How to Choose a Web Host Other Than GoDaddy
I’m not sure if there are many people who like GoDaddy, but many still use the web registrar and host because they don’t know any better. I can’t blame them. I’m pretty sure I used GoDaddy to register my first domain name, either because I heard the name of the company in an advertisement and linked it to “how to get a domain name” in my head, or because I saw a deal on the Internet. (Probably that.)
The GoDaddy there is not to like, including his past positions on important issues, then , as it relates to potential clients , all that SOPA and its inflated pricing models . Now you can add another annoyance to the list. Recently, programmer Igor Kromin discovered that GoDaddy was injecting annoying Javascript onto his website. The code is part of the Real User Metrics feature of the service, which you would automatically select if one of the company’s US data centers hosted your site.
It’s one thing if GoDaddy’s code was quiet and unobtrusive – not a perfect scenario, but not terrible either. However, GoDaddy was quick to admit that real-world custom metrics could cause some problems for users, as the company openly notes on its support page : “… the javascript in use can cause problems, including lower site performance or a broken / broken website. … “
Following on from Kromin’s report, GoDaddy decided to take away real user metrics until it can convert that “feature” into an actual subscription program – you know, the kind of thing you have to check in order to accept. Now is the perfect time to rethink your relationship with GoDaddy. Or at least think about how you use the service.
Checking your site settings is important
Whether you’re continuing to use GoDaddy or moving entirely to a new host, GoDaddy’s “consent” practice is a good reminder to check your website regularly for oddities. Create a sample page and look at your code. Is there anything weird in there? You may not be able to avoid code inserts from your host, but it is important to know what they are, what they do, and whether they affect the functionality of your site in any way.
Also, spend some time researching the host settings for your site. You may not understand all of this, and you may really have to dig in to discover any other programs that you have unknowingly “chosen”. Click all the menu buttons in the interface, open all the contextual prompts, and root through all the options your host suggests so you don’t miss out on annoying add-ons that might otherwise be disabled. As far as code injection goes, you can also try to develop a strong content security policy for your website, but that’s not a panacea, as one commenter points out in Kromin’s post:
You can, if you don’t trust your host, CSPs and stuff is great, but this is a response header, so the server provider can add any scripts to the CSP list before sending the header to the client, thereby allowing whatever they want. They can also easily just proxy their own script using NGINX or Apache so that your site (dot) com / inject.js loads its own script every time. If you don’t trust your host, no header will save you from this problem.
Consider switching to another web host
You can always opt out of GoDaddy like a bad date on Tinder and sign up with a site that provides you with ready-made templates for the game, like Squarespace or Wix, and simply put whatever address they create for you on your domain. This will limit your creativity and your bank account, but it’s an option if you just want a simple website that looks and performs well.
When it comes to host choices that let you fill the space with whatever you want, you have roughly a million different options to choose from. I’m not going to pretend I have an exhaustive list of the very best. However, I have seen a number of recommendations around the internet for companies such as iwantmyname , DigitalOcean , Cloudways , Gandi , Bluehost , SiteGround , InMotion hosting , Dreamhost , Namecheap , small orange , Hostgator , Nodehost , Midphase and SiteGround … to name several.
First of all, make sure the host and plan you choose suits your needs. If you’re not entirely sure how to create a basic site , don’t pick a host that gives you server space and sends you to figure out what to do with it. A host that offers more manual or pre-configured content management systems might be a better choice.
And don’t go crazy. If you’re building a small WordPress site to host your resume and some images, you probably don’t need to buy an expensive package that promises unlimited storage and bandwidth. You may be able to get by with a simpler package.
Of course, it helps to learn a little about the technology behind the host’s offerings. Will your site be on a shared server with a thousand others? Will your site run on a virtual private server ? Do you think you will have enough traffic to guarantee a dedicated server ? Should you choose a cloud server where you only pay for the bandwidth people use? How easy is it to switch between these settings if you get more (or less) than you need?
If you find a host offering nice advertising services, be sure to read the fine print. The low rate you see for hosting your site may only apply for months or the first year, and the actual rate may be more than what you are willing to pay for the website. Don’t drag Lando Calrissian and fall into the hands of a bad deal.
Finally, find some reviews. Do you crawl google. Reddit, Stack Exchange, or wherever else, find relevant, legitimate reviews based on real user experiences, not just their cursory glimpses of web hosting offerings. It may take a while, but it is one of the best ways to get a feel for web hosting, and it also helps you stay on top of all the news you might need about your potential choice. If users start commenting that your best hosting choice started with, say, embedding a code on their websites that causes them to crash, you might want to explore your second choice.