| For a website to appear on the Internet, you | | | | capability.24-hour customer service, by phone, |
| require a "server" that is usually provided by a | | | | even if it's a long distance call, is best!50 mg space |
| web hosting company. Hosting companies are paid | | | | (the space you need for a 100 page website with |
| monthly, quarterly or yearly. Some companies | | | | each page being approx. 8x11)2 Gig Data Transfer |
| come with guarantees, too. Recommendations | | | | month (this will be enough for quite a while!)Front |
| from other business owners and web designers | | | | Page Extensions - only necessary if you create a |
| are excellent ways to find a good hosting | | | | web site with MS Front PageCgi/PHP/MySQL (or |
| service.One of the primary features I recommend | | | | asp availability). Check with your designer to see |
| is that the hosting companies can grow with you. | | | | what you'll require for forms to be created).Easy |
| If they only offer one package, and you need | | | | Control Panel: This feature is especially important if |
| more, your web site maybe down for up to 2 | | | | you want to maintain your site or have someone |
| days and/or you may have to change the code | | | | else easily maintain it. It's the one place to visit |
| on any forms you use to match the new "server | | | | when making changes to your site, add |
| settings".Don't be afraid to read a hosting service's | | | | addresses, etcStatistics - Does your hosting |
| subscriber information, FAQs (frequently asked | | | | companies plan include monthly and yearly |
| questions), note areas or bulletin boards on their | | | | statistics on each of your web pages? Will you |
| sites.A good hosting company offers as many of | | | | know how someone found each of your web |
| these basics as possible: This is a hosting | | | | pages?Secure server, Shopping cart (and other |
| company I can easily afford. They offer a Money | | | | things you'll need to set up a merchant account |
| Back Guarantee.They have information on their | | | | system)Server type: The type of server a |
| site about server uptime/downtime.The company | | | | hosting company you choose, should take into |
| contacts me, at my primary email address, when | | | | consideration the programs you will run for things |
| if there are any server problems. (Could be | | | | like your shopping cart, affiliate program, web site |
| problems when they're updating their server, | | | | pages, etc. If you're using ASP, JSP, PHP, CGI, PL, |
| hurricanes, etc.)They offer your own IP address | | | | or CSS, these programs will influence the choice |
| provide at least 5 POP email accounts (example ) | | | | of a server and vice-versa. Your hosting service |
| Your email accounts should include Alias Accounts, | | | | may use Windows (which for example accepts |
| which look like a POP account to the person | | | | ASP but not PHP), Linux or Unix-based (Apache |
| sending you an email; however, the address is | | | | FreeBSD/etc.) servers.Password Protection - If |
| actually an "alias" that's forwarded to any other | | | | you have plans to create a membership are or |
| email account you choose. And when you send an | | | | client's only area of your site, this is something to |
| email back to the original sender, it is the | | | | consider.Newsletter or announcement |
| forwarding email account, NOT the that the | | | | listAuto-responders (not usually available on very |
| sender receives.There is a Web-based Email | | | | low cost hosting packages)Special thanks to |
| system (a place for you to read your email | | | | wise-women.org and for some assistance with |
| online). If not, my favorite is easy system for | | | | this list. |
| email forwarding (and vacation notice) | | | | |