A paddle boat is great for fun on a day off! But would you consider taking it to the open sea? A cruise ship on the other hand is ideally suited for pampering its guests with every facility imaginable for the vacation of your dreams!
Applying this analogy to web hosting can help you make a wise decision if you are currently 1) new to internet business and looking for that first web host, or 2) up and running but thinking the time has come to upgrade to a higher level.
Web hosts fall generally into 3 categories. They are:
1) Free Services
2) Budget Hosts
3) Full Service
Let\'s take a look at each category.
1.Free Services
If you want to run a home page for personal interest for family and friends, great! If you want to ease into the internet cautiously, great. Hosting companies offers a good free service with reasonable support. In short, if you merely want to paddle around, have a little fun, gain some experience, these services are fine. For serious business however you really need your own domain name, not someone else\'s.
2.Budget Hosts
You get what you pay for, generally. Many may knock the value of budget hosts. If you are running a serious business, then probably this kind of package would not give enough stability or features.
If you merely want to paddle account have a little fun gain some experience, these services are fine. For serious business however you really need your own domain name, not someone else's.
3.Full Service
If your business is taking off and you need 24 hour full support with all the \'bells and whistles\' then this is the way to go. If your internet business is your main stay then you need a \'cruise ship\' company who are going to give you professional top of the line facilities and service.
See if there are good shopping cart facilities so you can easily set up your online store. Managing your post office and auto responders should also be easy through a friendly interface with good web hosts.
Look for 24 hour technical support and immediate response to customer needs. Some even have a troubleshooting crack force which can give a response usually within an hour or two.
Choosing a web host or changing a web host is one of those decisions which will have a massive impact on your business. Use the 3 category test above and decide where you are going! Then decide whether to jump into a paddle boat or book yourself a ticket on a cruise ship for a happy trouble free experience.