Web Hosting Scams – What Some Web Hosting Providers Aren't Telling You
Web Hosting Scams - What Some Web Hosting Providers Aren't Telling You
It's hard to separate fact from fiction in advertising, and certainly no less so when dealing with web hosting providers. quotesaboutteaching, latexexamgloves. Bold, broad-sweeping claims are endlessly repeated in a shameless effort to keep you from reading the fine print. brassmonkey. In an age where it seems there are almost as many web hosting providers as there are websites to be hosted, competition is fierce, and competing web hosting providers will say almost anything to get you to sign up with them.
That's why you need to know what to look for, how to read between the lines, so that you don't fall victim to any of the most common scams that plague the internet in the guise of once-in-a-lifetime offers you absolutely can't refuse.
Free Web Space: Yes, some web hosting providers will give you 5 or 10 MB of web space for no charge, however (and we know you've heard this phrase before...) certain restrictions apply. moleremove, doggypile, discobiscuits. Make sure you know what they are.
Unlimited Bandwidth: There's no such thing, plain and simple. pheromoneresearch, portercablegenerator, blackcrows. The web hosting providers themselves have limitations imposed on their bandwidth; how can they offer you any more than that? They can't.
When web hosting providers offer "unlimited" bandwidth it means they've estimated how much usage their average customer could ever possibly need, thereby giving the illusion of unlimited bandwidth.
Free Domain Names: Sure, they're free, but so's dirt. wirejewelrypatterns. You want some free dirt? We didn't think so. thirddayband, adelphiacheckemail. Free domain names are about as valuable. oldtractor. First of all, they look something like this:
www. mechanicalengineering, spendingplans, cathaypacificairways. webhostingprovidersname.com/user/usersname.html (or some equally excruciating variation thereof).
Now, consider this:
First, most internet surfers are wise to these types of URLs; people know that companies with domain names like these are not usually the most well-established or reputable businesses online.
Second, the more slashes your URL contains, the lower your page rank.
And third, no one will remember the name of your website!
These are just a few of the reasons why free domain names aren't all they're cracked up to be. royaltyfreefootage, dougedebordeaux.
Domain Registration: Now, this by itself is no scam; to the contrary, it's a useful and convenient feature many web hosting providers offer. smellyfish, lanefurniture. Some, however, will actually register your domain in their name. hotleotard, kootenaysavings, purchasevicodin. This way, they locked you into service with them as switching web hosting providers now means losing your domain name.
Web Templates: Don't mistake us, web templates are great. engineisuzutrooper, mikeadams. How else can the average computer user whip out a website that looks halfway decent without spending a fortune? But what web hosting providers don't tell you about these templates could end up costing you later. shoeorganizer, ashworthcollegeonline.
Any images or page designs or web forms or any other objects that originated from your web hosting providers database belongs to them. screenedporches, juicefasting, eauclairewisconsin. They own the copyright. samuraitroopers. If you ever switch web hosting providers, you can't take any of it with you.
Not to mention, if you ever decide to hire a professional webmaster, many will refuse to work with template-driven websites, as they're (ironically) harder to manage.
No Contact Information: If you can't find on their website at least one way - email address, query ticket, phone number, mailing address - to get in touch with the web hosting providers you're considering, stop considering them.
Discounts for Long Term Contracts: Before falling prey to this alluring gimmick, ask yourself, even if your website lasts as long as your contract, are you sure your web host will? Web hosting providers (like websites) are born and die every day, and they know it. underwaterkinetics, littlemanhattan, presidentspeech. That's why most of them include somewhere in their Terms of Service that they won't be held liable if they can't fulfill their end of the contract.
So, if they go under, so does your website. stomachbacterium, lawcurfew, emmawatsonbreasts. And if you go under first, say goodbye to the money you paid for the long term contract. medievaltimesorlando. Either way, it's no bargain. leathercheckbook, amitriptylineonline. Stick with a year or two at most.
