What Are the Best Web and Email Hosts?

GreyPoopon asks: "My wife has been running a small business for a couple years now. She is currently paying for web hosting services for a domain, but has elected not to put up a web site (she doesn't need more business), instead using the service only for sending and receiving email. Recently, the hosting service has become less and less responsive, and attempts to switch monthly bills to a different credit card have been completely ignored, and she's now looking for a new provider. She's interested in both hosting service providers as well as email-only providers that will allow her to use her existing domain name with up to five mailboxes. What are the best choices, these days?"

2 comments

[dJCL]

If you want reliability, hop over to netcraft.com and check their list of most reliable hosting providers. Then just get some hosting from them.

Cheap, but with control, try something that gives you shell/root access. I would recommend serverpronto.com (29.95/month dedicated servers) but their ip range is in a globally spam blocked range - almost no one will get your mail. Otherwise I recommend linode - no spam issues, and scalable usage options.

Of course this is based on the assumption that you are willing to setup your own mail server - if not, well many of the other messages here should help some.

Are you serious?

[Yankel]

Who let this post through? What's there to ask here -- this is just a chance to plug one of a thousand ISPs. There are tons of forums dedicated to this. Why waste the space on /.? When it comes to choosing an ISP for business hosting there are way too many factors to consider: 1. How complex will your website be? 2. Will you be using a local or web-based e-mail client? 3. What other services are you looking for (site metrics, content management, spam filtering, etc.) 4. What's the service agreement for technical support (from general services to downtime)? 5. do you want stability, like your local telephone or cable carrier or, are you willing to risk things wiht Joe Hosting? Heck, the list goes on for ages. If you're a technophile, you'll need less than someone who needs his or her hand held the entire way. Seriously, you get what you pay for. Don't cheap out, but don't get drawn in by the bells and whistles either.

Re:The problem with hosting

[fm6]

Nonsense. If you don't trust your hosting provider to be around in a year, you shouldn't go near them. If your site is at all important to you, you need to look for a company with a solid reputation. If it has that, then you're perfectly safe paying them a year in advance. And if it doesn't, you're wasting all the money you do give them -- there's no point in having a web site if you can't count on its availability.

Re: You're a naughty one...

[Anonymous Coward]

So how much money were you hoping to make off Slashdot readers today???

Sheesh! you should know the answer to that already: As much as the market will bear!

Welcome to Capitalism 101!

Re: You're a naughty one...

[phutureboy]

Since it doesn't cost any more money to those who click on the link, I fail to see the damage.

Actually, despite the reassurances, it leaves some of us wondering whether you really meant what you said.

Re: You're a naughty one...

[jea6]

The terms conflict-of-interest and full disclosure come to mind so I direct you to a guy who put up a referral link and was up-front about it:

• If you're feeling generous, go ahead and click my referral link before you sign up, I think I'll get some money from that if you sign up (at least it's not a free iPod ;^)
  http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=137848&cid =11545908 [slashdot.org]