In choosing a cheap web hosting service for your website there are some things that you need to take into consideration. While your number one priority right now might be pricing, just focusing on that could lead to you making a bad decision. There might be just minor differences in pricing and value between some of these providers, but it can make a big difference in whether your business succeed or fail.

There are some web hosting providers out there that offer similar service to others, but have different costing. While there are some who charge the same price, yet there are differences with the services that they provide. The only way to figure out what is going on and make sure that you get the "best bang for your buck," is to do some research. If you are planning to be in business for a while then you need to make sure that you get the right hosting now.

Here are five (5) things to look for when choosing a cheap web hosting service fro your website:

(1). Hosting Up-time - This is a critical element to look for when choosing a web host. The up-time will tell you how reliable a specific company is. You should be looking for hosting service that provide a guaranteed 99% and over. Your site has to be up and running to make money, and if your hosting service up-time is low then your income will suffer.

(2). Unlimited Hosting - Although you may not need a lot of resources initially, you will want to allow for growth. There are many companies who offer unlimited web hosting for under $5 per month so you can look out for those. You should always be thinking long term in getting your business up and running as this could avoid major headaches later on.

(3). cPanel Hosting - Many cheap web hosting services provide cPanel to help you navigate and administer your settings. This type of control panel is extremely user friendly, and easy to operate. Many of the activities only require one click operations. Make sure you choose a provider that have this in place, especially if you might be uncomfortable with the technical aspects of this.

(4). Support Multiple MySQL Databases - Content management plays a significant role in building and designing websites and blogs. They are like word-processors, but instead of creating documents they build websites. Content management systems allow you to build websites and blogs with just a few clicks of your mouse, but they require MySQL support to work. Be sure that your hosting service have some of these in place to make your job easier.

(5). Support for Multiple Domains - This is another resource that many cheap web hosting provider offers. It gives you the freedom to expand your web property by setting up multiple businesses all having different domains. Stay away from hosting services that allow you only one domain. Trust me on this, no matter where you are right now you are going to need more later on, so choose wisely.

Choosing a web hosting service for your website should be approached just like with anything else about your business. You should do your research to see what is out there, but before you even start looking you should at least have some idea of what you want. Having some basic needs in mind can help you with your decision. Check out reviews and information about the subject so you can know what to look for.

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is just looking at the price. While this might be important to you now, you should look for the best value that you can get. Look at the different companies and the services that they provide. Above all else, do not just choose a web hosting provider simply because they offer the cheapest rate.

Godfrey Thaxter is a marketing consultant who writes informative articles providing tips and strategies for "Home Business Success" with your internet marketing business. Click The Link Now To Get Instant Access To The "Highest Quality Advertising & Marketing" On The Internet - And To See How You Can Explode Your Traffic Generation Using Articles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Godfrey_Thaxter

Many website owners or people who are going to launch their new websites are always on the lookout for top hosting companies that offer low cost and affordable website hosting services. Finding a top hosting at discount price could be a quite difficult task. This is mainly because not all top hosting companies will offer discount price to everyone. Furthermore, the discount price is only offered for a limited time, so buying the web hosting services when the offer is still available is most important if you want to get an affordable and cheap hosting solution from a reputable top hosting company.

Many top companies offer web hosting services at discount prices using different methods at different times. You need to lookout for special offers provided by them. Let’s look at some of the ways you can use for finding affordable hosting solutions online.

Most of the reputable hosting service providers offer seasonal discounts. There are always some kinds of festivities going on and hosting companies offer special seasonal discounts on such occasions. You should lookout for these seasonal discounts offered around special events like Mother day, Valentine’s day, Spring’s day, Christmas, New Year, etc. by visiting the websites of the known web hosting providers. The seasonal discounts are generally available for a shorter period of time like few weeks or couple of months.

Some of the leading website hosting companies will provide coupon code to their potential clients in order to gain their business. By entering the coupon code while placing your order you will get discounts according to the package you choose. Such discounts are offered for a longer duration of time. Hosting companies issue special coupons in order to attract more business and it is the common way of getting a top hosting at discount rates. However, not all companies issue the coupon codes, and they are not that easy to find. You need to get them either visiting the website of the company during special promotion drive or search for them over the Internet.

