Choosing a Web Host Provider
Naming your site after your domain may seem obvious to some of you, but you'll be surprised to learn that not every website is named after the domain name even when the webmaster owns that domain name.
Naming a site after its domain name is important, for the simple reason that when people think of your website, they'll think of it by name. If your name is also your URL, they'll automatically know where to go. For example, when people think of b2bitsupport.co.uk, they don't have to wonder what URL to type into their browser to get there. The name of the site is also the URL.
Imagine if your business (or website) is called "mybusiness", but somebody else holds that domain name. Instead, you have some obscure domain name called, say, "myname.com". What happens when your customers, recalling that mybusiness has a product they want, type "www.myname.com"? They'll wind up at your competitor's website. One lost sale.
In the modern world of the Internet, where people automatically turn to the Web for information, it pays to have a domain name that reflects your site or business. There are just fewer things for your customers or visitors to remember. Moreover, you don't seriously think that they'll try to memorise an unrelated URL just because you want them to, do you? The only people who'll memorise it are you and your competitors who want to compare your prices.
What if you cannot get the domain name of your choice? It really depends on how committed you are to that particular name. If you have an existing brand name that you're known for, you'll probably not want to ditch that name just because you couldn't get the domain name. After all, it took you a lot of time and money to establish that name. If so, you might simply want to try to buy over the domain name from the current owner. Check up the "whois" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it. You probably should be aware that they are likely to want to charge a higher fee than you'll normally get when buying new domains (assuming they want to sell it in the first place).
On the other hand, if you're just starting out, you might prefer the cheaper alternative of trying to obtain a domain name first, and then naming your website (or business) after the domain that you've acquired. So if you've acquired, say, the domain name "acme.com", then your website and business might be named "Acme" or "acme.com". I know this seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but that's the reality if you don't want to lose out on the Internet.
Choosing a Web Developer
Many people out there are looking for a deal...who isn't? One rule of thumb that should never be ignored is if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. I always recommend prospects to get multiple quotes and compare the outcome and promises of each one against the others. Don't look for the least expensive thing out there; instead look for the best guarantee for the most common amount of money quoted.
Trusting someone with large amounts of money before you see the end product is difficult. That is why it is a good idea to look for a company that will accept a credit card payment or check. When a web company accepts credit cards and/or check payment it is like telling the client, "We are so confident in your satisfaction, we are not worried about issuing a refund if you are unsatisfied; or you initiating a chargeback." NEVER send a blank money order! NEVER send cash! These are red flags that the company you have chosen is a scam.
Choosing a Web Host Provider
The primary job of a website host is to make sure that all of the hosting needs are taken care of for their clients. They provide space and bandwidth so that their clients can host their files to be viewed by others.
They also provide a set of standard features that determine what the clients will be able to have on their website. Different hosts have different feature sets. Many also provide an extra set of features that can make a client’s website easier to set up or have more functionality.
When choosing a website host, it is important to look at several different factors. These factors are determined largely by the individual needs of the websites that will be going on the server.
For instance, a company wanting to set up a file download website needs a lot of space and bandwidth to host all of their files. That would be much more important to them than it would be to someone who is just trying to set up basic pages for their business.
