Companies offering business web hosting and hosting applications such as: domain hosting, collocation, ecommerce, and dedicated hosting. Vendors may be sorted by industry specialty and location.
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1Site.net Web hosting provider.
www.webcorehosting.com
A-Nett Hosting with 10 megabytes of space.
www.a-nett.com
A1 Host Web hosting that includes ecommerce software.
www.a1host.com
Abacushosting.com Linux
hosting service offering database php
hosting, php competitive rates, fast speed, dual processor and SCCI servers.
www.abacushosting.com
Abiding Web Provider of
hosting packages that include merchant accounts.
www.abidingweb.com
Above World Free
hosting with 25 megabytes and a
web builder tool.
www.aboveworld.com
Accu-Find Corp. Provider of Internet
web pages design,
hosting and domain name registration services. Provider of custom coldfusion software applications development for online services. Products and services are sold to multiple industries. This company was...
www.accu-find.com
ACME Enterprises Group of
web designers and network engineers offering
hosting reseller packages.
www.acme-ent.com
ACTWD Site Hosting Hosting services with features including
web-based email and pre-configured CGI scripts.
www.actwdsitehosting.com
Advanced Design Provider of
web hosting and design services, specializing in ecommerce and small businesses.
ivhosting.net
AdvanTech Consulting Corp. Provider of
web page design,
web graphic design, Internet
hosting and custom applications software programming services. Products and services are sold to multiple industries. This company was capitalized by private investment.
www.atconsult.com
Advent Internet Hosting packages for beginners and ecommerce sites.
www.adventinternet.co.uk
Adweb Provider of
web hosting, site design and database integration.
www.adweb.co.uk
AEA Network Provider of
web hosting services.
www.aeanetwork.com
AEI Internet Provider of unlimited, high-speed access to the Internet.
www.aei.ca
AF Hosting Web hosting for a variety of needs and budgets.
www.afhosting.com
Affordable Web Hosting Provider Dollar-for-dollar, feature-for-feature, you'll find the best
web hosting plans right here plus a full Money Back Guarantee. No long-term Contracts!
www.5shadeshosting.com(Paid)
AJ Solutions Hosting plans for business and personal needs.
www.aj-solutions.com
AKC Computer Services Web hosting options that include a shopping cart feature. Also provides site design and domain registration.
www.akc.com
Alanofdale Provides
web site design,
hosting and ecommerce solutions.
www.alanofdale.com
Alchemy Internet Provider of design,
hosting, ecommerce and domain name registration services.
www.alchemyinternet.com
Allbizb.com Provider of
web hosting services.
www.allbizb.com
Alpha Net Provider of virtual server
hosting on Unix and Windows NT operating systems.
www.alpha-net.org
Alphazed Digital Documents Hosting, design and information technology company that includes professional designers, programmers and system administrators.
www.alphazed.com
Alta Host Web hosting company that offers design and ecommerce applications.
www.altahost.com
America's Host Hosting with 500 megabytes, unlimited POP3 email accounts and numerous features, including free message boards and search engine.
www.americashost.com
American Data Technology, Inc. Provider of
web hosting, web site development and electronic commerce consulting services. Services are provided to multiple industries. This company was capitalized by private investment.
www.localweb.com
American Web Hosting Hosting company with knowledge of DNS, Linux, Network Solutions, FrontPage, email, HTML and Windows.
www.amhosting.net
Apps Communications Hosting packages that include numerous features and ecommerce functionalities.
www.aaws.com
Arachno Net Offers
web hosting services for ecommerce sites.
www.arachnonet.com
Architek Systems Provider of Internet consulting, custom application development, business and personal
web hosting and custom
web development.
www.architeksys.com
Arizona Web Services Various
hosting packages for large and small ecommerce operations.
www.arizonawebservices.com
Arizonahost.com Hosting on Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems connected to T1s and T3s.
