The Number ONE thing you should know about hosting:
This is the hosting Service that we use and recommend for small business and/or personal hosting
Spend as little as possible, for as much as you can get!
Beginners click here for a guide to starting your Internet business in five (5) easy steps
- enough disc space to hold the information you will have on your site
- watch 'traffic minimums' as this is where some companies restrict how much traffic you get to your site. Some may even charge you a 'per-click' overage fee.
- e-mail account service (think about spam blocker & virus protection)
- free domain transfer or low-cost domain registration. Many companies will offer free registration with your hosting service.
- look for companies that offer free design templates, software or scripts.
- 24/7 customer service
BE SURE TO READ THE FINE PRINT. Some companies may require a set-up fee, and the full year payment up front for your site.
Prefer a local-based hosting service provider in Nebraska?
Or a service provider with more development options?
We Recommend:
They offer a wide range of services, not just hosting, to include, but not limited to: Database, specialized software, e-mail, and more!
We believe they put their customers first! Their business is founded in old-school integrity, layered with multiple levels of state-of-the-art technologies!
- FTP Host: Your Domain Name (ex: carlachapman.com)
- Your Login ID
- Your Password
You may also need to let your designer know if your site requires special access other than FTP (File Transfer Protocol). In other words, how does your host upload your site information. Don't worry, most can be accessed through your basic FTP.
If you designer will be creating your site for you, from the ground up, they will not have any problems uploading your information, as it will be stored on their local site (designer's computer). However, you should also provide contact information to your designer, in case they need to contact the customer service department of your hosting company.
Your designer will let you know if there are any other requirements or information needed.
From your Hosting Service:
- nsd (network server data)
This will be one or more alpha/numeric sets that identify the host server/location(s). What is it? It is the address of the unit that transmit your website information to the world wide web.
In a nutshell, unless you have a 'dedicated server', which is a networking device that serves your website only, your website information will share computer space with other web sites. It does not mean they have access to your computer or website information, but explains the limits presented by your hosting service. As you know, there is only so much space on any given computer. And, how much you need, decides the size.
This information has to be entered with the company that registered your domain name. This will tell the server that holds your domain name (website address) that it needs to direct inquiries (site searches for your site) to your host server.
If you're not sure, ask your designer to do this for you.
If you are not sure what companies are available, here are a couple web sites that list the top hosting services, based on customer surveys: