A Few Good Web Hosting Providers

The cheapest, easiest way to host a Web site is through what's called a shared hosting provider. Under this system, your Web site's files are stored on a server that also hosts a number of other people's sites. (However, you can typically see and access only your own files.)

Shared hosting providers are set up to allow an organization with basic Web-building skills to administer its own site without involving the hosting company. The organization — not the service provider — handles the behind-the-scenes work for its site, from uploading new files to checking visitor statistics to creating new email accounts and resetting passwords. This is usually accomplished through a Web-based control panel or via FTP.

What should you look for in a good shared Web hosting provider?

• Fixed amount of storage and bandwidth per month. Web site plans tend to vary on 1) the amount of file storage you're allotted on the server's hard drive; and 2) the amount of bandwidth your site is allowed per month. You can calculate your average monthly bandwidth by multiplying the number of files that your visitors are likely to access in a month with your site's average file size. (Be sure to account for increases in visitors and files if you're expecting a lot of growth in the near future.)
  
  Unless you have a lot of images, videos, or large PDF files, even a very small storage and bandwidth plan is likely to be sufficient. Idealware's site, for instance, which receives about 325 visitors a day and 25,000 page views a month, uses less than 500MB of bandwidth per month — far less than the amount offered by most plans.

• Ability to control files and passwords. All Web hosting providers let you upload files to the shared server via FTP. Some allow you to use a more secure file transfer known as SCP (short for Secure Copy Protocol), while others offer Web-based upload tools to clients that don't want to use either FTP or SCP.
  
  Some providers will also allow you to create secure sections of your Web site where you can restrict files to visitors with a given password; create redirects so that a given Web page is available under multiple URLs; and more.

• Self-serve control panel. Many hosting providers include a Web-based control panel that allows you to manage many aspects of your site on your own. As we mentioned, this may include resetting passwords, calculating site traffic statistics, or managing files, all without having to contact customer support.

• Support for required databases and programming languages. Most shared hosting accounts will support fairly sophisticated databases and languages — but make sure yours supports the specific tools and versions you want to use.
  
  The majority of hosts use a setup consisting of a Linux or Unix-like operating system, Apache Web server software, a MySQL database, and a PHP or Perl programming language. This setup is not likely to support Web sites created in ASP or ColdFusion.
  
  Likewise, some hosts use a purely Microsoft setup — with Windows as the operating system, Internet Information Server (IIS) as the Web server, SQL Server as the database, and Active Server Pages as the programming language — and this may or may not support PHP and MySQL. To be sure, check with your provider before you sign up.

• Ability to install applications designed for a shared hosting environment. A number of applications — and particularly those that are open source — are designed to be installed in a shared hosting environment. Most hosting providers will let you install these as needed, and may even offer a utility to help you install the more common applications.
  
  Some applications, however, require more access to the server — to change system files or global settings, for instance — than shared hosting services typically allow. This means you may not be allowed to install some of your organization's applications on a standard shared host. Again, looking into this before you sign up with a particular provider will save you trouble down the road.

• Traffic statistics. Most hosting providers will give you online reports of basic statistics about your site, such as how many visitors you receive daily, where they came from, and where they go on your site. It's a good idea to check to make sure you can also access your raw log files, should you want to use other software to do a more detailed analysis on your own.

• An upgrade path. As your site grows and your online initiatives get more complex, you may need more storage, bandwidth, or flexibility. Look for a provider with upgradeable hosting plans. Otherwise, you'll have to move your site to a more powerful host when you grow beyond your current hosting plan.

• Email accounts. Email accounts are closely tied to Web hosting. Many hosts provide you with a number of email accounts that feature the same domain as your Web site (joe@yourorgname.org, for example). These accounts allow you to send and receive email through a Web interface or to download your messages into Outlook or other standards-based email clients.
  
  Not all hosting providers offer outstanding email hosting service, however. The quality of virus and spam protection and of Web-based email administration tools can vary widely, and some providers set strict limits on outgoing mail capabilities in an effort to prevent spammers from abusing the system.

• Customer service. If you have a problem, will you able to reach someone knowledgeable who can speak to you in language you understand? Customer service varies widely depending on the provider, and is in fact a major differentiator between the $5-a-month hosts and the $30-a-month hosts. Unless you feel very comfortable with hosting concepts and are able to ask precise technical questions, it's best to pay more for a host that offers better customer service for all levels of technical expertise.

If you decide that a shared server is for you, which of the thousands of hosting companies should you choose? We certainly haven't tried them all, but here are several popular providers that our contributors have found to be reliable:

• CrystalTech. Offers inexpensive shared hosting accounts on Windows servers, starting at $3 a month. While CrystalTech's Windows servers support PHP and MySQL, they may not allow you to install some open-source applications that more common Linux-and-Apache environments permit.

• Electric Embers. A small hosting company that caters to nonprofits, Electric Embers' prices are offered on a sliding scale, from $5 to $20 per month. While control-panel functionality is not as advanced as options from some competitors, and customer support isn't offered around the clock, the Electronic Embers team is approachable, knowledgeable, and committed to nonprofits.

• Lunarpages. A large hosting company with a number of shared hosting options — including both Linux and Windows servers — starting at about $7 a month. Lunarpages provides a standard setup with support for all the commonly installed applications. Several contributors find the company's sales staff a bit heavy-handed, and while customer service is reliable, it can be difficult for the less technically inclined to follow.

• Pair. A high-quality open-source hosting service with great customer support. Prices are somewhat higher than competitors, starting at about $10 a month.

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