No Guarantees: Whether for web hosting providers or wetsuit manufacturers or weight loss programs, they've got to have a money-back guarantee. hollywoodreporter, audioconverter. These days, it's essential. topsblouse. And there's zero reason you should ever pay for a product or service that doesn't offer some form of money back guarantee or another. manualfortoshiba, jobwelder. Really, now.
Hosting-Review.com is the premier resource on web hosting. bankruptcypodcast. Visit http://www.hosting-review.com for comprehensive reviews and rankings of over 50 web hosting providers, as well as informative articles about everything to do with hosting and the top-rated picks for different types of hosting packages.
Web hosting is the most important aspect of your Internet business.
Finally decided on something to base your business on and ready to start building the web pages? Getting through the first aspects of starting you internet business can be a struggle. pacificnorthwest, katehudsonfakes. Getting all your ideas into an organized layout etc etc. electricpocketbike, hillsboroughcountyarrest. Well now that you have all your ideas organized what to do next?
The most important thing you will need to have for a successful internet business is what type of web hosting you will choose to host your web pages.
Why?
Well for one, your web host will have all your html pages, all graphics, scripts etc. nameearring, hostagenegotiation, denverairport. What happens when your host goes offline? Does your website stay up or go down? It goes down. daybedtrundles, diabetesglucophage. When your website goes down, you lose customers, no sales during the downtime meaning a loss of potential income. porchlifts, bustytrinity.
Take time to find a good host that will suffice every aspect of your business. freehomeworkhelp. Do some research and ask some questions.
If you are looking for a shared hosting solution, find out if the host is overselling its servers. audioamplifierschematic, grindingwheel, hotelswithkitchenettes. Overselling is when a company packs too many customers on one server, putting strain on the server resources. razespyware, hospitalwristband, sentinelfunds. Shared hosting is not recommended for business type sites that need performance for its users, but it will suffice a business just starting out.
Another type of hosting solution is a dedicated server. freephotoprint. A dedicated server is a server dedicated to only you. dualwanrouter. It is the most expensive out of hosting solutions, but will provide the most stable environment. presidentbushpoll, applyingpolyurethane, paramedicjob. No one else has an account on the server, so all server resources are for you. underageabuse. A managed dedicated solution is when your host will install operating systems, upgrades to software, or security fixes for you. celebrationflorida, snatchblocks. You can call them any time to fix a problem because that's what you pay for.
A step below a fully dedicated server is what is called a VPS or Virtual Private Server. hilarnodes. A VPS is almost like a dedicated server but the physical server will have a few other users on it. lesbianchatrooms, newchevycamaro. You still have full control over your section of the server, you can install anything you want or upgrade. cardealershipatlanta, rvgasmileage, discountercomputer. The server resources are shared among users, but many web hosts guarantee you a fixed amount of resources dedicated to your account.
If not wanting to shell out a pretty big check on web hosting for a starting business, I would recommend at least starting out with a virtual private server. financecareer, vincecashmere. Once you outgrow the VPS you can move onto a dedicated server of your own.
Before signing up to any web host, do some research! Find several hosts that have what you are looking for and search for reviews, your internet business depends on it. asianfood, delllaptopmotherboard, viruscheckers. Cheaper is not always better at least in webhosting!
A future online marketing guru located at eZineTimes
My directory.
Recommended hosting.
Web Hosting Templates for E-commerce Websites
HTML is easy, but creating a professional website is beyond the average Joe. allewis, swatmusic. When it comes to a e-commerce website, the design is even more complex - logo, navigation, color themes, text arrangement and content creation. qualitymanagementsystem, saintjosephhospital, amandaseyfried. Website creation has been made easy with web templates. layingpavingstones, skullcrusher, toursinmalaysia. To increase client base, many leading web hosting companies start offering web hosting templates or hosting with templates. accessdatabase, postagemeter, armillarysundials.
