DavidAmerland
Yellow Belt
Hosting is so complex and we, as users, understand so little of it and get to see so little of what it does that we often consider it as an afterthought and make a choice based on price. This can no longer be the case (it never should have been to tell the truth). The latest Google filter to be applied takes into account uptime, loading speed and site stability. Provided your programmers have done their bit the rest is up to your hosting. This means that you really need to choose wisely as hosting now is like the foundations of a house: invisible to the naked eye but crucial to its long-term success. There are as many good hosting companies out there as there are bad ones. I have had direct experience of both so here goes my list:
Ones to avoid like the Plague:
1 & 1 - both in the UK and the US. It has poor server security (websites get routinely hacked), outsources all customer service requests to a call centre in India (understandable but it means you have to deal with staff who read off a screen and are not allowed to deviate from the script). And it locks you into payment plans (the tales of misrepresented or false charges abound - just check online).
Recommended:
UnitedHosting.co.uk (both in the UK and the US) - if all hosting companies were like that I would not have to spend time writing posts like this.
HostGator (US and UK) - if they tried any harder they would be doing everything for you.
Ones to avoid like the Plague:
1 & 1 - both in the UK and the US. It has poor server security (websites get routinely hacked), outsources all customer service requests to a call centre in India (understandable but it means you have to deal with staff who read off a screen and are not allowed to deviate from the script). And it locks you into payment plans (the tales of misrepresented or false charges abound - just check online).
Recommended:
UnitedHosting.co.uk (both in the UK and the US) - if all hosting companies were like that I would not have to spend time writing posts like this.
HostGator (US and UK) - if they tried any harder they would be doing everything for you.