-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:38 AM
 
Subject: Items to consider when starting a website

If you are going to pursue creation of a website here are some of the initial setup items to  consider:  (I'll try to keep it short, contact me if you want any additional data)

1.  Registration of the domain.  This is the international phone book for the internet and allows use of addresses such as nascoe.org instead of a longer hard to remember address.  Paying higher prices on this item does not buy you more of anything.

Domain Registration Companies that I have used:
enameco.com $16.99/yr  (price is not competitive)
godaddy.com $8.95/yr   (Good price and great service, my 1st choice)
moreweb.com $7.95/yr   (Good price and service, my 2nd choice)

2.  Website Hosting.  This is the place where you store your web page data so it is available to the online world.  Your domain registration needs to point to this location.  Pricing for this item can vary widely, so do your homework.

Hosts I have used:
1and1.com    Cheap at $35.88/year. 
hostpc.com   Really cheap at $8.99/year, but difficult interface.
moreweb.com  Best quality and price package at $95.40/yr
Your home ISP Free, comes with your home internet access, cheap, but small and not robust.

Things to watch for:

1.  Domain registration:
a.  Pay the extra cost for a private registration, this helps keep your email account from being clogged with spam.  Works by hiding the site owner info from the world, instead the Domain Registrar data is shown.
b.  When you buy a domain, use an email address that you check frequently, always use, and will always own.  Otherwise you can miss the renewal notice and loose your domain.
c.  Use the Domain Control Panel to set the nameservers to point to your host.

d.  Use the Domain Control Panel to LOCK THE DOMAIN.  Otherwise anybody can initiate an order to change the data.
e.  Write down the login ID and Password, and put it in a file so you can find it in 1-2 or 3 years when you need it again.

2.  Site Hosting:
a.  Remember that you get what you pay for.  A free or cheap plan may not be the cheapest one in the long term.
b.  Will the plan accept the type of page you want to build?  Are MS Front Page extensions available?  Can you use PHP? 
c.  Does the site offer POP3 and Web based email accounts?  How many do you need?
d.  How much storage is available?  Will it be large enough for your site 3 years from now?
e.  How much bandwidth (traffic) is allowed?  What is the cost for excessive bandwidth?
f.  Does the host permit you to have subdomains?  How many?
g.  Can you build your own page or do you have to use their sitebuilder program?
h.  Does the account permit you to transfer files to the site using FTP?

(This is a requirement in my opinion)
i.  Write down the login ID and Password, and put it in a file so you can find it in 1-2 or 3 years when you need it again.

I know that's a lot of stuff, but the short version is:  I am slowly moving all of my websites to moreweb.com.  They only offer one plan, but it fits my needs.  If their plan does not meet your needs then the above data should assist you in your search for a host.

Do your research, avoid being ripped off, and build a great site.

If you decide to go with moreweb.com please put my email
([email protected]) in the remarks section of your order.
(Disclaimer:
If 3 new customers enter my email address on their order I save one year of hosting costs for nascoemembers.org)

joe





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