There are some prominent web hosting companies that offer special discounts. These special discounts are only available for the people who come from particular websites and are not available for everyone. The special discount sanction code authorizing the lower price is embedded in the link of a specific website and hosting company can easily track this and offer you a discount price. For getting this you need to find specific websites that promote these special discounts. Many web hosting forums provide such facility. You can search for them or other specific sites over the Internet.

The good thing about getting the top hosting at discount price is that you will get the same services that you would have got if you bought it at regular price. As now you know the types of discounts offered by leading website hosting providers, finding a trustworthy and low priced affordable hosting service should not be that difficult for you.

Every company has taken to the internet as web presence helps in earning more popularity and clients from all over the world. You can showcase your products and services to the whole world. As more and more people people's preferences are changing, people want to find all their requirements on the internet instead of wasting their holidays or off on shopping or any thing that is time consuming. And why should somebody take all the trouble when everything is available at the click of a button, after all? Companies have understood the outlook of people and have launched their company websites to gain all those potential customers. There are a number of hosting services on offer these days and dedicated hosting happens to be the most preferred choice for big brand companies.

Dedicated hosting in itself means hosting your website on a server which is totally dedicated to one company or organization. There is no sharing of any sort in this hosting type. This is mainly an option for companies looking for more dedication from the web hosting company, where they have a complete loyal technical support that takes care of the visibility of the site on the internet.

Dedicated hosting is more expensive compared to other hosting services. But, if you are getting a secure and well protected server which will guard your website from internet thieves and hackers (especially when you have an ecommerce or any type of businesses where transactions are made on a daily basis) then there is no harm in shunning out a little extra money. Plus, you get the benefit of getting an independent server which is not shared with any other website, where the whole focus shall be on your business. You can be guaranteed to gain more and will not be facing any sort of losses in any field.

Due to growing competition in the market, within dedicated web hosting also there are various packages and many web hosting companies are offering a variety of it. So, how do you choose the right company and hosting service? It is actually quite simple, in other words, it is like a policy that should be followed in any thing - whether you are choosing a product or a service, you should do a thorough research on the company as well as read reviews on the company's services from clients. It will give a wider and clear picture on the reliability and stability of the company which is providing the service. It will help you narrow down your search and fetch you the best deal!

The author is associated with IDS Logic, a professional Web Hosting Company providing fully managed Web Hosting and Web Hosting India solutions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alpana_A

In web hosting today, customers demand is getting harder and harder to satisfy. Unlimited disk space and bandwidth seem to be compulsory on the packages that they offer. Companies which do not have this seem to loose out in the competition. However, can unlimited disk space and bandwidth really be possible? In the market today, it is possible with the marketing technique of Overselling.

Like we mentioned, Overselling is merely a marketing method for providers to describe their product or services. For an example, a company organizing a dinner for 50 people will provide 60 tickets for sale. With their statistics, they know that 5-10 people will not turn up. Therefore, they do not have any disadvantages at hand. However, this Overselling technique could be disastrous for your company's reputation if used incorrectly.

In web hosting, this technique is very commonly used because competitors are found everywhere. Overselling could meet the demand of the customers. By doing that, they can stay in contention with other companies. Moreover, customers want to get more while paying less, this reason males the company even more reason to use this overselling technique.

Here is an example of Overselling used in web hosting. Company A is a company that is capable of delivering 20 000 GB of bandwidth and 2000 GB disk space. They offer a plan that offers 2000 GB o bandwidth monthly and 200GB storage space. They are able to do this because they calculated that 90% of their clients never use more than10% of the resources they were provided. Mathematically, they can only accept 10 clients. Therefore, they are overselling.

For unlimited bandwidth, it is clear that it is impossible to be achieved. The bandwidth really depends on the resources that you are provided. They are the CPU Time, RAM Usage and Database Connection. Before unlimited bandwidth can be achieved, you will have to sort out the limited resource that you have. Company will usually state this in their terms of service 'If a user is monopolizing a server resources, XXX Hosting Company has the right to immediately suspend the account for resource abuse. No refund will be offered.' This is a way the companies trick their clients. Therefore, it is always better to choose a provider that has a good reputation backing their honest service.

