Web Hosting Basics for Beginners
When looking for web hosting for your online store, how do you evaluate
which service is right for you? There are hundreds of web services
advertising in local markets and online. Choosing the right one can be
confusing. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Most web hosts offer month-by-month hosting plans, although some offer
reduced rates if you pay for a year of service in advance. Once you
establish your online store and have an established relationship with your
web host, you may want to consider a yearly rate. But at first it may be
safer to host month by month, enabling you to build up a trusted
relationship with your host.
Many web hosts also offer value added services such as registration, web
design, search engine optimization and marketing and customizations to your
store. Although there are discounted web hosts who only offer hosting, you
may want to consider using a host who provides these services, simplifying
the process of running your online store.
Many web hosts also offer e-commerce software to get you started with your
online store. This is a simple to get started selling quickly, with a one
shop stop solution.
Before you choose your web host, consider doing an online search to see if
there have been many complaints about the business. Ask for references from
the company.
Last, familiarize yourself with some of the key terms associated with web
hosting, such as domain registration, database web hosting, dedicated
servers and web hosting automation, traffic, hosted domains, subdomains, and
bandwith.
Remember, doing a little homework in the beginning could save you time and
money later.
Roxanne Grandis is a Creative Director with BV Software, makers of the award winning BV Commerce Shopping Cart Software and other ecommerce related products. Roxanne has created content for some of the largest online stores including Godiva.com, Carolee.com and Ragu.com.
She holds both a Master of Teaching and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
from NYU.