“Unlimited.” When shopping for a shared web hosting service, it’s a popular word used frequently to describe a company’s selling points — in particular, “unlimited disk space and bandwidth.” In light of today’s web sites becoming more sophisticated, increasingly more and more businesses and individuals are turning to web hosting companies that provide unlimited disk space and bandwidth.

But what does “unlimited” really mean? Can a web hosting provider truly provide “unlimited” resources? And do you really need it? Let’s take a look at some key points, as well as a few recommended web hosting providers, to consider when shopping for unlimited disk space and bandwidth:

What does disk space and bandwidth have to do with my website?
Every website is made up of files. These files may be a collection of HTML pages, images, videos, audio, and databases. They can also contain email accounts, access logs, and installed programs or scripts. “Bandwidth” and “disk space” are terms that relate to how these files are stored and how your users access these files.

What is unlimited disk space? And why does it matter?
If you are going to be providing content — and every website does — you are going to need a place in the virtual world to store it. “Disk space” refers to the amount of hard disk space needed on a web hosting company’s server to store these files.

The amount of storage required depends on the type of site you plan to support. Unless you have huge audio video files on your website, unlimited data space may not be a necessity. Regardless, the advantage of going with a web hosting service that provides unlimited disk space is that you won’t have to worry about running out of disk space as the website grow.

What is unlimited bandwidth? And why does it matter?
“Bandwidth” refers to the amount of data that is sent back and forth from your website. Every time you access a website, you are downloading a file — it could be an HTML page, an image, an audio file, or a video file. With every file that is downloaded, data is transferred.

Bandwidth is one of the hardest factors to predict when choosing a shared hosting solution. How much data is transferred depends on the size of the file. Videos, music, and database-driven web applications are all examples of types of content that are typically large file sizes and — as your web traffic increases — require more bandwidth.

The additional costs some web hosting providers charge for exceeding your bandwidth allocation can really add up. Choosing a provider that offers unlimited bandwidth can provide you with the peace of mind to offer any kind of content you wish to as many visitors as you want.

Can a web hosting company truly provide “unlimited” resources?
While no web host can provide infinite bandwidth each month, providers who offer “unlimited” disk space and bandwidth are well-equipped to provide more than enough disk space and bandwidth for the average website. As long as your website’s disk space and bandwidth usage are similar to other small business and personal websites, you won’t have to worry about running out.

What unlimited web hosting providers do you recommend?
There are a number of plans out there who offer unlimited disk space and bandwidth, including all three of BigHosts’ top-ranked hosting companies:

1. iPage Web Hosting
2. Webhostinghub
3. JustHost Web Hosting

To learn more about these and other great web hosting providers, visit our Top 10 Web Hosting List.

When it comes to auto install software, Fantastico has been the industry standard for the past few years. But now there’s a new option in town – Softaculous – that has been creating quite a buzz. Practically overnight, Softaculous has become the auto installer of choice with web developers everywhere. Why? It allows web owners to install some of their favorite website software with simply one-click of a button!

What (in our opinion) are the advantages of using Softaculous?
While Fantastico and Softaculous are fairly similar, there are some distinct differences. Perhaps the most obvious difference is the number of scripts Softaculous supports. Last we checked, Softaculous supports over 260 scripts that enable everything from customer support options to content management to social networking. In comparison, Fantastico has only 59.

Another big plus is the frequency and speed of which new versions of these scripts are rolled out. Softaculous rolls out updates within hours, as opposed to weeks/months, ensuring that you are running the latest, up-to-date scripts on your site.

What can you do with Softaculous?
With the power and ease of Softaculous, you can do virtually anything, including adding interactivity and functionality to your website. Softaculous supports some of the best open source web apps available, including:

• Blogging Tools like WordPress, B2Evolution, Geeklog, Nucleus
• E-commerce Shopping Carts such as Prestashop, OpenCart, OS Commerce
• Content Management Systems (CMS) like Joomla, Drupal, Moodle
• Image Galleries such as Coppermine, Shutter, Pixelpost and ZenPhoto

From mail to ad management, gaming to guest books — anything you need to accomplish with a website, there’s probably an application for it in the Softaculous library.

