With a plethora of web hosting solutions available at your fingertips, finding one that works for you can be easier said than done. Unbiased, unpaid reviews can be hard to come by, so it can prove difficult to really get a feel for where your money is going and how reliable the service you receive will be.
Now, keep in mind that just because you registered your domain in one place, it does not mean that you have to host your site in the same place. Integrating with a host site is now easier than ever, but what service should you choose?
Here is our quick review of a few common hosting solutions…the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Bluehost
If you run a small business or are new to the hosting game, Bluehost may be the solution for you. With cloud-based hosting and storage, Bluehost makes it easy to integrate and maintain existing sites. WordPress integration makes this ideal for any developer. With 24-hour support available to customers, Bluehost makes web hosting simple…especially if you have idea what you’re doing.
Digital Ocean
Digital Ocean is known for its quick and easy setup process. This cloud-based solution features reasonably priced, flexible packages to fit the specific needs of your business. The packages are pay-as-you-go, so you only pay for the resources you need dependant upon size of your business. As you grow, you can add more options dependant upon how many resources you need. More resources, more money. Makes sense to us. If you’re looking for great customer support, then look no further. Digital Ocean has you covered.
Rackspace
Cloud-based hosting site Rackspace is known for its excellent uptime rate (99.99%), but comes with a mixed bag of reviews in other areas. The company has gone public in recent years and it seems that customer support has taken a hit because of it. The support system can be tricky to navigate and is sometimes difficult to get a hold for a quick and easy solution. If you’re looking for a great value, you may need to look elsewhere.
Media Temple
While Media Temple is slightly more expensive, it provides a wide range of plan options to best accommodate the needs of your business. The solution offers an outstanding uptime rate, guaranteed…they’ll even give a 20% discount for each 20 minutes the server is down. WordPress integration, 24/7 phone support, and a mobile app make Media Temple a viable option for hosting.
If you still need a little help deciding which hosting solution is best for you and your business, check out this article. It’s chock full of tips to help you make an educated decision.
Do you have a favorite hosting solution? Have you had experience with any of the solutions we listed? Let us know in the comments below!
Jason Long is the founder and CEO of Brainleaf and an Information Architect and Managing Partner at CodeWright. A self-professed serial entrepreneur, he is always interested in new businesses, new ideas, and new ways to change the world. He has over 15 years of experience in design and development and has served in a variety of different roles ranging from designer to Information Architect to CEO. He spends most of his time focusing on the build and development of new ventures while trying to travel the world.