www.arizonahost.com
Arkie.net Specializes in low-cost, high-performance
web hosting. www.arkie.net
ArrowWeb Internet company specializing in
web hosting, web site design, customized programming and ecommerce solutions.
www.arrowweb.net
Asch Webhosting Hosting service offering unlimited POP3 email, administrative email control panel, domain name registration, scripting, Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Extensions and live statistics.
www.aschwebhosting.com
aSCid Hosting services with up to 100 megabytes of space. Also provides custom design and programming.
www.ascid.com
AsiaHosting.com Hosting with five megabytes and five email accounts.
www.asiahosting.com
Asian Classics Provider of
hosting, ecommerce services, consulting and
web design.
www.asianclassics.com
Assurance Hosting Hosting of sites that are fully ecommerce and database capable.
www.assurancehosting.com
Astra Labs Hosting that includes CGI-BIN access and an email account.
www.astraweb.com
Atlas Data Network Provider of
hosting, design and site marketing services.
www.atlasdata.com
Atomic Cow Web hosting for professionals, including telnet, perl, ftp and java.
www.atomiccow.com
Atomicfrog.com Hosting with 10 megabytes, unlimited incoming email forwards and 200 megabytes of outgoing
web bandwidth per month.
www.atomicfrog.com
AvidHosting Provider of
web hosting for small businesses.
www.avidhosting.com
Award 2000 Hosting with 50 megabytes, CGI directory and support and 10 POP3 email accounts.
www.award2000.com
B2B Web Consultants Provider of
web design,
hosting, ecommerce and site marketing services.
www.b2bwebconsultants.co.uk
Babel Fish Web hosting that includes statistics and database to Internet publishing.
www.babelfish.com
Baldwin Communications Provider of Internet related services including
web page
hosting, domain names, e-mail, dial-up accounts, FTP accounts, mailing lists, conference areas and chat areas,
web publishing, graphic illustration and database design. Services are provi...
www.baldcom.net
BaliSupermall.Net Web hosting services that include UNIX and NT with FrontPage server extensions and dedicated server plans.
balisupermall.net
Best Web Host Provider of 12 megabytes of space, four POP email accounts, unlimited forwarding and FrontPage extensions.
www.bestwebhost.com
Betterhost.com Provider of
hosting plans for a variety of business needs.
www.betterhost.com
BigMoat Web hosting company offering a wide range of solutions including
hosting, linux, php, Python, load balanced, mysql, email, & domain registrations.
www.bigmoat.com(Paid)
Binary Blocks Web hosting whose network is connected to multiple US backbone providers via routed redundant OC-48 (2.4 gigabit) lines.
www.binaryblocks.com
Catalog.com, Inc. Provider of ISDN and dial-up Internet access services. Also a provider of consulting as well as
web site development and
web hosting services. Network application services are also available. Parent/holding company with a high-tech unit invol...
www.catalog.com
CAZARIN Web Group, Inc. Provider of
web page design, Internet
hosting, Internet marketing, e-mail,
web page graphic design, Internet systems integration, custom application programming servcies and streaming video/audio services. Products and services are sold to mult...
www.cazarin.com
CFHosting Hosting for cold fusion based sites that offers a choice between shared servers, dedicated servers or co-location.
www.cfhosting.com
CGI101.Com CGI-friendly UNIX shell and virtual
hosting web accounts.
www.cgi101.com
CheapestHosting Hosting services for companies of varyng sizes.
www.cheapesthosting.com
Chicago Web Hosting Provider of
hosting solutions for corporate and personal pages.
www.chicagohosting.com
Classic Media Provider of specialized services to the Internet community, including
hosting solutions.
www.initiative.com
Clear Vertical Hosting plans that include 25 megabytes of disk space and up to 2,500 megabytes monthly of data transfer.
clearvertical.com
Clearscene Web host catering to business sites.
www.clearscene.net
ClickShop.Com Company serves medium to large online enterprises, organizations and corporations.