What are the benefits of Softaculous?
Softaculous is one of the most comprehensive auto-installers available. With a library of hundreds of scripts, it is powerful yet easy-to-use. Plus, with Softaculous, you don’t need to download or upload any files. Other key benefits include:

• Set up a blog, forum or e-commerce store in simply a couple of seconds
• Enjoy access to hundreds of web apps and scripts – and free demos
• Create surveys and polls quickly and easily
• Save time and money on web design
• Install any app with just one-click

Where can I get Softaculous?
When shopping for a web hosting provider, look for companies who use Softaculous — such as Webhostinghub or Hostmetro. Both include Softaculous in cPanel, making the process of creating and managing web apps easy, effortless, and (almost) instantaneous. To help you get started, Webhostinghub and HostMetro have also created a number of tutorials to assist in adding some of the most popular apps for Softaculous — including WordPress and Prestashop.

At some point, you may choose to change web hosting services. Whether you want to save money, your website requires more bandwidth, or you simply want to take advantage of advanced features and services, there are a number of smart and practical reasons for making the switch to a different hosting provider.

However, like many, you may be reluctant to switch web hosting services for fear of downtime. Downtime occurs when a website goes offline or becomes unavailable for a period of time as a result of a network or transmission failure. If you are using your website to operate your business, accept payments, drive sales, or build brand awareness, I think you will agree that time is money, and downtime can often wind up being very costly for a website.

So how can you transfer you website to a hosting service and experience little to no downtime? Choose hosting providers such as Webhostinghub.com who makes transferring your web site easy and effortless. Their worry-free, no-downtime transfer process provides you with everything you need to confidently migrate your website in four simple steps:

1. Sign up with Webhostinghub.com
2. Set up your emails and transfer your website files
3. Check your site from your free temporary URL
4. Transfer your domain name

Perhaps the biggest reason many website owners experience costly downtime issues when switching hosting providers is that they haven’t taken the precaution necessary to ensure that all of their website information has been successfully transferred over to the new server before they change and redirect their domain name server (DNS).

Webhostinghub.com resolves that problem by providing you with access to a temporary URL. This allows you to upload your files, create your email accounts and ensure that everything is working correctly before you transfer your domain and cancel your plan with your existing provider.

When switching your website to a new hosting account, it isn’t necessary to move your domain name registration as well, as your domain name’s name servers can be adjusted to point at any hosting account. However, if you do decide to move your domain name (because you prefer keeping all of your accounts with one company or because maybe you got a great deal on renewal registrations by changing hosting providers), you’ll need to release the URL from your previous registrar’s account.

Different registrars have different processes for conducting domain name transfers, but you’ll likely need to supply a code from your old registrar to your new registrar indicating that you want to move your domain name. While it’s not rocket scientist, it the process can be confusing and time consuming.

Another option is taking advantage of Webhostinghub.com’s Domain Concierge Service. For just $25 a domain, Webhostinghub.com’s expert support staff will do the dirty work for you. They will initiate the transfer process, get the official transfer codes from your former vendor, move the domains, and then notify you when the process has been completed. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Webhostinghub.com has been in business for more than a decade and is consistently ranked #1 as being one of the best hosting providers in the business. Whether you’re starting a website from scratch or looking to move a site to another web hosting company, we recommend checking out Webhostinghub.com for a wide range of helpful tools and features that can help you do either — all for a low, competitive price.

One of the biggest rising stars in the industry’s “best web hosting company” category is WebHostingHub.com. We’ve been talking up the company for a while now. With its smart, reliable hosting services, its Premium Website Builder (which makes web publishing a breeze) and its affordable pricing plans that start at $3.95 – really, what’s not to love?

