Not-so-Technical And Non-Technical Issues to Consider When Starting Your Own Hosting Business
There is no denying the fact that web hosting is one of the most potentially lucrative businesses that you can start online today. Still there are a number of things you will need to think through when launching your very own hosting business. If you are going to run your own servers, it is important that you have the technical skills and knowledge or have somebody who will be available all the time who does. Servers are the heart of any hosting business and it is important that you think them through before launching your business. These days the list of things to address in a server is growing. There are security threats to think about, downtime and program errors that always need to be fixed pronto.
There are various options for getting servers. You can rent, lease or buy them. The choice you go with will depend on the sort of budget that you have allocated for your web hosting business servers. You will of course need a place to put the servers. Maybe an office block somewhere or even your home to start with. If you decide to start with your home, you may need to re-adjust things so as to accommodate the servers without too many problems.
To ensure that you provide quality service and have the highest possible server uptime, you will require multiple Internet connections. So you will need to look into this long before you bring your servers home. This is because there are some locations where it may be difficult to find a good Internet connection provider.
Then you will have to carefully consider the issue of price. How much are you going to charge for your hosting services? You will want a price that will cover all your costs and keep you in business at the beginning as you try and get your footing. However, if it is too high, you will find it difficult to get clients.
All these headaches and difficulties with your own servers, is the reason why reseller-hosting plans make a lot of sense when starting out a hosting business. Reseller hosting plans are a good way of establishing an initial customer case without having to spend time maintaining servers. It also gives you useful experience and a capital base, which you can use to set up your own servers complete with a technical back-up crew later.
About the Author
Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for http://www.websitesource.com and http://www.lowpricedomains.com with experience in the website hosting industry.
All Web Hosts Are Not Created Equal
There are literally thousands of web hosting providers offering hundreds of solutions for businesses owners worldwide. However, choosing the right web hosting provider and having a clear understanding of what level of service your business requires can be a daunting task.
Many people think that all web hosts offer the same level of service within a certain price point. This could not be further from the truth. Fundamentally web hosting is web hosting but when you compare apples to apples you will find a broad range of differences that may or may not be a detriment to your business. Surprisingly the same web host provider that charges $5/month may have a direct competitor that charges $10/month for a comparable service plan. Below are 3 simple steps to help you determine what provider will best fit for your needs and where to find them.
1. Determine Your Price Point
Let’s face it; the bottom line is usually at the top of the list, which is price. You can spend anywhere from a few dollars a month to a few hundred depending on your needs. Only you can determine your budget and what you are willing to spend so the best bet is to choose a realistic middle ground on price and then begin shopping. A great place to start is CompareWebHosts.comThis is a very well known and established web hosting directory which lists many reputable web hosting companies. On this directory as well as many others like them you will find providers offering shared and dedicated hosting solutions. It is important to clarify and understand the differences between the two. Typically shared web hosting is more inexpensive than dedicated hosting. Shared web hosting can be compared to apartment living. You have a large building split up into many small rooms. All of the rooms share the same pluming, electricity, etc. In other words, all of the tenants share resources which makes doing business considerably more affordable for you and the provider because you share the web server and it’s resources with several hundred other accounts. Consequently a large percentage of individuals and businesses start out with shared hosting due to this fact. Shared web hosting has become much more sophisticated and reliable over the years. As a result of this thousands of businesses have benefited from a comfortable middle ground on price and reliability, which can be a win-win for everyone. Shared web hosting prices usually range from $5-$30/month on average. Dedicated hosting can be compared to owning your own home. No one else lives in that home accept you. You have all of the resources at your disposal. Therefore you control the performance of your web server based on the resources that your web site requires and not hundreds of other web sites along with yours as is the case in shared hosting. This type of hosting varies greatly in price as well but typically you can expect to pay any where from $99/month in upwards of $300-$400/month. The obvious benefit here is that your hosting reliability factor increases greatly as well as the control of your content and customization.
