Website hosting help

[AsifHussain]

Hi all!
I could really do with some advice please. I have a website which has been live for a few months and the hosting is with the company which designed the website (won't mention their name as they are crap and don't want to give them advertising). Basically the site is really slow and even after numerous attempts to resolve the problem it's still hit and miss. Sometimes it's fine but other times it REALLY slow. I've got to the point where I need to reasearch into moving away. I don't make any money from the site so the hosting can't be too expensive. The most important factors are good, solid download times for the pages and reliable service and communication. Not much really.
I'm a bit of a newbie so also not sure how the transfer works. Will the new company handle everything? Basically the website is a forum of sorts which people can join, message each other, I also have a chatroom etc
At the moment the number of members is low but it's slowly increasing and I expect the traffic to slowly increase. I have a admin log-in page where I can approve new members, email members if need be etc
I'm also not sure about the website name. The current company registered both the .com version and the .co.uk version. Will I need to renew this after a year? How will I know when / what to do?

Sorry for the long post but I could really do with the advice!

 

[ScotComp]

Very easy to move to a new host, most new hosts should be able to do it for you for free (we do it for our clients on a regular basis).

You should have access to your hosting admin panel, usually cPanel or something similar.

.co.uk is usually after 2 years, .com is usually a year.

If you put the domains into www.who.is you'll be able to find out when both domains expire.

 

[Posilan]

Hi all!
I could really do with some advice please. I have a website which has been live for a few months and the hosting is with the company which designed the website (won't mention their name as they are crap and don't want to give them advertising). Basically the site is really slow and even after numerous attempts to resolve the problem it's still hit and miss. Sometimes it's fine but other times it REALLY slow. I've got to the point where I need to reasearch into moving away. I don't make any money from the site so the hosting can't be too expensive. The most important factors are good, solid download times for the pages and reliable service and communication. Not much really.
I'm a bit of a newbie so also not sure how the transfer works. Will the new company handle everything? Basically the website is a forum of sorts which people can join, message each other, I also have a chatroom etc
At the moment the number of members is low but it's slowly increasing and I expect the traffic to slowly increase. I have a admin log-in page where I can approve new members, email members if need be etc
I'm also not sure about the website name. The current company registered both the .com version and the .co.uk version. Will I need to renew this after a year? How will I know when / what to do?

Sorry for the long post but I could really do with the advice!

Hi,

It sounds like you have been out on some overloaded "unlimited" host somewhere (I can check if you would like to PM me the web address).

Hopefully the domain names have been registered in your name so it shoudl be simple enough to move the name to a new host.

*.uk domain names are registered for a 2 year period and .com domain names can 1, 2 or more years - again this is something I can check if you wish.

We have hosting starting at £11.99 per year and you should find it to be nice and fast - we also offer a free site transfer service if you need it, all you need to do is email us with the old account details after ordering and we will look after it for you.

Details of our packages are here: http://www.posilan.com/services/web-hosting

Steve

 

[webhostuk]

Hi all!
I could really do with some advice please. I have a website which has been live for a few months and the hosting is with the company which designed the website (won't mention their name as they are crap and don't want to give them advertising). Basically the site is really slow and even after numerous attempts to resolve the problem it's still hit and miss. Sometimes it's fine but other times it REALLY slow. I've got to the point where I need to reasearch into moving away. I don't make any money from the site so the hosting can't be too expensive. The most important factors are good, solid download times for the pages and reliable service and communication. Not much really.
I'm a bit of a newbie so also not sure how the transfer works. Will the new company handle everything? Basically the website is a forum of sorts which people can join, message each other, I also have a chatroom etc
At the moment the number of members is low but it's slowly increasing and I expect the traffic to slowly increase. I have a admin log-in page where I can approve new members, email members if need be etc
I'm also not sure about the website name. The current company registered both the .com version and the .co.uk version. Will I need to renew this after a year? How will I know when / what to do?

Sorry for the long post but I could really do with the advice!

