[mayaseattle]

hello

i need to register a domain and start my website which is would be a small business site.

Any recommendations would be great. I registered with Register.com and it took them one day just to start my account (activate it) and it hasnt been done yet . So i had to cancel them.

Any suggestions on what features i should be looking for and recommendations would be great.

thanks

[Kubel]

If I were you, I would:

1) get a domain at godaddy.com (or some other reputable registrar that's cheap)
2) get a small hosting package from a small-to-mid size web hosting business

What features you should be looking for depends on what you need. Will you be using just HTML? Are you going to be using ASP or ASP.net? If so, you will want to look for a host that runs Windows servers. Are you going to be using PHP and MySQL? If so, you want to look for a host that supports that.

As far as hosting package specs- just remember this: You always get what you pay for. Don't always think that because a host promises you the moon that they will deliver it for $2.99/mo. This is known as overselling, and hosts that take overselling too far often compromise server performance so they can line their pockets with cash.

Go with a host that reflects your small business. Go with one that is personable and offers quality services at an honest price. Look for uptime stats and guarantees (and also look into what that guarantee means). Look over their terms of service and acceptable use policies to make sure your site doesn't conflict with their rules. Chat with them if possible to see if they blow you off.

Another thing to look for is a control panel. I personally like (and use) cPanel. Generally, you want to find a control panel that other hosts use, because it makes transferring (in case you need to do that) very simple and seamless. If you go with a host with a proprietary control panel, your next host might not be able to assist you with transferring. cPanel is by far the most used control panel out there. It's also feature packed and the latest version (cPanel 11) is even easier to use.

Hmm... what else... Oh- always go with the smallest plan, and work your way up. You can always upgrade at any time. Going with a larger-than-you-will-use-plan will be costly. If you get close to your limits, your host (or control panel) will generally warn you ahead of time, leaving you enough room to upgrade.

While we are on the issue of billing: If you are unfamiliar with a host, start out by signing up monthly. This is especially important if they don't offer a 30-day money back guarantee. You don't want to sign up anually with a host and then be locked in for a year of sucky service. It's usually best to sign up monthly, see how good they are, and then upgrade to the cheaper anual plan to save money. Hosts rarely charge you fees for upgrading or downgrading- so make sure you take advantage of that to save money.

As far as what kind of site to build: I guess that depends on the type of small business. Is it an ebusiness that sells things online (so you need a shopping cart)? Or is it more of an informational site that explains your business? There are a few shopping carts available that you might like: Cube Cart, OS Commerce, Zen Cart, etc... If your site is more in the informational category, you might want to consider a CMS (Drupal, Mambo, etc...). If you plan to use a script-based site, you might want to consider finding a host that uses Fantastico. It's a script installer that automates that task of setting up commonly used scripts like the ones I mentioned above.

Anyway, I think that should be enough to get your feet wet. Good luck with your new site. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[mayaseattle]

thank you..thats good info..i am going to start by setting up the domain

my business is more service oriented so not really ecommerce (so no shopping carts)

but it will have a message board (its more proffessional oriented-exchange info)
it will need to register people who visit

So its viewer intensive, with registration, message boards, exchange of pics and videos

So what kind of back end stuff am i looking for? what should i ask for in terms of technical back end stuff

basically i need this

domain+hosting+website management+backend set up and support.

What do you all think of Inmotions hosting? Web Hosting from InMotion Hosting - World Class Business Hosting - InMotion Hosting
or Aplus hosting?

[Kubel]

If you are running a message board, I would suggest looking for the following: PHP support, MySQL database (you will need at least one database for your forum), FTP account (at least one). A typical forum will need no more than 50MB to start. For a free forum, look into phpBB. A good paid forum is vBulletin.

As far as disk space and bandwidth: I would be weary of going with a host that promises 300GB of disk space and 3TB of bandwidth for $7/month. This amount of disk space and bandwidth cannot be provided for that amount even at cost, so it's likely that if you get anywhere near those limits, your account will be suspended for "server resource overuse". The higher a host oversells, the less resources each client is permitted to use. 300GB disk space and 3TB of bandwidth, if used entirely, could easily bring an enterprise-level server to its knees. They are likely cramming hundreds of these accounts onto a single server. Overselling isn't bad in itself, but when they oversell to the point where they could never deliver what they promise in reality- that's bad. 300GB disk space and 3TB bandwidth for $7 is pushing reality.

So instead of going with whoever offers the most disk space and bandwidth, go with a host that offers plans that fit your needs. Just remember: You always get what you pay for. $7 will never get you 300GB/3TB.

If I were you, I would add KnownHost to my list of hosts to consider. Shared or Reseller Hosting, no setup fees :: KnownHost LLC

They offer reasonably priced hosting packages (they don't do massive overselling), and they have an awesome support team. They also have plenty of positive reviews (see webhostingtalk.com). You also have a clear upgrade path (VPS and Hybrid Servers), so when your site grows, you can easily upgrade. They also offer cPanel and Fantastico with all of their plans, which are great features. And they will support a number of message boards (PHP and MySQL).

[pirate300]

I am using evohosting at the moment and i quite like them since i got free domain name and a good monthly paying plan with credit allowed, meaning they don't shut down my site when i am late with the payment (currently £3.5)... ='_'=
but my site is a non-commercial one i am not sure how the service is for a small business one...

[pirate300]

Originally Posted by Fischer

How long have you been with this web hosting company?

for 3 months already...:laughing:

[litebulb1]

I would suggest bluehost.com. They support everything that you are looking for.