What Is A Hosting Account?
One of the most important choices you will make when getting your website off the ground is which hosting provider and hosting options you pick. Now let me backup just a little. So what is a hosting account? A hosting account is the space on the web where you put your website. Hosting providers whose names you might recognize include GoDaddy, HostGator, and BlueHost.
Hosting accounts have different features to compare: bandwidth, scripting, databases, and email. Many hosts have bandwidth limits. Bandwidth is the amount of information downloaded from your website. The more people that view your website, and the more images that are on your site, the more bandwidth you will use. Another feature you will probably want from your hosting account is the ability to use languages as PHP, Python, Perl, and Ruby. Web scripting allows you to have dynamic features on your site like processing forms, posting newsletters, and providing an on-line store. Arguably the most common scripting language is PHP, and I would recommend you not consider any hosting providers that don’t offer this. The other piece of they dynamic content puzzle is the feature of databases. By far the most common database offered by hosts is MySQL. Once again I recommend making sure your hosting provider offers a database service. While you may not use these last two features right away, they will open the door for you to grow later without having to go through the hassle of moving your website later.
Email, where would we be without it? Most of the time you will get your email from your hosting provider that you have your website with. There are independent email providers, but this setup is the exception not the rule. Most hosting accounts will have limit on the number of email addresses you can have on your account. When comparing hosts don’t forget to compare the email features provided by the different hosting providers you are considering.
Customer service, quite possibly the least considered feature of hosting providers, but the one that makes all the difference. Having worked with many different hosting companies, I can say that customer service can be either a savior or a curse. Do some internet research and see what types of reviews or comments you can find about the hosts you are considering.
Fly South is proud to be hosted on HostGator, and recommends their services. HostGator provides unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, plenty of email addresses and the best customer service and tech support I have ever experienced. If you’re looking for the best of the best feel free to click the link below to find out about gators and how they can make your life easier.
