Compare and Evaluate Different Hosting Plans

It all seems very technical - lots of features that you are not sure if you will need.

Most other hosting directories are nothing more than online billboards filled with flashing ads and marketing hype. Causing more confusion than clarity.
There are thousands of web hosting companies - which one is best?

What You Need To Know

If you are confused about how the web works and how a web host even fits into the whole equation, then read this short overview about How The Web Works .

Finding Web Hosting can be like walking through a minefield. Some Key Information You Need To Know Avoiding Pitfalls

Setting aside the confusing aspects for a moment, your choice in web hosting ultimately boils down to the following key points
1. Narrow The Field to Hosting Plans That Have Features That Meet Your Needs
If you have only a simple site, for example a site designed to be an low-key informational site, or something to upload photographs to, or a simple hobby site, then almost every web hosting plan will meet your needs. If you are absolutely new to web hosting, use the Search Wizard to generate a search for plans that suit your needs.

If you have a mid-level site or plan to sell good from your site, then put some thought into what you think your site will be like. Again you can use the Search Wizard to help create a search, or use the Easy / Advanced search tools or the presets. Read through the Hostology Guide To Web Hosting

2. Evaluate These Hosting Plans in Detail

There are without doubt tens of thousands of plans in the web hosting market that meet your needs, but in reality you just want to find a good plan at a good price, you don’t want to compare thousands of hosting plans.

FindMyHosting will return potentially hundreds of plans that meet your needs, but they are listed lowest price first (unlike most web hosting directories that simply list advertising slots paid for by hosts and don’t help you much at all). Start at the cheapest plan and work down the list.

3. Requesting Quotes From Hosts

HostBubble Marketplace will let you receive unlimited free quotes from matching web hosts. This is a valuable feature because it gives you more options, probably a better deal and also allows you to state in plain english what your website is all about. You can evaluate the replies that hosts give you and use this as part of your overall decision making process.
It makes sense to request quotes because there is no obligation to even reply to any of the the hosts that may contact you.

How do I request quotes? - If you use the search wizard, then one of the last steps allows you request quotes. Otherwise follow the links on the top right hand corner of each search results page.

4. Ok, So How Do I Actually Evaluate Different Plans?

The following key points are the main factors to take into consideration. The balance is a function of your needs. Consider all the factors.

FactorWhy Is It Important ?How To AssessWhen This Is The Most Important Factor ?PriceBecause you want to get a fair deal and not overpay. FindMyHosting always returns matching plans lowest price first - so start at the top & work down the list of search results.If your site is a small site, just for fun and not critical or importantReliability (Uptime)You want your website to actually be available. All web hosts have downtime from time to time. In the Search Results each plan has a link “Click Here To Check Host Reliability” - This will show the Alertra uptime history for this hosts home page, which is a good indicator of their performance.If you have a mission critical ecommerce site where every moment of downtime equals lost revenues. For most websites, some downtime here and there won’t cause any problems. Anything over 99.5% is excellent.Customer SupportYou want to have a hassle free setup of your website and you want to be able to get help if something goes wrong.You can add 24/7 support and telephone support as search options so that only plans that offer this level of support are returned in the results.

Also read the customer reviews and ratings to get an idea of how other customers have found this host.If you have a very important web site then getting fast and responsive customer service is a must. If your site is a personal or hobby site, then it may not be so critical. Cheaper plans tend to have a lower level of support.The trick is to strike a balance so that you get a good deal that matches your needs. There is no point in paying $50 a month if a $2 a month plan would be more than enough, but you don’t want to pay $2 a month if you need a $50 a month plan to meet your needs!

So, to recap

Understand your needs, use the Search Wizard or search at Hostoholic if you are really not sure what plan features you need.

Find a host that balances your overall needs, this is the best way to get a good deal.

5. Make A Decision

If your website is a critical business then it is worth to spend a good amount of time evaluating plans in detail. On the FindMyHosting detail pages for each hosting plan some example websites hosted by that host are listed. You could contact these websites and ask them for their honest opinion of the host you are evaluating.

If your site is lower end then there is no reason to waste hours and hours making a decision. Use the information available to make an educated choice. Also look at the hosts website - does it look professional? The worst case scenario is that you move to another host later.

A Word About Cheap Web Hosting

There are many web hosting accounts available that are very inexpensive. These can offer great value, but always remember that you get what you pay for. If your website is critical or very important, then don’t buy a $1 a month hosting plan and expect tremendous customer support or even high levels of reliability. That’s not to say that you couldn’t find great performance for $1 a month, but there is a limit to what can be provided at low cost. Low priced hosting plans are also bundled together with hundreds of other customers on a single web server - reliability and performance invariably suffers.

There are a lot of small web hosting companies in the market. The ones that offer very cheap plans tend to be smaller companies and therefore may not be around for ever. If your site is low end then a cheap plan will probably be all you need. If it doesn’t work out - you can always move to another low priced host.

A Word About Customer Reviews