Looking for an affordable web host Check out Lunarpages You'll get 15,000/1,500 GB bandwidth/disk storage in less than $5 with them. More details on LunarPages web hosting here.

Article written by Justin Knights.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Knights

We all try to get an affordable website hosting plan when we have just registered a new domain name. But finding a cheap web host is not always easy. There are many things that can go wrong when you choose a cheap host over some more expensive web-hosting.

To help you a little bit along the way when you are choosing an affordable website hosting plan, here are a few things you need to keep in mind:

* Type of server your domain is hosted on
* Type of tracking software installed on the server
* The amount of space and bandwidth allowed

Depending on how advanced you are, you might want to choose a server type for your hosting that will fit your needs in the long run. Foremost this is about what type of programs and script you will be able to install and run on your server in the future.

When you spend both time and money on your website and strategy, much of that will go to waste if you can't track your visitors properly. By studying your home page and site map etc. you can learn much from your visitor's behavior. The knowledge you gain here can be used to create a more profitable web site. But of course you need tracking software on your server that can do this for you.

As your website grows both in size and in traffic, you have to make sure that your cheap hosting plan can support that. Changing spacehosting later on is something that you definitely want to avoid.

For more tips on choosing an affordable website hosting plan, visit http://johnnyknows.com/. Here you will get detailed instructions on how to choose a cheap web host. Choosing a website hosting plan is the one step you don't want to do wrong.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clark_Thompson

I Use Seven Different Web Hosts

I have a decent amount of experience with shared web hosting accounts as I currently have accounts with seven different webhosts and I've used three other web hosts in the past (that I've left.) Of those 10 total web hosts I've used only one have I never experienced any down time with: HostMonster web hosting. Considering that the prices & features of shared web hosting services tend to be pretty similar it's up time and ease of use that I care most about. In those categories, HostMonster is without peer.

Additional Domains With Free Privacy

A great feature that is unique to HostMonster (in my experience anyway) is that they allow you to buy additional domains for your account (which you can host unlimited domains with with unlimited bandwidth and unlimited hosting space) at $10 a pop with free privacy included. If you're like me and you like to buy privacy on all of your domains this actually ends up saving you a bit of money compared to buying a domain at GoDaddy and adding the privacy separately.

I Host 16 Domains With My HostMonster Account Currently

I push my web hosting account pretty hard. For just $6.95 a month I currently have 16 domains all hosted on my one shared account and I've never had any problems at all.

All Of The Features You Would Expect

MySQL, Perl, Frontpage Extension, all of the features that you get with any decent web hosting account. You'll get them here. Like I said, these feature are pretty much the same everywhere, so don't worry about them.

Customer Service?

I can't really give any report on the customer service. Why not? In a year and a half with HostMonster, I've never had to contact them because I've never had a single problem. It's an easy service to use and I've never had any down time. That's the kind of customer service I like best, no problems to start with.

CLICK HERE: HostMonster. Learn more about this fantastic web hosting service. Sign up right now (your first domain is free with free privacy included!)

Domain Registration.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Moon

If you are looking for a cheap web host for your website or blog then it is essential that you have a list of minimum requirements that all your potential web hosting companies must provide. If they do not meet these important criteria then you should ignore them and find a better hosting company.

Technical Support and Customer Service

As with any business arrangement communication is key. You will find that if you do not understand anything or have a problem or query then you need to be able to talk to your web hosting company whether they are a cheap web host or not. Your ability to ask questions and get sensible answers in a timely fashion is extremely important.

Submitting online support tickets with a 24 hour or worse turn around is not really the best way to go as you never know if your request is being attended to or not. It is always better to have 24/7 phone or online chat support to technical staff at the web host so you can call and check that your issue is being resolved when you have a problem. Also if you just have a question it is good to be able to talk to someone when you need to.

Always try to talk to technical staff before you commit so you can check whether they are technically proficient and easy to talk to. Ask them some questions about your requirements and the options available then see how they respond. If you are not happy with their response just move on.

