Choosing a Web Site Server (host) and URL

Revised with new information as of May 14, 2011

Choosing a Web Site Server (host) & URL
associated costs, "free" web sites, domain names, etc.

Forget trying to find a free place to host your web site. Later on this page I note all of the reasons a nonprofit, NGO, government agency, school or other mission-based organization should never go with a free web host.

My own web site is hosted by Hostgator, for just $5 a month, and I'm a very satisfied customer. In addition to lots of web space, I get lots of online reference information and online tutorials, great customer service, and "pop" accounts (allowing me to have email addresses using my own domain name). I highly recommend it to mission-based organizations. In addition, no one at HostGator has ever slaughtered an elephant and the company does not use a sexist advertising campaign to promote itself, something that cannot be said of another popular web hosting company.

There are a few high-speed cable services that offer web hosting as part of their plans and these could be used as well for your mission-based organization's first web site.

Don't worry about choosing a web host now, knowing that, in a few years, even in a few months, you might need more bandwidth than your initial web host can handle; the URL (web address) you choose, if it is your own, is YOURS, and can be pointed to whatever server where your web site resides. My web site, coyotecommunications.com, has had two different web hosts over the years, but my web address never changes!

If your nonprofit absolutely cannot afford five bucks a month, and your Internet provider doesn't include web space in the package you are already paying for, then find a board member, volunteer or other supporter willing to pay this fee for you with a reputible web host, OR, create a profile of your organization on a blog space like Posterous, Blogger or MySpace and use that for your temporary web site until you can afford one.

I do NOT recommend free web site hosts, EVER, because:

free web site hosts usually require you to host a myriad of advertisements on your web site. You have no control over these advertisements. That means services that you really don't want to be associated with may appear on your web site, and many users will have a very bad impression of your organization as a result.
the advertisements that are usually required of a free web host to be put on your web site give visitors every reason to click away from your web site.
free web sites can go away with no warning, leaving you with no web site at all.
free web site hosts offer little or no customer support.
free web space offered by, say, the company one of your board members represent, may not allow you to make changes directly; you may have to submit your changes to someone at the company and hope that they eventually get around to making the change eventually.

Your organization deserves better than what a free web site host can offer!

If you want your organization's Web site to have advanced functions, like interactive databases, dynamic content (that automatically updates itself), etc., you will need a server that can provide you with these functions. DON'T attempt to buy your own server! The cost of staff time to keep the server up and functional is TREMENDOUS. Instead, use a "virtual" server -- a company that provides you with Web server space. This will be about $25 a month. The company that hosts my web site, Hostgator, has packages that allow your web site to have all these advanced functions.

When considering your Web address (also called a domain name or URL), your Web address should be:

not use an "underscore" (my_nonprofit) or a "tilde" (my~nonprofit); it's difficult to say such addresses over the phone, and many people will get your address VERBALLY from a staff member
as short as possible
easy to say over the phone (sometimes, this is more important than keeping it short)

Most web hosting companies will, for an additional fee, get you the domain name you want, if its available. I use Namesdirect.com to see what domain names are available (as well as to see who owns what domain name).

Also see:

Monetizing a Web Site - Should Nonprofits, NGOs or Government Agencies Ever Do It?
Many nonprofits and NGOs are tempted put ads on their web pages as a way to generate much-needed revenue. But is it appropriate for a nonprofit or NGO to put ads on a web page? This page explores the issue and offers recommendations.

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