I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on my webhost decision, and it looks like LunarPages is going to be my choice. Currently, their entry level package (Shuttle) is:


$7.95/mo, no setup fee (1 year)
$8.95/mo, $30 setup fee (6 months)
$9.95/mo, $30 setup fee (3 months)


I'd be more than happy to stay with them for a year if they offer good service. All the reviews I've seen here have been positive, but I wanted to ask one last time.

(Edit) Also, this is the first time I've gotten a website hosted. I'm unfamiliar with the whole "domain registration" process. Once I get a domain name (like xyz dot com), how do I have my webhost use it?

PS: Why do webhosts charge setup fees anyway? Obviously it is to make money....but how much effort is it to setup?

Hi,

Many donnot charge setup fee, but others do. Maybe because they offer instant account activations or other reasons.

As for domain you just need to point it to your host's nameservers that will probably be emailed to you after signup.

I guess if you want cheaper, pay for the year, but you can always pay for 3 months, then pay for year if you find them good to work with.

Good luck

I would never go for a year plan. Its best to go month by month or for a 6 month term.

Yeap, but they are quite reputable and has been a while in market, therefore I doubt they will run off with your prepayments :)

There is a saying at WHT, "There is no best host, there is only the best host for you". If Lunarpages turns out not to be the best host for you in 2 months what then?

I would never advise paying by the year unless I had been with them for say 6-9 months on a month-to-month basis and found that everything was what I hoped for.

Originally posted by Watcher_TVI
There is a saying at WHT, "There is no best host, there is only the best host for you". If Lunarpages turns out not to be the best host for you in 2 months what then?

I would never advise paying by the year unless I had been with them for say 6-9 months on a month-to-month basis and found that everything was what I hoped for.

Very true. I believe that's SWR's sig ;)
Though if the host will refund you a fraction of your payment if you decide to leave after couple of months thenit would probably be better to pay yearly. But i'm sure many hosts won't do that.

Originally posted by UltraUnixNET
Yeap, but they are quite reputable and has been a while in market, therefore I doubt they will run off with your prepayments :)


What happends if something happends to the company (they sell it or what ever) and the company goes down hill fast?

No matter what it is best to go month to month

I agree with Torith.

Originally posted by Watcher_TVI
There is a saying at WHT, "There is no best host, there is only the best host for you". If Lunarpages turns out not to be the best host for you in 2 months what then?

I would never advise paying by the year unless I had been with them for say 6-9 months on a month-to-month basis and found that everything was what I hoped for.

Well said...

I absolutely love my host webgemshosting.com
They are awesome, but i will never pay by the year no matter how much i love the service... Its not a matter of where the host will be in a year, but more of where will YOU be in a year???

Dont waste your money, Pay by the month

Honestly, I will never go with a host who charges a set-up fee. It doesn't take long at all to set up an account, and I think it's crap when companies charge you a fee.

To me, it's kind of like paying an activation or yearly fee to get a credit card. Why get a card with a yearly fee if you can find one that will not charge you a yearly fee?

yes, i agree

We do have a 30 day money back guarantee. And we have been in business for a long time. That should tell you something about ourselfs :)

Originally posted by jackiecc
Honestly, I will never go with a host who charges a set-up fee. It doesn't take long at all to set up an account, and I think it's crap when companies charge you a fee.

To me, it's kind of like paying an activation or yearly fee to get a credit card. Why get a card with a yearly fee if you can find one that will not charge you a yearly fee?

It can be based on service levels. Not all cards are created equal and neither are hosting companies.

If a host is stellar, then yes, I would pay the fee and not complain a bit. As a matter of fact, I have paid fees like this in the past.

It is all part of a business plan and it varies from host to host. They have those fees for a reason and if they've been around a while, it's obviously building them financially. A financially stable host is *usually* a good host.

I don't like long commitments, todays stellar reputation is tomorrow's flame out, I don't like to put up too much at the beginning because I don't trust anyone to stay great for long (yeah I'm cynical like that), and hey, if they do stay awesome that's fine too. But if I don't put a lot in at the beginning if I do get screwed I won't get screwed out of much.

Originally posted by jackiecc
Honestly, I will never go with a host who charges a set-up fee. It doesn't take long at all to set up an account, and I think it's crap when companies charge you a fee.

To me, it's kind of like paying an activation or yearly fee to get a credit card. Why get a card with a yearly fee if you can find one that will not charge you a yearly fee? Speaking as someone that DOES charge a setup fee, I do it because I've catered my business for people that need a bit of hand holding, and the fact that I refuse to automate signups.

As server administrators, and Unix/Linux/Windows administrators, we can often command rates of up to $125 an hour. People don't realize how much training and work it takes to be able to fully administer a server. I know that I'm one of those people that has help when it comes to working with my server, simply because I don't know everything when it comes to administration. Someone has to pay for that time, so I share the burden with the customers.

Having said that, it takes me approximately 25-45 minutes JUST to get an account set up. "Oh sure, you type in a few characters, click on a few buttons and that's it. You're done. Five minutes, tops". Yeah, right. That's the EASY part of the job. I still have to update an excel spreadsheet, input their info into my Customer Support Area (CSA), walk them through on setting up a message board account, activate their account, and then I have to tie it into their CSA. I have to write up an email that contains all their hosting information, my contact information, their billing information, their domain information, plug their domain info into the CSA, input their billing plans into the CSA, walk them through the complete CSA section.

Is my work done then? Absolutely not. I follow up with the customer twice within their first week to make sure they can log into their account, I log in and check to make sure everything's operational and that the domain is working correctly. I do a follow up with them a week after to see if they have any questions.

Am I done then? Not hardly. I still provide almost around the clock assistance, provide a toll free number to my ultra high end customers, and call those that aren't considered to be ultra high end.

I've gone more than two years without a real vacation, simply because I place customer service first over all else, sometimes even putting my family relationships on hold while I help a customer that's freaking out for whatever reason...

And you want me to NOT charge a set up fee? Customer Service comes at a price. I'll eliminate the Setup fee, but I'll also eliminate my customer service, as well. For what I charge for Set ups, it's a very small price to pay to help ensure customer satisfaction. Guess that's why I only have a 97% customer retention rate (4 total customers lost in 3+ years of hosting).

Time is money, and my time is valuable to not only my customers, but to myself as well.

If someone can offer their customers the same level of support and waive the setup fees, more power to them. That's not how I choose to run my business. You're certainly entitled to go with a company that doesn't charge a set up fee, but I'll bet you that $25.00 that you won't ever hear my customers complaining about my lack of availability. :)