Another feature we also love is Web Hosting Hub’s easy-to-use control panel – cPanel, one of the industry’s most popular choices for easy, intuitive website management.

With cPanel, you can enjoy:

Hassle free e-mail management.
cPanel makes it easy to manage all of your email accounts all from one place. Create new email addresses, set-up email forwarding and more. Choose between three web-mail – SquirrelMail, Horde or RoundCube. Each service is designed to work just like Gmail.

Single click software installs.
From blogging tools such as WordPress to e-commerce shopping carts, content management systems (CMS) and video galleries, Fantastico™ automates the installation of some of your favorite website software, making it easy to add functionality to your website.

Smart, informative web statistics.
Using cPanel’s website traffic stats, you can track useful statistics with easy-to-read analysis of the visitors coming to your website. See who’s visiting, track errors, access bandwidth reports, and more.

Easy file management.
cPanel’s file management system has all of the necessary tools you need to manage your sites, and it allows you to back up and organize files, manage FTP accounts and monitor disk space usage – all with just a few clicks of your mouse.

Simple domain management.
cPanel makes domain management quick and simple. Add sub domains, add-on domains, parked domains and create web page redirects to other pages with the click of a button.

Advanced features.
From database management tools to PERL scripts and security features, cPanel also supports a wide variety of advanced features to manage and maintain your website.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check it out for yourself. Visit Web Hosting Hub for a demo of cPanel and take the industry’s most popular control panel for a spin yourself. Other top web hosting companies offering cPanel include InMotion Hosting, JustHost JustHost and BlueHost.

When it comes to creating a website, few web hosting companies make it easier than WebHostingHub.com. Learning how to use their Premium Website Builder service is easier than learning how to tie your shoes and is the easiest way to get your small business website online. To get started, simply choose a theme, add your website’s content, then publish it for the world to see.

Create your website in three simple steps:

1. Choose a theme. With over 500 website templates to choose from, Web Hosting Hub can help you create a unique look and feel for your website. You don’t need any web design or coding experience to create a website you can call your own. Each template includes customizable color schemes, header graphics, logos and menu buttons. Plus, you can create an animated Flash intro, build an online store, and more.

2. Add your content. Web Hosting Hub’s point-and-click interface for website editing is easy to use and makes web publishing a breeze. There’s no coding required – simply enter and format your content just like you would if you were using a word processor software such as Microsoft™ Word® or OpenOffice™ WRITER®.

3. Publish it online. Once you’re happy with your website simply click a button and your site will be live online for everyone to see!

And that’s just the beginning! For those of you looking for a little advanced features, the Premium Website Builder also allows you to:

• Create custom animated Flash intros with ready-to-use animated Flash templates. You can then easily customize your message, colors or animation with only a few clicks!

• Add a blog, photo gallery, message board or guestbook to your website. While many of these pieces can be found as stand-alone services, Web Hosting Hub’s Premium Website Builder allows you to create and manage all these features from a single interface.

• Build an online store – without the hassle of piecing together various scripts or shopping cart software. You can create product categories, upload product images, add descriptions and even track the orders you receive. The Premium Website Builder also easily integrates the leading payment processors such as PayPal, Authorize.Net and 2Checkout.

Creating and maintaining a website couldn’t be easier! Add to it top of the line hosting services and affordable pricing plans, no wonder Web Hosting Hub was named top web hosting company for 2012.

To learn more, visit WebHostingHub.com

Unlimited
Domains

Unlimited
Websites

One web hosting feature that is potentially confusing to new website owners or those that are purchasing web hosting for the first time is the “unlimited domain hosting” that many low cost web hosting companies aggressively sell. This does not mean that multiple websites can be hosted on one account (i.e. abc.com, xyz.com, 123.com). Unlimited domain hosting simply means that multiple domains can be pointed to one set of website files. For example, if your business is called ABC, maybe abc.com is the primary domain but you also point abc.net and abc.org to the same website. Learn how to point multiple domains to one website.

