Web Hosting Rating

How Much Are You Willing To Pay For Cheap Web Hosting?

People open websites for various reasons, however the most common reason why someone would start a website would be to earn money online. When you’re first venturing into the world of online business, it can be difficult to become acquainted with all of the new tasks you have ahead of you, especially if you’re completely unfamiliar with the various processes of building and managing your own website. The beginning of the process will largely be a learning process, and so understandably, you may try to cut costs as much as possible. After all, you don’t want to make a tremendous investment only to lose it all because you are inexperienced.

What do you Need in the Beginning?

Many people have the mentality that they are going to start out slow and once they have learned the basics they’ll upgrade. They do this in an attempt to save money, however in the end it costs them more time and money than if they were to have properly assessed their situation initially.

You may feel as if you do not need any complex tools just yet, however you’ll soon find out the truth is – the less experience you have, the more you’ll need these tools. The tools I am referring to are broad in nature, ranging from site management software to hosting accounts. Every good website owner has an arsenal of tools at their disposal, and it is these tools that keeps their business functioning optimally.

Cost vs Effectiveness

One term we often hear in the online business industry is “cost-effectiveness.” It is often used to describe whether or not someone is “getting what they pay for.” However, cost and effectiveness do not go hand in hand. In general, you’ll get what you pay for, which means if you pay less you will get less. If you pay less for web hosting, then that lowered cost is almost undoubtedly going to result in lowered efficiency on your end. The fact is, web hosting companies make investments too, and when they do they spend lots of money to bring you the resources you need. These resources aren’t free, so it would be impossible for a web hosting company to give you a  cheap plan without sacrificing some of the quality of that plan.

The True Cost of Cheap Web Hosting

In the end, you’ll actually pay more for cheap web hosting, especially if your business begins to expand. After all, isn’t that the ultimate goal? Once your business does begin to expand, you’ll inevitably need to upgrade, at which time you will spend more money. If you would have started out with a plan that offered enough resources, then you would have actually saved money! Instead, you’ll be losing time and money trying to upgrade unnecessarily. If you decide not to upgrade in another attempt to “save” money, then your site’s performance will suffer, and therefore so will your profits.

Before you consider a “cheap” web hosting plan, you need to analyze what you;re trying to do with your online presence, and how much are you really willing to pay for the convenience of saving a few dollars temporarily.

CMS Functionality – Simplified Productivity

Although many novice website owners believe that running an online business is an easy way to make money, the fact is filling a website with content is a continuous process that must be maintained on a daily basis. Keeping visitors intrigued is the main focus of any good website, and without regularly updated content it is nearly impossible to accomplish. Updating and organizing the content of a website  manually is a tedious process that would require a variety of skills which not many online business owners possess. Fortunately there are content management systems that help people deal with the every day tasks of website management. Content management systems are capable of many functions, however there are a few which are far more important than the rest.

Updating Content

The most important function of a CMS is by far it’s ability to facilitate content updating and organization, as this is the core function of a content management system. A CMS makes uploading content to various sections of the website quick and easy. Users can create accounts within the content management systems and assign privileges to their employees, giving them the ability to upload content as it is created, which saves the website owner time and frustration.  Users can also create new  web pages with unique title tags, meta tags and search engine optimized URLs. The administrator can also upload large amounts of content and then schedule a certain amount to be posted each day, while also controlling what area of the site the content is posted to. This allows users to turn daily tasks into monthly or weekly tasks, making website management as simple as the administrator had originally envisioned.

Improving Website Design

Aside from facilitating basic content management, a CMS will also improve the overall look of your website by making changing templates and site themes simple and risk free. Since a content management system separates the content from the design, you’ll be able to try out several templates without having to worry about making the wrong decision. In fact, in some content management systems you can even schedule template changes automatically, to improve the look of your website on a regular basis without completing repetitive tasks.

Generating Traffic

By assisting in the above functions the CMS improves website performance and appearance. This attracts traffic and keeps visitors returning. However, the CMS also provides other functions that aid in creating a solid traffic flow. Users can create surveys and polls to find out what their visitors like. By knowing the minds of your visitors you’ll be able to upload content that will keep them interested. A content management system will also aid you in creating a search engine optimized website, by giving you the ability to easily create web pages that are keyword optimized and properly indexed. Another feature that helps you gain residual traffic is the usage of RSS feeds. RSS feeds let your visitors keep track of recent posts on your website, and they can also post your RSS feed on their website for their visitors to see. This is a great way to generate traffic and build networks of sites.

A Web Hosting Plan with Room to Grow

There are lots of things that could stifle your online business. Email issues and merchant account restrictions are just a few of the things that could slow you down. A common but often overlooked growth stifler is an inadequate website hosting plan. Getting stuck in the wrong web hosting plan could make you look like an e-commerce amateur long after you’ve learned the ropes.

When shopping for the perfect web hosting plan, you will come across a great many that seem to offer a plethora of features at a fantastic price. However, once you’re on board, you may run into several of the following growth inhibitors:

The most desirable features are excluded from your plan – On the surface, that $9 per month hosting plan may look appealing.  However when put to the test, you may find that you need $30 per month worth of additional a-la-carte features just to make your website work the way you envisioned. Be sure to sign-up for a trial of the hosting plan you intend to buy to make sure it will meet your needs. When possible, choose a thirty-day trial period. It will definitely reveal much more than the quickie 5-10 day trial offers. If you choose the right web hosting plan, you can make a template based website look like a custom design.

