Best Website Hosts 2010

[Geoff Grace]

I'm done with Apple's MobileMe as a site provider, and I'm looking for a solid performing website host--one that offers 24/7/365 phone and e-mail support, with high bandwidth and storage and 99.99% uptime, for a reasonable price. Obviously, I can research this on the web; but only real customers can tell me if their hosts deliver on their promises. In my opinion, Apple didn't.

 

I know we've done this subject before, but I don't think we have recently. Please excuse me if I'm wrong.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Joe Muscara]

As a former web developer, I should be able to tell you, but I can't say. I use a host I think is very good, but his service deteriorated a bit when he took a full time job instead of being a for-hire web developer with a hosting business. Back then, he was very responsive. Now, he usually is, but sometimes he isn't. Sigh. Still, it's good most of the time, but the other reason I don't switch is that it's too much trouble.

 

I say stay away from GoDaddy. Worst configuration tools I've seen. I feel like they change randomly, and it's a goose hunt to find a feature I just used recently.

 

What problems have you had with MobileMe? I suspect I know. It's a shame Apple can't keep that as reliable as it should be. I love the Find My iOS device service though.

[Michelle ggurl]

Check out Omnis Networks, where I have my sites and register my domain names. Once I had a problem setting up one of my email accounts at 2am and actually had an email chat with a tech service rep. Not too expensive, either. I was thinking about going to one of the "free" website hosters (I've found a few out there) but I have never experienced downtime to my knowledge, and I do get customer service, which I'm sure would be lacking w/free.

[Steve Nathan]

Not my area really, but I have a site for my wife's paintings (just for pointing galleries, jurors or friends to), and I've been happy with Fatcow. Inexpensive, and they've always been available to walk me through anything I needed help with.

[Jim Alfredson]

I use Liquid Web. Based in my hometown of Lansing, MI. They're on the ball. I've been through four different hosting providers with my website (which features a very large forum of it's own) and none had the support and ease of use that Liquid Web does. Highly recommended.

[gryphon]

I've been living in the Lansing area for 25 years and I didn't know about Liquid Web (I realize they haven't been here for 25 years). I've been looking at their website and their three data centers.

[J. Dan]

This REALLY depends on what you need out of the host. Do you JUST need hosting, or do you need site building tools? If you are developing your site yourself (from code) and just need a good shared (or dedicated, if you have the money) server, I have some experience I can share...

 

For Windows based servers (.NET), I have been thrilled with hosting.com (previously hostmysite.com). Not the cheapest - but they are SO on top of things. If you're developing and run into an issue, you call and get a PERSON who works with you over the phone to figure it out. Up time has been phenomonal. I used them for my old band, my personal site, my Fraternity site, and an eCommerce Site I developed during a brief stint where I thought I wanted to start a consulting company (I learned my lesson!!!). Very happy with them - but it's windows only.

 

My current band website is with eDataRack.com. The previous bandleader started it with them because it was cheap. I was going to change it over, but I'm so lazy, that I learned php/mySql and updated it rather than redevelop it in .NET. So yes, it's a Linux Server with php/MySQL, Apache, whatever... Not my bag.. I figured out what I needed to, to make it work. It IS cheap - dirt cheap compared to the other. Service... meh. Uptime.... so-so. Not bad, OK for a band, wouldn't host a full-time day job type business on it.

 

Hope this is helpful. Generally windows servers are much more expensive than linux servers. And everything I am talking about is a much different scenario than the sites that give you a subdomain with some online site building tools - which are very limiting.

[kanker.]

I use powweb.com - Super cheap, responsive, all that

[Jim Alfredson]

I've been living in the Lansing area for 25 years and I didn't know about Liquid Web (I realize they haven't been here for 25 years). I've been looking at their website and their three data centers.

 

Yes, they are a real success story amid Lansing's crummy economy. I have several friends that work for them and I know the VP very well, too. It's a great company.

[Geoff Grace]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your replies. They're very helpful!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

As a former web developer, I should be able to tell you, but I can't say. I use a host I think is very good, but his service deteriorated a bit when he took a full time job instead of being a for-hire web developer with a hosting business. Back then, he was very responsive. Now, he usually is, but sometimes he isn't. Sigh. Still, it's good most of the time, but the other reason I don't switch is that it's too much trouble.

 

I say stay away from GoDaddy. Worst configuration tools I've seen. I feel like they change randomly, and it's a goose hunt to find a feature I just used recently.

 

What problems have you had with MobileMe?