www.clickshop.com
Clockwatchers Specialist in offering virtual servers to resellers.
www.clockwatchers.com
CNweb.com Provider of packages of
hosting solutions.
www.cnweb.com
ColdFusion ISP Provides an array of
hosting and Internet service provider (ISP) options.
www.coldfusionisp.net
ColocateUSA Provides
hosting and Internet service provider (ISP) services.
www.colocateusa.com
Colossus Provider of
web hosting solutions.
colossus.net
ComCity Internet presence provider that offers cost-efficient solutions for small companies and large corporations.
comcity.com
CommuniTech Provides
web hosting services that include virtual servers, dedicated
hosting and colocation services.
www.communitech.net
Cyberdesic, Inc. Provider of Internet
web site
hosting, design and graphic development services; domain name registration services; and e-mail services. Parent/holding company with a high-tech operating unit involved in Internet access services. Services are p...
www.cyberdesic.com
Cyberjack.net Offers a range of one-click
hosting solutions and
web site design services.
www.cyberjack.net
CyberMedics.Net Provides tier 2
web hosting on UNIX and Windows NT servers.
cybermedics.net
Cybersalad.net Offers a full suite of services including
web hosting, scripting, design, installation and promotion.
www.cybersalad.net
Cybersite Web host offering free
web lessons, a free five-page
web site and 50 email boxes.
www.cybersite.com.sg
CybyrCom.net Hosting company offering 500 megabytes of space and the first month free.
www.cybyrcom.net
Cyprus Web Hosting NT and UNIX
hosting for a variety of budgets.
www.cyprus-web-hosting.com
DataPipe Provider of dedicated site
hosting on managed and unmanaged servers, and application
hosting. www.datapipe.com
Devilnet UK Offers
hosting solutions, domain registration,
web design and connectivity services.
www.devilnet.co.uk
Digital Boardwalk Firm offers services in technical architecture, user experience,
web hosting, strategic marketing, engineering and project management.
digitalboardwalk.com
Digital Horizons Hosting services up to 300 megabytes, five POP3 email accounts, unlimited email forwards and 8 gigabytes of transfer per month.
www.digitalhorizons.net
Digital Hosting Web hosting for businesses of all sizes, offering features that others often charge as extras.
www.digitalhosting.net
Digital Media Hosting packages up to 75 megabytes of storage, one POP account, unlimited email forwarding and detailed site statistics.
www.dmhosting.com
DM - Digital Media Provider of
hosting using Sun Microsystems SPARCservers running the Solaris UNIX operating system.
www.dmllp.com
Dreamhost Hosting service with a variety of plans for businesses.
www.dreamhost.com
Dynamic Computer Systems Provider of Windows- and UNIX-based
web hosting services, along with a searchable database of computer-related questions.
www.dcsinter.net
Easynet Pan-European commercial Internet service provider and telecommunications company.
www.uk.easynet.net
eCatalogBuilders, Inc. Provider of Internet
hosting services,
web page design services, domain name registration services,
web page graphic development services and Internet consulting services. Services are provided to multiple industries. This company was capitali...
www.ecatalogbuilders.com
Echelper.com Hosting that includes shopping cart, secure socket layer (SSL), statisical reports, and email integration.
www.echelper.com
Edge Web Hosting Web host that has given plenty of consideration toward what online businesses need.
www.edgewebhosting.net
EliteUKServe.Net Hosting serive that can be customized to individual business needs.
www.eliteukserve.net
Emerging Markets Hosting that includes shopping cart, domain name registration, search engine submissions, and more.
www.emwd.com
Enterprise Provider of ISP,
web hosting, domain name registration and email services.
www.enterprise.net
Epoch Networks Internet service and solutions provider offering
web hosting services, high-speed Internet access, co-location solutions, firewalls and security products.
www.epochworks.net
Fastwebsites.com Provider of
web hosting and domain name services.