Features, Capacity, Reliability and Security

There are also some essential requirements for the physical hosting aspect of your website or blog. You will need to carefully check what is on offer in relation to disk space capacity, bandwidth and any up time guarantees. In all cases these should be as high as possible, so compare web hosts companies to see what they all provide before you decide what you want.

For some the more technical aspects of their hosting will be important such as PHP or ASP support. For others the option to run more than one website or domain or MySQL databases from their hosting account is critical, especially for specialist software such as Wordpress. Some offer unlimited domains for those that need it.

The speed, power, reliability and security of the server your website will be hosted on are also important aspects of any web hosting account. Find out as much as you can about these items and compare carefully before you buy.

Many web host companies provide user control panels for you to manage the websites in your hosting account. The best to get is cPanel with Fantastico as this provides for easy one-click installation of software like Wordpress and is extremely simple to use especially for the less technically oriented.

Low Monthly Price and Money Back Guarantee

With cheap web hosting cost is always one of the important criteria, but make sure that all your other essential requirements are met before you look at the prices. Web hosting is so competitive that there are always special offers being promoted and you should be able to get a great deal with typical monthly prices well under 10 dollars. If you are in a hurry check that instant account activation is available so you can start building your website or blog immediately.

Finally get a full money back guarantee if you can so that if you find you are not happy with the web host service provided in the first thirty days then you will be able to cancel and get all of your money back. Many web hosts now offer this and it just makes common sense to use it.

For more information on all aspects of Cheap Web Hosting and to find out who I recommend and use as My Cheap Web Hosts just visit our web hosting website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Joa

In this day in age with so many websites competing, if one was to launch and run a successful website you must be aware of 2 principle rules that can be carved in stone.

A website must have an angle in order to drive traffic to it. This angle can be one of two types. Either unique content or reasonably unique content or a unique method of delivery. I will explain both of these in more depth since it is not as obvious at it may seem.

1. Unique content. Remember there are millions of websites out there so even if there are 50 websites with exactly the same content the surfer still has to find them all before you need to worry about competition. Due to the nature of finding information through search engines and large large number of sites it is pretty much a given that the server has almost 0% chance of finding even 2 websites with exactly the same content. So this means that you don`t need such original content that it is not available anywhere on the web in order to be called unique content and thus to make money. If your content can easily be found on other sites with a few google key phrases then you are no longer falling in this category. So the point again is, you don`t need to be 100% unique just reasonably unique in the scope of the web.

2. Unique Method of Delivery. The best example I can think of for this is Youtube. Youtube does not have any original content at all. In fact, the videos there can be found everywhere like peer2peer networks, usenet and personal blog websites and where available long before youtube even existed. But no one ever new about the video sharing phenomenon until youtube.
They invented and implemented a unique method to allow content to be uploaded in masses and shared to the masses. Youtube is reported to have a monthly bandwidth bill of over $1 million. There may in fact have been other entrepreneurs who thought of the idea first, but no one had the guts to implement it for the fear of large loss. But you see, youtube made its fortune because it found a unique method of delivery and took the chance. How big is youtube? Well, it was bought by Google a few years ago.

Its never too late to jump in on internet bandwagon and make fortunes as long as your online plan has one of these principles. If you can manage to have both of them present at the same time then you really are one of the very few.

I am going to use the technology example of youtube to give you an idea of a great angle you could implement using the unique method of delivery principle.

If you keep an eye on the latest internet communications technologies you could get the scoop on a excellent new video compression. With this you could offer HD video for your new sharing website at the same cost as youtube. Can you imagine what would happen? Or perhaps you find a must cheaper option for bandwidth somewhere offshore that is new. Get the scoop first and there is your angle for unique delivery.

My name is Vladimir Gregorian I am an online marketer now living in the tropical city of Salvador Brazil. Visit my site for tips on legitimate making money tips: http://www.imoneyonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vlad_Gregorian

Hosting can cost from $1 to over $100, though the average price is usually less than $20. Sound cheap? Well, it is until you multiply that number by 100 or even 1,000. And, if you're going to be a serious Internet marketer, eventually, you will have that many sites in your repertoire. This is why it's important to consider free hosting alternatives. One of the best is Squidoo.

