Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find web hosting service providers that offer dedicated hosting or reseller plans

Dedicated hosting gives your website its own server, providing you with extra security and resources for a high amount of web traffic. Reseller hosting allows you to sell web hosting services without having to maintain the equipment yourself.

I recommend: Check out the dedicated server plans at InMotion Hosting. Choose from several reseller plans offered by HostGator.com.

For online storefronts, look for ecommerce web hosting services

Ecommerce web hosts offer a group of applications that allow you to sell multiple items in an online store, such as a shopping cart and merchant accounts which allow you to take payment via credit card. Look for a host that includes excellent support in setting this up.

I recommend: Consider the multiple eCommerce plans offered by Verio. Choose from two low-cost ecommerce plans at Aplus.net.

Look for professional web hosting that makes it easy to set up a blog

A blog, short for web log, is a popular type of site that allows easy posting of articles and commentary. It facilitates reader interaction with optional comments and subscription options. Look for hosts offering one-click installation of your preferred blogging software.

I recommend: View the features offered with all accounts at Hostmonster.com, including web blogs, Wordpress and other blogging features. Check out the features included with a basic hosting plan from AN Hosting, including one-click installs for Wordpress, Movable Type and more.

Find the best affordable web hosting service provider

These plans are called affordable, budget or cheap web hosting, and are the least expensive and most limited plans. Check the fine print to see whether 'unlimited' truly means unlimited, whether the company includes a domain name, and what other features the host offers. Many low-cost plans bill you quarterly or yearly rather than every month.

I recommend: Find a low-cost plan with unlimited bandwidth at Globat. Choose from two inexpensive plans that offer unlimited bandwidth and a variable number of included domain names at Just Host.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you register a domain name with one of the many domain hosting services, you will later have to transfer that domain to your web host or learn how to edit the domain settings to get it to point to your website. Save time and money by waiting to register your domain with your web host, which probably includes the domain name in the price.

Guide to Web Hosting Services for Small Business

Choose a reliable host that can help you build, operate and promote your Web site

By Mary Sit, corporate writing/articles/Web content/scripts, Mary Sit Communications

Despite the potential cost savings, businesses should avoid free hosting. These free services routinely place banner ads on your site, offer limited security and database support and don't provide you with a unique domain name.

Three other types of hosting that are suitable for small businesses are:

1. Shared (virtual). Pay a monthly fee for a powerful server to host your site, along with hundreds of others. Widely used and low cost, this offers good support and your own domain name (Web address). But speed suffers at peak traffic times, and security isn't as tight due to multiple sites on one server.
2. Dedicated. The costliest form, this gives you a server dedicated to your Web site -great if you have lots of e-commerce or thousands of visitors a day.
3. Collocated. You own your server, placed in the data center of the service provider, which provides a fast Internet connection. Advantages: High band width, up-time, and security, plus unlimited software choices. You pay for maintenance and band width.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover the range of options online

Get rapid, reliable service that's existed for years, has a physical address, doesn't overload its servers and has plenty of available bandwidth.

I recommend: Visit FindMyHosting.com for an unbiased resource of thousands of hosts with customer reviews and host reliability data. No advertising accepted. Get 10 free quotes from matching Web hosts.

Get what you need in one place

Many Web hosting services cater to companies that require large-scale solutions. But for many small businesses, especially those that aren't involved in e-commerce and don't expect high traffic, a modest hosting package will suffice.

I recommend: GoDaddy.com is a popular hosting service that offers affordable plans geared to small businesses.

Look for reliability

Pricing is important, of course, but remember that lower fees may mean lower technical support. A cheaper host may go out of business soon, and you don't want to move to another host later. Be certain the host backs up server, Web site and database files daily.

I recommend: Try these reliable hosts that have been around since the late 1990s: Boston Computing Network or PhastNet.

Look for live support

Call the tech support phone number, not sales, and see how quickly you get to a technician. Try it at 3 a.m. A real person needs to answer the phone 24/7.

I recommend: See Concentric, in business since 1997, or Rackspace, whose motto is "fanatical support."

Use a host with solid financials

If you're depending on the Internet to sell products, partner with a host that won't shut down in six months. A financially shaky host could hurt your business. Ask for and read the financials.

I recommend: Check out Hostway, which serves 400,000 customers. It's been profitable every quarter since its 1998 beginning.

Find a host that grows with you

When your business grows, you'll need to upgrade – and that means more than just increased storage and bandwidth. Does the host offers e-commerce products, SPAM filters, anti-virus protection and marketing software?

I recommend: Check out these winners: Blue Host, IX Web Hosting, Pow Web, and Lunarpages.

Get help with site creation

Many hosting services also offer Web creation tools that will help you get your Web site up and running quickly. Look for design templates and easy online store set-up tools.

I recommend: Hosting services, such as ApolloHosting.com and ValueWeb.com offer a number of site creation tools to help you build your site.

Avoid host networks that have been blackholed

Some networks will host any Web sites, including porn sites and spammers. If a network gets blackholed – or blacklisted for spamming – that will affect your customers, too.

I recommend: Spamhaus is a third-party source that monitors and names blackholed networks.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get specific about charges. Which are free versus fee-based?
• •  If you're selling products, choose a host that will link you to PayPal, Amazon or eBay.
• •  Try a service for a month before you lock into a one-year contract.
• •  Look for a refund on any unused hosting, if you cancel before the contract expires.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about web hosting online

If you don't know much about web hosting, it may be helpful to learn the vocabulary and what industry terms mean. Find out how to choose the best web host for your website before you start checking out the host websites.

I recommend: Read a web hosting tutorial to learn all about web hosting at W3Schools. Choose from a list of articles at The Hosting Guide, written to help you understand web hosting.

Find out more about domain hosting and domain registrars

Even more important than the choice of web hosting service is your choice of domain name. This can be a confusing choice, and understanding how to register a domain will help you make sense of some of the jargon you'll find at the web hosting sites. Often you get at least a year's worth of domain name registration when you sign up for hosting, but if you know the domain name you want and want to hold off on getting a host for several months, you might want to register the domain using one of the domain hosting services.

I recommend: Read about domain names and how to choose the best one for your site at Boutell.Com. Find an article on domain names and registrars at WebHostingSearch.com.

Understand bandwidth and how much of it you need from your web hosting company

The amount of bandwidth you need depends on the type of website and graphics you plan to use. Some web hosting services advertise unlimited bandwidth, but there may be certain conditions that apply in order to qualify. Web hosting management education and training specific to bandwidth can help you understand this important part of your web hosting choice.

I recommend: Find a detailed explanation of bandwidth at Web Hosting Choice. Learn all about bandwidth and how to determine how much you need at FindMyHosting.com.

Decide whether professional web hosting that offers dedicated servers is your best choice

Dedicated servers are an important option for high-traffic websites, especially those where maximum uptime is essential. Learn what you need to look for before making your choice.

I recommend: Read an explanation of Dedicated Servers at Web Hosting Geeks. Find a guide to dedicated servers that will help you evaluate whether you should use a host which offers dedicated servers and how to choose one at Web Host Directory.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking for web hosting information, look at sites that don't offer web hosting themselves to get an unbiased view, but also check out the information and support sections of hosting companies you are considering, since this will be your best source of information about how to use their software once you sign up.