If you do need a web hosting account that will support multiple websites, whether it’s for a small business, non-profit organization or even personal use, InMotion Hosting is a good choice. If using sub-domains of the primary domain (i.e. example.abc.com) or using multiple domains with one website will suffice, then most of the web hosting companies in our top 10 web hosting list will meet your needs.

Web hosting is a necessity for any business regardless of what it may entail. While there are a plethora of drag and drop hosting sites to choose from, Dotser is quickly jumping into the spotlight. And thanks to the instant website builder capabilities, Dotser web hosting has become an easy and reliable solution for people.

The Instant Website is a perfect idea that can get someone started online immediately. Rather than wasting valuable time searching and building, Dotser web hosting can create a one-page website in minutes. It will build and publish to a domain name thanks to an easy and intuitive editor.

Instant website builder is a service you do not want to miss out on. It will produce a complete, all-inclusive website that has all of the basics of any and every other website out there. What you will find is a simple, yet modern layout that offers open-ended text fields for users to edit information. This allows you to piece together the details exactly how you want them.

On top of this, there are a plethora of other details and features that are 100% customizable. There is no sense in paying for something without liking every aspect. Through Dotser web hosting you can customize the web title and description for search engines, scroll through a vast amount of color schemes, enjoy fully customized text fields and headlines, and play around with custom icons.

Instant website builder is perfect for small business owners as you can upload your own logo and create a simple and informative page. From the business hours to contact information to payment methods and product details, this is an easy way to quickly deliver information to prospects and customers. There is also a Flickr photo gallery and Google Maps to take advantage of.

Time is of the essence when it comes to handling a business or website online. For this very reason, instant website builder should be a priority. It is incredibly easy, features a professional layout with an intuitive website editor, and no technical knowledge is needed to set it up. If nothing else, it is worth a free trial for 30 days.

After that, for just $2.99 per month you can enjoy a convenient site for your small business or personal use. There is up to 2GB of monthly bandwidth, a 99.9% uptime and data backup, and an SEO-friendly website template. And for this, Dotser web hosting is worth taking a look at.

Web Hosting Tutorial Series

Video #4: What is a control panel?

This video tutorial will teach you about the control panel, an essential part of any web hosting account.

In terms of web hosting, the control panel is a web-based interface provided by your hosting company that allows you to manage a variety of hosted services in one spot. A control panel allows you to configure email accounts, upload files to your website, access server logs, manage databases, analyze web traffic, add new functionality, and more. It is an essential part of any web hosting account. Without it – even just a basic control panel – you wouldn’t be able to get very much done.

You do not necessarily need to know computer programming to effectively navigate your way around a control panel. It is a browser-based, point-and-click interface. Three of the most widely used web hosting control panels in the industry today are cPanel, Parallels Plesk, and DirectAdmin. They are popular because they are easy-to-use, intuitive, and offer a wide variety of robust services.

Some control panels only run on Linux, some are meant for Windows, and some will work with both types of operating system. One important thing to keep in mind – just because your computer at home is running Windows doesn’t mean you need to find a
Windows hosting account. You only need a Windows account if your website requires features that only work on Windows. Otherwise, a Linux account will work just as well, and with very few differences.

What’s the difference? Most versions of Linux are free, whereas you can’t install Windows on a computer unless you pay for a license. Because of this, Windows hosting accounts generally cost a bit more. Many of the companies in our top 10 web hosting list provide linux-based control panels like cPanel, this helps make them very affordable.

Up Next:

The key units for measuring website space and usage: megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB).

Web Hosting Tutorial Series

Video #6: How much disk space and bandwidth do I need for my website?

This video tutorial can help you determine how much disk space and bandwidth you will need to host and support your website.

