| Have you ever gone car shopping with a former car | | | | selling online. Dedicated hosting usually begins at $59 |
| salesperson? Their industry and sales knowledge is | | | | and can easily reach $200/mo. and more.If your site |
| powerful information vital to the average buyer. | | | | ever gets really popular and/or you have many |
| Gaining their street smarts and savvy gives the | | | | transactions happening you to will move to a |
| buyer an edge. This "edge" can be the difference | | | | dedicated server. Dedicated meaning that all of that |
| between getting good value and being taken | | | | computer's resources are allocated to you alone. If |
| advantage of.As a former top web hosting salesman, | | | | you do not know how to configure the server then |
| I have decided to come forward and shed some light | | | | you will need technical assistance in the form of an |
| on the industry. The rapidly growing world of web | | | | IT employee.This technical expert will monitor the |
| hosting, domain names, and basic web design is still a | | | | data center operations; of your hosting company to |
| mystery to many interested people. My intent is to | | | | make sure data is backed up and protected by |
| help you understand basic "do's and don'ts" in order | | | | firewalls. Firewalls protect your computer from being |
| to help you make a better more-informed | | | | "hacked" into unauthorized people. Another option |
| decision.When I got into this business several years | | | | you may consider is an emerging trend known as |
| ago a close friend if mine had paid $35 for a domain | | | | "managed dedicated servers". The host helps to |
| name and had monthly expenses of $20 for simple | | | | manage the servers daily operation, in order to help |
| hosting. By quickly checking the domain name I | | | | the novice operator.Both shared and dedicated |
| discovered it was in the hosting company's name and | | | | hosting requires a decision between Unix and |
| not the actual owner of the website! I also quickly | | | | Windows. This has been compared with people's |
| realized that this $275 annual expense was available | | | | preference to Ford or Chevrolet. Some people grow |
| at less than $100.Not controlling your domain name | | | | up and get used to one and prefer it for some |
| can become a huge problem to website owners | | | | reason. Others know both and utilize what will be |
| even though it is the smallest annual expense. You | | | | best in each situation.From the viewer's perspective, |
| can be "held hostage" by hosting companies who | | | | both Unix and Windows look the same. If you are |
| control your domain name. This is how they keep | | | | going to use ASP (Active Server Pages) you will |
| you paying more than you should monthly, because | | | | need Windows. Unix utilizes PHP instead of ASP, and |
| you cannot leave! Make sure you are dealing with a | | | | is generally more stable and affordable. This is |
| reputable reseller or actual Registrar when you buy | | | | because the license fees paid to Microsoft increase |
| your domain name. Also consider buying the name | | | | the hosting company's overhead and they pass that |
| for 5 or 10 years for $40-$80. If your email address | | | | on to the consumer.Many PC users have Front Page |
| changes or the credit card expiration changes, you | | | | design software from Microsoft included as a gift in |
| can accidentally lose the name and have fines of | | | | their original purchase. Unix hosting now includes |
| $200 to get it back. Be wary of free domains and | | | | front-page support for well under $10/mo. So you |
| free web hosting, as you still get what you pay for. | | | | can utilize design software you already have, and |
| For more info on the subject refer to | | | | host for under $100 per year.Dreamweaver is the |
| DomainInformer.Not having the username and | | | | other popular design software program you should |
| passwords to access the web hosting accounts is | | | | investigate if you are thinking about doing website |
| another huge mistake many buyers make. If your | | | | design. Be wary of friends or relatives who will do |
| web designer turns up missing, and you cannot gain | | | | the design for free. If they are gainfully employed, |
| access to the files you bought and paid for, then you | | | | the tasks that they are paid for will take priority, |
| cannot leave that web host. This is the most | | | | which places unnecessary strains on the relationship. |
| common problem I encountered in my selling names, | | | | More info on web design and search engine |
| sites, and design! By the time you realize you are | | | | optimization can be found at also need to understand |
| over-paying, you are frustrated because you are | | | | the relationship between the static IP address, using |
| powerless. Do not trust anyone to keep this | | | | a database, and using eCommerce features to sell |
| information for you. The relationship may change and | | | | products online. IP addresses help identify where the |
| you will be glad you are independent, informed, and in | | | | actual end user is located physically. This is important |
| control of the situation.Finally you also need to keep | | | | if we need to locate to the original sender of a |
