Tips on Choosing a Web Host

One you have your new web site ready to go and have registered your chosen domain name, the final step it to find a web host. A web host provides you with space on their server, where your web site will reside, for a monthly or yearly fee. With the number of companies both large and small nowadays offering this service it can be a daunting process deciding which company is right for you, should you go with a larger company or should you look for a smaller company?

Hopefully the tips below, will make it a little easier for you to make the right choice.

1: When looking for a hosting company, you should look at more than just the price, some larger hosting companies will offer you cheaper hosting, but there may be charges for additional features that come as standard with many smaller (and still very affordable) hosting companies. Also with smaller companies you are much more likely to be able to speak to the same person each time, giving you that personal touch, which may well not be the case with some larger companies.

2: Does the host offer full cPanel, video tutorials and Fantastico included in price?, these are now seen as a must by many people.

3: Support: Many smaller companies will provide personal support 7 days a week, whether via email or telephone, giving you a much more personal service, whereas some of the larger companies work on a submit ticket basis, which means if you have a problem or question, you simply fill out a support ticket, whilst this method may be fine for some, others may prefer that more personal touch of being able to telephone or email the host direct. Also some of the larger companies that do offer telephone and email support, only do so Monday-Friday, which is of course not ideal if you need to speak to someone over the weekend. Therefore before you sign up for hosting check what level and method of support is provided.

4: Contract: Many hosts will require you to agree to a minimum contract, for example 12 months, this could potentially leave you frustrated if it turns out that you are unhappy with the service they provide, and even out of pocket if you decide that you have no option but to find a new host. However this does not have to be the case, many hosts still offer a no minimum contract and some even offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

5: If you have paid to have your web site designed by a professional web designer (or are planning to), it's worth checking whether they also offer hosting, quite a few designers nowadays also provide this, either an additional service in it's own right or as a service to their design clients.

Conclusion: Just because a companies bigger doesn't necessarily make it better, don't forget to look into the smaller companies too, sometimes you can get just as much for your money and much more besides.

http://www.flamingolandrentals.co.uk

http://www.lm-lakeland-design.co.uk

Hostgator Web Hosting Review - Is it a Good Hosting Company?

A web host is a type of hosting service that allows individuals and companies to use space on their server to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. Hostgator is very popular web hosting service which provides hosting to individuals and companies, a lot of things has been said about it but here is a review of what to expect from it.

They offer 3 main web hosting solutions which are shared, reseller and dedicated hosting. The kind of web hosting solution you choose would depend on what you need the hosting for. But shared hosting is usually good for those who have a lot of websites as it allows you to host unlimited domains on that one account.

The reseller package is good for those who want to sell web hosting or those who have websites that they would like to sell in the future, while the dedicated package is good for those who want to host their website but want to have the ability to go beyond what is found in a normal shared hosting package.

The good thing about this web host is that they offer support by email, phone and live chat and they also have a forum where you are free to discuss and ask questions on any issue you might be facing. The thing I did not really like was that it is not a one time fee, you have to keep paying as long as you continue to use them but you are free to cancel at anytime.

All in all, hostgator does look like a good web host and if you are some who is looking for a good web hosting company for your website, it might be worth giving them a try.

To read more about hostgator Click Here Now

Segun Ling likes to write articles on a wide range of issues

HostMonster Web Hosting Review

I Use Seven Different Web Hosts

I have a decent amount of experience with shared web hosting accounts as I currently have accounts with seven different webhosts and I've used three other web hosts in the past (that I've left.) Of those 10 total web hosts I've used only one have I never experienced any down time with: HostMonster web hosting. Considering that the prices & features of shared web hosting services tend to be pretty similar it's up time and ease of use that I care most about. In those categories, HostMonster is without peer.