What is Squidoo? Squidoo is a powerful Web 2.0 site that allows people to create their own blogs, (also known as lenses). There is no charge for hosting, and virtually no limit to how many lenses can be created. Additionally, Squidoo participates in AdSense revenue-sharing. This means that they will allow you to keep revenue from your AdSense clicks a certain percentage of the time. The exact percentage will depend on what is being promoted.

So, what's the best way to create a money-making Squidoo lens? Well, first make sure you can write solid articles surrounding whatever your official website or affiliate program is about. Don't fall into the temptation to just post a bunch of advertisements on your lens. Readers will only be put off by your lens and not click on any ads, whether they are your own links or AdSense. It's much better to provide valuable information that will build up interest to your product or service rather than advertise it outright.

Anyway, as you are writing your articles, don't forget that you want to try and make secondary income from AdSense, should your reader not click on any of your links. To do this you will need to incorporate keywords that AdSense bots will pick up. Try to use more popular keywords, since this will net you more money. In fact, if you can, consider buying a list containing the most expensive AdSense keywords. You should be able to find these easily by doing a basic search on Google or another search engine. Once you get it, find the keywords that best match what you're talking about and use them 2 to 6 percent of the time throughout your text. If you do things right, the more expensive keywords will get integrated into your lens. Granted, you won't always get the revenue, but at least when you do, you can be assured that it will be high.

Okay now, at this point many AdSense gurus might feel uncomfortable at the thought of sharing any revenue with another company. They may feel that it's better to just get a regular hosting account for their blogs than to go that route. Well, again, there's still the issue of the numbers game if you do massive Internet marketing. But there's another issue at stake presence. Squidoo is already indexed by search engines, and has a high page rank. This means that any lenses produced on their network are more likely to get noticed by search engines than a new, no-name website. And for newbies who may not know how to rank high on their own, this is a major advantage that can't be overlooked.

In conclusion, Squidoo is the best place to turn if you're looking for an affordable way to create a blog or series of blogs. There are no recurring charges, but you will have to share any Adsense revenue you make. This is a disadvantage, but Squidoo's popularity in search engine listings should overcome it at least for the newbie.

The 12 part E-course walks you through step by step on how to get the traffic coming to your site. This is traffic that you just put your time into, you don't have to spend any money for it. Find out more at http://www.newwebtraffic.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dj_Judkins

As the technology behind IP telephony matures, the companies offering it face a shakeout.

ITXC BEGAN LIFE IN 1997 AS A networking company that carried phone traffic for cheap prepaid calling cards. By late last year, its service had became good enough for second-tier carriers to begin putting some of their international traffic on ITXC's networks, since they were cheaper than old-fashioned phone lines. Now the Princeton, N.J.-based company claims that 13 of the 14 largest U.S. carriers, along with a host of international players, send phone traffic over its networks. ITXC's growth reflects the anticipated expansion of Web-based telephone traffic, or IP telephony. Slowly and stealthily, the Internet is taking over more and more of the world's phone traffic. Research firm IDC estimates that 300 million people will be making Internet voice calls by 2003. Though less than 1 percent of worldwide phone traffic is carried over the Internet, a host of startups already offer free Net-based telephone calls, undercutting the lumbering incumbent phone companies.

But now companies that rely exclusively on the IP telephony market are watching their growth level off, their access to the capital markets shut down and their business models become open to question.

"In 10 years, phone traffic will have moved off the public-switch networks and onto the Internet," says Tom Evslin, CEO of ITXC. "But just carrying traffic at cut rates for the phone companies doesn't cut it. We need new phone applications." The IP telephony service providers include networking companies such as ITXC and Burlington, Mass.-based iBasis, plus a handful of established players like Genuity that carry Net phone traffic. More numerous are companies like PhoneFree.com, Dialpad and Firetalk that buy network capacity from the networking firms and give away phone calls on the Net.

Since April, the stock prices for most IP telephony companies have fallen, and the IPO pipeline has narrowed. Equipment-maker Sonus is one of the few to successfully go public, earning a $10 billion market capitalization in May. Genuity has lost 35 percent of its value since its June IPO. ITXC's Evslin acknowledges that this fledgling industry has entered an early phase of consolidation.

