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continued...
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.
For example, if you're building an e-commerce site, you'll
probably want features like shopping cart, site builder,
certain databases for inventory, autoresponder, and maybe
even a merchant account. In which case Yahoo or
MonsterCommerce would be great choices.
However,
if you are an affiliate marketer and operate several
websites, you would want a host that allows multiple
domains, in which case we suggest HostGator.
Additionally you want to make sure your
site has enough storage and bandwidth to run smoothly and
also a great account management interface. in our opinion
CPanel is top notch in providing an easy to use management
interface.
Obviously you'll also need to make sure
that your host provides enough email accounts for your
website. You wouldn't want to have to upgrade your account
only because you need more email addresses when many web
hosts
offer several hundred email accounts.
Shane:
That's some good advice. But, what about deciding between
a Linux or Windows server? Which one is better?
Gaston:
Well Shane, neither are necessarily better. Although an
arguement could be made that Linux is generally more
stable. But the truth is that both will provide quality
service. A person only needs to decide on what features
they're going to want on their website. For example some
scripting languages aren't available on both types of
servers. ASP and PHP are common examples. ASP will only
work on Windows servers and PHP only works on Linux
servers. I like to go with Linux whenever possible. PHP is
more search engine friendly than ASP. That's one thing
that's important to me, but like I said - it really
depends on what features are important to you.
Shane:
So what about autoresponders? What should I look for?
Gaston:
Just to finish up with web hosting, It's extremely
important to get to know your web host. Be sure that you
have a telephone number close by and don't hesitate to
call them with questions. Make it clear to them that you
want a good working relationship with them. One reason is
because web hosts need to protect themselves and if for
any reason they get suspicious or maybe they get a Spam
complaint, they can shut your website down completely!
Just ask Mike Filsaime about that one. He's a great guy
that was just a victim of circumstances with Godaddy. His
site got shut down when somebody complained about Spam
from one of Mike's 60,000 InstantBuzz users. it took over
a month to get everything straightened out. What a mess.
As
far as autoresponders go, you'll definitely want to pick a
good one and stay with them. Most people don't realize
that when you change autoresponders, you can't simply move
your email list to another company. You'll have to
actually send another opt-in email to each subscriber.
Typically you'll lose between 40%-60% of your list because
people simply won't click on the opt-in link for one
reason or another. We like 1ShoppingCart and Aweber. They
provide top-notch service. On the other hand, we don't
like GetResponse. We were disappointed to realize that
they don't offer any support on the weekends and until
that changes, we can't recommend them.
Shane:
Interesting. What about sharing information? Is their a
way to create revenue without actually selling anything?
Gaston:
Of course, but that's a whole other topic. In fact we've
written an article on the very subject of creating revenue
on your site. You can find it on the right hand column on
our homepage at www.GonzoWebHosting.com
- along with other resources.
Shane:
Well Gaston, it's truly been a pleaure speaking with you
and thanks so much for the valuable information. I'll
definitely be stopping by GonzoWebHosting.com
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