Woe the Web

Finding a good and reliable web hosting company is like looking for the right husband. The word 'right' and 'husband' don't belong together in the first place, many insists! Well, how can I argue with something to inadvertantly correct and incorrect at the same time?

So, you've decided to have your own website but don't have a $3000 budget to set it up. You'll be surprised. My first few months into this 'freelancing' world cause me to jump quite a couple of times. One of those times have something to do with web hosting....yeah, they wanted to charge an arm, a leg and 1/2 a kidney to set up my domain name, hosting and also setup no more than 10 pages of my website for the hosting account. Gee, thankfully I have a friend who is in the web hosting business and knew the ropes. So, I got away with a good price for my first website.

Anyway, here are a few things you should consider looking out for when you're out web-host-hunting.

The company
There are loads of bogus web hosting companies out to rip the hearts of genuine home business owners. Their main intention is to get people to sign up for their web hosting accounts and then run with the money. Simple enough strategy but you'll be surprised at the kind of people behind this. Some of them are barely out of puberty. In this Internet and CD age, nothing suprises me anymore, frankly. But kids know the way on the Internet. The way I look at it, if they can find their way to buy foreign wives by cheating about their age and using their parents' credit cards, they can easily get others to pay for a 'bogus' web hosting account without so much as lift a finger.

So, advice is: look into the company, if they have an email, email them. If they have an address, check it out *better still if they have a map to their place. If they have pictures of their founders of the web hosting company and personnel, all the better. At least you a face your can refer to when you're dealing with them on the web hosting facility.

The price
You cannot start a business without knowing your budget and the kind of money you would need to start a business. Similarly, you cannot find the right web hosting company without knowing how much you're willing to pay for the web hosting facility and web hosting service.

So, be practical about the needs of your web hosting requirement and be frank about how much you're willing to pay for it.

The customer service
But there's one advice that I can give you. The web hosting industry is a relatively competitive one. There are tons of good web hosting companies, small and big ones alike, out there. Don't jump on to the first web-host-bandwagon you see. Look around and make sure you like the web host. Communicate with the people in the company and ask them lots of questions. If their customer service is good, go for it.

As their web hosting client, you have to expect them to give you nothing less than PERFECT hosting customer service, although frankly, their profit margin for hosting is quite slim.

Don't pay monthly
One thing I know is that paying on a monthly basis is not a good idea. It's better to just book and get the hosting account for the whole year. So, make sure you find the right one right from the start! Otherwise, you're stuck with the web hosting company for the whole year. Why not pay for web hosting on a monthly basis? Easy, it costs more!

You see, if you can get a web hosting account and domain for USD$105 or a whole year, why pay USD$14.95 per month? BECAUSE USD$14.95 per month works out to be USD$179.40 per year!! That's USD$74.40 more! So, don't be enticed with their monthly payment schemes.

Let's look at it this way, if you find the right web hosting company from the start, you'll be more than happy to stay with them for as long as you're still in business, right?

Instant Activation
Yes, if you're paying it online. You HAVE TO ensure that the activation is immediate. You want to know that if you're paying them instantly, you should get the account activated instantly as well. The longest time I would tolerate to get my website up and running is 24 hours - if I was paying them online. There's no reason for a delay since everything done online can be done instantly.

Build it yourself
If you're a quick learner, you can definitely do everything up by yourself. No problems to it. If the plan comes with a site studio (a DIY system), then it's great! You're getting value for money. What's a site studio? Well, it's a web based program that allows you to create your own websites online. Some of them are really quite simple to use. It's almost like working with a Microsoft Word program - copying, pasting and writing all into the web browser and then saving it.

If you know basic HTML, you probably won't be using the site studio but it's worth having it around in case you need something up really quick. Besides, most site studios come with quite a huge database of templates that you can use for your website. This saves you time, effort and money in hiring a graphic designer and writer like me.

On the site
You should be getting some side dishes along with your new web hosting account. Look out for free blogs, forums, scripts, ecommerce shopping carts, cgi scripts, newsletter forms, enquiry forms, customer support tools like chat system, free images, audio, buttons...etc, and php nuke. This works mainly to enhance your web hosting service and website. You'll lose nothing if you decide against using them but if you do, it's wonderful tools to enhance your web site.

Tutorials and Training
Like I said, the web hosting business is really competitive these days. Everyone is offering some form of rock bottom prices for their web hosting services. I know some web hosting companies are actually offering site building trainings, search engine optimization technique and trainings, insights into the web promotion world training and free courses. If you get any of these and the price is reasonable, for for it. They will help you build a more credible web site from your web hosting service.

Marsha Maung is a freelance work at home graphic designer and writer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia with her husband, Peter and 2 boys, Joshua and Jared. She is the author of "Raising Little Magicians", "No Products to sell" and other popular books. Please visit her website at http://www.marshamaung.com

detailed home cleaning Lake Forest ..

In The News:

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Bipartisan AI jobs bill from Sens. Hawley and Warner would require companies to report AI-related layoffs and hiring to Department of Labor quarterly.

Joe A. from Shelton, Connecticut, lost $228,000 to a ZAP Solutions cryptocurrency investment scam after his divorce, highlighting rising online fraud.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Waabi and Volvo target U.S. freight driver shortage with Level 4 self-driving technology and NVIDIA computing platform integration.

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Apple's iOS 26.1 update delivers major security fixes, performance boosts and enhanced privacy controls for your iPhone. Discover why updating now protects your data.

Russian hackers use fake CAPTCHA tests to spread dangerous malware targeting governments and journalists. Learn how to protect yourself from these deceptive attacks.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Miami-Dade debuts America's first autonomous police SUV with AI cameras, drone deployment and real-time crime detection in groundbreaking law enforcement pilot.

Bank impostor scams cost Americans $2.9 billion as criminals use AI voices and caller ID spoofing to steal life savings. Learn nine essential fraud protection tips.

Foreign-owned apps secretly harvest personal data from seniors, making them prime targets for scams. Learn how to protect your privacy and stop data brokers today.

Woe the Web

Web Hosting