Article by Scott Frank
Competition for your web hosting business is intense. But, you need to know what you are getting. The majority of hosting service providers today guarantee that your online business will be available 99.5% of the time within the month, on average. This is essential because if your internet site is down then prospective shoppers will not be able to find you. While this is for the most part standard operating procedure these days it is still a good idea to check it out rather than taking it for granted.
However, where many Linux hosting can vary today is in the amount of bandwidth that is available for you to use. The bandwidth determines how much traffic your web hosting provider will allow you to use. Some hosting companies control resources to prevent a web site from hogging up all of the available resources. Some hosting packages may provide unlimited web traffic plans so be certain to pick a plan that will enable your website to expand and be able to accommodate additional web traffic.
Also, if you plan to sell stuff directly from your web page then you need to be certain your hosting plan supports SSL (Secured Socket Layer) encryption. If you have ever purchased something online then you may have noticed the small “padlock” icon at the bottom of your web browser. This lets you know that the data being transmitted over the web is protected. If you are going to use a shopping cart then you will need to make sure it is compatible with your security certificate. Some PHP web hosting offer both individual and shared security certificates that you can buy and install for your website. If you will be using a secure third party merchant service like PayPal to host your checkout process then you will not need your own security certificate.
The next item to look for is applications. Hosting companies that have plenty of applications for you to install on your website will give you the freedom to enhance your end user experience. Typically, all you need to do is simply click on the application you want and it will install automatically for you. This is the most desirable method so you don’t have to muddle around with uploading enormous files to your server via FTP and having to possibly troubleshoot errors.
Finally, you need to determine how many domain names your web host will allow you to have on your site. Many website owners have multiple domains that points to their website. If you don’t have a domain name yet don’t worry because the majority of web host providers allow you to order one with your webhosting package. Some hosting plans will give you a free domain name as an incentive for hosting with them. Also, bear in mind that your domain name will likely need to be renewed prior to its expiry date. You can register a domain name for one or more years. Be very careful as to not let your domain name expire otherwise someone else will be able to get it..
In summary, it may seem like a difficult task. Simply look for web host providers that provide a generous up-time guarantee, offer unlimited bandwidth, give you a variety of applications that you can easily install and will allow you to host multiple domains. With a little effort you will find the perfect PHP hosting package for your internet site.
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