Perhaps you are already familiar with what the term disk space means. Similar to how it relates to the amount you can store on your personal computer, it is the amount of server disk space a hosting company allots to you to host your website. You can use this space to upload and store the content of your site – HTML pages, images and graphics, video and audio clips, databases, etc.

Now, what is bandwidth? Bandwidth is the rate and maximum amount of which this information can be transmitted. Whenever someone downloads a file or views a picture that you host on your account, it uses up bandwidth. A bandwidth quota is a limit placed on the amount of data that can be transferred each month to and from your websites.

Disk space and bandwidth costs your hosting provider money – as a result, they pass that cost on to you. For most providers, this usage is typically measured over a monthly time period. To determine the amount of bandwidth you use, you would multiply the amount of hard drive space your files take up by the amount of people that access them each month. This number equals your bandwidth usage.

So, how much disk space and bandwidth do you need to host your websites? It depends on a number of factors. Do you intend to host a lot of big downloads such as videos, audio clips or images? Do you anticipate a large amount of web traffic to your website? Such factors can quickly consume your space and bandwidth.

With so much variation among web hosting companies, it can sometimes be difficult to know how much bandwidth your website will require. However, when first experimenting in the world of web hosting, it’s probably safe to choose a plan that supports the average storage and transfer limits. Should you find you need more disk space or bandwidth down the line, you can always upgrade.That being said, it is important to keep an eye out on things and monitor your usage. Most providers will charge extra or suspend your account if you exceed your limits, even if they offer “unlimited” web hosting space and bandwidth.

Up Next:

Now that we’ve talked about how much space you may (or may not) need, let’s discuss the pros and cons of unlimited hosting plans.

Web Hosting Tutorial Series

Video #7: Read the contract when considering an unlimited hosting plan

You can never be too careful when shopping online. When searching for the perfect web hosting provider, take the time to look closely at every detail including the terms of service before agreeing to any account. Precaution will land you an honest and reliable company with reasonable limits.

The Internet is full of web hosting providers that have pieced together enticing offers that truly seem too good to be true. What you need to realize is these companies are masterminds for putting together plans that are irresistible on the surface, but end up being nothing more than a marketing ploy to trick customers.

By now you have certainly run into that web hosting provider that is feeding up to 500 gigabytes of space and 2000 gigabytes of bandwidth for just $3.95 a month. Or better yet, an unlimited amount of space and bandwidth for just $6.95 a month. Just remember, if it seems too good to be true it might be. Conversely, there are some hosts that are still able to provide a good product at a very affordable price while offering unlimited web hosting.

Providers are capable of offering these remarkable pitches because of overselling. Companies are well aware of the fact that most customers will use very little space and bandwidth. And for those that do, the company may or may not be able to afford the costs. If they can, you are fine and dandy. The problem is more often than not these companies cannot afford the high costs.

These are the companies you need to be wary of as they will often have a plethora of hidden terms of service agreement stating you can only use a certain percentage of your space or bandwidth. Their whole goal is to get you to buy into the plan without realizing your account could be suspended for abusing the limits.

Another thing to keep an eye on is poor customer service as this is a key attribute of over-sellers. If the company is a scam, sadly your web sites and downloads will face slow run-times and may even go down from time to time. This is when you know it is time to head elsewhere.

It is upsetting to see the industry turn to this as overselling has become a real problem over the past five or six years. There are still large hosting providers that have an honest reputable image they have built up over the years. But with these companies in constant competition with each other, the average space and bandwidth limits have skyrocketed thus making it incredibly difficult for the legitimate companies to compete.

As with a lot of things in the economy today, hard drive and internet transit prices have plummeted. However, this still compares little to the number of rate hosting offerings have gone up.

The bottom line is you can never be too careful when shopping online. When searching for the perfect web hosting provider, take the time to look closely at every detail including the terms of service before agreeing to any account. Precaution will land you an honest and reliable company with reasonable limits.

Up Next:

Learn about the consequences of exceeding web hosting disk space or bandwidth quotas.