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What Kind Of Web Hosting Packages Should I Be Looking For?

The fun part of shopping around and choosing a hosting plan is to search through all the different web hosting packages that these companies offer. Some features are unique and used by a couple of companies but many are regarded as status quo and are used by many hosting companies.  Here are some of the main features you should be looking at when it comes to web hosting packages:

cPanel

cPanel is just a fancy word for control panel.  It basically allows you to manage all the important aspects of your website.  It allows you to create an email address for your domain.  You can backup your files so if something unforeseen happens, you can just reload your website to the way it was.  It allows you to create FTP accounts where you can load files onto your domain from your PC. cPanel also lets you load scripts onto your website.  Most importantly though, it provides with web statistics of the visitors on your site. Every hosting company offers some form of this, although it may be under a different name than cPanel.

Fantastico

Fantastico is simply, well......fantastic.  As part of the cPanel, Fantastico allows you to install popular scripts onto your website with just a few simple clicks on the mouse button.  For any newbie Fantastico is essential.  Especially if you are not sure how to build a website.  That's the beauty of it:  All you have to do is load one of the scripts and viola! You've got the framework for a website.  All you have to do is add some content and build some traffic.  Some of the kind of scripts you can load include:

  • Blogs with Wordpress
  • E-commerce sites with CubeCart, OS Commerce, and Zen Cart
  • Forums with phpBB2 or SMF

as well as tools like:

  • Guestbooks
  • Image Galleries
  • Polls and surveys
  • Plus Countless other useful tools

Without question, the most valuable feature of Fantastico is Wordpress.  Intended to be used initially as blog builder, webmasters have used it to build full fledged massive websites.  To many (it's hard to argue), Wordpress is one of the best pieces of internet software that has ever come out. Website building software like Dreamweaver, Frontpage and XSite Pro costs hundred of dollars.  Wordpress is absolutely free.  All of the tools in Fantastico are completely free.  You just have to make sure its offered as part of the web hosting package.

 Unlimited Domain Hosting

Becoming more and more common among for web hosting packages to include unlimited domain hosting.  It's pretty self explanatory.  You are able to host as many domains under your hosting account as you want.  The only way to do this beforehand is to have your own dedicated server.  Nowadays you are able to have unlimited domain hosting under one shared account.

It is much cheaper to use shared domain hosting than have a dedicated server.  The difference is, that with a shared account, all of your websites that were built after the first website are regarded as a subdomain or add-on domain of the first domain.  However, as far as the entire world is concerned they are separate websites.  Only downside is that you would never be able to sell your website if they are an add-on domain just because of how they are connected to your primary domain.  If selling your websites is important to you then I strongly recommend getting a dedicated server as each domain has its own FTP and can be sold because it is not connected to any other domain.

These are just some of the features that you need to be looking for when it comes to the web hosting package that you are looking for.

A favorite with Internet Marketers, Host Monster has a wide array of features in their web hosting packages including cPanel, Fantastico, unlimited domain hosting and much more.

Search through our hosting company reviews or read more of our web hosting articles