Tips for Cost Effective Web Site Hosting for Small Business
A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Raj Rao
Web Site Hosting - Introduction
Web Site Hosting is vital service for creating a web presence for personal or business reason. Web Site Hosting involves several things including (but not limited to): a) Domain Name Registration; b) Allocation of IP Address; c) Reservation of Server Space; d) Creation of E-mail Accounts; e) Configuring the Web Server; f) Connecting the Domain Name with the Web Server and IP Address; g) Establishing Database Connection for the Web Site; h) Creation of FTP accounts; i) Uploading the Content files; j) configuration of user applications etc.
The allocation of optimal resources for the Web Site Hosting is critical for any organization and is especially so for a small business due to its limited resources. However, Internet remains one of the best medium for promoting small business due to its cost advantage and world-wide reach.
Web Site Hosting - Various Options
A Small Business has several options to choose from while deciding on the optimal level of Web Site Hosting resources required.
The first option is to choose a Linux based web server, which is relatively cheaper than Windows based Web Servers. There are many web site hosting service providers who offer Linux based web hosting. The management of the website is easily done through a Browser interface to the web site.
The second option is to choose a service provider who has a web site hosting plan that caters to small business. A web site hosting plan specifically designed for small business, the allocation of web server space, the bandwidth and other resources are limited.
The third option is to use a service provider who offers free applications like e-commerce shopping cart software, Guest Book, E-mail Mailing List etc. so that the cost of application development is reduced considerably. There could still be some cost associated with the customization of the applications.
Tips for Cost-Effective Web Site Hosting
There are several companies on the Internet that offer advertisement supported free web hosting services like Netfirms.com and Geocities.com. Some of these companies also provide you an application to design your websites online without the help of a professional designer.
Many Web site Hosting companies offer free Domain Name registration with their first year web hosting. This is a good deal but needs close scrutiny of the conditions under which the domains are registered free. At all times, you should have the ownership of the domain name.
If you are looking for a specific type of website design, you can purchase web site design templates available online for one tenth of the cost of a professional design. These templates can be used by you with little modifications that you can do yourself.
Finally, you should consider putting up your web pages with an online Directory of products and services representing your line of business. This is not only cost effective but also provides you instant access to customers, which in any case should be the primary objective of your web presence.
