Small online businesses have different needs when it comes to finding the perfect web hosting service. The following are three of the best web hosting services for small businesses in 2010:
- InmotionHosting
- HostGator
- midPhase
Covering the basics
In weighing up the pros and cons of the various web hosting companies available, there were a few non-negotiable criteria that needed to be met by each. Each of the three service providers selected:
- Guarantee at least 99.9% uptime
- Provide easily accessible support systems that include Email support, Phone Support and Live Chat Support
- A long-standing reputation for providing excellent service and high levels of customer support
- Have a range of web hosting solutions such as shared web hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated hosting. This allows you to upgrade your hosting plan quickly and easily, should your business experience rapid growth
Prices and packages
Basic web hosting packages for each of the three companies in this review include:
- Unlimited space
- Unlimited transfer
- Unlimited emailbox
InmotionHosting has a basic package priced at $7.95, making it the cheapest of the three. Its advanced options include 1 free domain; host up to 6 domains; complete data backup; e-commerce features.
midPhase provides a basic package costing $8.95. Advanced options for this web hosting service include the ability to host unlimited domains; nightly back up; one dedicated IP address.
HostGator has packages starting at $12.95. It contains advanced features that include the option of hosting unlimited domains; instant backup; one dedicated IP address.
What they offer
InmotionHosting focus on delivering professional solutions to their clients. They have the greatest customer satisfaction in the industry and fantastic reviews. In particular, InmotionHosting users appreciate its fast connect, the reliability associated with the system, world class customer support and the simple-to-use control panel.
midPhase is amongst the top players within the web hosting industry. It is geared primarily toward small business website hosting and open source application hosting (such as Drupal, Joomla, etc), but will suit the needs of larger businesses as well. They provide you will all the tools necessary to start hosting your business website, without charging exorbitant fees. Hosting packages are set up to make it easy to upgrade your hosting subscription, should your needs change.
HostGator, and award-winning web hosting service, caters to millions of clients around the globe. They boast very fast connections that span all continents, thus allowing your small business web site to respond quickly to global traffic (not just traffic from the US). The instant backup features allow you to backup all of your files, protecting your website and your business.