fastwebsites.com
Fat Jack Hosting Fat Jack
Hosting specializes in
hosting services for small businesses and internet marketers, offering 24/7 customer service and support.
www.fatjackhosting.com(Paid)
From 8 to Infinity Provider of NT and UNIX
hosting, with dedicated server and ecommerce functionality options.
www.8toinfinity.com.sg
FrontPages Web Hosting Hosting with 99.9 percent uptime, toll-free support and ecommerce-ready.
www.frontpages-web-hosting.net
FutureQuest Hosting packages with multiple POP3 acounts, preinstalled CGI scripts and two CGI-bins.
www.futurequest.net
GateHost Hosting on direct fiber optic connections with Frontier GlobalCenter, Qwest Communications, and Genuity (division of GTE).
www.gatehost.net
GatorHosting.com Ecommerce enabled
web hosting with up tp 500MB.
www.gatorhosting.com
Geo-Hosting Hosting services with options such as co-location, and support for SSL, CGI and ASP.
www.geo-hosting.com
Global Forum Ecommerce
web hosting for 3 different size businesses.
www.globalforum.net
GlobalCenter Internet services company that provides the Internet infrastructure to manage online enterprises by integrating proprietary infrastructure, applications and
web hosting. www.globalcenter.net.au
Globalnet Promotions Web hosting for businesses that includes many necessary features for ecommerce transactions.
www.globalnetpromotions.com
Go4Webs.com Provider of
web hosting, web design and domain registration services.
www.go4webs.com
Hosting 4 Less Web host offering Unix virtual
web hosting, 600 megabytes of disk space and 25 gigabytes monthly of data transfer.
www.hosting4less.com
http://www.echoplex.net/ Developer of ecommerce software applications and back-end platforms with specialized expertise in business-to-business solutions. Also offers
web and email
hosting. www.echoplex.net
ICCIS.net Provider of
web site
hosting, email services, firewall, domain name services and other ISP functions.
www.iccis.net
IDNet Provider of
web hosting, Internet access and ecommerce solutions.
www.idnet.co.uk
Infinite Host Provides several
hosting service solutions for personal, small and large business.
www.infinitehost.com
InteractiveApparel.Com Provider of Internet
hosting and e-commerce sevices. The company provides on-site warehousing facilities. Services are provided to the apparel industry. This company was capitalized by private investment.
www.interactiveapparel.com
Internet Connection Web host offering multiple server platforms (including Sun Solaris, Linux, and Microsoft NT-based solutions), support technicians and
webmaster tools.
www.internetconnection.net
Internet Qatar Internet services provider offering dial-up, ISDN and leased-line Internet access, domain registration and
web hosting services.
www.qatar.net.qa
JoshuaInternet.com Web hosting specialist offering
web design, domain registration and technical services.
www.joshuainternet.com
Kavatech Hosting for businesses of various sizes, includes free shopping cart capability.
www.kavatech.com
KENTnet Provider of Internet access,
web publishing and
hosting services to the county of Kent, England.
www.kentnet.co.uk
ME-NET Web hosting and domain name registration organization.
www.me-net.net
Megspace Hosting service that includes 50 megabytes of space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited hits and no popup banners.
www.megspace.com
MOOSE Internet Services ISP offering dial-up, ISDN (including MultiLink) and ADSL broadband access as well as domain registration and
hosting, server
hosting, leased line connections, specialized email support,
web design and Internet training.
www.moose.co.uk
Net7 Internet solutions provider offering Internet access, ecommerce,
web design and
web hosting services.
www.net7.be
Netbase Specialist in
web site design, database design,
web hosting and ecommerce solutions.
www.netbase.co.uk
NetMinds Hosting with 80 mb, credit card processing capability and 10 email accounts.
www.netmindscorp.com
Netplan Provider of Internet services, including access,
web design,
hosting and network solutions.