Additional Domains With Free Privacy

A great feature that is unique to HostMonster (in my experience anyway) is that they allow you to buy additional domains for your account (which you can host unlimited domains with with unlimited bandwidth and unlimited hosting space) at $10 a pop with free privacy included. If you're like me and you like to buy privacy on all of your domains this actually ends up saving you a bit of money compared to buying a domain at GoDaddy and adding the privacy separately.

I Host 16 Domains With My HostMonster Account Currently

I push my web hosting account pretty hard. For just $6.95 a month I currently have 16 domains all hosted on my one shared account and I've never had any problems at all.

All Of The Features You Would Expect

MySQL, Perl, Frontpage Extension, all of the features that you get with any decent web hosting account. You'll get them here. Like I said, these feature are pretty much the same everywhere, so don't worry about them.

Customer Service?

I can't really give any report on the customer service. Why not? In a year and a half with HostMonster, I've never had to contact them because I've never had a single problem. It's an easy service to use and I've never had any down time. That's the kind of customer service I like best, no problems to start with.

CLICK HERE: HostMonster. Learn more about this fantastic web hosting service. Sign up right now (your first domain is free with free privacy included!)

Domain Registration.

Selecting a Web Host For Your Business

Web hosting for your business is arguably more important than a physical location or even a telephone number. Prospects often seek businesses within online search engines or directories. Without a quick and reliable web hosting provider your business can be left behind other firms competing for the same audience. With an overwhelming number of choices however, how does a business owner find the right provider for their needs?

Since web hosting has become pretty much a commodity, price alone can no longer be used as the basis for comparison. Most providers offer pretty much the same price and feature set because their customers have come to expect these services as part of the base pricing. So what else can you use to compare the multitudes of providers against each other? That would be the often stated yet rarely executed term of customer service.

Although creating a web site has been simplified to a point where a novice can come up with a decent web presence, the hosting and maintenance of a site still requires some knowledge and technical assistance when things go wrong. Many providers offer support that leaves a user lacking the personal touch and can often lead to frustration or even worse a web site that doesn't work. As most business owners know, a site that is down translates to dollars being lost by customers who may never return to visit the site again. A good provider will answer questions quickly and deal with any issues with minimal site downtime.

Security is the next important topic but we're not only talking about online security but also the site where the servers themselves are stored. Customers want to be certain that their data is safe and not being accessed by unauthorized users. A competent provider will make sure that their servers are housed in a secure and safe environment and that their online security methods are up to date and proactive. A hacked site can be very damaging to a business especially if the site is high visibility. The damage created by such an intrusion could resonate for years after the actual event takes place.

The last differentiator we'll talk about are the other intangibles that make a difference in the world of today. A provider that practices business ethics and supports local or national initiatives can make a business feel good about who they are partnering with. It can also lead to positive publicity for your business as you'd be associated with a company that is making waves in the industry.

Use these tips and you'll be that much further ahead from your competitors when seeking a web hosting provider.

To read an overview of the best web hosting providers proceed to the Save A Lot Guy web site!

Web Host Rebates - What to Look For in a Site

Web host rebates are a great way to save money. There are people that miss out on saving some big time money simply because they don't think that they can trust these rebate sites, but if you know what to look for and how to tell a professional site from another webhosting rebates can be one of the best ways to save money on your hosting needs. Let's go through what you should look for in a hosting rebate site so that you can be one of the educated people who save money:

Professional Site:
Take a look at the site. Is it nicely set up? Is the navigation scheme easy to follow? Does it look like the site is updated or just left alone? The main thing you must decide is does the owner of the site truly care about the site enough to keep it updated with the fast moving web hosting industry.

The Webhosts:
Take a look at which hosts the site supports. Are they reputable hosts? Do they have a variety of host's that support different types and features of web hosting? Is the site truly trying to help you select a web host or are they taking the hosts that they get the most money from.

Support:
Is the person or company that owns the site easy to contact? Are they willing to give you support and are they there to answer the questions you have?