Analyst Jeff Pulver, through his eponymous firm Pulver.com, has been perhaps the most vocal proponent of Internet telephony. But even he is mystified by the business model of many of these companies. "A lot of these people are my friends, but I don't know how they can survive by selling banner ads and giving away phone calls for free," he says. "The only way to make it is to take advantage of the Internet. It's flexible and there's going to be a lot of really cool stuff built on it - applications that appeal to more people."

ITXC and iBasis were once limited to carrying Internet calls from computer to computer, attracting plenty of hard-core computer users but few mainstream callers. Now they've added more sophisticated PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone calling, making IP telephony easily available to less tech-savvy customers.

Companies that give away phone service on the Web find it tough sledding, though. San Francisco's Firetalk announced last week it would start charging subscription fees. Established providers like PhoneFree, which has more than 2 million active users, hope to make money by tacking on value-added features such as unified messaging and voicemail applications to basic services.

Some of these startups may eventually find shelter in the arms of established companies. PhoneFree CEO Jan Horsfall acknowledges he's been involved in acquisition or merger talks with several companies. Horsfall also says he's talked to four struggling IP telephony companies about buying them. In fact, lots of companies like PhoneFree, which has grown by dissing the phone companies, would now welcome their embrace. "There's brackish waters between us and the portals and the phone companies," Horsfall says. "They'll figure out they need us soon enough."

As the technology behind IP telephony matures, the companies offering it face a shakeout.

ITXC BEGAN LIFE IN 1997 AS A networking company that carried phone traffic for cheap prepaid calling cards. By late last year, its service had became good enough for second-tier carriers to begin putting some of their international traffic on ITXC's networks, since they were cheaper than old-fashioned phone lines. Now the Princeton, N.J.-based company claims that 13 of the 14 largest U.S. carriers, along with a host of international players, send phone traffic over its networks. ITXC's growth reflects the anticipated expansion of Web-based telephone traffic, or IP telephony. Slowly and stealthily, the Internet is taking over more and more of the world's phone traffic. Research firm IDC estimates that 300 million people will be making Internet voice calls by 2003. Though less than 1 percent of worldwide phone traffic is carried over the Internet, a host of startups already offer free Net-based telephone calls, undercutting the lumbering incumbent phone companies.

But now companies that rely exclusively on the IP telephony market are watching their growth level off, their access to the capital markets shut down and their business models become open to question.

"In 10 years, phone traffic will have moved off the public-switch networks and onto the Internet," says Tom Evslin, CEO of ITXC. "But just carrying traffic at cut rates for the phone companies doesn't cut it. We need new phone applications The IP telephony service providers include networking companies such as ITXC and Burlington, Mass.-based iBasis, plus a handful of established players like Genuity that carry Net phone traffic. More numerous are companies like PhoneFree.com, Dialpad and Firetalk that buy network capacity from the networking firms and give away phone calls on the Net.

Since April, the stock prices for most IP telephony companies have fallen, and the IPO pipeline has narrowed. Equipment-maker Sonus is one of the few to successfully go public, earning a $10 billion market capitalization in May. Genuity has lost 35 percent of its value since its June IPO. ITXC's Evslin acknowledges that this fledgling industry has entered an early phase of consolidation.

Analyst Jeff Pulver, through his eponymous firm Pulver.com, has been perhaps the most vocal proponent of Internet telephony. But even he is mystified by the business model of many of these companies. "A lot of these people are my friends, but I don't know how they can survive by selling banner ads and giving away phone calls for free," he says. "The only way to make it is to take advantage of the Internet. It's flexible and there's going to be a lot of really cool stuff built on it - applications that appeal to more people."

ITXC and iBasis were once limited to carrying Internet calls from computer to computer, attracting plenty of hard-core computer users but few mainstream callers. Now they've added more sophisticated PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone calling, making IP telephony easily available to less tech-savvy customers.

Companies that give away phone service on the Web find it tough sledding, though. San Francisco's Firetalk announced last week it would start charging subscription fees. Established providers like PhoneFree, which has more than 2 million active users, hope to make money by tacking on value-added features such as unified messaging and voicemail applications to basic services.