www.netplan.gr
Nextpoint Technologies Provider of shared
hosting, dedicated servers and application
hosting. www.ntidesign.com
Omnis Network Web hosting with up to 150 megabytes of disk space, 100 POP email addresses and domain name registration. Includes free technical support.
www.omnis.com
One on One Internet Web hosting with up to 500 mb, shopping cart and 200 emails.
www.oneononeinternet.com
Online Express Offers
hosting for a variety of ecommerce needs.
www.online-express.net
Oregon Trail Internet Provider of dial-up and high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access, along with
hosting services.
www.oregontrail.net
Oroborus Technologies, Inc. Provider of Internet
web site related services including
web hosting and function design. Function design encompasses
web site development, high-end database development, e-commerce consulting services,
web site administration services and Inte...
www.orotech.net
Perceval Provider of Internet services including connectivity,
web hosting, advanced database systems for ecommerce, intranet and groupware solutions.
www.perceval.be
Qspot Hosting for small to medium sized businesses.
www.qspot.net
Quick Internet Provides Internet access in standard 56k and 64k integrated services digital network (ISDN). Also provides design,
hosting and ecommerce services.
www.portland.quik.com
Ravesh Network Solutions Services company offering
web hosting, e-commerce and VoIP solutions in the Middle-East.
www.ravesh.com(Paid)
Real Marketing Provider of
hosting and site promotion services.
real-marketing.com
Reinvent Technologies Firm that offers a full suite of
web site design,
web development, e-commerce,
web marketing and reliable
web hosting solutions for businesses of all sizes.
www.reinventinc.com
ReliaHost Hosting with 25 megabytes and unlimited POP email accounts.
www.reliahost.com
ResponsiveWeb Hosting Hosting plans for individuals, small businesses and resellers.
www.responsiveweb.net
Rhyton Corporation Provider of business
hosting services on UNIX and NT virtual servers with up to 800 megabytes of space.
www.rhyton.com
RichMark Designs Provider of Linux
hosting, NT
hosting, dedicated and co-located, game
hosting and domain-only
hosting. Also provides
web design services.
www.richmarkdesigns.com
Royal Hosting Provider of
hosting packages with unlimited disk space, active server pages adn FrontPage extensions.
www.royal-hosting.com
SafeRyders Provider of filtered Internet access and
web hosting. www.saferyders.com
SAQ Internet Provides Internet connectivity,
web hosting and design, domain registration and ecommerce solutions.
www.saqnet.net
Server Vault Host offering multi-platform managed
hosting solutions on dedicated servers, with integrated support for Microsoft operating systems, Linux, Solaris and free and open BSD.
www.servervault.com
ServInt Provider of
hosting soltions including custom built servers, tiered bandwidth, server racks and virtual
hosting. www.servint.net
SkyNet Internet Services Internet services company providing access,
web design,
web hosting and colocation services.
www.sky.net.uk
Smartways Provides Internet connectivity,
web hosting, web design, security solutions and domain registration services.
www.smartways.net
SpiderNet Services Offers dial-up services,
web design and
hosting services, online transactions, corporate network connectivity and email services, and audio/video streaming services.
www.spidernet.com
Splitinfinity Host that is situated on 11 DS-3's and two full OC-3's.
www.splitinfinity.com
SuperAvenue Web Hosting Solutions are available for basic or complex e-commerce
hosting needs for businesses and individuals.
www.superavenue.com
Superb Internet Provider of
web hosting, dedicated servers, virtual
hosting and co-location services.
www.superb.net
TelePassport Hellas Provides Internet services including access,
web hosting and
web design, fax-over-IP and ecommerce solutions.
www.telepassport.gr
The Mead Group Co-location center that also specializes in custom programming, database design and development and network installation and architecture.
www.colocenters.com
The Planet The Planet offers dedicated servers & managed
hosting solutions, enabling SMBs to maintain a
web presence around the world. Visit theplanet.com today.
