How To Pick Web Hosting Without a Computer Science

How To Pick Web Hosting Without a Computer Science Degree

Choosing a Web Host Doesn't Have To Be Hard

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Scott Everhart, technical guru at , for sharing his valuable insights and hosting know-how. They've been doing web hosting since 1994 and you'll see his quotes throughout this eBook. Their wisdom from years of experience is why we're proud to partner with .

Shoutouts also to iThemes team members Dustin Bolton, Cory Miller and Jeremy Trask.

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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Introduction

Web hosting is likely the most confusing, anxiety-ridden part of launching your own site. It's highly technical, completely foreign to most people, and yet your entire site depends on it. Fun!

So, what is hosting? It's the physical computer where your website resides. It's the servers that deliver your files to your site visitors.

Basically, you can't have a website without a host.

Hosting is often the very first step in setting up your site. After all, you need someplace to put your website's "stuff." It's also one of the primary factors in determining how fast your site operates and whether or not your site will suffer downtime. Simply put, a good host equals a speedy site.

While hosting is a huge aspect of setting up a site, most people don't want to think about it. Why? Because it's highly technical and most of us don't get it. PHP Load times? suPHP? Apache? Huh? Techies may love this stuff, but the rest of us are quickly lost.

But don't worry. We can help. We'll start with the basics and move through the technical lingo with easy-to-understand translations for those of us who don't speak "server." We'll also walk through many of the major considerations when looking for a host to help you figure out exactly what you need. It doesn't have to be scary. We promise.

So, what is hosting?

It's the physical computer where your website resides. It's the servers that deliver your files to your site visitors.

Basically, you can't have a website without a host.

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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Contents

Introduction 3 The One-Page Overview 5 Understanding Your Needs 6 Types of Hosting 7 WordPress Requirements & Recommendations 10 Basic Feature Considerations 13 Extra Feature Considerations 17 More Hosting Wisdom 20 BackupBuddy Hosting Requirements 22 Top 6 Things to Look For in a Host 24 Additional Resources 25

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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The One-Page Overview

Much of the material covered in this eBook is highly technical. We'll do our best to break it down for the average person, but if you want the quick version, this is it. Each of the following recommendations are covered in more detail later, so if you have questions, read on. But if you want to skip the technical specifics, just use this list when evaluating potential hosting providers.

Basic Features

Some must-haves you'll want to explore in more detail.

? Email ? Upgrade options ? FTP Access ? Control ? Security ? Customer Service

Numbers

Most of these numbers depend on your specific needs, but this can be a good starting point. Remember that unlimited is not really unlimited.

? Storage: 150 MB is a bare minimum ? Data Transfer: 20 GB/month ? PHP Memory: 256 MB or more ? PHP Runtime: at least 30 seconds ? mod_rewrite Apache module ? suPHP or something similar ? HTTP Loopbacks

Server Requirements

These are minimum technical requirements your host must offer if you're planning to run WordPress.

? Linux server running Apache ? PHP 5.2.4 or greater (5.3 or better is best) ? MySQL 5.0 or greater ? mod_rewrite Apache module ? suPHP or something similar ? HTTP Loopbacks ? Command Line ZIP

Extra Features

These aren't must-haves, but they are nice additions.

? Hosting multiple sites ? Domain registration ? Backup ? Reselling ? Domain parking ? One-click Wordpress install

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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Understanding Your Needs

Know thyself. It's a good rule in life and it's a good first step in picking a web host. But before you start evaluating different hosting options, you need to understand your needs.

Answer these basic questions about your current (and future) needs.

You may not have answers for everything, but gathering this information ahead of time will make the hosting selection process easier.

? ? If your site goes down, do you lose visitors or do you lose income?

Consider the ramifications of potential site downtime. How much is a little extra piece of mind worth to you? Your answer should influence your level of hosting investment.

? What's your site's traffic level?

Evaluate your site's current level of traffic and make a realistic projection for future travel levels.

? What's your "need for speed"?

Is a slow site going to be a minor inconvenience or a major problem?

? How much storage does your site require?

Think about your site's "stuff." If your site contains a significant amount of media-rich content like photos and videos, storage space is an important consideration.

? Do you have specific needs?

Do you have several different sites that need hosting? Lots of URL redirects? Do you have e-commerce needs? Do you want email? All of these specific needs impact hosting choices.

? How much control do you need?

Will you be testing different configurations or making advanced installations? Or are you a more average user?

? What's your preferred way of getting help?

Sure, there are plenty of options (phone, email, ticketed support systems, online forums, etc.) -- but what support avenues do you prefer?

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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Types of Hosting

All hosting isn't the same. Here's a basic overview of the different types.

Shared

Typical pricing: $4-15/month

The most common (and cheapest) form of hosting is shared hosting. Most people start with shared hosting and it's perfectly fine for most websites. Shared hosting is exactly what it sounds like -- many different sites sharing one single server. Each customer gets their own little slice of the server, but within certain limits (we'll discuss this more later).

The bonus? All that sharing means cheap prices. The bummer? Sometimes sharing one server degenerates into a sort of "pushing and shoving." It happens with kids and it can happen with websites, too. If one site on a shared server gets a ton of traffic, it can slow down the other sites. Sometimes hosts will even oversell their servers and pack in too many sites, slowing everybody down. Server overloading shouldn't be a problem with a good host, but it's the main problem with shared hosting.

Virtual Private Server

Typical pricing: $15-150/month

The next step up from shared hosting is a virtual private server (VPS). This type of hosting uses software to run several sites on the same server, as if they were dedicated servers. You're still technically on a shared server, but software is in place to offer the feel of a dedicated server. VPS hosting costs more, but it's usually faster, more secure and highly customizable. You're also less prone to slowdowns due to other sites. A virtual private server is a great step up for growing sites.

? 2012 iThemes Media LLC. All rights reserved in all media. May be shared with copyright and credit left intact.

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