2. Determine Your Needs
What do you need? In other words, what are your requirements from your perspective web host and what are your expectations in relation to your budget? Web hosting in general has become much more affordable and competitive over the last few years but you should ask yourself some fundamental questions first. Do you require your web site to be available 24/7/365 100% all the time or can you / your business live with a modest 99.9% up-time which is normally the industry standard for a much lower price point then a higher end SLA (Service Level Agreement) from a more expensive provider. What level of support do you need or expect? Will you require 24/7/365 phone support for technical and sales assistance or will email and or ticketing system be sufficient? Another important aspect but highly overlooked is the issue of potential data loss. Make sure that the web host you choose offers back up / restore services or perhaps at least an option to ad it or make it available at an additional cost. Many people take this for granted that it is automatic but unless you see it advertised or offered in some form or fashion on the providers plan description do not assume that it is being done. You should also consider the number of email accounts and databases you may require. If you have employees they will most likely need individual email accounts for interoffice and external communication. If you plan on running an e-commerce shopping cart or a community forum of any kind you will need one or more databases. Make sure to clarify that this is an option through whichever provider you choose and if there are additional charges. Typically email accounts are standard but many hosts do charge extra for databases and or limit both depending on their business model. Last but not least how much disk space and data transfer will you need? These days disk space and data transfer have become commodities and are relative, meaning they are extremely affordable to provide to you the customer. Performance, features, reliability, and customer service are what your dollars and cents are paying for so when it comes to the later if you know that your web site is going to be very graphic intensive and you anticipate growing a large database for what ever reason it does not hurt to have as much disk space and data transfer that your money will buy depending on your budget constraints. Even if you do not use it all at first you may very well grow into it and it will be there when and if you do need it.
3. Do Your Homework
So you have done your homework on steps 1 & 2 now its time to switch to research mode. Once you have narrowed your web hosting needs and price points its time to do a little digging on your perspective providers. Your research should begin on the providers own web site. Most companies have an “about us” page which may provide some relative background on company history and a summary of their products, services, and infrastructure. You should also read their privacy policy and terms of service. Never take anything for granted. You should know exactly what you’re entering into and what you can expect from your provider should problems arise. Reading these policies may also give you insight and knowledge on limitations between providers and what direction you can take with future needs as well as steps you can take to avoid any major problems until your budget and business requirements change accordingly. Many companies also provide a customer testimonial and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page as well. Testimonials can provide helpful information on the types of web sites being hosted and how well the company is currently providing service to its existing customers. If companies FAQ page is done well it can provide a wealth of answers to commonly asked questions about sales and technical specifications that may not be listed on the home page. Of course one of the most important ways that you can do to research on the provider would be to actually contact them with questions that may not be apparently answered or any special needs that were not specifically addressed on any of the later sources above. By contacting the provider directly you can gage how responsive and accurate your questions are addressed which is obviously important.
In closing, it’s important to note that there are literally hundreds of specific needs that any one company or individual may require when searching for web hosting services. One could literally write a textbook on all of the industry specific questions and challenges when researching the various different types of hosting solutions. The short process outlined above is simply a fundamental foundation of steps that will hopefully serve as an informative beginners guide in the process.
About the Author
Sean Shehan serves as Senior Vice President of Operations for eDataRack.com, Inc. which provides high quality, reliable hosting solutions at prices everyone can afford.
What Is Web Hosting?
Many businesses, from one-man-bands to multi-national corporations, have a web-presence these days. i.e. They have a website telling their customers about their companies: what they do, where they’re based, their company history, how they’re different from their competitors, etc. Many of these businesses also sell products and/or services online.
If you own a business and wish to have a presence in cyberspace, then you need to consider buying a package from a web hosting company.
Web hosting refers to the process of renting computer space and bandwidth (data transfer capacity) from a company so that you can make your website visible to the outside world.
Put simply, you buy an allocated space on a computer from a hosting company, then transfer the files of your website to this computer. Your website then becomes available to users around the world, and this enables them to browse your website, as well as download files and buy products and services from you.
Domain Name
First of all, you need to choose a domain name for your website. A domain name is simply an address for your website. Examples are www.microsoft.com and www.yahoo.com. Avoid choosing a domain name which is too long or too complicated for users to remember.
Design Your Website
There are three ways to get your website designed:
1. You can do it yourself. There are many website authoring software packages available on the market. Two popular packages are Microsoft Frontpage and Macromedia Dreamweaver. With these programs, you can design and edit your web pages easily and see instantly how they will look to the users.
2. Some companies offer an easy way for you to create your website by providing templates for you to choose from. With this type of service, all you have to do is choose a layout from a number of pre-defined templates, select some color, font and graphics options, enter some text, and you’ll end up with a decent-looking website.
3. Get a web design company to do it for you. This is the most expensive option but you will end up with a more professional and stylish website, looking exactly the way you want it to look.
Getting a web host
Now that you have chosen your domain name and have designed your website, you need to find a web hosting company.
There are thousands of hosting companies out there. Search the web for a company with a good reputation and offers the kind of services you need. Friends may be able to recommend a reputable company. We recommend .
Next, select a web hosting package to suit your needs and sign up for an account. Usually you’ll pay for the hosting service by credit card online. If you have not already registered your domain name elsewhere, you’ll have the option to do so with your hosting company.
