|
Three years ago, I started my grand campaign
to profit from the Internet gold mine. I was buoyed by the statistics of
increasing online spending, and was convinced that some of those trillions
circling the globe should come my way. So
the perfect way to start, I reasoned, was to build an online store stocked
with the right products. Now the trick was to find out how on earth to get
"on" the Internet.
One of the first things I had to do was
to find a web host. The Web expands every day, and so do our choices. Just
how do you find a web host to meet your business needs? There are literally
tens of thousands, each one with a different focus and services designed for
a specific segment of the market. As you study your options, you might
consider the following tips from a battle scarred entrepreneur:
How much should you spend to host your site?
When I started out I (like most persons) was initially mesmerized by the
“free” hosting services. After all, why pay for something when you can get
it “free”. I realized in time that this was a very poor move on my part.
I'll tell you why:
Strike 1: Free web hosting services are quite suitable for personal, family
or hobby activities. However, if you are looking to establish an online
business or become an affiliate and earn commissions, free sites often limit
your flexibility in terms of real time credit card processing, choice of
shopping cart, and use of customized scripts (for order forms or other
interactive data gathering from users).
Strike 2: Many affiliate programs will not accept persons who are hosted on
a free web service. Additionally the constant barrage of advertising by the
free service, will lure your customers away and eventually hurt the
sales-effectiveness of your site.
Strike 3: Free sites don't get treated with much respect by the Search
Engine spiders, and your site is almost certainly not going to be listed.
Here's what Danny Sullivan, the most well-known Search Engine guru on the
Net, had to say about free hosts in the August 18, 2000 issue of THE SEARCH
ENGINE UPDATE...
"... get your own site, under your own domain, rather than doing it within
Tripod.com or any place offering "free" home pages. Sites offering free home
pages are often looked upon with suspicion by search engines, because search
engine spammers also make use of them. It's like sharing a house with bad
roommates. Move out, get your own house, and you'll probably do better with
search engines."
We have all seen those Internet hosting advertisements that offer massive
amounts of data storage for truly ridiculously low prices. Always remember
that you get what you pay for. Data storage is generally cheap and easy to
supply, however it is much more difficult to provide customers with
uninterrupted high-speed access, quality customer care, technical expertise,
and guaranteed uptime.
It is important to make sure of exactly what you need, and what you are
getting, before you jump at a bargain. Choose a provider offering prices
commensurate with the range and quality of its services. In general, the
typical hosting package
for most small companies requirements will cost about US$25 per month. A
small price to pay for your online store monthly rental.
What operating system is best for your web site?
An operating system or "platform," such as Microsoft's Windows NT or DOS is
the basic set of commands that tell your computer how to open applications
and store files. In the early days ofInternet activity, most servers
operated on a UNIX platform, anextremely powerful and flexible system that
requires considerable technical expertise to administrate. UNIX is still as
popular as ever, but today you have a choice: Windows NT and UNIX variations
such as Sun Microsystems Solaris, Silicon Graphics' Irix, and Berkeley's
BSD.
Experts offer significantly different opinions as to which platform works
best for web sites. In the end, the choice depends largely on what you want
to do with your site. UNIX servers are compatible with certain Microsoft
extensions and applications, for example, MS SQL (a database program) or
Microsoft Front Page
(a web authoring tool). You might however, be more comfortable operating
your site on a Windows NT platform, as most persons using a PC are familiar
with the windows interface. On the other hand, many engineers prefer the
flexibility, security, and control of UNIX servers. UNIX also allows for
more web sites per server, lowering the cost of hosting per account.
As your site grows in size and complexity, in all likelihood you'll decide
that a particular platform is desirable. It's best to anticipate this
contingency and choose a web host that offers different operating systems
which are scalable and backs them up with technical expertise.
Eight attributes you should expect from your hosting provider.
1. Your Own Domain Name
With most hosting packages you will have to purchase your domain name
separately, however, your host should have the capability of searching and
registering your domain name. A domain name e.g. www.mycompany.com gives
your site instant credibility. New customers will have a good first
impression,
and returning visitors don't have to remember where your site is hosted in
order to reach you. It's like having a direct phone number rather than an
extension.
2. Data Storage (Disk Space)
In order to have your web files served to the world, you need to have a
generous amount of disk space on servers where you can upload your pages,
images, sound clips, etc. and store them. As a general guide, a 100 page
site will easily be accommodated on 50 Megabytes of server space.
3. Bandwidth (Data Transfer)
Bandwidth is the amount of data transmitted or received through a unit of
time. In web hosting, bandwidth is consumed when visitors make requests for
files on your web site and download them to their personal computers. When
you add up the total of all files downloaded off of your site in a
particular month, your total should be lower than the amount of bandwidth
allotted with your hosting plan. If it is not, your file sizes may be too
large or you may be generating a lot of hits - in which case you may need to
upgrade to a larger hosting plan or to a dedicated hosting
server. Plan to use at least 50 Megabytes of bandwidth for every 1000
visitors per month.
4. POP3 E-mail Accounts and Auto-Responders
You should be able to send and receive mail through Post Office Protocol 3
(POP3) accounts, so that your e-mail addresses end in your web site's unique
domain name. Additionally, e-mail aliases and forwarding arrangements allow
you to set up
names@yourdomain.com that forward to a POP3
e-mail account that you may already have (from your ISP). This allows you to
check multiple aliases by downloading mail from one e-mail account. Auto
responders are also a great feature with hosting accounts since you can
automatically respond to customer e-mail's sent to a particular address with
a standard message, like "Thank you for contacting our Support team. We will
have a technician responding to your queries within 24 hours."
5. Technical Support
Weather you are a newbie or veteran on the Internet, you will want your
hosting provider to have great technical support online. This way, when you
have a question or concern you can find the help you need in a timely
manner and have the ability to find the information in the format you wish
to receive it.
6. Redundancy/Reliability
This is a term bandied about in the hosting industry. Essentially, no matter
how excellent the equipment, or the expertise of the engineers, technology
fails occasionally. A web host with multiple servers, high speed
connections, and UPS systems with backup generators can provide consistent,
high-speed access and
guarantee at least 99% uptime.
7. Security
It takes many layers of Internet security, from password protection to fire
wall barriers, to prevent determined hackers from wreaking havoc with your
Web data. Make sure the hosting company you choose has enough security
measures in place to ensure that your data is completely protected.
8. Speed
Web hosting companies typically connect to the Internet through T
(Transmission), OC (Optical Carrier), and DS (Digital Signal) lines. Many
smaller web hosting providers still use T1's to connect your site to the
world at a rate of 1.544 megabits per second (Mbps). The best hosting
companies use redundant
lines to ensure that customers' sites remain responsive even if their
primary Internet connections are temporarily unavailable. It's a good idea
to determine which providers offer backup connections fast enough to
maintain your site's performance in the event of a primary line failure.
In addition to offering the fastest network connections, a host should
provision its lines and circuits to use less than 50% of available
bandwidth. Overburdened network connections will inevitably result in poor
site performance. In fact, a lightly used T1 line will transfer data faster
than an overused T3 connection.
|
