If your like most people, the thought of starting an online business or sharing information via a website can be quite an ordeal. Or, perhaps you’re an experienced website operator that’s been so wrapped up with expanding your internet empire that you're not sure of what services are available to you. No matter which category you fall under, you need a good plan for establishing your presence on the web.

With the constant changes and evolution of web services, you’ll need a trustworthy friend that you can count on to keep you informed of the services and tools that are available to help your operation run smoothly. 

Well, that’s exactly where GonzoWebHosting.com comes in! These guys are NUTS! But when you’re looking for quality reviews and opinions on a number of different services and tools, they are top-notch!

I had the chance to speak with Gaston Collins, President of GonzoWebHosting.com to find out what a person should look for when choosing web services like web hosting, autoresponders, shopping carts, and more. I was amazed at some of the things Gaston had to say during our brief conversation. I’m sure you’ll want to take notes as I did. 

Shane: Gaston, first of all, who are you and what exactly does GonzoWebHosting do? Do you offer web hosting services?

Gaston: Well Shane, I have a pretty diverse professional background. I’m just an average guy that got started on the Internet in the late mid to late ‘90s by sharing information. That’s really all I wanted to do. I had a successful career in the cellular industry as a business owner and the Internet was just a hobby for me. Of course the web evolved into a huge platform for not only sharing information, but also a great place to start a business with very little overhead or costs. 

So, like many others I jumped on the bandwagon and started and operated several successful online businesses – and I still do very well with them. But with the continuing evolution of services and tools for folks to sort through, it became obvious to me that there are a lot of things that go into building a website that some people may be overlooking. One of the most important factors, of course, is web hosting. There’s a lot of pure crap out there. It blows my mind to still hear commercials on the radio advertising basic web hosting for $30 a month and a domain name for nearly $20 a year! There’s nothing that a basic hosting service can provide me that could justify paying $30 a month.

We decided to create a free service to help people decide which web hosts provide a great value and, frankly, which ones don’t.

Shane: The name GonzoWebHosting suggests that all your site deals with is web hosting. Is that correct?

Gaston: No. Actually, we cover all of the necessities like autoresponders, shopping carts, revenue sources web site editors, and more. But web hosting is our primary focus. And by the way, you won’t find any $30 a month for basic web hosting crap on our recommended list.

Shane: Well, that’s a good point. How can a company offer the same service for $30 a month that another company offers for – say $7 a month?

Gaston: Well the truth is that there are a lot of folks that just don’t know any better. They might think that $30 is the going price for web hosting. And some companies will gladly take advantage of a newbie.

Shane: So getting to the main point – give us some tips that we can use when deciding on certain web services.

Gaston: Sure. Let’s start with web hosting. It’s probably the most important service you’ll be using. First of all, if you’re paying over $10 a month for just a basic web hosting service, you’re getting ripped off. There are literally hundreds of companies out there that would be happy to host your site for under $10. But, even those companies aren’t the same. You really need to work with decent people that are easily accessible for support or questions. You’d be amazed at how many companies don’t offer 24-7 customer support. In this day and age, 24-hour support is absolutely necessary to have any credibility with us. After all, most people work on their website at night or on the weekend when they have the free time. If a customer has a problem they shouldn’t have to wait until the next morning or even worst – a whole weekend!

Shane: So customer service is important –

Gaston: It’s the MOST important thing. Hell, if a person can grab a burger 24 hours a day, they should certainly be able to get support for a service that they’re paying for every month 24 hours a day!

Shane: Right, it’s the most important. What about the monthly cost?

Gaston: Well, obviously the cost is important, but we’re really only talking about a few dollars a month. What’s even more important than cost is the features that you get with your service. The features vary among the many hosting providers. We make it easy to understand the different hosting features that are offered online at GonzoWebHosting.com – we really lay it all out on the table.

Shane: What are some of the features that a person should look for when choosing a web host?

Gaston: That really depends on what type of website your building.

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