Once payment has been processed, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details about your hosting package. Take some time to read this email carefully as it contains information on how to log on to your hosting account.
Next you’ll have to upload all the HTML pages, graphics and other files on to your web space. This can be done via the control panel on your website, or by using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program such as CuteFTP.
Now that your website is online, users from around the world will be able to view it, so make sure that the information it contains (such as your email address and telephone number) is up-to-date. This is particularly important if you will be using your website to sell products and services.
Matt Bacak became “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak’s Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com
How To Pick a Web Hosting Company
If you are seeking a new hosting company let me give you some words of wisdom because I have been through a few. One company even went belly up in the middle of the night giving me no notice. That was disastrous for me as well as my customers. If you are tired of hosting companies with poor service and excessive downtime then get ready to print this page out.
First thing first, you might take a step back from your website or E-business and think about what you want it to look like in the future. Then start making decisions about the hosting. Think about things like: How much traffic are you expecting? How many more sites will you build or could possibly build in the future? Are you going to load software to the server? Some of the best programs that smart marketers use need to be loaded: such as; affiliate programs and autoresponders and require a dedicated IP address. If you intend on growing then make sure these things are an option.
If you realized that you will want to have more sites in the future or currently are moving a lot of sites from one account to another. One thing you can do is get a dedicated server or keep your money in your pocket and find a hosting company that’ll allow you to have add-on domains. Did you realize that you could have one account for around $25 a month and all your domains on it? You, for the cost of $25 a month could host 2, 10, 15, 26, 45 domains. There ar e accounts out there that will let you do this. But here’s what you should know about these types of accounts, you are not limited in domains, but limited in the amount of space you have. So if you need more space, just ask and they’ll be happy to give it to you for a price.
If you want to market your website you should get your own IP address with your accounts. This will play a big part when it comes to search engines finding you, as well as increasing the utilization of your autoresponders.
One big thing to watch out for:
Make sure that you find out what type of control panel the hosting company is using. If they don’t tell you I would be scared. I believe that the best hosting companies out there will use cPanel. If the hosting company is using cPanel then they will probably be bragging about it since it is designed very well.
Now here’s a quick checklist:
Now for the biggest question I always get: What hosting company do you highly recommend? I recommend a company called Frontier Power Hosting because of their specialized knowledge, excellent customer support reputation, and they meet these criteria. You can find them at http://www.frontierpowerhosting.com.
Matt Bacak became “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak’s Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com
4 Tips to Find the Web Host That’s Right For You
Choosing to make a web site is a very big decision. However, even more important than deciding to make the website itself, is choosing your web host. There are many web hosts out there, and so it is very difficult to find the web host that’s right for you. In order to find the best web host, it is important to find as many options as possible, and have a clear idea of what you want out of your web host. Following these four tips will make your search for a solid web host a lot easier.
1. Use search engines. Search on Google and Yahoo using keywords such as “web host.” Carefully going through the results will give you an accurate idea of the web hosting options available. Some may say that the web hosts ranked the highest are clearly the best, but this is not always true. Taking the time to look at a large number of the results will give you an ample group of web hosts to compare.
2. Know how your site is going to work. This tip may sound confusing, but it is important to know what your goals will be for your web site. If you plan to have a great number of large files hosted on your site, then you want a web host that gives you ample amounts of space. Bandwidth should also be taken into consideration. Is the site a personal site, or a commercial site? If you plan on making money with your website, than a larger investment for more storage space and bandwidth is justifiable. If you are making your site a blog and hosting it with a service such as TypePad, you want a web host that allows domain mapping.
3. Have a price range in mind. Knowing the general amount of money you are willing to spend will save you a great amount of time. If a certain web host is simply too expensive, then you move on to the next one with no issues. Additionally, if you set a specific price range, you can search for the best offer within that price range. Some web hosts may offer more space for $20 than others do for the same price.
4. Finally, make sure that you have web host support based on your needs. If it is your first web site, then you might want a web host that is willing to give advice on building new sites. Some web hosts offer a very “hands on” approach to new users. Other web hosts simply let users do whatever they want and no help is offered.
The most important thing when finding a web host is knowing exactly what you want. Your search for a web host will be a lot easier if you search for hosts using Search Engines like Google and Yahoo, and you know what you are looking for. Every web host offers something a little different than others. Simplicity and customer service should be high priorities when searching for a web host. Remember, the most expensive, and highest ranked web host may not always be the best web host for your needs. Beginning your web host search with a clear, informed mind is the perfect way to assure a successful venture.
Paul Herbert writes about a variety of Internet topics, but focuses on UK Web Hosting.