www.theplanet.com(Paid)
The Reference Ecommerce solutions provider offering Internet and intranet development and related system integration services. Also provides
web hosting services.
www.reference.be
Tollon Windows NT
web hosting with ecommerce capabilities.
www.tollon.net
TotalWeb Solutions Web site
hosting provider. Also offers domain registration and ecommerce services.
www.totalweb.co.uk
UK Web Hosting - Ukhost4u UKHost4u are one of the UK’s premier
web hosting company offering a wide range of affordable Linux & Windows
hosting solutions from just £3.99.
www.ukhost4u.com(Paid)
UUNET An MCI WorldCom company, providing internet communications solutions with a range of Internet services to business customers worldwide. Products & services include IP-based services and value-added Internet services.
www.uunet.com
VeoWeb Hosting, ecommerce, and email service provider, offering up to 550 MB for advanced sites.
www.veoweb.net
Verio Offers a wide variety of
hosting packages.
home.verio.com
Vinntec Provider of business systems analysis and
web site design and
hosting services to small enterprises in the UK.
www.vinntec.co.uk
Virtual Internet Provider of Internet
hosting, domain registration and ecommerce services.
www.vi.net
Visual Multimedia Provider of
web hosting packages meeting the needs of businesses.
nt.visionmultimedia.net
Web Alliance International Provider of Internet and ecommerce services, including T-3
hosting, web design and electronic data interchange (EDI) consulting.
www.waisite.com
Web Australis Internet Provider of Internet access,
web, server and domain
hosting, online storefronts,
web development and online payment systems.
www.australis.net.au
Web Farm Provider of
web hosting services with ecommerce options and mailing list functions.
webfarm.co.nz
Web Host Service Hosting with up to 1 gigabyte of sapce and unlimited POP accounts.
www.webhostservice.com
Web Hosting Offers managed
hosting services for commercial grade
Web sites and applications. All plans feature a Virtual Private Server and user control panel.
www.eapps.com(Paid)
Web Hosting Why trust your
hosting to anyone else? Fully reliable Shared, VPS, MPS and Dedicated
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Hosting. Sign up today!
Shared | VPS | MPS | Contactwww.verio.com(Paid)
Web Hosting for Idiots Hosting packages offering up to 350 megabytes of space and 20 gigabytes of monthly transfer.
www.webhostingforidiots.com
Web Hosting Services Provider of
web hosting hosting services with 300 megabytes of storage space and a secure server.
www.webhostingspecials.com
Web Hosting Unleashed Over 5,000 user reviews of
web hosting companies as well as search and compare tools and everything you need to find a quality
web hosting company.
www.webhostingunleashed.com(Paid)
Web Plus Provides Internet access,
web design,
web hosting and IP telephony services.
www.wplus.net
Web Site Assist Provider of
web hosting, development and advertising services.
www.websiteassist.com
Web Site Source Web hosting packages that are equipped with Microsoft FrontPage 2000 server extensions.
www.websitesource.com
Web Wizards Provider of high-speed
web hosting packages for commerce purposes.
www.webwizards.net
Web.com™ - Web Hosting Relax. You Can Do This. Build Your
Website With Our EZ Point & Click Tool. Free Domain Name.
www.Web.com(Paid)
WebCentral Provider of site and Cold Fusion development, domain parking and
hosting services.
www.webcentral.com.au
Wilkins Group, Inc. (The) Provider of telecommunications consulting services including
web site
hosting and development services as well as systems integration and software consulting services. Services are provided to wireless carriers, general contractors and telecomm...
www.wilkins.com
Your Site Hosting for businesses that can be dedicated or colocated.
www.your-site.com
- Aplus.net
- Apollo Hosting, Inc.
- Data Return Corporation
- DIGEX INCORPORATED
| - Exodus Communications
- Interland, Inc.
- NetNation Communications Inc.
