Finding the right hosting company is one important step in getting your business or blog online, and then it is important to consider the costs of these services, especially over the long term, as hosting plans typically cost consumers a good amount of money over an extended amount of time.
This is part of the reason that we started this site, to help our visitors save money on their website expenses, along with the fact that we have used many hosting companies, and can recommend the companies we’ve had the best experiences with.
Web Hosting Coupon Codes, Deals and Discounts For 2016
Here are the latest promotions for host plans in 2016:
$3.45 Per Month Hosting Promotion
Get Hosting For $4.95 Per Month
Save 83% On Your Hosting Plan at iPage
EnterĀ HOSTAFF123 for 15% off hosting plans at 123-Reg.
Website Hosting: Buying And Selling
It is unbelievable how easily one can create a website and have it posted to the internet. You just need a credit card, access to WordPress or Drupal, and a web hosting company to work with.
Now you have all the tools needed to create a business page for your lawn care company or start a personal blog about traveling with pets. Anyone with $5 to spare each month can be online in a heartbeat whether he has something interesting to say or to sell or just wants some attention.
With an even bigger investment, it’s even possible to take a step towards running your own web hosting company without leaving home or running an office.
Website Hosting and Reseller Monthly Programs
One of the services listed by numerous web host firms is a Reseller package. Clients hire server space for a certain number of clients, a limited amount of data space, then market their offerings to an appropriate group. They offer shared hosting for low monthly fees without having to run their own data centers.
Their services are guaranteed by the original web host who can even go a step further and offer “white label” services for higher fees. Paying a bit more ensures that clients never see the name of the original host on their bill or anywhere in their dealings with the web host they hire.
If you see a company that posts limited services and says very little if anything about their background or data center and other facilities, it’s possible they are resellers. But as long as they make customer service available 24/7, that shouldn’t matter.
Be aware, however, that you are paying more for the plan than you need to. There should be an appealing reason to do so, like an extra service not found elsewhere.
Hosting Services
The full scope includes shared and dedicated programs. Dedicated hosting provides a client with a server which is completely dedicated to his data and traffic. There is no other service better suited to large companies with massive amounts of online traffic, e-commerce, customer interaction, numerous pages of web material, and a lot of storage needed.
If you are of moderate size and plan to grow substantially, this is the route to take. Many times these clients qualify for free SSL certification, special safety features, and some extras like website building free of charge.
A Virtual Private Server makes room for just a limited number of clients, each of them provided with some room to grow. The server is not used to capacity so that if a client experiences a surge in traffic and business or wishes to add a feature, there is still space on the server to allow for growth without interfering with other clients or putting them at risk of losing data space or of causing downtime for repairs to service.
Shared programs are the cheapest and most popular. They start at about $5 monthly and provide strict boundaries as to how much data is available to each client. These plans are ideal for very small businesses, especially ones that don’t run online sales, and are perfect for small-time blogs with minor readership numbers.
A Cloud Server doesn’t rely on physical servers but on a more sustainable and reliable “cloud.” Consumers find that these aren’t as susceptible to technical difficulties as real servers.
Web Hosting the Green Way
An increasing number of service providers are keen to promote and utilize green methods. Their data centers run on wind-generated or solar electric power, if not a combination, and they apply for green credits or find other ways to be environmentally responsible, like planting trees.
These companies also foster paperless methods and some don’t even have offices; their employees work from home, communicating with customers via internet. Only server technicians really have a physical place to work from which has to be lit, heated or cooled, and secured.
With cloud servers even this part isn’t necessary. Green companies seeking web hosting do well to ally themselves with environmentally conscientious web hosting service providers.
WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal
These are free website-building platforms, not web hosts. Each of these is free, so when a company advertises free website building on one of these sites as part of a web hosting plan, just remember: they wouldn’t have cost anything anyway.
All three of these platforms, known as open source CMS (Content Management Systems) encourage community to build websites and get onto the net and also encourage technical members of the community to assist clients by answering questions on their forums so that anyone can be online advertising a business or raising awareness of a cause.
They supply templates, themes, graphics, and various other methods of getting your website up and running in a professional way to suit the purposes and tone of a site.
Website Building
A few very large web hosting companies employ individuals dedicated to consulting with clients about building custom websites and even discussing SEO strategy. They interview clients about what they expect from a website, who will be reading it, the best mood to set and tone to apply (personal, professional), and any design features a client might have in mind.
Together they develop a web page and hosting is potentially part of the package. Website building fees range from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000. That’s why WordPress is so popular, but you still have to get your website posted somewhere.
Customer Service
It’s not unusual for web hosts to supply 24/7 service or to see a “ticketed” system where clients get into a queue. Typically, there are several ways to get in touch with a company: via live chat, telephone, or email (the ticket system). Look for guarantees that emails will be responded to within a certain time period.
Examine uptime guarantees: 99.9% is the ordinary level, meaning your site could be down for up to an hour a few times during the year or even for most of a day. Usually, companies plan scheduled maintenance to prevent emergency repairs and surprises which could mess with a client’s revenue.
Savings
After you’ve decided on the right plan for your online property, check out the web hosting coupon codes and discounts we have listed on our site and save some money!