Step 1 - Web Hosting and Domain Names - The Most Important Part of A Successful Web Site
This step focuses on why its so important to pay for web hosting. Don't make the same terrible mistakes I did....
Whatever reason you have for building your own web site, its an exciting and rewarding experience that I'm sure you will enjoy doing, its certainly something that I've enjoyed doing over the last couple of years (I may even be addicted to it!). Its very important though,that you put all your hard work in a safe pair of hands.
If you are looking for a decent web hosting company, then you might want to check out the following three. After much comparison of different hosting companies I have found these three to be the most reliable and best value for money. I use all three as each one offers slightly different features. Have a look at each one and see which one is most suitable for your web site, they all come highly recommended.
Yahoo! Web Hosting
1&1 Web Hosting USA
1&1 Web Hosting UK
IX Web Hosting
The next lesson focuses on more exciting stuff - how to design and create a website....
Why do you want to create a website?
- To promote your business?
- To create a personal web site for family or friends?
- For hobby or personal interests?
- To promote a charity or good cause?
Whatever reason you have for building your own web site, its an exciting and rewarding experience that I'm sure you will enjoy doing, its certainly something that I've enjoyed doing over the last couple of years (I may even be addicted to it!). Its very important though,that you put all your hard work in a safe pair of hands.
Now for my sorry tale.......
When it comes to web hosting let me give you the benefit of my experience. When I began creating web sites, I used free web hosting, because it cost nothing (I like a bargain!). However, I didn't anticipate the problems I was going to have:-- There was advertising banners all over my lovingly created website.
- The domain I was given looked like a maths equation - www.124?a45geofree34.com - you can imagine what is was like when friends asked for my web address.
- My site was frequently down or not working, due to the load on the servers of the hosting companies - there were so many people using the service that they couldn't keep up with demand.
- The support they offered was either non-existent or awful. I don't know about you, but when I was setting up my first web site I didn't know a lot about html or ftp and needed a bit of technical help - which I certainly didn't get with a free web host.
- If I wanted similar benefits to paid hosting, such as a proper domain name I had to pay big - one host was going to charge me $40 for a domain name - I could have found a good web host with a free domain name for the same price (see 1&1).
- One of my web sites disappeared. This happened when the free host I was using, couldn't afford to offer the free hosting anymore and shut its servers. The only way I could have kept my web site was to pay a huge sum to move it to their new paid hosting.
The best decision I ever made....
I switched from one free host to another hoping to find one that offered me all the benefits of paid hosting without the financial outlay. I wasted six months of my life before I realized that "nothing in this life, is completely free", there's always a catch. So I finally gave in and purchased some paid hosting for the price of a Starbucks coffee; and I've never looked back. Here are the benefits I got from paying for my hosting:-- My websites look better according to my family and friends because there are no advertising banners or other rubbish such as spyware that free hosting companies put on my web site.
- Piece of mind. My web site works all the time - my favourite hosting companies (see below), have the technology and quality people to ensure my site is always working - I know I'm in safe hands.
- More visitors to my web site. Most people find web sites through search engines. You've got a better chance of getting into Google or Yahoo!'s search index if you have your own hosting and domain name.
- A helping hand. Most paid hosting companies make it easy to set up your web site, even going as far as giving you web design or site builder software to help build your first web site. Its also nice to know that there is normally 24/7 technical support with paid hosting, should you encounter any problems.
If you are looking for a decent web hosting company, then you might want to check out the following three. After much comparison of different hosting companies I have found these three to be the most reliable and best value for money. I use all three as each one offers slightly different features. Have a look at each one and see which one is most suitable for your web site, they all come highly recommended.
Yahoo! Web Hosting
1&1 Web Hosting USA
1&1 Web Hosting UK
IX Web Hosting
The next lesson focuses on more exciting stuff - how to design and create a website....