your site.
Use Word of Mouth Recommendations
If you are planning an e-commerce site, go and talk to someone else who has an online shop and ask about their experience with the hosts. People will not usually hold back if their is a problem! Or ask a web designer, even if they are not doing your site themselves, they are often happy to give opinion as to the best hosting service for your needs. The benefit of this is that they have often worked with different hosts over a period of time so can give you some useful background on more than one company.
Finally, remember that the service provided may change over time, so when your hosting comes up for renewal take some time out to look at other hosts and see if it may be ime to make a change.
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About Me
- Mara Cortesi
- Live and work in Somerset. Just about to embark on a back to nursing practice course.