Choosing a Hosting Company
Choosing a hosting company isn't usually an easy process, if the decision you make is not the right one, all your hard work could be wasted.
What is a Host?
A host is a company that rents space on their server to store webpages and files on. There are thousands of them on the Internet and they all differ somewhat between pricing, features and customer service which are all fairly easy to diffentiate.
What to Look For in a Hosting Company
• Pricing: It varies, but generally it's going to cost you $20 on up to $250 a month to host your website with a quality host, depending on your site's requirements. For a small business, don't pay more than $30 unless you need very powerful features. Chances are you can find another webhost with similar qualities for much less. Just be sure you know the features you are getting.
• Features: These are the options which come with your hosting account. If you plan on having your Website Designer take care of choosing your host, just be sure to ask for these features:
Secure Server - If you will be selling anything
online, visitors won't become customers if their credit card information
is not safe. |
Site Statistics - All good hosts will provide
you with the ability to access your website statistics via an online
website log analyzer. You can check your stats directly without having
to purchase expensive website analyzer software. |
Email
Bells and Whistles - Unlimited autoresponders,
lots of pop mailboxes, email aliases etc. If you travel, and need your
to access your email from TimBukTu, make sure web based email is included. |
Space for Your Website - Minimally, you want 25MB
to start, with the option to purhcase more space if your site grows
and exceeds the allotted space. |
Access
to Your Own Cgi-bin - Never go with hosting company
that does not provide this service. This is the directory from
which scripts
are carried out. CGI scripts are the backbone of all functionality
of the web. Every time you buy a product, fill out a form, or engage
in a chat room conversation you're running a script of one type
or another. |
Ability
to Use FTP or Online Managers - FTP will provide you
with much more flexibility when managing your website. If you are not
so good with FTP, online managers come in handy also. |
• Customer Service: Support is vital because the questions is not "if problems occur", but "when problems occur". Never go with a hosting company that has a reputation for poor or slow customer service. Look for lots of help and FAQ pages, and 24-48 hr reply email support.
Signing Up for Website Hosting
You took the time and effort to locate a dependable website designer, right? Trust your website designer to host your site with a reputable company. The website designer will know your specific hosting requirements. Some website designers also offer hosting services themselves, or resell for a hosting company.
Already Sign Up For Hosting?
Just forward any information the hosting company sends you, to your website designer. Your website designer will need your "FTP information" to upload your site files to your host.