Most of the companies can help you with website transfer to there server free of charge... so thats not the thing to worry , you just need to make sure you have full control of your domain to change your nameservers to new provider. If you are still looking for new web hosting company you can take a look at our packages at Webhost.Uk.Net

 

[Nala]

Hi all!
I could really do with some advice please. I have a website which has been live for a few months and the hosting is with the company which designed the website (won't mention their name as they are crap and don't want to give them advertising). Basically the site is really slow and even after numerous attempts to resolve the problem it's still hit and miss. Sometimes it's fine but other times it REALLY slow. I've got to the point where I need to reasearch into moving away. I don't make any money from the site so the hosting can't be too expensive. The most important factors are good, solid download times for the pages and reliable service and communication. Not much really.
I'm a bit of a newbie so also not sure how the transfer works. Will the new company handle everything? Basically the website is a forum of sorts which people can join, message each other, I also have a chatroom etc
At the moment the number of members is low but it's slowly increasing and I expect the traffic to slowly increase. I have a admin log-in page where I can approve new members, email members if need be etc
I'm also not sure about the website name. The current company registered both the .com version and the .co.uk version. Will I need to renew this after a year? How will I know when / what to do?

Sorry for the long post but I could really do with the advice!

Just be aware that with all the offers above, this is only for hosting and domain renewal - that's fairly easy and not too complicated for the transfer ( I'd recommend Vidahost on my admittedly short experience with them). Go with a big-ish company (but not so big the support is impersonal) and beware resellers.

However, this will not include keeping your website updated and running ok and any script changes - all the website and forum upkeep will be up to you, or it will almost certainly cost extra with a service contract possibly with someone else, and that's assuming the previous company don't start getting 'funny' when you want to move it away from them!

Do as much research as possible, as when you do jump ship you want to make it the only time, not out of the frying pan into the fire.

 

[AsifHussain]

Thanks guys appreciate your help.
As one of the posters recommended is it worth going to a big-ish company or not? Who are these 'big-ish' companies, they all seem the same to me?

 

[Posilan]

Thanks guys appreciate your help.
As one of the posters recommended is it worth going to a big-ish company or not? Who are these 'big-ish' companies, they all seem the same to me?

You should be ok with most, just avoid any packages that state "unlimited" or seem too cheap for what they are offering - there's no such thing. If they are a reseller, check who's service they are reselling (the reseller may be good, but it's pointless if the underlying service is rubbish).

I've replied to your PM with some tips for you so good luck

Steve

 

[AsifHussain]

You should be ok with most, just avoid any packages that state "unlimited" or seem too cheap for what they are offering - there's no such thing. If they are a reseller, check who's service they are reselling (the reseller may be good, but it's pointless if the underlying service is rubbish).

I've replied to your PM with some tips for you so good luck

Steve

Thank you Steve, appreciate the reply.

 

[Nala]

You should be ok with most, just avoid any packages that state "unlimited" or seem too cheap for what they are offering - there's no such thing. If they are a reseller, check who's service they are reselling (the reseller may be good, but it's pointless if the underlying service is rubbish).

I've replied to your PM with some tips for you so good luck

Steve

The trouble is that some resellers will say that the servers that they are using are 'theirs'. They do not point out that they are renting (hiring, buying or whatever term you want to use) space from a company (or companies) and then selling it on and marking it up considerably. You are then in the situation of possibly having double the poor service. The reseller is just the middleman, and if they offer no extra above the hosting and domain renewal then I for one can see no point in them - cut out the middleman and go direct, quite often you will get better service and pay less if you make the right choice.

Choose wisely

 

[Posilan]

I for one can see no point in them - cut out the middleman and go direct, quite often you will get better service and pay less if you make the right choice.

I agree with the "choose wisely"

Resellers can be beneficial sometimes - they may be the web designer who wants easy control over a number of accounts or they may offer different core services than hosting and can't justify the expense for full infrastructure or have existing relationships with a group of clients.

They may also offer a niche such as their own custom scripts etc or offer different support hours or even in a different language.

There is definitely a point in the reseller market as long as they do offer value added services.

Steve

 

[Nala]

You snipped a little bit off my quote

I did say if they offer 'no extra'.

However, my bad experiences stem from a web design business that also acted as a host (reseller).

They were dire, and the more I found out about it and learn, the more livid and incensed I get.

I chose poorly (originally). But with all the other things involved with starting out on my own I thought I'd give something I knew nothing about to someone who should know more and better, however they only acted in their own interests.

I'm not bitter (much)