How to Choose a Hosting Company;
How to Change A Web Host

For small users with 3 to 5 web pages, there's not much difference between most hosting companies.

But if you expect changes, growth, to do real business or add functionality, or ever move your site (not to be held hostage by some host), then the following may help to prevent months of headache and thousands of dollars in costs.

You should compare site hosting packages for the best hosting servers, best e commerce hosting features and support, best domain name hosting, hosting control panel, cpanel hosting, server hosting. Especially if you are in business, you should review business hosting standards.

Do not rely on just one recommendation or a sales pitch. Do not begin an important or business site without caution, a checklist, study and for expert advice see choose a web designer . *Read disclaimer at bottom

Priorities for serious prospective web site owners should be:

1. Availability of Support both within the Host company and from web developers who prefer certain hosting companies.
   
   
2. Portability and Compatibility of the Site. Reliable providing of all standard utilities and support of standard functions scripts. Can you move it easily to other servers?
   
   
3. Reliability of the company and their servers. (including time in business, size, financial strength, access to backbone, co-location)
   
   
4. Does it offer good security and anti-virus, anti-worm protection while supporting user access and secure transactions?
   
   
5. Functionality, performance and limits of the server
   
   

(Can users of your site access certain folders, list items, use passwords, send secure mail, and easily fill out order forms? Some hosts do not allow anyone but the owner to update files.) Can you change shopping cart options, appearance or even the cart itself, or add pictures, options, shipping calculations or include merchant banking? Will it handle a surge of traffic? For technical aspects of moving an existing site, click here.

For a new site or updating or moving a site that will need expansion,
DECIDE WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING YOU WANT

1. A cheap web site that you or your developer can design or update from scratch with all HTML code kept simple and portable to most hosts. Note that some web site generators on some hosts will "lock you in" to their proprietary HTML code, using some supersets, SSI and functions which will not work well on other host servers. Homestead-tm used to be like that. It was like a loan, easy to get into, hard to get out. And be sure your site won't have ads or pop up ads. There is nothing more obnoxious. If you can't afford $5 per month, don't even try.
   
   
2. A website that is rather inexpensive ($120 to $300) made from medium-grade templates that you choose from other than the hosting company with almost no modification and where the web pages are not generated, not dependent on a particular Hosting Company's proprietary software generators. (templates should not be chosen without web designer or programmer's approval)
   (Will you own your page, or will they own the page design by template?)
   
   
3. A website that is moderately inexpensive ($200 to $500) but very attractive, modified from high-end templates with minor modification and movable to most any host. (BG Design offers some of the best templates available as great starting points. They have better program coding methods for maintainability and are not tied to a particular host.)
   
   
4. A website that is medium priced ($400 to $1200)but very attractive based mostly on high-end templates with substantial customization (color, some graphics, special content and images, a few forms, special buttons, etc.) , yet movable to most standard hosts. See Example1.
   
   
5. A website that uses a proprietary shopping cart and may or may not require frequent CONTENT updates. Such a site is moderately inexpensive but attractive and you can live with the site "as is" as to standard design (little customization) once the design is chosen and you WILL STAY with the proprietary company (which may charge $65 to $175 per hour for technical support and changes). This hosting company may charge two to three times as much per month because customers are "locked in". Your site may revert to prior design and lose layout if the host restores some one page.
   
   
6. A website that uses a more standard shopping cart and requires frequent CONTENT and DESIGN updates which is medium to slightly high priced ($700 to $4000 or more if many items), partly based on templates or is custom and you want to be able to move to most any standardized hosting company.
   
   This requires someone to verify and check the content and design changes and to make the changes. It has to be someone you trust, and maintenance can take hours per month, so the cost must be reasonable ($35 to $50 per hour). A maintenance plan can get you better priority service. Don't be sold on a simple WYSIWYG editor (what you see is what you get) for minor changes that you make! Few WYSIWYG editors work right and generate later problems for an HTML programmer. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND Microsoft FRONTPAGE^tm except for certain Windows requirements!!
   
   A website that is a bit complex using CGI or perl programs with some functionality, perhaps a database or user loaded items and requiring secure areas and several forms. This kind of site can require considerable (40 to hundreds of hours) technical support and installation assistance and special support from the hosting company. You need to know what kind of firewall the host uses, and what level of response and support the host company has to technical questions. Expect to spend lots of hours if you are technical, or a few thousand dollars if you have reasonable cost technical support, such as $30 to $45/ hour for web developer and around $75 per hour for Perl Programmer. Remember, some hosting companies charge about $140 per hour for technical support beyond small questions and their original work.
   
   
7. A website that incorporates animation and FLASH, perhaps Windows ASP and Frontpage extensions and requires centralized update of many pages, etc. This requires special Windows certified or trained support and a technical staff if there are to be ongoing design changes. Odds are also this kind of tech support will be costlier than for the above.

DESIGN TIPS

Avoid excessive or sophisticated animation. It detracts from focus on the words and pictures. Keep it simple to tell the story in 10 seconds: who is the site for, what you do, how you're different and better. Avoid sophisticated animations which do not tell the basics.

How much should a website cost?

If you look at the above types, you get some idea of the cost. Another way to visualize sites if you don't have one is to look at a Comparison Chart. Like anything, if you learn a bit, you can save. But don't expect "cheap" to work right. And if you work with a better designer and webmaster, you may save money in the long run.

Some Popular Web Hosting Companies

We make no specific recommendations however some popular hosting companies to investigate are:

• AMHosting
• HostMonster
• InMotion
• WebHostingPad
• Host Papa
• HostGator
• LunarPages
• BlueHost
• Omnis Network
• Yahoo! Hosting
• IX Web Hosting

For Quick Research try Google Search.

How to Choose a good Web Site Designer

Look for someone who has been in business at least 5 years. Look at samples of their clients' web sites. Consider whether they take an educational approach and are candid about the real issues and important matters others never mention. Ask if the rates change after the initial work. Look for a phone number answered by a real person, as well as means to communicate from a customer area of their web site, also by a form which is easy to use. Look for their attitude about small jobs and maintenance. Consider if they seem to be looking out for your long term interests and costs. See if they listen carefully to your questions and ideas.

How to Change a Web Hosting Company

Check the financial condition of the company to ensure they are profitable and will stay in business for at least the following year. Business condtions can change along with the company owners and management which can make an impact on the financial health of the company. Keep informed of possible changes in the