3. What kind of hosting are you going to use?

Today's topic is Web Site Hosting. There are probably thousands of thousands of hosting providers out there just waiting for a new prospect to come their way. Since this is a work at home Moms Blog, I am going to try to give you links that lead to the work at home community.

What is Web Site Hosting?

DEFINITION - Hosting (also known as Web site hosting, Web hosting, and Webhosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites. More important than the computer space that is provided for Web site files is the fast connection to the Internet. Most hosting services offer connections on T-carrier system lines. Typically, an individual business hosting its own site would require a similar connection and it would be expensive. Using a hosting service lets many companies share the cost of a fast Internet connection for serving files. More...


By now you should have your business name, domain name, and decided on what type of products your going to sell. It's now time to think about a hosting provider. Your going to need to do a little research for yourself. You will need a provider who offers everything that your web site will require.

Think about your business for a minute. Will you need a shopping cart? Will you need message boards for communication? Will you need any scripts installed say, for link exchanges or maybe your own search engine? Each hosting provider will vary in the services that they offer. So think ahead about what your wanting in a hosting provider and what your web site will need to work and benefit your business efficiently.

For a hosting provider I would first have to recommend The Design Shoppe. The Design Shoppe would be a great first place to look for your hosting needs. Julie and Lori are great WAHM's to work with. They can help you with pretty much anything that you or your business may need. They are also very prompt and professional! With many different hosting packages for you to choose from, I am sure you will find what you need. Most all of their hosting plans come with everything a business could possibly need and if you need an extra scripts installed they can help you with those set up as well. The control panel is very easy to navigate and you can have your site up and running in no time. There are many more providers out there you just have to find the right one for you and your business.

Most Hosting Providers Will Offer.. Just to name a few.
Web Space
E-Mail Address
Autoresponders
Sub-Domains
cgi-bin
Shopping Carts
Web Stats
FTP or Front Page Extensions
MySQL Database
Daily Backup of your Web Site
Password Protected Areas

Most Extras Will Include...
Java Chatroom
GuestBook
Blogs
Customer Relation Scripts
Image Galleries
Message Boards
E-Commerce
Polls and Surveys

Once you get your hosting provider in place, play with it to familiarize yourself with the control panel. You will need to either know some basic html or you will need to hire a web designer to build your site for you. Your provider may offer some free templates or scripts you can use to get you going. You can also check out Lisa Explains it All for a basic understanding of how to build your own website with HTML. The site is for kids, but it is a really great resource for the Adults too! You can also check out Microsoft Front Page for designing websites yourself. It is a easy program to use while trying to build a website. If you have Microsoft Office you may already have the program installed. If not you can buy it straight from microsoft or possibly cheaper on eBay.

We'll talk more about web design tomorrow with our #4 Quick Question for Starting a Business. Keep checking back in to find out more tips on how you can Start a home based business online!

Kristy Woodby
Owner of Mothers Work At Home
Copyright 2006