Web Hosting Review

Web hosting is a fundamental component of any website; it provides internet connectivity, allowing sites to be accessible via the world wide web. When a website is built, it’s comprised of separate pages – or files – that are saved on a computer. In order to make those pages visible on the web and accessible to all online users through a domain name, you must purchase web hosting. Such services “host” your website on a special data server that uploads the site to the internet.

The full scope of available web hosting services varies greatly. Suitable for simple or personal websites, basic webpage hosting uploads webpages via file transfer protocol (FTP), a standard network protocol used to copy files as is to the internet. More comprehensive web hosting is needed for larger, complex business websites. There are also hosting services designed specifically for eCommerce websites.

Our lineup of web hosting services includes companies that provide a vast assortment of hosting services; most offer different packages that meet a wide range of hosting needs of both personal and business users. Through extensive research, we found the best overall site hosting services to be JustHost, Go Daddy and iPage. In addition to comprehensive reviews, we provide an in-depth side-by-side comparison chart of each service in our lineup and informative articles on web hosting.

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Web Hosting Services: What to Look For

While web hosting services all essentially accomplish the same thing, no two services are exactly alike. In fact, website hosting can differ greatly in regard to the features, tools and resources offered in each of their hosting packages. We used the following criteria to determine the best overall hosting services on the market and help you find a service that meets your needs.

Hosting Package
When it comes to the hosting packages a service offers, there are a few fundamental components to consider including the disk space and monthly data transfer allotment included in the package. Disk space refers to the amount of server space allotted for your site, while monthly data transfer refers to how much data can be transferred to and from the server and your website. The best hosting services are those that offer both unlimited bandwidth and disk space.

It’s also important to evaluate the email functionality, eCommerce capabilities and included domains in each package. These are especially important if you want to host more than one website, sell products on your website, and have email addresses with your domain name (e.g., example@yourdomain.com).

Ease of Use
Ease of use is likewise a crucial criterion to consider, as you don’t want a web hosting service that is too difficult to utilize. We looked for services that offer easy-to-use, intuitive user interfaces in conjunction with useful hosting features, making the service accessible and appealing to both beginners and advanced users.

Help & Support
Given the inherent complexity of web hosting, at some point you may run into complications or issues with your web hosting. Subsequently, the ideal hosting service should strike a solid balance between qualified customer service representatives and sufficient contact methods and help documentation (online or otherwise).

Site Creation Tools
Since website design and web hosting are interrelated, many site hosting services also offer site creation. Some services offer full, inclusive site design while others offer a site builder tool and coding support for various coding platforms (e.g., Joomla, WordPress, etc.) that allows you to build your own.

Server Access
You will have a useless, outdated website on your hands if you are unable to update your site by uploading new files to it. The ideal web hosting service should have plenty of options for accessing their servers and uploading files. The best services have a simple guided approach to uploading files, allowing you to spend more time making your website perfect.

Marketing Tools
Considering the amount of time and effort you’re likely to put into creating a website, it would be a shame if the masses couldn't find it. The service you choose should have ample marketing tools to help build your site’s web presence, such as mailing lists, SEO tools and search engine submission. You should select a service that not only provides basic web hosting but also strives to turn your website into a successful entity.

Reporting & Statistics
The effectiveness of any marketing tools will remain a mystery unless you can track and analyze your website's traffic statistics, so look for a service that delivers comprehensive reporting and traffic statistics. Some services only let you look at raw log files that you must download, while others provide programs that analyze your traffic data and provide useful, actionable information.

Web hosting services enable you to have an equal footing among competitors online, especially when you fully utilize the wide range of features and tools at your disposal. There’s no limit to what you can do on the internet once you establish and build a strong web presence with the help of a high-quality web hosting service.