Hosting Considerations

There are many types of hosting. The primary packages available are shared, virtual, managed, and dedicated. Shared hosting normally includes many features for a low price. This can be attractive but you may not need or use all those features. In a Virtual Server, you own a portion of a server, you get a certain percentage of processing time, disk space, bandwidth, etc. You have less risk of being affected by neighbors but you will typically need more technical expertise and effort.

Dedicated Hosting allows you to own a server and operate it in a business class facility. You need to configure your server, install your own software, and manage all aspects of the server. You have many benefits with a dedicated server including control of your server, the ability to host many domains, and the ability to optimize the server for your needs without carrying the overhead of extra features.Managed Servers allows you the benefits of both a shared and dedicated server, it is your server but you are provided with technical support and management. Managed Servers cost more, but they do offer more in the form of peace of mind.

Traffic and Disk Space
One of the greatest determiners for your hosting will be the traffic and diskspace you need. If you have some evidence what your traffic will be, shop for that amount of traffic allowance plus an extra 30% to allow for growth. Your disk space may be limited by your own publishing effort or it could be controlled by your visitors activity like posting to a user forum or adding information to user mini-sites. Check with your host about their ability to move you up if you out grow the plan you select.

Version of ColdFusion
At the time of this writing, there are hosts providing either ColdFusion 5 or ColdFusion MX. You can do just about everything you need to do as a new or intermediate CF coder with ColdFusion 5. To easily add webservices, ...you need CF MX

Tag Availability - Restrictions, CFX Preinstalled, and install
Web hosts can restrict tags for security reasons. There reasons may be misguided and would eliminate much of the ability of ColdFusion for great things like uploading files, browsing your own directories,

Database
Most simple sites for personal use or small to medium businesses can get by with an Access database. Hosts will allow a limited or unlimited number of data source names.

Email
Some limit the number of accounts, some include auto-responders and list serves. Make sure the email accounts available meet your needs or can be purchased within your budget. Auto responders are helpful for response to inquiries, to announce your location (out of office, at conference, etc). Listserves handle high volume mailings like newsletters or newsgroups.

Ecommerce
If e-commerce is a small part of your site, look for a host that has an e-commerce package available for a low cost or included in your package.

Other Technologies
There are other technologies that you need to consider

• Flash Remoting is included with ColdFusion MX and allows you to use Flash as a display layer for a Rich Internet Applciation.
• Flash Communication Server - FCS allows your to communicate in real time with chat, video conferencing, and other media.
• Streaming - Some hosts provide the abiilty to stream video or audio in real time rather than downloading media files.
• SSL - If you do ecommerce, you'll need security in the form of a secure certificate. Check to see if the secure address will be in your domain's name or the providers name.
• Webmail - Some hosts provide you with the ability of checking your email on line. This can be very useful for you or a client if you or your client are away from your regular computer and its email client.
• Statistics - Most hosts have some statistics package available. Check out the statistics ahead of time by looking at online demos by the host or by the maker of the statistics package.
  

Price
It is said "You get what you pay for" It is also said "A fool and his money is soon parted". Don't assume the higher the price the better the product. In hosting, there are bad high priced hosts and good high price hosts and there are good low priced hosts and bad low priced hosts. I have progressed from a bad host for $49 to decent one for $29 to two different good or very good host for about $15 per month. Each move was made in a search for improved quality of service and support but also resulted in better hosting overall.

Support
Support can be one of the most important aspects of hosting, especially when you are acquiring the hosting for a paying client. Test new hosts before you purchase their services. Give them give them a call and see if they pick up the phone. If they pick up the phone, tell them you are considering them as a host and ask them a question or two. A good question would be about restricted tags. If they restrict no tags or all the ones that are candidates for restricting, I'd go elsewhere. If they restrict some tags and give reasons why they restrict those tags and completley allow others, keep them on your list of candidates.

Final Check
Before you sign up do a few things:

• Ask in forums & newsgroups, etc
• Search the forums or Deja.com The question is always asked
• See about a trial period, some hosts advertise them, other might give you one if you ask.