Post by ŋєт™ on Mar 8, 2009 6:23:36 GMT
I thought it would be a great help for people wanting to get started in taking the jump to making their own website if we started a database of reviews of the hosts that you guys use. When people are ready to jump from a free site like proboards or freewebs *shudders* sometimes they get swamped by all of the hosts out there on the web.
I don't want to get too fancy, just a simple 5 star rating will suffice with a description of good things and bad things you have come across while you were with that company and the features offered vs the price paid.
Please send them to me formatted like the below example in a private message.
SSD Official Web Hosting Provider Reviews
1and1 Web Solutions
Rating: *****
Price
If you are going for the whole package--domain name and space--these are the prices offered, in usd. There are a lot of other options though too.
Beginner- $3.99/month (1 domain, 10gb space)
Home- $4.99/month (2 domains, 120gb space)
Business- $9.99/month (3 domains, 250b space)
Developer- $19.99/month (5 domains, 300gb space)
Services Offered
It'll depend on what package you choose, but for the most basic (beginner), you get:
-Domain Name w/ Private Domain Registration
-Subdomains
-External Domains
-DNS Management
-URL Masking
-10gb Webspace
-300gb Monthly Transfer Volume
-An FTP Account
-Webspace Explorer
-10 MySQL Database (100mb)
-600 Email accounts
-2gb Mailbox w/ Spam Filter
-IMAP & POP3 Supported
-Site building tools
-Marketing Vouchers
-A Blog
-RSS
-Firewall Protection
-24/7 Support
After that, you just keep adding on to what you're given.
Pros
It's a simple process and highly affordable, especially since they do bi-annual billing to help keep it economy-friendly. I've never had an issue where I've needed customer support, but from what I've heard they're prompt and efficient without giving up on anyone. It's also incredibly reliable. The servers are never down without warning 95% of the time.
Cons
The website can be very confusing, and a lot of people feel they have to use the Microsoft or Linux hosting depending on what kind of computer they use, which isn't true. Just go for the Linux, you'll be happier that way. You also have to wait for verification in order to get started, which can be a bummer if you're really excited to get going immediately.
-------------------------------------
Bluehost
Rating: *****
Price
12 Months at $7.95
24 Months at $6.95
36 Months at $6.95
They offer smaller packages but charge setup fees and such. These are the best deals.
Services Offered
Unlimited Disk Storage
Unlimited Site Transfer
Host Unlimited Domains
Free Domain Name with purchase of plan
2,500 Email Accounts
Unlimited Addon, Sub, and Parked Domains
1,000 FTP Accounts
100 MySQL Databases
and more
Get the whole list HERE
Good
Bluehost is very customer oriented. Every time I have had to deal with their customer service whether that be on the phone or via their live chat the representatives have always been very nice, quick to solve problems, and helpful. Their account control panel is very easy to use and has many features including Fantastico and Simple Scripts which are fabulous services that will automatically install various web applications on your websites. I've been with Bluehost for going on 2 years now and my site has had virtually no down time. I can only remember 2 times that my site was not available and one of them was totally my fault (long story). Overall the service they offer is amazing!
Bad
Even though I mentioned their customer support was very good sometimes the wait time to talk to a representative may be a little longer than desired. This does not happen every time, but if you call them during a high traffic time you may have to wait.
I don't want to get too fancy, just a simple 5 star rating will suffice with a description of good things and bad things you have come across while you were with that company and the features offered vs the price paid.
Please send them to me formatted like the below example in a private message.
SSD Official Web Hosting Provider Reviews
1and1 Web Solutions
Rating: *****
Price
If you are going for the whole package--domain name and space--these are the prices offered, in usd. There are a lot of other options though too.
Beginner- $3.99/month (1 domain, 10gb space)
Home- $4.99/month (2 domains, 120gb space)
Business- $9.99/month (3 domains, 250b space)
Developer- $19.99/month (5 domains, 300gb space)
Services Offered
It'll depend on what package you choose, but for the most basic (beginner), you get:
-Domain Name w/ Private Domain Registration
-Subdomains
-External Domains
-DNS Management
-URL Masking
-10gb Webspace
-300gb Monthly Transfer Volume
-An FTP Account
-Webspace Explorer
-10 MySQL Database (100mb)
-600 Email accounts
-2gb Mailbox w/ Spam Filter
-IMAP & POP3 Supported
-Site building tools
-Marketing Vouchers
-A Blog
-RSS
-Firewall Protection
-24/7 Support
After that, you just keep adding on to what you're given.
Pros
It's a simple process and highly affordable, especially since they do bi-annual billing to help keep it economy-friendly. I've never had an issue where I've needed customer support, but from what I've heard they're prompt and efficient without giving up on anyone. It's also incredibly reliable. The servers are never down without warning 95% of the time.
Cons
The website can be very confusing, and a lot of people feel they have to use the Microsoft or Linux hosting depending on what kind of computer they use, which isn't true. Just go for the Linux, you'll be happier that way. You also have to wait for verification in order to get started, which can be a bummer if you're really excited to get going immediately.
-------------------------------------
Bluehost
Rating: *****
Price
12 Months at $7.95
24 Months at $6.95
36 Months at $6.95
They offer smaller packages but charge setup fees and such. These are the best deals.
Services Offered
Unlimited Disk Storage
Unlimited Site Transfer
Host Unlimited Domains
Free Domain Name with purchase of plan
2,500 Email Accounts
Unlimited Addon, Sub, and Parked Domains
1,000 FTP Accounts
100 MySQL Databases
and more
Get the whole list HERE
Good
Bluehost is very customer oriented. Every time I have had to deal with their customer service whether that be on the phone or via their live chat the representatives have always been very nice, quick to solve problems, and helpful. Their account control panel is very easy to use and has many features including Fantastico and Simple Scripts which are fabulous services that will automatically install various web applications on your websites. I've been with Bluehost for going on 2 years now and my site has had virtually no down time. I can only remember 2 times that my site was not available and one of them was totally my fault (long story). Overall the service they offer is amazing!
Bad
Even though I mentioned their customer support was very good sometimes the wait time to talk to a representative may be a little longer than desired. This does not happen every time, but if you call them during a high traffic time you may have to wait.
