Now that you have completed the website and are launch it on the internet, you need to consider where you will host your new site?
In order to make this process a little easier, I 've provided you with a list of some key things that you must at least consider when choosing your web hosting company. While not every business will need all of these features, keep these factors in mind when reviewing different hosting packages.
Fast Servers. The web host you choose should have at least a T3 connection to the major internet backbone. This is a crucial feature because your online income is directly proposional to the speed at which your web pages load... so there is no such thing as a server that is too fast.
How Much Space Do They Provide? Most web sites never use more than 5 gigabytes of space, but it never hurt to have extra space available for future expansion. Also, check to be sure that you can purchase more space, just in case you end up using all that you were originally provided with.
Secure Server Capability. If you are going to selling anything online, you must have secure server capabilities, which allow private information such as credit card numbers to be sent through your site without fear of interception. Most people will not order anything online unless there is a secure server.
Unrestricted CGI. Most professional web sites need to use CGI programs at some time or other, so be sure that you have full CGI-bin access.
SSH and FTP. Most web hosting companies will allow you to use FTP to transfer files back and forth between your local computers and your web server.
Web-Based Administration. Most quality web hosting companies provide a web-based administration interface that allows you to manage your server via the Web. This is a great feature for those who do not consider themselves to be technically inclined.
Raw Server Logs. This is an important feature because you will need access to this information in order to analyze your web site traffic.
Full e-mail Services. Your web host should offer full e-mail services, including POP mailboxes and unlimited e-mail aliases. that is even better if they offer IMAP - a newer technology that gives you more control over your messages.
Power and Daily Server Backups. A top notch web host utilizes a power backup system and performs daily off-site backups of your server. This ensures that you will never lose anything should the hardware crash or natural dissaster occur.
No Minimum Contracts. Don't even sign a long term contract. It is just not necessary. By doing so, you give up a lot of flexibility.
Downtime. A web host hwo knows what they are doing should be up to 99.9% to 100% of the time. Your web site is your business, so choose a web host that you can depend on to keep your storefront visible to the world.
24/7 Technical Support. Their technical support should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone and e-mail.
Services/ Scripts/ Software. A good quality web hosting company should not only have an extensive library of scripts that you can use to add guest books, forms, statistics, etc. to your site, but also be prepared for e-commerce with shopping cart software, merchant account setup support, real time processing availability, and more.
No Charge for Extra Services! While some web hosting companies may initially appear to be offering you a deal, you need to be sure that they are not charging you for every little extra service. You should never be charged extra for your own POP mail-box, e-mail aliases, autoresponders, CGI scripts and bins, or your site statistics.
You can find a number of free web hosting providers and services on the internet. However, if in case you are planning to create a website with a business purpose in mind, then go for professionals web hosting providers instead of the free web hosting services. These professional web hosting providers ensure more credibility since web sites hosted on free servers are not taken seriously and suffer a serious loss of business due to varied reasons. In order to establish credibility, you must be willing to invest in a professional web hosting service.
What You Have To Look For In A Web Host
Choosing A Web Host... Choosing A Business Partner
Did you know that the web hosting company you choose could literally make or break your Internet business? It really is one of the most important decisions you will make when getting started online!
Think about this for a moment...
When you choose your web hosting company, you are essentially choosing your business partner! You are deciding who will be responsible for presenting your web site... your business... to the world.
Your web hosting company is responsible for ensuring that your web site is always up and running at top speed. If your web site is constantly down... or if it takes eons to load... you can be sure that you are losing money!
This is a lesson that I had to learn the hard way ... and given the e-mail that I receive from clients, it's obvious that a lot of you are learning this lesson the hard way too!
You wouldn't believe the number of clients who contact me, upset about problems they are having with their web hostings:
- Many complain of web hosts going out of business, leaving town, and leaving them in the lurch!
- Many are angry because their web sites are down 20% of the time!
- And many are incredibly frustrated with the lack of security measures that give hackers free reign!
... and these are just a few of the problems I've been hearing about!
You see, the bottom line is that you simply cannot afford to do business with an unprofessional web hosting company. It will cost you clients, revenue, and credibility. Once you've lost these three essentials, you have nothing left... nothing but a massive headache, that is!
It's critical that you do your research and find a reliable hosting company. Just think about how many hundreds of thousands of dollars it could cost you if...
- Your site goes down for just 2-3 hours a month...
- You are forced to spend days chasing their technical support staff for an answer to a critical question...
- There is a hardware failure and you lose all of your information including your site content...
... and the list goes on and on. It can literally cost you your business! So take this decision very seriously!
And remember, your web host is responsible for making that vital connection between you and your customers, so be sure that you take the time to get to know them well before signing any contracts or agreements.
