Cheap Domain and Web Hosting - What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Although getting cheap domain and web hosting is actually dead simple, there is so much techno-speak in the industry that it can often seem confusing. There is plenty of jargon about web hosting dedicated servers, reseller hosting, cPanel web hosting, dns servers, FTP, MySQL and so on and so on that it could confuse even the most well researched consumer. Fortunately, there are really only a few simple things to keep in mind when choosing a suitable hosting package: Even though it can be tempting to go for the cheapest web hosting, it actually pays a lot more to pay a bit more for a service you can rely on.

Hosting Uptime: This is one of the most important metrics of a good web host. Uptime is a measurement of reliability. The higher the uptime the better. Look for a host with a 99%+ guaranteed uptime like Bluehost or Hostgator. There's no point having a web site that no one can access.

Unlimited hosting is no longer a luxury: Even though most people don't use a tremendous amount of storage its much better not to restrict yourself and the growth of your web property. Unlimited web hosting can be purchased from under $5 per month so there is no reason to limit yourself. Thinking long term about your web hosting choice can save you a lot of money and headache.

cPanel Hosting: cPanel is a type of control panel for your web hosting service. It is the place you go to administer settings for your hosting. Make sure to choose a web host that offers cPanel, as it is extremely user friendly, intuitive, and generally very easy to figure out.

Support Multiple MySQL Databases: Building a website or blog these days is incredibly easy because of 'content management systems'. Think of them as a word-processors that build web sites instead of documents. In a nutshell, they are fantastic, easy to use, and require MySQL support. Make sure your web hosting supports at least 3 MySQL databases, ideally they should have no limit. This will allow you to use excellent and free content management systems like WordPress.

Support for Multiple Domains: If you intend on having more than one site, or you're the kind of person that will most likely get sick of your domain name, its a advisable that you choose a provider that supports unlimited domains.