Whether you're looking for a simple web site or a functional e-commerce website, the chances are that you may be able to find a few web templates from your hosting companies. bootenglishriding. A simple web template may cost under $20 dollars, but a well-designed professional e-commerce website will cost a few hundreds or more if not thousands. monkeycrafts, featherreedgrass, worldharvest. The cost of web templates is still cheap comparing to custom-made e-commerce websites when Web designers charge anywhere from $20 to $100 per hour.
Besides the requirements of standard web hosting plans, Web hosting for e-commerce operation needs a shopping cart that supports online catalog and online payment processing. highspeed, custompencil. Web templates for e-commerce often include common pages and navigations for online shopping - searching or browsing products, adding items to shopping carts and making payment. freeonlineslot. The web templates for e-commerce do not include or connect to any specific shopping cart. ergonomictool. It's up to the webmasters to add shopping cart (paypal or 2checkout) to the site, which is often the copy-and-paste of a few lines of HTML code. eyeglassscratch.
The alternative eCommerce Hosting to web templates is e-commerce turnkey solution. womensdownparka. EBay Stores, Yahoo! Store and Microsoft bCentral are the most popular turn-key e-commerce solutions for small businesses that want to setup online stores easily. managementseminar, tailgaterecipe, luxuryportabletoilets. Different hosting plans may have different free structures. penguinclub, universalgyms, vlorion. The cost of each hosting plan often varies on transaction volume. securefunding, dressprom, kylexy.
When comparing functionality, there're many questions to ask: 1) whether a shopping cart accepts online check or eCheck beside support on online credit card and paypal for payment options; 2) whether there's a limit on the number of products and categories that you can setup; 3) whether it automatically sends out an email notification once an order is placed successfully.
When looking at the cost of commerce operation, you'll need to ask questions about 1) what's the basic monthly subscription fee; 2) whether there's a setup fee for a new online store; 3) whether you have to pay for the addition of new items to the product catalog; 4) how much it charges for each transaction. guitartune, deedform, barkcontrol. High volume sites may prefer the plans that charge a higher monthly-fee but a lower fee on each transaction, while low volume sites work better with hosting plans that charge zero or low monthly fee and initial setup fees but a slightly higher fee on each transaction.. chevyautopart, licensedconveyancernsw
It's hard to separate fact from fiction in advertising, and certainly no less so when dealing with web hosting providers. quotesaboutteaching, latexexamgloves. Bold, broad-sweeping claims are endlessly repeated in a shameless effort to keep you from reading the fine print. brassmonkey. In an age where it seems there are almost as many web hosting providers as there are websites to be hosted, competition is fierce, and competing web hosting providers will say almost anything to get you to sign up with them.
That's why you need to know what to look for, how to read between the lines, so that you don't fall victim to any of the most common scams that plague the internet in the guise of once-in-a-lifetime offers you absolutely can't refuse.
Free Web Space: Yes, some web hosting providers will give you 5 or 10 MB of web space for no charge, however (and we know you've heard this phrase before...) certain restrictions apply. moleremove, doggypile, discobiscuits. Make sure you know what they are.
Unlimited Bandwidth: There's no such thing, plain and simple. pheromoneresearch, portercablegenerator, blackcrows. The web hosting providers themselves have limitations imposed on their bandwidth; how can they offer you any more than that? They can't.
When web hosting providers offer "unlimited" bandwidth it means they've estimated how much usage their average customer could ever possibly need, thereby giving the illusion of unlimited bandwidth.
Free Domain Names: Sure, they're free, but so's dirt. wirejewelrypatterns. You want some free dirt? We didn't think so. thirddayband, adelphiacheckemail. Free domain names are about as valuable. oldtractor. First of all, they look something like this:
www. mechanicalengineering, spendingplans, cathaypacificairways. webhostingprovidersname.com/user/usersname.html (or some equally excruciating variation thereof).
Now, consider this:
First, most internet surfers are wise to these types of URLs; people know that companies with domain names like these are not usually the most well-established or reputable businesses online.
Second, the more slashes your URL contains, the lower your page rank.
And third, no one will remember the name of your website!
These are just a few of the reasons why free domain names aren't all they're cracked up to be. royaltyfreefootage, dougedebordeaux.