Once you get how it works and what to look for web host rebates can be a great way to save money. It's very easy and a great way to save money, but you must be careful about the sites you use. Using the combinations of rebates and coupons can make hosting one of the cheapest parts of starting a website. You can end up paying pennies on the dollar for hosting.

About the Author- Steve Quatrani is an expert in the hosting industry and operates http://www.RebateRabbit.com a site which helps people select the best web host. If you are looking for hosting and enjoyed this article you can check out more articles at http://www.RebateRabbit.com/resources.html Don't pay as much as everyone else use the Rebates and Save!

The Business of Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting is the business of providing web hosting services owned by another web hosting company to end customers. Reseller hosts provide website design and management services as well as hosting services to users. Generally, a reseller will buy a product or service from another company, repackage it by adding something extra and resell it to other companies under its brand name. This means that the reseller acts as a middle-man, creates brand-image, finds customers and hosts their sites on the servers owned by the original hosting company. Naturally, this also means larger sales and profits for the original web host.

Entrepreneurs can make a decent living through reseller hosting, as it is a great business opportunity for people who want to create a stand-alone business venture. It also opens up allied opportunities for those with parallel businesses who can combine web hosting with their other services. Let's take a closer look at the advantages.

Branding Opportunity: The best part of the reseller hosting business is that one is able to create one's own brand even though it is another company that provides the web hosting service. For example, as per the reseller hosting program of the reseller company need not get involved in the technical aspects, but can certainly market the service under its name at prices of its choosing.

Competitive Edge: The reseller has the opportunity to offer other services which can be used in conjunction with web hosting accounts. These include merchant accounts, SSL Certificates, search engine optimization and domain name registration. That's almost money for nothing.

Cost Optimization: Reseller hosting does away with the need to maintain expensive in-house hardware such as different types of servers, backup generators and other network equipment and connections required to host Internet web sites.

Market Expansion: A reseller can cash in on the ever increasing numbers of businesses and individuals who are migrating to the web. That's almost unlimited scope.

Now that you know the benefits, we're sure you wanna pick up this lucrative business option! But the business of reseller hosting is not without its red flags.

~ You need a large site and the ability to market through
various channels to justify the initial costs associated with reseller
packages.
~ You need to be cost competitive as compared to other resellers
with similar services.
~ Ensure that you have adequate bandwidth for the number and type of sites you need to support. Check out to understand the different levels of storage and bandwidth offered.
~ Make sure you secure Service Level Agreements for technical
support and hardware repair from the web hosting provider.

Although you don't need to maintain very sophisticated hardware, you will still need some. Take care when you make that purchase.

~ Check for the brand name of the hardware. Does it enjoy a reputation for reliability and after sales technical support?
~ Check for the speed of the CPUs in the servers as this will directly correlate with the load speeds of customer websites.
~ Ensure the hardware can offer backup options, such as drive mirroring. This will help keep a synchronized copy of all data for easy backups.

Bearing these points in mind will certainly improve your chances of success at reseller hosting.

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

But This Host is So Cheap!

One of the things that confuses a lot of businesses is what type of hosting package to buy. If you are new to the Internet business world and your have never had a website - a host is a foreign word to you, even if you do have a website you may not know what you need in a hosting provider.

I hope this article will help clear up some of that confusion. Some of the most brilliant business people get confused by Internet terminology so let's look at the difference between an ISP and an Internet hosting provider...

ISP - Internet Service Provider

This is the company that actually provides you with a way to access the Internet - if you have a dial-up then it would be something like PC People or Earth Link. If you have cable modem it would be Comcast, Quest - etc.

This is the connection that goes from your computer to the Internet.

Internet Hosting Provider

Which is where you place your website - if you were/are a business owner that had a brick and mortar business you would rent a store and place your goods in that store. The same holds true with an Internet host they hold all the pages of your website, graphics, scripts and everything else.

This is a simplified explanation, but you get the picture.

Now that we have that out of the way lets talk about hosting packages and what to look for.

As a web developer/designer I have worked with the best and worst of hosts.

