Web Hosting : shared host recommendation?

Hostgator and Bluehost are our best webhosts and godaddy.com is the best domain registrar.

This web hosting thread started by canadave on 01 December 2008

Post number 1,000,000 asking for a host recommendation, I know I’ve done a bunch of research but I’m still hoping someone can make a recommendation.

I have a small freelance editing business, very low web traffic, no need for ecommerce or anything like that….very little webspace use. I also run my tennis club’s website (a very small club in a small town), which also has very minimal requirements. Right now I have my club’s website in a subfolder on my main business account, but I’d like to get it it’s own domain, and then find a host that lets me have two domains on one account.

Here’s what I’m looking for in a shared host:

– maximum about $8 USD per month (I’m willing to sign up annually if I can achieve that price that way)

– limited bandwidth and webspace (unless someone can tell me of a good host that offers unlimited webspace and bandwidth, I feel that I’d rather go with a host that has rational limits than a host that screams “UNLIMITED EVERYTHING! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!” ) Ideally I’d like some shared hosting plan that offers at least 100MB webspace and 1GB monthly traffic…that shouldn’t be too hard to find I’d think?

– ability to host at least two domains on the account

– at least 1 MySQL database (in case I want to run a discussion forum in the future on either site)

– PHP 5

Aside from these technical requirements, I’d also prefer a host that does not take a draconian approach to their TOS’s. I do NOT mean “a host that is lax about their TOS.” I mean a host that, if there’s a problem, they try to work with the client and providing customer service, rather than saying “NO SOUP FOR YOU!” and kicking you to the curb. Not that my own sites would have this issue, but my thinking is: if a host has that kind of attitude, how will they deal with me if I have a customer service issue?

Discuss this at WHT or read more about bluehost and hostgator