Looking for some advice on hosting

[surdin]

I'm seeking a hosting solution for a hobby site. I have read through the articles on the main page and the ultra cheap hosts page... very helpful, thank you... I expect my needs to be modest... one of those people over-sellers love to have as a customer... I'm kinda on the fence, here... over-sellers like Go Daddy.com offer much more than I'd ever need at low prices, but some of the, what I consider, more realistically, priced services... such as Host Nexus... offer starter packages that are ample for me, and cost just a little bit more on average... one caveat... I prefer to pay monthly, or at most quarterly.

Support isn't much of an issue... I don't foresee a need for any advanced features, and I know enough html to code what little functionality I require. Nor is reliability and up-time an issue of any great importance to me... principle, however, is a matter of some concern... given my requirements, logic kinda dictates an under-priced over-seller solution is probably best, but principle says a reasonably priced package makes more sense from a 'vote with pocketbook' economic standpoint... Not knowing much about the business-side, or the consumer-side, really... I like to hear thoughts and/or recommendations from those who do.

[ldcdc]

Support is never an issue when things go well. Support suddenly becomes critical once you face trouble. Sadly, many of the cheap providers lack in terms of support (at least from customer reports that I've read). At times, a reason may be the setup many of them use. When a cluster is in trouble, thousands of customers may be asking for support in a very short period of time. When a server is in trouble, it's "only" a couple of hundred that are affected. Still, a more manageable number.

I prefer to pay monthly, or at most quarterly.

This may put many of the cheaper hosts out of your list, since many have a policy of actively encouraging paying yearly (though the clever use of setup fees and discounts).

So, since your actual hosting needs are reduced, I recommend you focus on the quality of support, as evidenced by reviews (old and recent) posted on forums like sitepointforums.com and webhostingtalk.com.

[surdin]

Excellent analysis... and something I hadn't considered. Also reading through some of the recommended forums was very helpful... ironically, it was the "complaint" thread about HostNexus listed on the synopsis page that made up my mind for me. Thank you very much.

[globalgoods]

Think LIVE SUPPORT!!  Any host with live support is in my good books!

[Montypaks]

Sadly, many of the cheap providers lack in terms of support

Errrm!! Not ALL cheap hosts are the same ya know! Some do actually go out of their way to help individual clients.

Quote
I prefer to pay monthly, or at most quarterly.

This may put many of the cheaper hosts out of your list, since many have a policy of actively encouraging paying yearly (though the clever use of setup fees and discounts).

Again NOT ALL cheap hosts are the same. I have personnaly seen some of the Big Boys use the setup fees tactic to get clients into paying yearly or even for 2 yrs straight just to get the monthly prize advertised in all their banners

[crucial-ijan]

Take your time with this and do your research since our friend Google exists you can get vast amounts of info and reviews on any hosting company! Short list some companies that can supply a product that suites your needs then look for some reviews, check other forums and make up your own mind. ALWAYS read the TOS & AUP and be sure to make support a high priority, a company that prides itself in great support will have decent hardware as well

Best of luck!

[specialk]

There are lots of sites online with reviews try either of these pages too for either paid hosting  or unpaid hosting reviews
http://www.candidopinion.net/freeHostingPageOne.html
http://www.besthostreviews.com/?bbc=277&tirc=13449

Or try searching google for 'hosting reviews' lol

[leighmcc]

Think LIVE SUPPORT!!  Any host with live support is in my good books!

I agree. Live support, and a quick turn around on support. You shouldn't have to wait more than a couple hours max for assistance if they really do have people monitoring the servers 24/7.

[DionDev]

you could easily get some good, affordable shared hosting for such a site