During my research and testing over many years on the Internet I’ve learned the most importance functional asset to a website is the hosting company. I’ve tried some of the discount hosting services and found they have terrible up times. Plus, some of the discount companies lack the necessary background functions, which most people don’t understand (or need to), offered by professional companies. However, I have found a few that provide excellent service with great up times at a reasonable prices. Up time is critical because your site is then always available, without the headache of down time challenges.
I highly recommend uptime as being your main factor when researching all your website hosting needs. They must offer everything you could ever want, and give many freebies inclusive in their packages. I could go into all the details, but ask that you simple trust me on this.
Most professional programs are discounted if you pay quarterly, semi annual or annually. I believe a starter program is best for your immediate needs, and paying quarterly (at a minimum) will make it easier to manage. Your selection should include some free domain names and dedicated IP addresses. It should also offer multiple email accounts and exceptional server space.
You can always start with a cheaper program and then upgrade later. It’s also important to select a hosting company that gives you all the necessary behind the scene items that will be very important down the road. Now is the time to really start thinking like a professional so that you can brand yourself properly.
Be sure to set up your account based upon the Linux System, not Windows. There are a lot of reasons for this, which will be covered in additional articles. Just remember to review as many possibilities as you can then compare your findings in detail before making your final choice.
The goal is to develop your website so that it stands out from the rest, without all the unnecessary fluff that simply slows down the page loading times. Another great feature you should look for is a decent free website design program inclusive in the hosting package. It should have a set of templates you can experiment with to get the feel of all the possibilities such as color and content placement. In many cases this type of server design program is adequate for very small businesses.
KEY NOTE:Prior to choosing a Domain Name you MUST first really think about the message you want to convey. Remember you are branding yourself, so the Domain Name must be keyword rich, based upon your field of expertise. This is probably the most important part of your Internet connection with the world, so take your time on the selection of a domain name.
You can purchase the hosting program prior to making this decision, and then you can add the Domain Name later. I highly recommend doing this. I’ve found it helps to have your server account in place quickly, because it stops the tendency to procrastinate on the development of your website. If you are paying for something, that is not being used, it really motivates most people to get in gear fast!
This will be a lot of fun! Even if you do launch your site without everything you want on it the first time, you can add to it everyday. The key is to start now. Your site will be changing all the time as you grow your business. Never wait to launch the site, because it will never be perfect. Perfect is simply an excuse for procrastination. Start thinking “ready fire aim” instead of “ready aim fire.” It will help to motivate you and move your business forward quickly. Remember there are a lot of people out there just waiting to read about what you have to offer to solve their challenges in life.
So what are you waiting for, do some QUICK research, have fun and get started today!