Need Hosting with PHP?
What Is PHP?
PHP, short for Hypertext Preprocessor believe it or not,
is a server side programming language. The initials PHP
are actually derived from the name of the very first
version, which was Personal Home Page Tools. Webmasters
and designers that want to offer a high level of
interactivity and dynamic content to their pages
typically use it. PHP content interacts with one or more
databases to assist in creating what are essentially web
based software applications. It is one of the most
popular programming languages because of the level of
interactivity it creates between web site and visitor.
In fact, apart from HTML and C it is arguably the most
commonly used web programming language.
What PHP Offers You And Your Visitors
PHP scripts are freely and readily available on numerous
sites on the Internet meaning that with just a little
amendment a script can be completely customized to match
your needs and your site before being embedded into the
HTML page or hosted directly on the server. Sites that
use content management systems will typically find that
they are created and powered by a PHP script. The same
is also true of a great many different online web based
applications.
The Most Important Aspect Of PHP Hosting
If you intend to use PHP within the pages of your site
then you will need to ensure that you choose a hosting
provider that offers PHP support. Not all servers will,
although the majority of shared hosting services and
dedicated hosting services do offer full support for PHP
scripts. Free hosting does not tend to offer the same
level of support in this area and, as a result, you may
struggle to find a free PHP host. Also note that in the
case of most PHP website applications or dynamic page
content you will also require a MySQL database so ensure
that your host offers one or more databases with the
package you opt for.
MySQL Databases
Obviously, the first thing you should look for when
deciding on the right PHP hosting account is to check
that the server you intend to use supports PHP
extensions. This should be easy to locate on the list of
features. As mentioned above, you should probably check
that the server also offers MySQL databases to allow for
truly dynamic page content. If both are supported then
the rest is really down to personal preference. As with
any hosting account you should usually check that the
network offers a reasonable uptime guarantee (99.9% is
normal, and anything below this should be considered too
unstable).
Other Features To Look For
Check that any other features you require are supported
and offered. Obviously, one important factor is the
cost. There are some really good inexpensive shared
hosting accounts available but if you are looking for
complete control over your online presence and you want
to be sure that you have the kind of security and power
that your site demands then you might want to consider a
dedicated server plan. This essentially means you lease
an entire server from your hosting company and while it
does cost more than shared hosting, traffic or dynamic
content heavy websites may require that little extra
power.
The Typical Cost Of PHP Hosting
Shared PHP hosting accounts are available for $10 per
month or less. These accounts generally offer enough for
the small website or a website that is still in a growth
stage. However, if you do intend to include a lot of
dynamic content and you expect large amounts of traffic
then you should expect to pay $100 or more for a
dedicated hosting plan. It may seem expensive but it is
still much cheaper than purchasing your own server when
you consider all of the additional costs you will
accrue.
Conclusion
PHP is a powerful programming language. It allows you to
create dynamic content that draws visitors into your
site and persuade them to remain there and continue to
visit. Sites that use content management systems or
other applications are very likely to use PHP to do so.
If your site includes PHP scripts or you plan to add
them in the future then you should ensure that the
hosting account you choose offers PHP support as well as
the provision of one or more MySQL databases. Costs can
vary from under $10 per month to over $100 per month
depending on exactly what you require.
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