When searching for a web hosting plan, it can be difficult to make the best selection based on skimming overviews, as they all offer the same basic service: hosting. Top web hosting providers provide numerous included features, designed to attract more customers than just a simple web hosting package alone.
Unlimited Disk Space
One of the most common features offered by website hosting providers is unlimited disk space, meaning you can create copious amounts of pages, photo albums, and forums without any additional charges. However, be sure to read the fine print or talk to a representative, as there are limitations to how the “unlimited” disk space can be used. The majority of web hosting customers will never exceed the “unlimited” space parameters, but if you plan on creating thousands of pages of rich content with large files, it may be worth investigating exactly what “unlimited space” actually means.
Uptime Guarantee
“Uptime” is the amount of time a website is accessible, or online. This is outside of the control of the website administrator and rests in the hands of the hosting provider. The most commonly used hosts will provide a very high uptime percentage, usually around 99%. Some of these providers have elected to advertise this service as a “feature”, and back up their promise with a guarantee, thereby earning a prospective buyer’s trust. HostGator offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which is the equivalent of 45 minutes of downtime per month.
Free, Easy-to-Use Control Panel
Web host providers have realized that a large portion of potential customers have very limited knowledge of how to work “under the hood” of a website. A built-in control panel with a basic layout is a huge bonus for someone just learning the ropes of website building.
Unlimited Subdomains, Parked Domains, Add-On Domains
If you’re in the process of building an Internet empire, the right web hosting provider can help you rule the web by allowing you to host hundreds of domains in various forms. Subdomains are part of a larger domain (mail.yoursite.com and forum.yoursite.com are examples of subdomains of yoursite.com), parked domains are domains that exist with no actual content, but often display advertisements that serve as a monetization tool; add-on domains are standalone domains, such as yoursite.com, your-other-site.com, your-favorite-site.com, etc.
Unlimited Email Accounts
Another top web hosting feature is the provision of limitless e-mail accounts. This comes in handy if you have multiple administrators for a particular website, or if you own several domains and want to utilize different e-mail address for each website. Determining how to manage these dozens of e-mail accounts is up to the user.
Google AdWords Credit
An increasingly popular credit given by web host providers is a free, $100 AdWords credit. AdWords is a great way to generate traffic, as your website will appear at the top of Google’s search results when someone searches for specified keywords or phrases. If you’re starting a blog, this can be a great way to gain early exposure and establish a small base of subscribers.
Web Hosting Providers
Justhost.com: Provides all features discussed, with the exception of a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
HostGator: Offers most features, and prides itself on providing hosting services to over 5 million websites.
GoDaddy.com: Provides several features at varying price levels, for as low as $1.99/month.
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