Website Hosting Providers...
You have a name and the Web site is constructed.
Now it's time to show the world!
Every Web site needs to be 'Hosted' on a web server
that is permanently connected to the Internet. So you need to buy
a server? Not quite, web servers are quite expensive and usually
reserved for large companies. Besides, maintaining a server requires
highly specialized knowledge and is best left to the techno savvy
crowd.
Hosting services abound and come in all combinations
of price and service. Most ISPs (Internet Service Providers) offer
hosting service and your existing ISP may have just what you are
looking for. Or you may have your site hosted on a server halfway
around the world. It doesn't matter to the Web or to your visitors.
Trying to find the best value for your needs can
be challenging. Digital Fusion provides this service as part of the
development package.
In general, some Hosting considerations should
include:
| Allow the use of your registered domain name
as your Web-site address. |
| "POP" accounts, which allow your
e-mail addresses to use your domain name, as in: yourname@yourcompany.com. |
| Access to 24-hour technical support, ideally
by telephone as well as online. |
| At least 98% "up-time" or better,
meaning that the server will not go off-line, rendering the Web
site inaccessible, more than 2% of the time. |
| Unlimited site traffic or at least enough
bandwidth so that you are not billed above the monthly rate. |
| Access to CGI scripts, which allow you to
process online response forms. |
| A secure server, so you can accept credit-card
orders on your site. |
| Control panel access to detailed statistics
(in raw data form or by report) that tell you what your page
views are, where your visitors are coming from, how long they're
staying, and other valuable information. |
| Autoresponders are a nice feature allowing
e-mail confirmations or content to be sent in response to e-mail
inquiries. |
A word about 'Free Hosting'...
The simple truth is "you get what you
pay for". Free hosting usually won't allow you to use your
own domain name (just an extension of the hosts) and the price
you pay for 'Free' is usually banner ads (i.e. clutter) etc. Let
free handle the personal homepage market; professionals need professional
hosting.
Back to top... |