My currently missing avatar is part of the problem. More below:

 

Back when MobileMe was .Mac, I signed up and used the service's HomePage web application to post my resume, examples of my work, and a picture of myself in my studio. Last year, I received notice that the service would be be discontinued and that I would no longer be able to "create new pages or edit existing pages using HomePage." I wasn't too bothered by this because they gave me nearly two months notice and promised that "any pages you've already published will remain live at their current web address for as long as you like."

 

But then this year, they rescinded that promise, at least in part. On October 8, I received the following notice, "Over a year ago, we retired the .Mac HomePage application for publishing new pages, but allowed previously published pages to remain viewable on the web. On November 8, 2010, we will discontinue online viewing of photos, movies, and files shared using .Mac HomePage."

 

The result is that I still have a resume online, but no supporting files. No examples of my work or pictures associated with the examples remain, the photo of myself in my studio is gone, but not the caption, "Geoff Grace at the keyboard." The site now looks unprofessional. This isn't how I want to be represented.

 

Furthermore, by this action, Apple broke all links to my music that I've ever sent in e-mails and all picture links that I've ever attached to posts here and at other forums (including my avatar). They can't be fixed short of finding a new provider, sending correction e-mails, and editing posts--most of which can no longer be edited.

 

I suppose it could have been worse: Apple didn't delete the files themselves--they're still nested within the same folders on my iDisk--but Apple's actions were bad enough as far as I'm concerned. They've lost me as a web hosting customer for good.

 

Thanks, Joe.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

This REALLY depends on what you need out of the host. Do you JUST need hosting, or do you need site building tools? If you are developing your site yourself (from code) and just need a good shared (or dedicated, if you have the money) server, I have some experience I can share...

After my negative experience with Apple (see post above), I don't want to ever rely on site building tools from a provider again. I've been studying XHTML and CSS, and I'm putting together the next build of my site from code. I've also recently purchased a copy of Dreamweaver CS5 and plan to learn and use it as well on subsequent builds.

 

For Windows based servers (.NET), I have been thrilled with hosting.com (previously hostmysite.com). Not the cheapest - but they are SO on top of things. (snip) Very happy with them - but it's windows only.

They were used in examples in the XHTML and CSS book I read to learn code. I'm glad to hear they're so good. I purchased a Mac copy of Dreamweaver, but I've mostly been coding on Notepad2 under Windows 7. I have a dual boot Mac, so I'm flexible. On the Mac side, I recently discovered TextWrangler. What a cool piece of freeware!

 

Thanks, Dan.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Joe Muscara]

If you want to learn code, go ahead, but if you want to avoid it and work on how your site looks yet still generate good, compliant code, take a look at Freeway from http://www.softpress.com. There's a free 30-day trial you can download. You can even build your site with the trial and never buy it.

[CheapGeek]

You might look at Lunarpages.com -- have used them for several years for a couple websites I've built.

And yeah, Dreamweaver has become a pretty nice tool, whether you write code directly or use the "design" mode.

[Mizu]

Others have given good pointers to hosts. I use 1and1.com and they are OK if you know what you are doing, but don't have a good reputation for support (I haven't needed it).

 

In terms of site design - I highly recommend using a platform like WordPress these days. You can get great designs that don't necessarily look like a blog (I use WooThemes, but there are plenty of free ones), use free plugins (to add Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc. backlinks). I've got Dreamweaver, but since WordPress grew up I haven't touched it except for some minor CSS tweaks.

[KenElevenShadows]

phpwebhosting.com is good, but I don't know if they have 24/7 hosting. Still, almost no down time, very reliable, good all around.

[Dave Pierce]

phpwebhosting.com is good, but I don't know if they have 24/7 hosting. Still, almost no down time, very reliable, good all around.

 

I also use and recommend phpwebhosting, but I didn't recommend them here because I don't think they meet Geoff's requirement for phone support. Unless I'm mistaken, they only provide email support.

 

I've used them for years without problems, though.

 

--Dave

[KenElevenShadows]

phpwebhosting.com is good, but I don't know if they have 24/7 hosting. Still, almost no down time, very reliable, good all around.

 

I also use and recommend phpwebhosting, but I didn't recommend them here because I don't think they meet Geoff's requirement for phone support. Unless I'm mistaken, they only provide email support.

 

I've used them for years without problems, though.

 

--Dave

 

Thanks, Dave. They didn't provide phone support when I joined up quite a few years ago. Still, though, no problems, and their email replies are often quite prompt, so I figured I'd mention this in case it helped Geoff or anyone else.