In this article, we’ve put together all the important information you need as a new webmaster to plan and successfully build your own website. There are three key steps you should take into consideration: You should choose a web host, domain name, and application to create and manage your website content.
How to choose a web host?
Choosing a web host is the first step you should consider if you want to start a website project. To place your website on the World Wide Web, you would need a host. Its place in the WWW is provided thanks to the web hosting provider. The web hosting service includes the space in which your website files are stored, the traffic and many additional services such as firewall protection, technical support, email service, FTP access, domain registration, website construction Tools and much more.
To select a web host for your website, there are a few key points to keep in mind:
Price: Can it work with a free web host?
Many webmasters are looking for free web hosting providers, at least for their first website. That’s understandable – you have no idea how to compare the hosting services and how to check the prices. Well, when you start a website, you will see that there are a few other things besides the price that should be considered. For example, hosts publish ads on their websites for free or very cheap, but without technical support. Here are some of the key factors that would help you choose host:
customer Feedback
If you compare a few hosting providers that fit your budget and your technical needs, it’s a good idea to go through customer feedback. A lot of information can be found in Google, Yahoo or specialized hosting directories. The reliability of the providers can be determined by the following factors:
- How fast the providers react to tech problems
- corresponds operating time to the numbers in the index
- customer satisfaction
Technical customer support
The technical support is always needed, at least from time to time. When you start to build your web page, questions like: how to start; How are files uploaded? How to create an e-mail account, etc.
The answers to these questions will be needed as soon as possible or even immediately. Therefore, your web host should provide 24×7 technical support. Your technical questions should be answered within 1-2 hours max. In addition to the speed of feedback you should also check the technical competence. And do not go looking for phone support – the phone support lines are always busy when you need them. The most efficient companies use ticketing systems. So you can list all the technical details of the problem as part of a ticket. If all the information is available, request can be answered much faster and more accurately.
Hosting Features: Webspace, Bandwidth, CPU, PHP Borders etc.
The features of web hosting planning are constantly growing. In 2003, the maximum storage space per shared hosting was 5 MB. In 2009, some providers offer almost everything unlimited. Watch out! Read the terms and conditions to check what is limited.
Does the hosting provider provide support:
- Email, POP3, SMTP, IMAP, AutoReport, Email Forwarding:
If you have your own website, you probably want to have e-mail addresses in your own domain, for example: info@yourdomain.com . Search for POP3, SMTP (and IMAP) to secure web mail features. Check if you can send the sender a confirmation automatically (auto feedback). See if the redirect works properly when you forward a message from one e-mail to another: all email sent to sales@mydomain.com should be forwarded to salesmanager@mydomain.com . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled for this to be displayed.
- PHP, MySQL, Cron Jobs:
The PHP / MySQL features are becoming increasingly important for a dynamic website. Cron jobs would be needed for programs that are used regularly (eg once a day)
- Website Tools – Blogs, CMS, Galleries, Forums:
Your host can provide you with free tools to build your website. Such tools are blogs, CMS, galleries, forums offer. These tools will make working on your website a lot easier and will also save you a lot of money for web designers and developers.
- E-Commerce Option – Shopping Cart, SSL (Secure Socket Layer):
If you plan to operate an ecommerce website, you will be given an SSL certificate and shopping cart. These facilities are usually expensive and incur additional charges. You will definitely need an SSL certificate if you want to collect credit card information on your website.
- Control Panel:
This feature is especially important if you want to maintain your website or if the website is to be maintained by a Prof. Using the Control Panel, you can make changes to your website, upload files, change passwords, add / delete an email account, manage databases, and more.
- Dreamweaver, GoLive, Flash:
You may want to build your website using website building software like GoLive or Dreamweaver. In that case, you should check if these tools are available from your web hosting provider.
If you follow these basic guidelines, you will have a reliable, efficient and satisfactory hosting service that promises success for your business for many years to come.