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Web Site Registration and Hosting Primer

For neophytes in the world of e-business, choosing a service provider for a new web site is a lot like choosing a cell phone plan. The array of options is dizzying and the quality of service varies greatly among providers. You can even choose to purchase the cell phone from the same company that provides the service.

Let's discuss web site registration and web site hosting before you decide whether you want separate providers or a bundle.

Web Site Registration
Before you decide on a domain name and have it registered, you should do a quick check to make sure it isn't owned by someone else. Type "whois" into a search engine or address bar and one of the services that provide the lookup will allow you to do a free search.

If the domain name is free, you can register it. A web site registrar is a service that adds your domain name to the worldwide Domain Name System (DNS). Once your domain name is registered, it's associated with an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Domain names exist so that people don't have to memorize their 12-digit IP addresses.

When you submit your domain name to a web site registrar, you must also choose one of the extensions: .com, .net, .info, or .org, for example. While you need not register your domain name with more than one extension, doing so can prevent others from registering your domain name with a different extension and diverting some of the traffic intended for your site.

To be sure that you've chosen a reputable registrar, check the InterNIC Accredited Registrar Directory at internic.net.

Once your new domain name is registered, you'll be responsible for paying the annual fee to retain ownership. Domain name registrars have payment plans that allow you to pay the fee for several years in advance. The annual cost decreases as you increase the number of years. Consider buying your domain name for ten years, but don't forget to renew your registration before the ten-year period expires.

You can choose to pay an additional fee to protect your account information from the public eye. Your business name, address and telephone number are required for the DNS, and anyone can look it up unless you pay to keep the information private, much like an unlisted telephone number.

Premium Domain Names
Some online vendors are in the business of reselling domain names. In many cases, they've owned the domain name for a while and it already has regular traffic. When the traffic figures are substantial, the domain name is designated as a premium domain. Premium domains are typically priced according to their general appeal and their existing traffic.

Since high visibility and traffic are critical to the success of your business, you might consider purchasing a premium domain name. Think of your address as virtual real estate. The choice is similar to the decision to locate your bricks-and-mortar business in a high-end mall where the foot traffic is guaranteed. It's expensive, but critical to your success.

If you choose to buy a premium domain name, the reseller transfers the ownership of that domain to your name. You'll be contacted by a web site registrar to arrange for the payment of the annual fee. Since domain names can be bought and sold, and the transfer of domain names is required, you can choose to lock in your domain name (for an additional fee) to prevent attempts to transfer your domain name against your will.

Finding a Reputable Web Hosting Service
Having a domain name without a web host is like having a phone number without a phone connection. Your web host's main function is to provide connectivity to the internet.

A web hosting service also provides storage space for the files you'll need to run your web site, including text, images and video. Clearly, security is a critical issue when you select your web hosting service. Your online business would be at risk if you couldn't guarantee the security of their credit card information and other personal data.

Reliability is also critical. If your web host uses servers that crash even just a few times a year, the losses in sales or customer communication can be devastating. You can expect some downtime when systems are rebooted after maintenance, but this usually occurs with advance warning and during weekends when your business traffic is low.

Your contract with the hosting service specifies the estimated downtime. It may be stated in terms of uptime: "99.9 percent reliability," for example. Be very cautious with these figures. If you're promised 99 percent reliability, then you can expect your service to be down about one percent of the time, which represents more than 87 hours a year. This rate is clearly unacceptable.

Besides the actual downtime, you'll spend many hours recovering from a crash, which adds many more hours to the period of time your clients can't do business with you. Recovery periods can paralyze your business. Since it may take just as long to recover from a one-minute crash as it does from a 15-minute crash, the frequency of crashes is a critical factor.

To find and compare web hosting services, you should visit one of the many web hosting directories. These sites should allow you to search for a web host against your own criteria. They'll provide pricing information, service options and reliability figures.

Of course, finding a reputable web hosting directory is also a challenge. Most feature their top ten web hosts prominently, and it's clear that they can make good money by recommending web hosting services that paid for the honor. If you're not sure whether a recommended host is top-notch as opposed to a paying advertiser, check the criteria for making the top ten list. If you can't easily find the figures used to arrive at the top ten designation, move on.

To check the reliability of the information you read on a web hosting service directory, conduct a search on the name of the web host you're considering. Many directories host forums where users can vent their complaints. You can find out a lot about a vendor in these user commentaries.

Web Page Hosting Options
Your internet service provider (ISP) usually offers free hosting for simple web pages. However, this arrangement is unlikely to meet the needs of an online business. The following are some of the additional services provided by a hosting service to help your run a successful online business:

• server space that can be increased as your business grows
• bandwidth that increases as your file transfer requirements grow
• a fixed number of e-mail accounts
• customer support, usually by telephone and often 24/7
• web page design tools
• a catalog or storefront environment that includes a shopping cart
• free domain name registration
• guestbook and/or visitor counter
• marketing support

Of course, the costs of the services go up with the features you choose, particularly your needs for additional server space and bandwidth.

Some web page hosting services offer a web interface control panel that helps you manage the various scripts, e-mail accounts and databases that you use to run your online business.

If you've chosen a unique domain name that isn't already owned by someone else, you can save money by letting your web host register your domain name. If you're buying an existing name, however, you probably don't want to add the middleman cost to the purchase price.

Types of Web Hosting Services
Some web page hosting services specialize in e-commerce hosting. They may have features that are particularly attractive to new online business owners, particularly the experience and support that you'll need to make your business successful. These include shopping carts, extra security, merchant accounts (like PayPal) and marketing support.

Avoid free web site hosting. The organizations that provide free web site hosting make their money from advertisers. This means that your site will be packed with ads that aren't under your control, and they're notorious for driving customers away. Free web sites are fine for teenagers who want their own web sites, but not for professionals who are launching a business.

Making Good Decisions
If you're overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make before you even launch your web site, check with an experienced online business owner whose opinion you trust. Alternately, you can hire a private consultant who can lay out the options in a form that allows you to compare costs and features on a comprehensive chart.

If you prefer to make your own decisions, invest some time online to check the reputation of any service you plan to use. People who earn bad reputations on the internet can't keep it a secret for long.

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