| A good web-hosting service is like a stethoscope | | | | are no-cost FTP clients you can download to your |
| to a doctor: for anyone wanting an online | | | | local PC to do this, a good control panel will have |
| presence, a good hosting service is the essential | | | | the necessary FTP facilities built in. |
| tool. | | | | A good control panel will also facilitate the |
| Without the benefits of a comprehensive hosting | | | | installation of new domains, sub-domains, |
| service, a content provider or an online marketer | | | | databases, email accounts--in short, will provide a |
| will be restricted by a limited-growth environment. | | | | complete array of management tools. |
| An inadequate hosting service might satisfy the | | | | Various Logs can be enabled from a good control |
| needs of today, but it will starve new growth | | | | panel. I review my sites' error logs from time to |
| tomorrow. This article describes the | | | | time. I can sometimes correct problems detected |
| characteristics of a good hosting service. | | | | and logged. For example, at my new blogs, I saw |
| CHARACTERISTICS | | | | repeated error entries stating that the favicon.ico |
| At a minimum, a good hosting service today | | | | file could not be found. I created the icon files, |
| should have the following: | | | | uploaded them to the blogs, and eliminated the |
| - Affordable hosting plans--but not necessarily the | | | | error. More serious problems can be detected |
| cheapest, | | | | through the logs. It is a very good idea to |
| - Readily available customer service, | | | | activate these logs from the control panel and |
| - 24/7 technical assistance, | | | | then to review them periodically. |
| - Comprehensive online documentation, | | | | WEB-SITE STATISTICS |
| - Database support, | | | | Aside from management tasks, I also visit my |
| - Adequate disk storage and Non-restrictive data | | | | account's control panel to look at statistics for my |
| transfer policy, | | | | active domains and sub-domains. I like to know |
| - Multiple domain hosting on a single account, | | | | who visits a site, the number of unique visitors to |
| - Multiple sub-domains on a single account, | | | | a site, what page they look at first, and where |
| - Comprehensive scripting support, and a | | | | they exit the site. The statistics showing the |
| - Comprehensive management control panel. | | | | entry page (what page a visitor first viewed) and |
| It goes without saying that an acceptable hosting | | | | the exit page (the last viewed page) are of |
| service would also include these: | | | | particular interest because they indicate whether |
| - full email support, including POP3 accounts and | | | | or not visitors spend time looking around the site |
| email forwarding, | | | | or click away from the first page they view. |
| - site-building templates for easy web-design and | | | | The statistics are also important for evaluating |
| customization, | | | | new content. For example, I can judge by the |
| - useful scripts for such things as e-commerce, | | | | stats just how effective a recently published |
| forums, blogs, and photo-galleries, and | | | | ezine article is at driving new traffic to my site. |
| - multimedia support. | | | | In the past, I have used traffic exchanges to |
| An online marketer should also expect to find | | | | increase the traffic to my sites. The statistics can |
| - good security, such as password protected | | | | distinguish between just "hits" (a traffic exchange |
| directories, | | | | loads a graphic from the site, for example) and |
| - Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for safe | | | | "real," unique visitors. Huge increases in "hits" do |
| e-commerce transactions, | | | | not necessarily indicate a significant increase of |
| - email-auto-responders, and | | | | "real" visitors. The statistics can give you an idea |
| - mailing list capabilities. | | | | of just how many individuals visit your site. Be |
| A good hosting service will provide these, too -- | | | | wary of promises to increase traffic to your site. |
| and much more. | | | | More traffic is easy to get. Using a traffic |
| COST | | | | exchange can dramatically increase traffic to your |
| Many who aspire to an effective web presence | | | | site--but most of the traffic will be "hits" and not |
| are initially trying to satisfy an immediate need, at | | | | "real," unique visitors. |
| the least cost, and with the least amount of | | | | TECHNICAL SUPPORT |
| effort. Later, when a new need arises or a new | | | | A good hosting service will provide several ways |
| idea needs to be implemented, the content | | | | to get help and information. These include help by |
| provider or marketer will discover that the | | | | phone, online chat, trouble tickets, and online |
| inexpensive, basic plan does not include the | | | | documents. Most of the time, I receive the help I |
| services required. For example, to install a CMS | | | | need very quickly by phone. |
| system or forum, a database will very likely be | | | | Sometimes, the questions I want answered are |
| required--but a basic plan might not include | | | | beyond the knowledge of the technician |
| database support. Of course, the basic plan can | | | | answering the phone. In that case, I have always |
| probably be upgraded to provide needed | | | | been able to get an answer by submitting a |
| services--for an additional cost. In this way, and | | | | trouble ticket online. After submitting the ticket, I |
| as new needs arise, the basic, low-cost plan can | | | | normally receive the answer I need by the next |
| become an expensive plan. It is far better, for | | | | day. |
| the serious web-user, to begin with a hosting plan | | | | I have been able to find many answers by |
| that will not hinder such future growth. If the | | | | reading the online users manual and FAQS. The |
| account user does not have the technical | | | | explanations provided in the online documents are |
| competence, time, or interest in putting up or | | | | often more extensive than I could expect to get |
| managing a web site, it still makes sense to have | | | | by phone or email. I have sometimes received |
| the kind of hosting plan that will not hinder | | | | references to the appropriate document in |
| contracted help from providing what is needed | | | | answer to questions I have entered during an |
| and wanted. | | | | online chat. |
| Hosting plans vary in cost according to how the | | | | AFFILIATE PROGRAM |
| payments are made (by month, quarter, year, | | | | You might be able to earn back your |
| two-year, etc.). The plan cost most visible on the | | | | hosting-service cost through the host's affiliate |
| web-host's home page will often be the cost for | | | | program, if it exists. Check for this possibility |
| a longer contract. There are advantages to | | | | when you signup for service. |
| subscribing to a longer-term contract. For one | | | | CONCLUSIONS |
| thing, longer-term contracts average out at the | | | | Over the years, I have hosted various kinds of |
| lowest monthly cost. For another, you will not be | | | | web sites including forums, complex content |
| receiving frequent emails about your account. I | | | | management systems(CMS), blogs, as well as |
| use a two-year plan at my host. I pay the cost | | | | more conventional sites. Most importantly, I have |
| up-front and have the satisfaction of not having | | | | been able to host these--at the same time--on a |
| to worry about it for another two years. There is | | | | single host account. These included different |
| another added value in doing this: you might well | | | | domains, with or without sub-domains, and with |
| get a search-engine boost if your account has a | | | | database access when needed. With the right |
| year or more to run. The bottom line is, don't | | | | hosting service, you will not have to be concerned |
| "cheap out" on this most important tool. | | | | about the number of domains or sub-domains you |
| CONTROL PANEL | | | | want to host or the applications you want to run. |
| I use tools on my local PC to design and test my | | | | If you start out with the right hosting service, |
| web pages. I then upload them to my host using | | | | you will be able to look forward to unrestricted |
| the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Although there | | | | growth as your needs and ideas expand. |