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Choosing a host for a membership site

by zsolt
8 replies
I plan to launch a dating site this fall and now I am looking at different hosting comapnaies to see what they have to offer. The site will be in Hungarians, for Hungarian. However, Hungarian hosting comapanies are considerably more expensive that the comapnies overseas.
Unfortunately I am on a tight budget, so I cannot start with a virtual host or dedicated server. I will have to put up with shared hosting for a while.

Do you think it's OK to host my site at a US hosting provider, even if the visitors will be from Hungary? I don't think there should be a noticable slow-down, but who knows.

Another thing...these inexpensive hosting comapanies, like Hostgator, BlueHost, StarLogic, etc. does not seem to offer an upgrade, should your site ever grow out the shared hosting plan. I mean I see no referring to virtual hosting plans or dedicated servers. Since I am to run a dating service I need to plan ahead in case my site gets popular and lots of members log in at the same time.

I'd like to start out with an inexpensive hosting plan, but would like the possibilities of an upgrade in case my site gets heavy-loaded.

Could you please recommend a fast and reliable hosting company that offers everything from shard hosting to dedicated?
Thanks!
#choosing #host #membership #site
  • Profile picture of the author Tirmizi
    For hosting i would always recomend hostgator you can always upgrade your packege in hostgator. I don't know if you have had bad expeerience with the company but I have been relying on it for a while and havn't had any problem with it, would be bit expensive as compared to other services ... but its reliable especially if you are going to host alot of website or website that you've invested alot in ...


    Rest i don't think its a problem if you chooose a us host to host a hungry dating website .... infact this could be good ... move for serp... but don't go for free hosting options ..




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    • Profile picture of the author Tracy Yates
      zsolt,

      I'm going to have to agree with Tirmizi. While I don't live in Hungary, but in the US, I do run a membership website through HostGator. Before going in, I knew I was going to need substantial "growing" room for all the monthly content I would be adding, so I opted for the largest shared package, the "Swamp" package.

      So far, so good. No problems with HostGator, or running a membership site that allows members to download digital content hosted on a shared server/hosting plan.

      And, even before I signed up with HostGator, knowing firsthand this is what I was planning on doing, I used their Live Help chat and spoke with a company rep about everything. The rep was very helpful and answered all my questions so that I could make the best decision for my hosting needs.

      And, more importantly, he made the sale.

      Plus, HostGator received yet another satisfied customer.

      The set up is working so well in fact, that I'll be starting up another non IM niche membership site in about a week's time.

      So, zsolt, I guess you could say you have another "YES!" vote for HostGator.


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      • Profile picture of the author zsolt
        Thank you Tirmizi and Tracy! I just checked out Hostgator's site. I was glad to see they provide dedicated server solutions too. They are bit more expensive than some other companies, but if they re good I am willing to pay the extra price.

        This site has a list of the best web hostings. Even though Hostgator does not have the best ranking, further down the page they say:
        "If quality is the most important factor then HostGator is the best choice for you. "

        Promising!!

        Web Hosting Top10.com - All with free domain and free setup
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        • Profile picture of the author zsolt
          At another forum someone has mentioned dreamhosting, as they have great prices and offer upgrades.
          I checked their site. It's a bit less expensive than Hostgator. They do have a dedicated server plan. However, they say that even if I upgrade to a dedicated server the database will still be hosted in a shared environment. Wouldn't that slow down my site? I mean a dating site is kind of heavy on databeses, isn't it?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Riley
    Originally Posted by zsolt View Post


    Do you think it's OK to host my site at a US hosting provider, even if the visitors will be from Hungary? I don't think there should be a noticable slow-down, but who knows.
    I host most of my sites with Host4Profit and HostGator -- both US-based hosting companies. A very large chunk of my market accesses from Asia -- Singapore, HK, Malaysia, India -- and I also have many clients in European countries and Down Under. Doesn't matter where.
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    Kevin Riley, long-time Warrior living in Osaka, Japan

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