Some of these startups may eventually find shelter in the arms of established companies. PhoneFree CEO Jan Horsfall acknowledges he's been involved in acquisition or merger talks with several companies. Horsfall also says he's talked to four struggling IP telephony companies about buying them. In fact, lots of companies like PhoneFree, which has grown by dissing the phone companies, would now welcome their embrace. "There's brackish waters between us and the portals and the phone companies," Horsfall says. "They'll figure out they need us soon enough.

Whether you are a first-time website designer looking for a parking place in cyberspace or you are a novice webmaster who is looking for new web hosting, there is no shortage of companies to compete for your business.

When shopping for web hosting, it is important to consider your primary use of a website. Will it be for business or personal use? How many visitors do you anticipate having each month? Each web hosting company provides a variety of packages, each of which has a bandwidth limit. This is the number of visitors that can access your website on a monthly basis and the price of your web hosting will be largely determined by this and other factors.

Many companies offer free web hosting services in exchange for them placing banner advertisements on the website owner’s page. The majority of free web hosting services, however, are designed for personal or small business use. The reason is because they offer a small amount of megabyte availability for website storage and do not provide a URL that is easy to remember.

Affordable web hosting services are ideal for new startup businesses due to the fact that they offer a modest bandwidth and megabyte availability for the website, along with FTP access and customized e-mail addresses. Most paid web hosting packages start at $20.00 per month and go up from there depending on the owner’s wishes.

An organization who plans to advertise their website and generate increasing amounts of traffic may want to go ahead and purchase a web hosting package that will fit their needs during the first few months of service. Once a website reaches it’s bandwidth, the web hosting company may suspend visitor access to the site until the owner upgrades to a more expensive package to accommodate the customers. It is always best to select a web hosting company that offers various packages so that, if you are pleased with their service, your website can grow with them.

As a final thought to choosing a web hosting company, it is best to deal with a business that offers a toll-free customer service number with extended hours. It is important to know that your web hosting company will be there incase of interrupted service or delays, advice and general questions. At the same time, it is important that your web hosting company have a toll-free number so that you aren’t spending your dime in the event that you are placed on hold while calling customer service.

When I started out doing business online, I had so little knowledge about web hosting that I was easily ripped off by the Web Hosting Community. But it is no longer the case. Nowadays I host my own websites and as I am running about 25 websites, it has actually become easier for me to handle. But where do you start?

First of all you should understand that as with anything else, cheapest is not always the best. Don't go for the extremely cheap services and burn your fingers. Your website is a great asset to you if it is handled correctly, and it can make you a lot of money. Don't gamble with it. There are good ways of setting up your own web hosting system.

The web hosting that I am using is not cheap, it is actually free. No Advertisements, no emails in my inbox every day, just plain FREE.

First thing that you should do is to find a reliable web hosting company of which there are plenty, and then set up an account with them.

I was amazed at how easy it was to actually become my own Web Hosting Company. The Web Hosting Company that I joined gave me all the tools that I needed and helped me to get started in a small amount of time. You can actually set up an unlimited amount of other websites and market them as your own packages, brands and at your own prices. I have made up my entire web hosting costs, by just finding two other people that wanted to host their sites. Now my 25 websites are being hosted for free.

Later on as I was using all the tools that these guys gave me, I discovered that there was such a huge amount of services that they offer, which is actually included in this service, and I was stumped. For instance, I wanted to add a service on my website that could act as a forum, but I did not have the skills or the time to actually write such a program. I went into my Members Area and there I got a selection of add on modules that I could use. I just installed it and my forum was up and running. I added blogs the same way. In actual fact there are so many free services included in the package that I still have not figured all of them out.

I can set as many email addresses as I want, delete them, create new ones, add databases and the list just goes on. Wonder how I worked on the short leash all those years.

So why is this not public knowledge? I asked myself that questions many times and realized that the guys that make you pay huge amounts will keep this secret from you.

There is not much to hosting your own websites, just take the time to figure it out, and you will be on your way. Remember that you are paying for your Web Hosting, not because you have to pay for it, you are paying because you do not have the knowledge to do your own hosting.