FatCow

FatCow hosting company has an unusual name, but what they offer is fairly typical when compared to the other web hosts we’ve reviewed. However, the folks at FatCow do have a certain charm, and you can see it all over their website. Particularly endearing are all the little cow jokes and nicknames that play a role in their service. But beyond fun, FatCow representatives pride themselves on straightforward service without the techno-talk and complicated service plans.

Feature Set:

FatCow has tried to take the confusion out of web hosting by offering only one generous hosting plan that is ecommerce ready. For small to medium-sized businesses and individuals looking for an affordable web hosting option, this plan offers 15 GB of disk storage, 150 GB of monthly data transfer, 1500 email account, limited email forwarding, an auto responder, catch all email, spam protection, SMTP email, POP3/IMAP, web mail, CGI Directory, PHP 4, a shopping cart that holds up to 1000 products, a public SSL certificate, Pay Pal integration, Front Page extensions, Website statistics and unlimited FTP updates.

Customer Service:

FatCow has made significant efforts to make their online help simple to use. They offer the usual support options, including a help desk covering common topics. If you would rather talk to a support agent you can call toll free. Customer Support is not available 24 hours a day, but the hours are extensive: 6:00 A.M. to midnight weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends, MST. Web Support/Technical Support is available 24/7 through your Control Panel.

Control Panel:

FatCow’s control panel is a little hard to read and navigate because it isn’t intuitively organized, but it gets the job done. There are three main functions on the panel: administration, utilities and support. Through administration, you can manage your account information, check billing, change email settings and review statistics. The utilities function contains tools you need to make your website function to its fullest potential for your customers, and the support function gives you access to help pages and tech support.

Summary:

Overall, Fatcow hosting will meet most needs of a small to medium-sized business. The price is affordable; they also have a 30-day money back guarantee. To customize your plan, FatCow offers add-ons at additional cost. Be sure to compare plans before you purchase however, particularly if you find that you need FatCow’s add-ons.