Domain Registration: Now, this by itself is no scam; to the contrary, it's a useful and convenient feature many web hosting providers offer. smellyfish, lanefurniture. Some, however, will actually register your domain in their name. hotleotard, kootenaysavings, purchasevicodin. This way, they locked you into service with them as switching web hosting providers now means losing your domain name.
Web Templates: Don't mistake us, web templates are great. engineisuzutrooper, mikeadams. How else can the average computer user whip out a website that looks halfway decent without spending a fortune? But what web hosting providers don't tell you about these templates could end up costing you later. shoeorganizer, ashworthcollegeonline.
Any images or page designs or web forms or any other objects that originated from your web hosting providers database belongs to them. screenedporches, juicefasting, eauclairewisconsin. They own the copyright. samuraitroopers. If you ever switch web hosting providers, you can't take any of it with you.
Not to mention, if you ever decide to hire a professional webmaster, many will refuse to work with template-driven websites, as they're (ironically) harder to manage.
No Contact Information: If you can't find on their website at least one way - email address, query ticket, phone number, mailing address - to get in touch with the web hosting providers you're considering, stop considering them.
Discounts for Long Term Contracts: Before falling prey to this alluring gimmick, ask yourself, even if your website lasts as long as your contract, are you sure your web host will? Web hosting providers (like websites) are born and die every day, and they know it. underwaterkinetics, littlemanhattan, presidentspeech. That's why most of them include somewhere in their Terms of Service that they won't be held liable if they can't fulfill their end of the contract.
So, if they go under, so does your website. stomachbacterium, lawcurfew, emmawatsonbreasts. And if you go under first, say goodbye to the money you paid for the long term contract. medievaltimesorlando. Either way, it's no bargain. leathercheckbook, amitriptylineonline. Stick with a year or two at most.
No Guarantees: Whether for web hosting providers or wetsuit manufacturers or weight loss programs, they've got to have a money-back guarantee. hollywoodreporter, audioconverter. These days, it's essential. topsblouse. And there's zero reason you should ever pay for a product or service that doesn't offer some form of money back guarantee or another. manualfortoshiba, jobwelder. Really, now.
Hosting-Review.com is the premier resource on web hosting. bankruptcypodcast. Visit http://www.hosting-review.com for comprehensive reviews and rankings of over 50 web hosting providers, as well as informative articles about everything to do with hosting and the top-rated picks for different types of hosting packages.
Web hosting is the most important aspect of your Internet business.
Finally decided on something to base your business on and ready to start building the web pages? Getting through the first aspects of starting you internet business can be a struggle. pacificnorthwest, katehudsonfakes. Getting all your ideas into an organized layout etc etc. electricpocketbike, hillsboroughcountyarrest. Well now that you have all your ideas organized what to do next?
The most important thing you will need to have for a successful internet business is what type of web hosting you will choose to host your web pages.
Why?
Well for one, your web host will have all your html pages, all graphics, scripts etc. nameearring, hostagenegotiation, denverairport. What happens when your host goes offline? Does your website stay up or go down? It goes down. daybedtrundles, diabetesglucophage. When your website goes down, you lose customers, no sales during the downtime meaning a loss of potential income. porchlifts, bustytrinity.
Take time to find a good host that will suffice every aspect of your business. freehomeworkhelp. Do some research and ask some questions.
If you are looking for a shared hosting solution, find out if the host is overselling its servers. audioamplifierschematic, grindingwheel, hotelswithkitchenettes. Overselling is when a company packs too many customers on one server, putting strain on the server resources. razespyware, hospitalwristband, sentinelfunds. Shared hosting is not recommended for business type sites that need performance for its users, but it will suffice a business just starting out.
Another type of hosting solution is a dedicated server. freephotoprint. A dedicated server is a server dedicated to only you. dualwanrouter. It is the most expensive out of hosting solutions, but will provide the most stable environment. presidentbushpoll, applyingpolyurethane, paramedicjob. No one else has an account on the server, so all server resources are for you. underageabuse. A managed dedicated solution is when your host will install operating systems, upgrades to software, or security fixes for you. celebrationflorida, snatchblocks. You can call them any time to fix a problem because that's what you pay for.
