December 2009 - Earning, Blogging, Tips and More

Before all, let me greet everyone an advanced Merry Christmas! The holiday season is in a rush and we are almost there -- Christmas Day. And 2010 will be right in front of us in a blink. Before we end 2009, let's see who got the top spot for the top web host in the web hosting rating site, Web Hosting Geeks.

As said in my title, it is Inmotion Business Web Hosting who got the top place with a 98% host rating. With a monthly price of $5.95, you get the users' choice web hosting in your own fingertips. Second place goes to JustHost. It is the Editor's Choice Hosting. It has monthly price of $3.45 and a host rating of 97%. That's one notch difference between Inmotion's. But the price difference is quite wide. $2.50 is already something to think about. Would you have 97% with a cheaper price or the higher priced 98%? Third goes to WebHostingPad, tagged as Cheap Reliable Hosting because of it's $1.99/mo. and 97% host rating (wow!). Fourth goes to iPage, Trusted Web Hosting ($3.50/mo, 96% host rating) and fifth goes to FatCow, Cheap Business Hosting ($3.67/mo, 95%).

I included the top 5 web hosts according to Web Hosting Geeks because I believe these 5 are reliable ones. They wouldn't end up there if they didn't work hard to fill their customers' needs. For bloggers looking to self-host their blogs, you can see who won in the Best Blog Hosting. And if you are really budget-tight, see who won in the Best Budget Hosting category. Good luck and happy holidays!

Oftentimes, first time web hosting buyers (like bloggers or small businesses) don't really know where to look when looking for a reliable web host. The very first time I decided to get a web host for my blog, I only asked my friends what their web hosting providers are and if they feel good about their hosts. Answer number 1: Recommendation from friends.

You trust your friends, don't you? And if your friends trust this one web host, you would get an inkling to trust that web host too. Sometimes too immediately. One way to know which web host is right for you is to ask around your friends. Each one of them could have varying opinions but you must get the description of the web host which best suits your needs and capacity.

But let's say you don't have friends who are self hosting their sites, then you could make good use of online ranking resources. Answer number 2: Read around web hosting rating sites. There are a couple of them out there. The best way is to explore. Try hanging out in forums or user feedback areas. You can't just rely on what the web hosts say. Hear it out from their previous/current customers. Customers (most of them) always speak based on their experiences. Learn from their experiences, right?

Let me share this quote from Sir Colin Marshall, The customer doesn't expect everything will go right all the time; the big test is what you do when things go wrong. You can't expect a web hosting provider to be 100% perfect. When things go wrong, what do they do? Leave you hanging (like my previous web host)? The customers will answer your questions. Hear it out.

All I'm saying here is that before buying out a web host, read, search, think and weigh. Don't make the mistakes of impulse buying. Read reviews and rating sites first. Always know that a secure website offers a peace of mind. And you don't want to end up fast in a down-falling web host right?

Good luck to web host buyers-to-be. Read this hosting guide for reference. (: