Cheap Hosting : A Guide For Newbies

By Lashanda Mielczarek


For many businesses whatever the scale, having a website is almost imperative and of paramount importance simply because it gives you the opportunity to increase the "reach" of your business. Business hosting for a website opens a world of opportunities to your company and gives you the much needed leverage to propel your business to new heights by taking advantage of a DNS, or domain name system which will allow your website to be seen by the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This system will draw in new clientele which will eventually lead to a more profitable business venture.

One of the first issues that you need to address is selecting your business hosting company. Your choice is very important and commands utmost study and attention. It can make or break your business as a whole. A hosting company charges a fee in exchange for allowing the world to view your site online. You cannot create your online business without a the services of a hosting company. Choosing a hosting company can be very devious and challenging to beginners and experts alike. You have to consider a lot of factors before finally committing yourself to the services of a business hosting company.

One factor is how much space and bandwidth your webhost can provide you, and to ensure that you are getting your needs met. For the most part, you need to consider provisions for expansion because you always expect your business to grow away from the basic design. Usually an unlimited bandwidth is the one big thing that is being offered. This means that your site can be accessed by an unlimited number of people without it being bogged down by high traffic loads. However, you have to examine the offer since many unlimited bandwidth sites tend to impose fines, or worse, shutdown once you integrate audio and video into your site.

Another factor that you need to consider when choosing the appropriate webhosting for your business is the availability of the tools that would suit your business needs. Business hosting services typically integrate features such as multiple website hosting, website management, shopping carts, multimedia support, unlimited databases, server side scripts, unlimited email accounts and mailing lists, among others. In fact, such tools have become the standards for a good business hosting service. You just have to make sure that the tools that go with the hosting plan of your choice are compatible with the ones that you have been using in running your business.

The next thing that you have to look into is the kind and quality of technical support being offered by the webhost. Your business hosting company must have fast and friendly 24x7 helpdesk support. Some even have a 24x7 email support which gives immediate answers to your simple queries. And in case you would like to speak to a real person over the phone, there are hosting companies who also provide friendly phone support. It is very important that your webhost be readily available and reliable in case you run into some technical difficulties. Likewise, it is imperative that the hosting plan of your choice offers an uptime warranty, money back guarantee, and price freeze so that the price you pay when you sign up would also be the price when you renew.

In the event that you have decided to go for the services of a particular business hosting company, you still have two basic options to consider.

Do you want your business hosting company to do it all from designing your website to maintaining it, or you want to build it from the ground-up by yourself? If you opt for the former, you still have the responsibility for uploading your website onto the server from your computer. However, your business hosting company will guide you in this aspect and provide you with the essentials in maintaining your website. You would most likely be offered a domain name and an e-mail program specifically designed to give you a professional edge. On the other hand, if you go for the latter, you may need the services of a website designer before choosing your business hosting company. By having your website design first, you will be able to identify your needs from your business hosting plan.

There is no scarcity of business hosting companies out there to get your website up and running on the internet. Selecting a good business hosting company goes beyond mere comparison shopping for the lowest possible rate. You need to take time, examine your options and think things through before picking a web hosting company for your business website, and you will see that you will be much better off over the long-run.




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