A step below a fully dedicated server is what is called a VPS or Virtual Private Server. hilarnodes. A VPS is almost like a dedicated server but the physical server will have a few other users on it. lesbianchatrooms, newchevycamaro. You still have full control over your section of the server, you can install anything you want or upgrade. cardealershipatlanta, rvgasmileage, discountercomputer. The server resources are shared among users, but many web hosts guarantee you a fixed amount of resources dedicated to your account.
If not wanting to shell out a pretty big check on web hosting for a starting business, I would recommend at least starting out with a virtual private server. financecareer, vincecashmere. Once you outgrow the VPS you can move onto a dedicated server of your own.
Before signing up to any web host, do some research! Find several hosts that have what you are looking for and search for reviews, your internet business depends on it. asianfood, delllaptopmotherboard, viruscheckers. Cheaper is not always better at least in webhosting!
A future online marketing guru located at eZineTimes
My directory.
Recommended hosting.
Web Hosting Templates for E-commerce Websites
HTML is easy, but creating a professional website is beyond the average Joe. allewis, swatmusic. When it comes to a e-commerce website, the design is even more complex - logo, navigation, color themes, text arrangement and content creation. qualitymanagementsystem, saintjosephhospital, amandaseyfried. Website creation has been made easy with web templates. layingpavingstones, skullcrusher, toursinmalaysia. To increase client base, many leading web hosting companies start offering web hosting templates or hosting with templates. accessdatabase, postagemeter, armillarysundials.
Whether you're looking for a simple web site or a functional e-commerce website, the chances are that you may be able to find a few web templates from your hosting companies. bootenglishriding. A simple web template may cost under $20 dollars, but a well-designed professional e-commerce website will cost a few hundreds or more if not thousands. monkeycrafts, featherreedgrass, worldharvest. The cost of web templates is still cheap comparing to custom-made e-commerce websites when Web designers charge anywhere from $20 to $100 per hour.
Besides the requirements of standard web hosting plans, Web hosting for e-commerce operation needs a shopping cart that supports online catalog and online payment processing. highspeed, custompencil. Web templates for e-commerce often include common pages and navigations for online shopping - searching or browsing products, adding items to shopping carts and making payment. freeonlineslot. The web templates for e-commerce do not include or connect to any specific shopping cart. ergonomictool. It's up to the webmasters to add shopping cart (paypal or 2checkout) to the site, which is often the copy-and-paste of a few lines of HTML code. eyeglassscratch.
The alternative eCommerce Hosting to web templates is e-commerce turnkey solution. womensdownparka. EBay Stores, Yahoo! Store and Microsoft bCentral are the most popular turn-key e-commerce solutions for small businesses that want to setup online stores easily. managementseminar, tailgaterecipe, luxuryportabletoilets. Different hosting plans may have different free structures. penguinclub, universalgyms, vlorion. The cost of each hosting plan often varies on transaction volume. securefunding, dressprom, kylexy.
When comparing functionality, there're many questions to ask: 1) whether a shopping cart accepts online check or eCheck beside support on online credit card and paypal for payment options; 2) whether there's a limit on the number of products and categories that you can setup; 3) whether it automatically sends out an email notification once an order is placed successfully.
When looking at the cost of commerce operation, you'll need to ask questions about 1) what's the basic monthly subscription fee; 2) whether there's a setup fee for a new online store; 3) whether you have to pay for the addition of new items to the product catalog; 4) how much it charges for each transaction. guitartune, deedform, barkcontrol. High volume sites may prefer the plans that charge a higher monthly-fee but a lower fee on each transaction, while low volume sites work better with hosting plans that charge zero or low monthly fee and initial setup fees but a slightly higher fee on each transaction.. chevyautopart, licensedconveyancernsw