New websites pop up every day, each with different functions, such as spreading information and selling things. Regardless of the purpose of these sites, they all have one thing in common, a web host. These sites need a host to exist, and in the following article, you will see how to easily select a good host.

Make sure the host you choose has minimal to no downtime. It is frustrating if you try to log on to your site, and the server is down. If you have a business that relies on the internet for sales, this means you will lose a lot of money because your site is not operable.

Look for the best hosting site for your domain name. Most free sites require you to put their name either before or after your site name in the URL. If you do not want this, you will have to search carefully for a host that suits your needs, even if it means paying for a quality host.

Make sure any offers of “unlimited” data transfer are actually unlimited. Many web hosts advertise unlimited data transfer in their offers, but tuck exceptions in the terms and conditions for the package. Common exceptions include video or non-HTML file downloads being limited, limits on CPU utilization, and general prohibitions on using “too many resources.”

Go for Linux hosting unless you need to use certain applications or server-side languages. Linux hosting has a better reputation for uptime, stability, and resource use. Shared hosting that runs on Linux tends to be somewhat cheaper, as well. There are, however, certain applications that need Windows hosting, including Plesk, Microsoft Access, Silverlight, MSSQL, and ASP.net.

Avoid free web hosting services. These services support themselves by placing advertisements on the top of all the websites they host. These advertisements may annoy your visitors or make your site appear unprofessional. In addition, some free hosts may restrict the amount of commercial content allowed on the websites that they host.

Find out if your web host service supports videos. Videos take a lot of storing space and bandwidth, and you might have to spend a lot for a plan that supports videos. You can save money by uploading your videos to YouTube for free and embedding them on your website.

Web hosting service charges can be related to the amount of traffic that is coming to your website. Find out how web traffic changes your bill. Some hosts charge a flat fee but raise the fee if you get a certain amount of traffic, while others charge you monthly based on the number of visitors your site received.

Free sounds great, but you get what you pay for. Free hosting usually includes displaying ads on your site. What’s more is that you will not control the ad content placed on your site. You will also notice that random ads appearing on your site, takes away from its professional look.

As time passes on, new websites will continue to be created. These sites will feature different things, but will all share the common need for a web hosting service if they want to exist. If you closely read the information from this article, you can easily select a host for your own site.