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Paying a Fair Price For Web Hosting

Selecting the right web host for your needs will affect how much you pay for hosting. There are many web-hosting providers. You can find quality hosting at affordable prices if you take the time to compare hosts. One host may charge you more money for the same disk space, bandwidth and features than another.

Before you begin your search for a web host, decide how much disk space you need. Add a little extra to that amount for future changes and growth to your website. If you need 200MB for your website, you might want to select a plan with 250-300MB. Some hosts charge you extra if you go over the included disk space amount. By selecting a plan with enough disk space you will save money by not paying over usage charges. A rule of thumb states that you should not be paying more than $1 per 10MB of disk space.

You must also determine the amount of bandwidth your website will use or currently uses. If you use 8GB of bandwidth each month, you should select a plan that includes 8-10GB per month. Preferably, you will select a plan with a little more bandwidth than you anticipate using. By allowing yourself more bandwidth than you may use, you can again avoid paying over usage charges.

How many websites do you need to have hosted? You can save money by signing up for an account that allows you to have multiple domains hosted on a single account. By doing this, you will find that you are paying less a month for one account allowing you to host several sites than you would pay if you had to purchase a separate account for each website.

Look for a web hosting package that supports all the applications you need for your website. Also, search for a host that offers all the features you require. Does the host support: FrontPage ASP pages, databases and PHP? If a host charges additional fees for any of the features and applications you need; look for another host that offers these without charging additional fees.

Avoid signing up for long-term contracts. Many hosts offer discounts if you sign up for six months or a year. You may think this is a great way to save money, but the fact is you do not want to lock yourself into a long-term commitment. In the event that you would not be satisfied with your host, you may lose out on months of hosting fees, if you break your contract.

Take your time when searching for a web host. Look for a host that best meets your needs. They should offer the services and features you need at an affordable host. Compare several web hosts to make sure you do not pay more than necessary.