The Best Hosting Plans

To get your personal or business website up and running, you need two things: a webhost and a domain name. Many people purchase their domain name first, then look for a domain host. When you reverse the process, you can often save money on your domain name and hosting. The best hosting plans include free domain names for the first year, some even longer. The best hosts also combine commonly used software, scripts, templates and web site building tools into one customizable package.

Host Features

• One of the best features that top web hosts have is the ability to host unlimited or multiple domains for the same price. They offer you a variety of price plans that you can upgrade easily as your needs expand. The monthly or annual fee that you pay for hosting will include unlimited bandwidth, so that a popular site does not incur unexpected excess usage charges. The top web hosting services also have online or toll-free free support. Most also include your first domain name with registration.
  Since building a website can be time consuming, look for hosts that have the CPanel user interface. It functions as your dashboard. You add scripts, templates and other tools when you need them. If you plan to have a blog on your website, your host needs to support the popular blogging platforms like Wordpress and Typepad. You should also expect to get a selection of free, customizable blog and website templates. Your host should support html, a content management system and cascading style sheets.
  
  
  
  

Reliability and Reputation

• The price of web hosting packages varies from less than $5 a month to thousands per year. After you consider the features that you need, you can narrow your choices down by reviewing independent ratings of the host's up time at Netcraft.com. Anyone can set up a web server on a home computer, so you should check any webhost's reputation. The length of time the host has been operating is a good indicator of reliability and customer satisfaction. You should also inquire about the host's security and backup protocols. The best hosts have multiple layers of security for their servers that store your website pages and data. They also have offsite backup and disaster recovery plans.
  
  
  
  

Free Hosting

• Free hosting gets mixed reviews from technology sites. A small number of domain vendors and technology companies offer free domain hosting solutions. Microsoft lets small business users host a free site, with a free domain name, on its Office Live servers. You will not get unlimited bandwidth or sensational templates; however, you can add commonly used services and features like business tools for a fee.
  Google hosts domains for individuals and nonprofit organizations. You need to purchase your domain name elsewhere. When you register for Google hosting, you can choose the modules that you want to include. Your template choices, blogging platform and customization options are limited to the Google product family. However, you do not have to commit to a paid host unless you outgrow Google's services.