The site is not user-friendly for website visitors – It’s great to find a website hosting plan that makes it easy for you to create and modify your content. It’s also important for your visitors to experience that same ease of use. Your website should use fonts and colors that are easy on the eyes. It should have a logical flow that provides a link to the most popular items directly from the home page. Video, audio or text instructions should accompany items that are not so easy to understand or ones that have summary descriptions. And finally, the checkout process should not require a doctorate degree to understand.

Poor customer service from the hosting provider – Unless you are a veteran or plan to outsource your project to one, you are very likely to need the support of the customer service department. When looking for a hosting plan, make sure that the hours and the type of customer service available will meet your needs. If you prefer talking to a real person, you’re likely to experience frustration with the online chat or “email only” customer service options. Often times, both of these options are geared to provide very generic tips that do little to get you back on track. It’s a bit disappointing to receive the “you’ve outgrown our website hosting service” answer to a very pressing question.

When choosing a website hosting plan consider where you want to be 6-12 months down the road. Then find a provider that offers features you can grow with. Otherwise, once you get hooked into a plan, even one that doesn’t work so well, you may find it hard to cancel. Switching to a different server and experiencing a new learning curve may be more of a headache than what you’re already going through.

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Shared Web Hosting

Choosing the right web hosting service is a crucial part of running an online business, because it will directly affect the productivity of your business. The first step in building an online business, once you have a registered and active domain, is to decide what type of web hosting you will be using. One of the most popular types of web hosting is shared hosting, as it is said to be a more appealing option than dedicated hosting. For this reason, it is imperative to conduct a thorough analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of shared web hosting.

The Price of Shared Web Hosting

Of course price is always at the top of the list when considering a new product or service. As a consumer, you would like to know that you are indeed going to be receiving your money’s worth. When it comes to price, shared hosting definitely carries the advantage. Customers receive discounted rates in comparison to other hosting options because only a minimal portion of the server is utilized by the client.

Since the hosting company does not need to provide a lot of server space, the price is therefore more affordable. Overall, shared hosting is definitely worth the money and should be considered as a viable option for any small business owner looking to run their own website.

The Features of Shared Hosting

Even though the price is lower, you still receive customer support, so you don’t have to worry about being “left in the dark” if you experience any technical difficulties. Since shared hosting companies know just how important customer satisfaction is in a highly competitive market, most companies offer a guarantee of quality assurance. Shared hosting also provides the user with access to features such as multiple e-mail addresses, and PHP assistance. It is also an excellent option for technical “newbies” because you do not need to have any experience with server management or hosting in general.

The Disadvantages of Shared Hosting

Even with all of the benefits shared hosting offers, the are some aspects of shared hosting that may be considered disadvantages by some consumers. The most significant disadvantage of shared hosting would have to be the reduced level of security. This elevated security risk stems from the fact that you will be sharing a server with other users.  Another problem with shared hosting is limited resources, since there are other people using the same server, you will like experience some restrictions. You may want to consider another option if your website has a high amount of traffic routinely.  Also with shared hosting you often do not have permission to install programs, since the server is maintained by another  company. However, since multiple servers are at your disposal, it may not be difficult to find the desired program or plugin for your website.

Making The Decision

After considering the advantages and disadvantages of shared hosting, many people base their decision upon their needs. For most individuals, shared hosting provides everything needed to run a website from home. However, if you are planning on building a very large website with high traffic and greater needs, then you may want to consider dedicated hosting, or even co-located hosting with your own private server.

Making Money with Reseller Hosting

By now, it is widely recognized that reseller hosting is a legitimate and very lucrative way to generate reoccurring income online.  It allows you to establish a credible and profitable business through a solution that is easy to set up and requires a minimal capital investment.  In fact, it is not difficult to find a feature-rich package for under $20 per month.  All you really need to be a reseller is a computer, internet connection and the desire to be successful.  This makes reseller hosting a very attractive option for anyone who wants to start their own business online.  Although it is not a get-rich-quick type of deal by any means, it can turn out to be a very prosperous venture for anyone who puts in the work.

Five Steps to Successful Reseller Hosting

Making your reseller business a success requires loads of dedication and sound marketing strategies.  Below are five simple steps that will help you get your business up and running efficiently:

1.) Find a Reputable Hosting Company – The web hosting company you purchase the account from will ultimately determine your success as a reseller.  Not only must this company be reputable and reliable, but also provide features that are essential to the success of your business.  These features will all depend on your individual requirements, but some you want to keep in mind are a fully integrated billing system, email accounts and a quality control panel software for managing the entire operation.

2.) Set up Your Reseller Account – Most hosting companies offer quite few options in terms of disk storage, bandwidth and various other features.  However, even the basic package should do you just fine as long as it has adequate resources, useful features, and a path to easy upgrades as your business grows.  With everything in place, setting up your reseller account is usually a simple process.

3.) Create Your Hosting Plans - After purchasing a reseller account, you will be provided access to a control panel where you can create hosting packages, determine prices, suspend or delete customer accounts and other management related tasks.  One of the best things about reseller hosting is that all of this can be done without permission or intervention from your host.  You pretty much run the show.

4.) Set up Your Billing System – Most web hosts will provide you with special software to create your own billing system.  This software makes it easy to invoice your customers, automatically send out payment notifications and much more.  There is even software that acts as both a billing and support system, which equals an added bonus for your reseller business.

5.) Promote Your Business – If you do not promote your reseller business, there is no way you can make it a success.  It would be wise to create a website specifically designed to promote your hosting plans and the tools you need to accomplish this should be included in the package you purchased.  Most companies literally give you hundreds of pre-designed templates to choose from so creating a professional website should be fairly easy regardless of your experience.  Once the site is online, it up to you to find ways to effectively promote it and make yourself some money with your reseller account.