Professional advice on where to host your website

Buying and owning web space is a bit like having an allotment – a tiny piece of land owned by someone else which is yours to cultivate as you wish. There are thousands of hosts (land owners, to continue the analogy) out there vying for your money, and you have to choose one which will enable your online allotment to flourish and grow.

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While there are some very cheap deals around, buying below your needs will only restrict the growth of your site. Someone starting a web site should look to have around 500MB of storage space and at least 5GB of traffic allowance.

This would be plenty of space for a basic user, but anything much less and one appearance on a community web site, such as digg.com, will bring your site to its knees.

When it comes to registering a domain name, choose one which is easily memorable and can be found easily. If you opt for a .uk domain, check that your chosen provider is registered with Nominet, the UK regulatory body in charge of hosting.

Paul Nicholson, sales account manager of Netcetera, highlights a potential pitfall when buying hosting:

“Ask a host whose name the domain is actually registered in,” he advises. “Some people think it’s in their name, but actually it’s in the name of the company. This means that, if a customer wants to switch host, they will lose their domain.”

Neil Hodson, UK general manager of 1&1 Internet Ltd, outlines other factors that should influence your choice.

“You should look at a web host’s uptime guarantee, their connectivity speed, their data centre, experience in hosting and financial stability,” he says.

“Look for a provider that offers a 99.9 per cent service promise and a 60-day money back guarantee if you change your mind. Also check out the company for an indication of its customer service. Get on the phone and ask some questions.”

Each host will guarantee a minimum percentage of time your site will be available, ranging from 99.9 per cent at best to as low as 98 per cent. The difference may not sound that drastic but 98 per cent means that your web site will be inaccessible for 175 hours or eight days of the year. A 99.9 per cent guarantee means your site will only be down for a maximum of eight hours a year.

Our Hosting Recommendations

WebFusion

WebFusion is a division of Pipex Communications, one of the largest broadband companies in the UK. It has servers spread around the country, which means good connection speeds for UK users. For £5.95 a month you get 1GB of storage, 15GB of traffic, 350 mailboxes and an offer with Google to promote your site.

Price £5.95 per month | Web www.webfusion.co.uk

1&1 Internet

1&1 Internet was founded 12 years ago when web sites were first taking off, and has always been a market leader. It archives over 2.5 million web sites across the world. The home package includes 1.5 GB of storage space, 20GB of monthly traffic allowance, and offers you a .co.uk domain.

Price £4.99 per month | Web www.1and1.com

Hostway

Hostway is a global company with centres in the UK. It prides itself on offering 100 per cent service uptime and 24/7 customer support. While its packages are a little more expensive than rival firms, it offers excellent web site building tools. The home user package will buy you 300MB of storage and 5GB of traffic a month.

Price £7.95 per month | Web www.hostway.co.uk