Lesson #2: Choosing the Right Web Host

Now that we’re making some progress lets take some time out for another Lesson. Eventually, you’re going to need to invest in one of the most important purchases of your online career. Webhosting.

Webhosting comes in various different forms & in general can be quite confusing for someone who doesn’t know that they’re looking for. I’m going to give you a quick run down of what I personally feel is important for you to have with a webhost, recommend a few hosts I’ve had experience with & at least then you will be a bit more knowledgable when the time comes to make the leap.

What do you need Webhosting for?

Webhosting allows you to create websites, pages, forums, shops, newsletters & much more. It allows you to market your products however you see fit, it allows you to set up a personal blog, communicate with people who visit it or even receieve email to your personal address (yourname@yourwebsite.com).

It is vitally important if you want to try & earn money online that you have a good reliable webhost, one thing also to remember is that expensive often doesn’t mean reliable. I’ve used about 6 webhosts over the past 5 years & it’s amazing how much things have changed, especially things that people now take for granted.

So what do I need to look out for with a Webhost?

Cost: Cost is important to me, I like to shop around, compare companies & find the best deal. So should you, don’t be implusive about buying Webhosting because it can bite you in the ass later. At this stage you really shouldn’t need to spend more than $10-15/month on Hosting. Also avoid hosts with huge setup fees.

Server Space: This is the amount of space that you get on your Webhost’s Server. It’s basically hard drive space like on your own computer. Webhost’s range from 1GB anywhere up to 1000GB+. So lets be realistic, you want enough space to do what you need, but you also want enough space to grow incase you build up a hefty portfolio of websites.

Bandwidth: This is the amount of data that you can send to & from the host in a calendar month. Anything from 10GB+ should be great for what you need it for, unless you’re streaming video or have a very Image intensive site. Again it’s important to plan for growth.

Unlimited Domain Names: Once you have a hosting package you can just buy domain names & add them in. This means that when you want to create a new site it only costs you $5 or whatever the domain name costs to buy. Some Webhost’s only allow you a limited number of domains that you can host, I personally would avoid this at all costs & go with a host that will allow you to host as many domains & subdomains as you need.

Unlimited Databases: Software such as this blogging platform that I’m using, uses Databases. It’s a much easier way of storing information on your Web Server without having to create bulky pages. So if you can get a hosts that gives you lots, or unlimited databases that’s awesome.

Good Support & Customer Service: If you have a problem you want quick help, if your tech knowledge is limited ideally you want somewhere that has 24/7 telephone support, if not then email support. Many hosts now run blogs that give you up to the minute details on outages, problems & other news.

Do your Research: If you find a good webhost that you like, do some research. Search Google about them, read forums, read other peoples experiences then make up your mind

What Webhost do you Reccommend?

I Personally have used Dreamhost for about 1 year now. I moved over from IX Hosting & haven’t looked back. Here’s a brief rundown of what I get.

I pay $7.95/month (although I paid upfront for 2 years), so there was no setup fee.

• 20GB Server Space (Which increases by 160MB per Week)
• 1000GB Bandwidth (Which increases by 8GB per Week)
• Unlimited Domains & Subdomains
• Unlimited Databases
• 97 Day Money Back if you’re not Happy

One of the main reasons that I chose Dreamhost was the increasing bandwidth & diskspace always gave me room for growth & the plan was one third of the price of any other host I looked at. I’ve had no problems so far, maybe 3 outages in the past 6 months for a few hours or so. You can also visit this site for Web Hosting Reviews

If you want to give Dreamhost a go I’ve organised a special discount voucher for all readers of this blog. It’ll give you $97 off the yearly or two year hosting plan. That’s the maximum discount. Enjoy
Dreamhost Discount Coupon Code: EARNER97

Recommended Resources:

• Dreamhost