I have found hosting companies that look inexpensive but nickel and dime the customer to death by the time they are done. They look great in the beginning and even sound like a fantastic deal but are really not a great bargain.

I have found hosting companies I have loved in the beginning but later have gotten so big or changed hands and the customer service was so bad I had to go else where.

I want to warn you of the one stop shop hosting companies that do everything - they will register your domain name - build your website (usually template websites) and host them. Saving you money and touting the convenience of all they do...

Ultimately you feel like you are hostage to them - they own your domain and website.

I know as a business owner you want to save money where you can - which is just good business sense, there are a lot of choices - do your research - make sure that host will meet your needs.

I want you to chose carefully - be wise about the host you pick this is so important because all hosts are not created equal.
Factors to look at when selecting a hosting company

Live Tech Support

This is one of the most important aspects of a host I want to be able to talk to a live breathing person - through chat on the Internet or phone. I do not want to rely on an email period. Which is my position - if my store (website) is down or my email is out of order my business is going down the drain. This is #1...

Do they use a C-Panel

What is a c-panel you say? A C-panel allows you or your web developer/designer to be able to control different elements of your website. You can add emails, change passwords, even point domain names and many other important tasks. It gives you control over many aspects of your website.

What is the up Time

If the the server is down and your website is not up on the Internet 24/7 then what happens when your website visitors go to your store? You lose business ! I look for a 99% up time guarantee . There are ways to monitor your up time their are sites that give you monitors for free. Just google site up time and you will be able to see some free services.

Disk Space

Depending on how large you website is will depend on the disk space needed. If you have a logo and a lot of text you will need very little disk space.

Bandwidth

If you are running a site with lots of images or downloads you will need a lot higher bandwidth than a small site with mainly text. If you go over your allotted bandwidth you will usually pay a lot of extra money or visitors may not be able to download files you need them to download.

CGI Bin

It is very rare you will see a host without a CGI bin. It is important that you have one. If you do not have you own CGI bin you cannot install scripts and programs.

MySQL Database

Some programs require a data-base. If you are going to have a shopping cart, a customer log in or a number of different functions for your website in the future you may want to store the information. Some hosts will want to charge you extra for MySQL included in a hosting package - but you will fine most good hosts will include it.

Even if you don't think you will ever need it, I would find a host who has it in a hosting package even one which is an upgrade from the one you are purchasing. I find most websites grow as the business grows, and eventually you may need a database for something.

PHP

Many dynamic scripts and programs require PHP support. Again, this feature can be extra with some hosts but most good hosts will offer this free. With this you will find free blogging scripts (WordPress) shopping cart scripts (Zen Cart) and many other things. As a matter of fact in the host that I use and would recommend these things are right in the C-Panel and can be applied with a click of a mouse!

Perl

If you do not have Perl, you cannot run Perl programs. Many good scripts that you can get for free or buy are written in Perl.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer)

If you intend to accept credit card orders directly from you website, you will need Secure Socket Layer included in your plan. This is an easily overlooked feature. To use this feature you need a merchant account - there is no essential need to make this a priority if you have no merchant account - or if you use a 3 party processor such as PayPal.

FTP Access

Unlimited and unrestricted ability to transfer files to your site is essential. You will need an FTP program to transfer files.

Statistics Program

I use to say have a great statistics program and it still is an essential tool to have. Most good hosts provide this as well.

My preference is Google Analytics it is an impressive tool and you would not believe how much information you can gain from having that on your website. It goes way above and beyond anything I have seen a hosting package provide. Google provides the code for free you just need your web professional to place it on the pages of your website. You will be able to fine tune your marketing it is outstanding.

Artista design specializes in all types of visual mediums. Being in the business for over a decade Pamela Jacob is an artista from the get go and can "Create the image you need to attract the customers you want!"

For Great Articles & Information go to my blogs at:

http://www.promotionaldesigner.blogspot.com

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