- PSINet
| - Rackspace Managed Hosting
- Worldport Communications, Inc.
|
Guide to Web Hosting Services for Small Business
Choose a reliable host that can help you build, operate and promote your Web site
By Mary Sit
In today's business world, a Web site is a must-have marketing tool. Whether you need a simple site that describes your services, or you're launching a full-blown e-commerce store, you'll need a Web host. These Internet service providers rent space on their computers and allow access to your Web pages. To find the best Web hosting service for your business, you need to choose one that fits your site requirements and your budget. But don't forget to factor in the intangibles, such as reliability and customer service.
Despite the potential cost savings, businesses should avoid free hosting. These free services routinely place banner ads on your site, offer limited security and database support and don't provide you with a unique domain name.
Three other types of hosting that are suitable for small businesses are:
- Shared (virtual). Pay a monthly fee for a powerful server to host your site, along with hundreds of others. Widely used and low cost, this offers good support and your own domain name (Web address). But speed suffers at peak traffic times, and security isn't as tight due to multiple sites on one server.
- Dedicated. The costliest form, this gives you a server dedicated to your Web site -great if you have lots of e-commerce or thousands of visitors a day.
- Collocated. You own your server, placed in the data center of the service provider, which provides a fast Internet connection. Advantages: High band width, up-time, and security, plus unlimited software choices. You pay for maintenance and band width.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Discover the range of options online Get rapid, reliable service that's existed for years, has a physical address, doesn't overload its servers and has plenty of available bandwidth.
I recommend: Visit FindMyHosting.com for an unbiased resource of thousands of hosts with customer reviews and host reliability data. No advertising accepted. Get 10 free quotes from matching Web hosts.
Get what you need in one place Many Web hosting services cater to companies that require large-scale solutions. But for many small businesses, especially those that aren't involved in e-commerce and don't expect high traffic, a modest hosting package will suffice.
I recommend: GoDaddy.com is a popular hosting service that offers affordable plans geared to small businesses.
Look for reliability Pricing is important, of course, but remember that lower fees may mean lower technical support. A cheaper host may go out of business soon, and you don't want to move to another host later. Be certain the host backs up server, Web site and database files daily.
I recommend: Try these reliable hosts that have been around since the late 1990s: Boston Computing Network or PhastNet.
Look for live support Call the tech support phone number, not sales, and see how quickly you get to a technician. Try it at 3 a.m. A real person needs to answer the phone 24/7.
I recommend: See Concentric, in business since 1997, or Rackspace, whose motto is "fanatical support."
Use a host with solid financials If you're depending on the Internet to sell products, partner with a host that won't shut down in six months. A financially shaky host could hurt your business. Ask for and read the financials.
I recommend: Check out Hostway, which serves 400,000 customers. It's been profitable every quarter since its 1998 beginning.
Find a host that grows with you When your business grows, you'll need to upgrade – and that means more than just increased storage and bandwidth. Does the host offers e-commerce products, SPAM filters, anti-virus protection and marketing software?
I recommend: Check out these winners: Blue Host, IX Web Hosting, Pow Web, and Lunarpages.
Get help with site creation Many hosting services also offer Web creation tools that will help you get your Web site up and running quickly. Look for design templates and easy online store set-up tools.
I recommend: Hosting services, such as ApolloHosting.com and ValueWeb.com offer a number of site creation tools to help you build your site.
Avoid host networks that have been blackholed Some networks will host any Web sites, including porn sites and spammers. If a network gets blackholed – or blacklisted for spamming – that will affect your customers, too.
I recommend: Spamhaus is a third-party source that monitors and names blackholed networks.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide - Get specific about charges. Which are free versus fee-based?
- If you're selling products, choose a host that will link you to PayPal, Amazon or eBay.
- Try a service for a month before you lock into a one-year contract.
- Look for a refund on any unused hosting, if you cancel before the contract expires.