Aren’t all web hosts about the same? 

Why should developers put much thought into choosing a host for their web site?

I have to admit that years ago I registered my first domain and picked a hosting company without much thought.  For the most part, I have been pleased with that first decision but as time passed, I found the need to create other domains and find other web hosts.  I still host that web site with the same company, but unless they implement some changes soon, I may have to move that domain and this article will explain why.

Back in the “old days” many web hosts (and there weren’t nearly as many to choose from as there are now) offered about the same thing:  a few megs of storage and a handful of email accounts.  This will still better than using one of the few “free” web hosts.  You remember the ones I am talking about where in exchange for banner space on your web pages you got a free web site with an ugly URL like: http://www.freewebsitesforanyonewhowantsone.com/~yoursitehadtohavea~infrontofit

Now since you (like me) didn’t want the software you worked so hard to create to be hosted on such a shared web site with a hard to type address, you think up a cool domain name and go looking for a web host.  At least that is what I did.  At the time my trial version software was hosted for me for free (yes, for free) by such sites as http://www.hotfiles.com/ and http://www.download.com/ and when I received orders for my software I sent customers “registered” versions on 3 ½ diskettes.  So I really never thought I would need much more than 150 megs of storage space I had and the few email addresses that came with the account were also fine.  That site is currently hosted by Radiant.net

When I first got started there were really not many web hosting companies that offered a Microsoft Windows based server, and back in those days not many small timers even thought about an operating system other than Linux/Unix for a web server.  Later, I found that I needed to have trial downloads on my web site and even though my downloads were small (most of my software was written in Clarion, from Topspeed then, but now Softvelocity) my 150 megs was starting to look inadequate.  I also was starting to develop applications for the web that used .asp – Active Server pages.  Linux servers were only able to serve .asp pages with the addition of third party software that would have added to my costs so I added a hosting company, Readyhosting, that used Microsoft Windows as the server and this allowed me to have online web demos of my database drive web pages.  That company offered a whopping 500 megs of disk space and I figured I would have use that much space so.

UPDATE:  6/6/2005 - I have moved my first web site (http://www.dbandsons.com) to websecurestores.com - The site now has much more disk space available (2 gigs), DotNetNuke - (other options available), .asp/aspx and more.  I found that for a Windows host this seems to be the best deal for me.  I have had occasion to request support a couple of times since moving the site and found their responses to be prompt, courteous and accurate.  Quite helpful, in fact.  I suspect that websecurestores may wind up being my "Category Pick" for windows based web hosting.

I started noticing something after I started hosting on a windows-based server: there were several periods of time where my site was “down”.  This was something that never happened on my other site.  In honesty, that web host has done a much better job lately and uptime on that web server has been very good (knock on wood). 

So I now had two web sites and both main operating systems so I was never going to need another web host – wrong again.  My original host did not include a MySQL database with their account and I had recently starting working with this fine open source database as the backend for both web applications and windows apps.  Again, my favorite application development tool, Clarion supports just about any data source. I wanted a way to demonstrate a web application but my original hosting company did no include a MySql database with my account so this meant yet another domain/web host.  This time I chose Nexpoint Technologies.   I did fine with 3 domains and 3 web hosts for quite a little while.  I added a couple of other domains to my windows based hosted account.  I really had no interest, and still don’t, in being a reseller.  Since after first account was setup with that host, additional accounts were half price, I couldn’t resist.  One of these non business related accounts was for a web site my son’s baseball team at the time, the Chain Seminoles. 

Later, when he started high school I decided to create a domain for him and set up a new hosting account.  I decided in that case to choose another Linux based host partly so I could experiment with many of the open source applications that are not include with many hosting accounts.  I used the occasion to try to find what I considered a lot of bang for the buck.  The company I settled on for his account was Advanced Network Hosts and they really do provide a great deal.  However, as a developer I really have to consider if that is the host I would use.  Their fine print indicates they do not allow for hosting files for download “Advanced Network Hosts's shared web hosting accounts are not configured for the purposes of distributing software”.   One of the things that I like best about Advanced Network Hosts is their control panel.  Cpanel is very easy to use and a lot of easy to install applications.

Most recently I decided to move this site from a Microsoft Windows based server to a Linux based server.  Readyhosting.com only offers one plan, and that didn’t include Linux.  On the other hand, Advanced Network Hosts seemed to have some limitations on their acceptable uses that bothered me, and they only offered Linux.  Like many of you, I watched the Godaddy.com commercials during the Super Bowl and had hear good things about Godaddy.com and decided to check them out.  Using the criteria of the most bang for the buck, they were hard to beat.  In addition they offer both Linux and Windows servers so that was another point in their favor. 

If you plan on demonstrating browser based applications on a Microsoft Windows based server there is another important consideration:  .asp or .aspx  - I have to admit that in my own development I have so far stayed away from .aspx since until recently customers did not seem to have an interest in .Net web based apps.  Recently, this is starting to change and I am seeing more and more wanting to use the newer format web pages. So you have now to consider does your host support .asp alone or also .aspx and are they charging two different rates.  In the case of Readyhosting.com the cost for support .aspx is about twice there normal charge for Windows hostings.  Again, I was pleased to see that Godaddy.com supports both and at the same price.  

I may have more to say about web hosting in the future but I think my experiences should help convince you as a developer to spend some time when considering which web host is right for you. If I had to select the category pick today it would be Godaddy.com - but there may be more to this review - check back often.

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Another thing developers may want to consider is will they need a merchant account.  Many web hosts provided shopping cart software to their customers, but this is usually not enough to take orders.  You may also need to get a merchant account in order to accept orders from the shopping cart.  At least when first starting out, many developers will want to utilize the services of a company like BMT Micro or Shareit.com to process orders for their software.