Dear Webmaster,
How would you go about looking for a new host?
When it came time for me to get a host, I made one really big mistake. I simply googled the "web hosting" and picked the company at the top of the list. This turned out to be a BIG mistake.
Within a month, I experienced:
I quickly canceled my account, and moved to another host, this time, one a friend had recommened to me. They were faboulus the time I was with them, but much to my dismay, they sold themselves to another web hosting company during the dot com bubble burst, and within a month or 2, I was experiencing all sorts of problems caused by the "merging" of the two companies. I decided then that I needed to find a long term host, with long term solutions for me and my business.
I started by looking at Dreamhost. Dreamhost on paper looked great. They are a low-cost virtual hosting solution, that seemed to have more resources and features than I could possibly hope for. They had been around awhile, so I thought they would be a better solution than my last host. Using a promo code a friend gave me ("BIG80"), I managed to get hosting for less than $3.50/month, but again, I started experiencing some major problems with service and support.
After having problems with 3 hosts, I decided I need to put together a A Web Hosting check list. I would use this check list to rate and decide on hosts prior to going with them. I also took the time to research the various types of hosting out there, to find out which was best for my needs. Here's what I found:
The site I was building was for my own small business. I didn't expect there to be to much web traffic, but it was something that HAD to be done. I was quickly forced to remove the solution of a dedicated box due to cost. On top of that, I really didn't want to have to worry about some of the troubles that come with running your own server such as making backups, installing applications, and maintaining box secure.
So quite simply, my first checkmark was a decision to use price as a qualifier, and my magic number was $20.00
One of the things I discovered very quickly is that virtual private servers (VPS) are a lot better than straight up virtual hosting. In a virtual hosting environment you share resources with other users. This means that if one user "accidently" uses all the resources, it will slow down, or even STOP your website, email, or databases from working.
Virtual private servers solve this problem by providing each user with DEDICATED server resources. Although you are still sharing hardware with other users (which helps the host keep costs down), you are now guaranteed to have a certain percentage of the hardware to use.
So my second checkpoint very quickly became to find a VPS solution as opposed to just regular run-of-the-mill virtual hosting.
I wanted to make sure they had plenty of resources in case I hosted video or I wanted to podcast. I discovered though, that many hosts oversell to a gross degree. With VPS solutions, this doesn't normally happen as often, so I was in luck, but there were a few hosts out there that I did notice had a few more resources than really seemed possible.
When all was said and done, I was happy as long as it had at least the following for less than $20.00:
I've found that email support doesn't cut it. It makes sense if you think about it. How do you email support to work when your email server is down? You can't... That's the problem. So the solution was obvious: the host would have to have phone support.
In fact, I went as far as to call the support line before ordering to insure that I got a human I could understand, and that understood simple technical terms.
I wanted someone who had been around long enough that they had surrived the .com bubble burst. They also couldn't have been purchased by another company in the past. Although this was no guarantee, it was the best I could think of.
It also helps to insure their longjevity as a host. New hosts tend to be great (they probably started because of a problem they had at a shared host). They stay that way until they realize that their business model doesn't work long term.
I didn't want to be with someone reselling someone else's services. This can only mean increase costs and worse support.
I checked reviews by other customers. I looked for recent reviews, as well as past ones. I looked for reviews that may have been 1-time "perfect storm" type problems vs. ongoing issues that never seem to be fixed. I looked and looked and looked.
This just makes sense... Why would you sign up for something if you were locked in a multi-year contract if you had no way out? It's just not smart... It's one of the reasons I hate cell phone companies.
I found a large array of hosts that came close. Hosts like Hostgator came close, but didn't quite make it for one reason or another. It took months of trial and error, but I have finally found a host that met all my standards, and held to them. Who are they?
Westhost met all of my requirements:
Hosts like Hostgator just didn't cut it. So if your out there looking for a host, be sure to check out Westhost and their services. They have served me very well,
Here's to your web hosting success!
Michael Dulanson
Webmaster
mdulanson@gmail.com
P.S. If you find a host that meets my check list, and you think it is a better fit for you than Westhost might be, please let me know via email because I would love to be able to recommend another solid host... Give me more than just a "Hostgator" is good though... tell me why!
P.P.S. Make sure you check out Westhost's Holiday Special. It's one of the bests offers I have ever seen them offer on their site.