| A question that is asked quite often is "Why do | | | | fast reliable servers charge less from their |
| various web hosting companies have different | | | | customers. |
| web hosting prices for the same package?" | | | | 4. Loss Selling: Sometimes hosting companies sell |
| Like in any other business, web hosting industry | | | | at loss to expand their client base and hope to sell |
| also has a small number of scamsters who want | | | | other products at a later date to the same |
| your business at any cost. They believe that they | | | | customers. For example, some hosts price hosting |
| can sell you anything at any price "from Eiffel | | | | packages at lower than base cost and hope to |
| tower to the Kitchen sink". Some of these will | | | | sell services like web design, ecommerce solutions, |
| give you web hosting prices that are much higher | | | | search engine optimization etc. While there are |
| simply because they think that they can convince | | | | benefits to attracting customers with unbeatable |
| you to pay more. Others will offer the world for | | | | web hosting prices, it is still a gamble. If the |
| very-little and hope that you will be satisfied with | | | | gamble backfires they may not be able to |
| whatever they dish out. | | | | maintain quality of service in the long run. |
| However, a majority of web hosting providers | | | | 5. Over Selling: "The supreme gift of a good artist |
| may have genuine reasons for higher / lower | | | | is to know when to stop". Hosts that follow this |
| web hosting prices. In this article we will study | | | | principle usually restrict the number of |
| significance of the real factors that can affect the | | | | domains-per-server to a decent number. This |
| price of a web hosting package. Awareness of | | | | ensures that they can maintain 'Quality of Service' |
| the same may clear the confusion cloud | | | | for their clients by offering sufficient server |
| generated by huge web hosting price variations. | | | | resources to each. It also means that this host will |
| 1. Hosting Support: This is perhaps the single most | | | | have to charge more to recover the amount |
| important factor that determines price. Hosting | | | | they pay to their datacenter. Then again, there |
| Companies that provide responsive technical | | | | are providers who sell 400 accounts of 1 GB each |
| support and are quick in fixing problems have a | | | | on a hard disk of 80 GB !!! (You can smile at this |
| higher-ratio of "well trained employees" TO | | | | point of our study) These companies hope that |
| "customers". Due to the costs incurred in | | | | most customers will never use their full allocation |
| maintaining a larger number of efficient support | | | | of resources. What if the customers actually start |
| personnel, they usually charge more from their | | | | using full resources allocated to them? |
| customers. "10 satisfied customers will | | | | 6. Web Hosting Features: Windows, Linux and |
| automatically become a 100 in 5 years time". | | | | other server operating systems have different |
| Many web hosting providers who do not believe | | | | base prices. Features like database support, JSP, |
| this axiom offer throw-away web hosting prices | | | | scripting languages, SSL support vary from |
| and generally their businesses do not last long. | | | | package to package. A web hosting provider who |
| 2. Web Hosts' Network: Most web hosting | | | | offers more features (in a similar hosting plan) is |
| companies put their servers in different | | | | likely to have a higher web hosting price. |
| datacenters across the world. For a high quality | | | | Points to remember: The adage "You get what |
| network (with redundant fast connections and | | | | you pay for" is generally true. Please be aware |
| reliable back up power) a web host has to pay | | | | that leaving aside the scamsters, there do exist |
| more to an advanced datacenter. In turn they | | | | genuine factors that affect web hosting prices. |
| charge you more for their hosting packages to | | | | The highest price may not give proper ROI |
| maintain reasonable profit margins. | | | | (return on investment) and the lowest may not |
| 3. Web Server power: Another factor is the | | | | help your online business grow. Prioritize your |
| speed of the machine your website resides on. A | | | | needs, ask the right questions, avoid unscrupulous |
| Dual Xeon can serve pages and handle applications | | | | web hosts and choose wisely. |
| faster than a P-IV. Web hosts who spend less on | | | | |