Opportunities

Web Hosting
Definition
Time-Line on when to get a Hosting Company
Resources
More to come...

Definition:  A web host is a computer, or set of computers that have been specifically created to store and display websites.  Instead of our friends hosting a party, consider our friends hosting our website.  YOU MUST CHOOSE A HOST TO GET YOUR WEBSITE ONTO THE INTERNET.  A good host has the following attributes:

• Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week - when you have a problem, you don't want to wait days to get it resolved.
   

• Quick response to questions (it might be a good idea to send the host you're looking at a message just to see how long they take to get back to you).
   

• Established - they know what they're doing and have been around for a while.  You don't want a company that is here today and gone tomorrow - it's a royal pain to move your website to another destination, so you MUST pick wisely the first time.
   

• They offer the services you require.  For example, this web page was created in FrontPage and as you can see to the left, I have a Newsletter form to capture readers email address.  In order to have that form, I had to make sure that the hosting company had Front Page Server extensions.  (don't ask me what they are...I was just told that I needed them). 
   

• See if the company offers tutorials and FAQ's for beginners - if you don't know how to upload a website (as I didn't), you don't want to crawl around the Net looking for info if the host can supply it for you.  (If you are a beginner like me, life is easier when the Host is accustom to dealing with newbie's - find an established company that can handle easy questions and won't make you feel like an idiot for asking or querying something.)
   

• Uptime - you want to make sure that the Host computers are running correctly as much as possible.  If and when a host computer goes down, so does your website....Not Good!
   

• You also want to consider storage (how much space you're allowed), eMail facilities, statistics and reports, can you get web mail, etc.

Time-Line on when to get a Hosting Company

• Create website (if you're going to do it yourself)
   

• Decided on Domain Name (see definition) (i.e. www.moneyonlinereview.com)
   

• Discover availability and purchase Domain Name (you can usually buy your domain name from your host, but it's sometimes cheaper to buy it elsewhere and move it to your host).  Search around for prices on Domain Names - the same exact name can cost your $8 at one site and $90.00 at another...PEOPLE WILL RIP YOU OFF ON THESE....so be warned).
   

• Find and Purchase Hosting - all of this can all happen over the Internet.  You simply type in the name of the Domain (www.moneyonlinereview.com) that you purchased and then your credit card details.  Thereafter, they set up your account. (I'm paying $7.95/month for my hosting - see review below)
   

• Hosting can usually be purchased in blocks of months starting at 3 months.  The more you buy, the cheaper it usually is.
   

• Once you get your host, you need to tell your Domain Name where to go and your host will either give you all the details or do it for you (the details are called name server information).  It takes about 3-5 days for your Domain Name to get set up on your host, so don't think that you'll have immediate access.  Getting on the Internet is not as quick as you might think.