| a copy of the files on your hard drive and/or backed | | | | message or a live user creating havoc on the |
| up on a CD. This way if the web host loses the files | | | | Internet.Many of us have bought an airline ticket |
| or your designer is MIA you have a backup plan. Be | | | | online by now. You may have noticed the screen |
| sure the domain name is registered with you as the | | | | that alerts you to the fact your connection is secure. |
| administrative contact, and that you have all | | | | This secure certificate assures a computer user that |
| username/password combinations for names and | | | | it is safe to enter credit card info and buy without |
| hosting accounts.When you are a prospect everyone | | | | fear of someone intercepting your sensitive data.The |
| acts professionally, but what about after you are a | | | | static IP allows authorities and credit card processors |
| customer? To be really comfortable with your web | | | | to track storeowners and their computers to insure |
| host make sure they give a 30-day money back | | | | 100% honesty. Most shared web hosting sites share |
| guarantee. Load the files and see what kind of | | | | IP addresses as well. This is fine for a simple |
| performance and customer service you get for a | | | | informational website with just pictures and |
| few weeks. If they promised 24/7 customer care on | | | | text.Dynamic sites are capable of storing your name |
| the 3rd ring and you are getting voice mail or being | | | | and user profiles at an initial visit. This allows the site |
| on hold for 15 minutes... you will be free to leave!Web | | | | to "recognize" you on a subsequent visit and quickly |
| hosting is simply space in a computer where your | | | | load the profile for instant access. Dynamic sites also |
| html documents and jpeg. images are stored. Good | | | | search for products or names in the company's |
| web design allows for easy navigation through the | | | | stored database. Searching for different items quickly |
| written words and the pictures you want the world | | | | and the site saving all your personal information, is a |
| to view. What you need to be concerned with is the | | | | direct benefit of a database.Most initial sites will not |
| speed with which your website loads and the amount | | | | use static IPs or databases unless you are going to |
| of uptime your host claims to give. When traffic is a | | | | be selling online. These stores are referred to as |
| heavy a slow loading website will frustrate interested | | | | eCommerce web hosting and are the most |
| viewers, and cause them to leave. In addition the | | | | expensive of all. Monthly charges can easily exceed |
| host needs a backup plan for power and Internet | | | | $50/mo when you consider all expenses of the static |
| connectivity. Many top hosts claim 99+% uptime | | | | IP, payment gateway, merchant account, and |
| year round. Get details about top hosts at Things to | | | | shopping cart.Buyers add items to their "shopping |
| consider when buying web space are as follows: Will | | | | cart"; it totals shipping and taxes and charges your |
| you utilize a database for a dynamic searchable site? | | | | card. Merchant account banks process your buyer's |
| Are you going to have a store, selling products online | | | | online purchase, charging 2-3% fee total to send |
| in a shopping cart? Are you going to have Unix or | | | | money to your bank. You are then free to ship the |
| Windows based hosting? Do you need a secure site | | | | product they bought.My personal website has lots of |
| (static IP) needed to enter sensitive information like | | | | pictures and text, yet is barely over 50 MB in size. 1 |
| social security or credit card numbers safely? How | | | | GB (1000MB) of storage, now is available for $10/mo, |
| much space do you need for large audio and video | | | | and has 20 times the storage I need. Large video |
| files, versus pictures and text only? And what is the | | | | files such as streaming video and audio are the |
| difference between shared and dedicated hosting?To | | | | largest users of space. 200MB and 10 email addresses |
| answer all the above simply I will paint some broad | | | | are going to be as much as many small sites will ever |
| stokes below. More knowledge about technical info | | | | need. Often of you prepay the year you can get a |
| can be found at WebKnowHow.net People are | | | | free month or the setup fees waived. Also find a |
| unclear on the differences between shared and | | | | host who pays you to refer friends, and you can get |
| dedicated hosting. Most everyone starts with shared | | | | free months that way.I hope this information helps |
| hosting as it is more affordable and works fine. In a | | | | you better understand the power of the Internet. |
| shared hosting environment, the computer space is | | | | We are all connected through this World Wide Web, |
| sliced up and "shared" among many small sites. | | | | and it is your right to benefit in every way possible. |
| Shared hosting ranges from a few dollars a month | | | | Come on, jump in, the water's fine... |
| for a simple site to as much as $30-50/mo if you are | | | | |