When shopping for hosting you will notice that all companies offer a lot of different package options. This is a good thing since each customer will have different needs and the only way to meet them all is by providing plenty of choices. Of course, it can also make it confusing if you don’t know which factors are important based on your specific needs.
To help simplify the decision process, read through each of the following areas to see what you need to think about to ensure you choose the right package for your website.
Disk Space Available
This is often a feature that really stands out in each package, but in reality it isn’t the most important. As long as you have enough disk space for your content, the rest will basically be wasted anyway. If you’re running a personal blog with mostly text based content, for example, you don’t need that much space (about 1-2 gigs will typically be more than enough). If you’re going to be hosting videos, images or other large files on the other hand, more disk space is needed.
Type of Hard Drives
The type of hard drive used in your server is usually going to be more important than the actual amount of disk space you get. Ideally you will want to have at least your database on a solid state drive (SSD) as those have far faster response times and also don’t fail very often.
Amount of RAM
The amount of dedicated RAM provided is typically only going to be listed with VPS or dedicated servers. Of course, the more RAM you have, the better. Finding a hosting package that reserves a set amount of RAM just for you what you’re going to want since sharing it with other users can cause trouble in some cases. Some hosting providers offer a set amount of dedicated RAM along with ‘burstable’ RAM, which is usually shared between other customers on a server, which is also fine.
Bandwidth Limits
Many hosting companies limit the amount of bandwidth you are able to use in a month. The limits are usually quite high, but it is still something to be aware of. If you are going to run a site that has lots of images or video it is possible to burn through a lot of bandwidth quite quickly. When that is the case, purchasing a hosting package with unmetered bandwidth is a great idea.
Dedicated IP Address
You need to decide whether or not you want your site to have a dedicated IP address. For most personal blogs, for example, a dedicated IP address is not necessary. If you’re running a business site, however, most people will prefer to have their own IP. Some hosting providers give one or more dedicated IP address to each customer for free, and others will charge a small fee.
Choosing Your Hosting
These are some of the most important areas you will want to look at when choosing a new hosting package. Of course, there are many other things to keep in mind, but if you can make sure your needs are met in these areas you will almost certainly have a hosting package that you will be happy with.
