| Webhosting | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Once you have decided on
your domain name and what type of web building software you will be using,
the next step is to choose your web host. It is very important that
you choose a good host. Good doesn't mean expensive. You can get a good
plan for around $10/month. Good means reliable with great support.
A web host stores the web site you create on their servers and transmits it to the internet so that when someone types in your domain name, your web site appears. A server is just a computer that "serves up" your web site to the internet. Again, I can't stress how important it is that you choose a good host. But, let's face it - how do you know if a host is good or not? They all look pretty much the same and they seem like they know what they are doing, right? Well, there is one thing you can check on before you sign up and luckily it's one of the most important things. When you choose a web host, make sure they have excellent support. If you have a problem with your web site you want help now, not in a day or two.I refuse to choose a web host that I can't get on the phone in an emergency. Some web hosts are sneaky and put a phone number on their web site but it's just for show. They never answer it. Other hosts advertise 24 hour service but are only actually there Monday-Friday during business hours. So, how can you tell if the web host you are considering is responsive or a dud? You test them. If they have a phone number (and they should) call them late at night or on weekends to see if they are really there. Also, send an e-mail to their support e-mail address (not their sales e-mail) and ask them a basic question like "Can I use 5 different email addresses?" or "Is there a limit to the number of auto-responders I can use?" and see how long it takes them to get back to you. For a non-emergency email like that I think up to 8 hours is acceptable. If you send the e-mail on Saturday and they don't get back to you until Monday, that isn't good. If they take more than 12 hours and either don't have phone support or aren't answering, choose another web host. Some people have written asking me about free web hosting. I like free stuff as much as the next person but web hosting is not something you want to go for free or super cheap on. Click here if you want to know why. Once you choose a web host, then you will have to decide what plan you want. Most web hosts offer you several different plans and obviously want you to buy the more expensive one. Don't get it unless you really need it. Chances are if you are just starting out you don't. 1. Do get the least expensive plan. Most people buy the larger plans because they aren't sure how much space they need and the space in the smaller plans just doesn't sound like much. 10 mb is more than enough for most web sites. If you get at least that you will be fine. Most web sites use less than 5 mb. If you want to be sure, then choose a plan of around 50 mb. 50 mb is a HUGE amount of space. 2. Don't transfer control of your domain name to a web host. Always keep your domain name with your domain registrar. Let me repeat that - always keep your domain name with your domain registrar. Yes, it's that important. If you are unhappy with your web host's service and want to go to another web host, you will need to get them to release your name to the new host. They have no incentive to do this. Some web hosts, not all, have been known to drag their feet and take weeks to release a name.Note: if you choose to get your domain from Fast Easy Websites and use them as your web host this isn't an issue because they are a domain registrar and you retain control of your domain name at all times. Another reason not to transfer control to someone else is that if you do, it almost always will end up costing you more money. Web hosts make their money through domain name renewals. Some charge as much as $70 for this. 3. Don't get caught up in what the various hosts offer like PHP, MySQL and a bunch of other stuff like that. If you don't know what those things are you don't need them. The web hosts I recommend are: iPowerWeb - this is a great web host. It has a web site builder, unlimited e-mails, more space than you will ever use and if you plan on using your site for ecommerce they have a free shopping cart. It has a 30 day money back guarantee. $9.95/month if you pay by the month or $7.95/month if you pay a year in advance. Fast Easy Websites - they have absolutely incredible support. $7.95/month for a junior account. Their web site builder is super and has a lot more templates than almost any other builder. Now that you know how to build a website let's look at ... How to Get Traffic to your Website -->
Copyright 2003-2005. All rights reserved. webhsoting |
||||||||||||||||