Important Hosting Plan Features
Author: Linda Miller
Author: Linda Miller
Most Web hosts offer a range of features to attract potential
customers to their hosting plans. These features may include
disk space, free bandwidth, e-mail boxes, auto responders, FTP
access, templates, and more. The customer must then decide
which of the available packages best suits their needs.
The first requirement to consider is space. The Web site will
require a certain amount of disk space based on the volume of
content it will contain, with concern given for potential
future growth. If the site is not already designed, a designer
should be able to give a specific target range to look for.
The second big requirement is bandwidth. It is absolutely
critical to buy sufficient bandwidth to cover the traffic
generated by the Web site. In the early years of the Internet
there simply wasn't very much bandwidth available at any price.
Today the technology has caught up and some Web hosts offer as
much as 1,000 GB of data transfer free each month. Again, the
required amount is something a Web designer should be able to
predict.
Some Web hosts also offer Web analytics. This very useful
service provides an insight into the way a Web site is being
used, showing the where the traffic is originating and the
pages that are being read. It can even display the amount of
time a visitor is spending on the site and the search engines
that are sending the traffic. While not usually provided for
free, this information is usually considered invaluable to Web
site owners.
The disadvantage of this is that the log files used to do
traffic analysis take up valuable space. With daily logs, it is
possible download and delete them every day, but if monthly logs
are preferred it will not be possible to delete them until the
end of each month. It's important to clarify where the Web host
will store these files or several megabytes of log files may
begin crowding the Web site's designated storage space as
information builds up.
Also check to see where the storage for the e-mail boxes will
go. If it will go to the same limited area provided for the Web
site a maximum limit for each mailbox should be set. This will
prevent incoming mail from causing the site to exceed the
storage limit, resulting in an overage fee.
If the Web site is going to be a business site, auto responders
should be required. This software allows for visitors who show
interest in the site to have and automated reply sent to them.
Additionally, the inclusion of forwarding aliases can be useful
by allowing email to be sent to a filtering program for sorting
prior to final delivery.
Finally, FTP access is another of the things a host absolutely
must provide. Very few Web hosts charge for FTP access, since
without it hosting of most content becomes very difficult if
not impossible.
About The Author: Linda Miller contributes articles to several
popular web sites, especially http://nugoz.com and
http://wetid.com
customers to their hosting plans. These features may include
disk space, free bandwidth, e-mail boxes, auto responders, FTP
access, templates, and more. The customer must then decide
which of the available packages best suits their needs.
The first requirement to consider is space. The Web site will
require a certain amount of disk space based on the volume of
content it will contain, with concern given for potential
future growth. If the site is not already designed, a designer
should be able to give a specific target range to look for.
The second big requirement is bandwidth. It is absolutely
critical to buy sufficient bandwidth to cover the traffic
generated by the Web site. In the early years of the Internet
there simply wasn't very much bandwidth available at any price.
Today the technology has caught up and some Web hosts offer as
much as 1,000 GB of data transfer free each month. Again, the
required amount is something a Web designer should be able to
predict.
Some Web hosts also offer Web analytics. This very useful
service provides an insight into the way a Web site is being
used, showing the where the traffic is originating and the
pages that are being read. It can even display the amount of
time a visitor is spending on the site and the search engines
that are sending the traffic. While not usually provided for
free, this information is usually considered invaluable to Web
site owners.
The disadvantage of this is that the log files used to do
traffic analysis take up valuable space. With daily logs, it is
possible download and delete them every day, but if monthly logs
are preferred it will not be possible to delete them until the
end of each month. It's important to clarify where the Web host
will store these files or several megabytes of log files may
begin crowding the Web site's designated storage space as
information builds up.
Also check to see where the storage for the e-mail boxes will
go. If it will go to the same limited area provided for the Web
site a maximum limit for each mailbox should be set. This will
prevent incoming mail from causing the site to exceed the
storage limit, resulting in an overage fee.
If the Web site is going to be a business site, auto responders
should be required. This software allows for visitors who show
interest in the site to have and automated reply sent to them.
Additionally, the inclusion of forwarding aliases can be useful
by allowing email to be sent to a filtering program for sorting
prior to final delivery.
Finally, FTP access is another of the things a host absolutely
must provide. Very few Web hosts charge for FTP access, since
without it hosting of most content becomes very difficult if
not impossible.
About The Author: Linda Miller contributes articles to several
popular web sites, especially http://nugoz.com and
http://wetid.com
