Seeking that heavenly host
It was a headline in May straight out of the “cybersquatter” days of yore ”“ the domain name America.com was on the market for an asking price of $1 million, with the final sticker to be set at auction.
If $5,000 is more in line with your business budget, the America.mobi domain name can be had.
As the Internet completes a “Web 2.0” upgrade ”“ while adding new top-level domains like the .mobi suffix targeting Web-enabled mobile devices ”“ Web hosting remains an industry that mirrors Corporate America, with mom-and-pop vendors hunkered down alongside titans like AT&T Inc. and IBM Corp.
As the Web-hosting industry gathers next month at the HostingCon convention in Chicago, Web-marketing experts say business owners are often clueless when choosing the right Internet hosting provider for their Web sites.
In addition to hosting sites on servers they maintain or subcontract, hosting providers typically host e-mail servers; register domain names; and design Web pages and purchase-transaction engines.
“An online presence is essential for any size business today,” said Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts Consultants L.L.C. in Fairfield. “Because the Web provides such great exposure without the large money investment like print ads, it is especially smart for a small business to enter the online arena in whatever capacity they feel comfortable. It could be an interactive Web site, a blog, a video or a social network. It all depends on who your client is and how much time you are willing to invest either yourself or invest in a firm.”
Basic services provided by Web hosting companies include backup servers in case primary servers fail and around-the-clock customer service. The wrong Web host can put a business in the position of promising a convenience that doesn”™t deliver ”“ ultimately harming the business.
“If the servers go down, your clients can”™t reach you,” Luther said. “Nothing is worse than having your Web address out there and a Web site that isn”™t functioning.”
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“I’d recommend that business owners hire separately for the Web hosting and Web design services,” said Darryl Ohrt, founder of Plaid Design and Branding in Danbury. “You want a great host company to do your hosting, and a great Web development firm to build your Internet work, especially on the smaller business side ”“ there aren’t companies that do both well. You also don”™t want your hosting account tied to your agency. What if things go sour, and you move to another agency? It”™s best to keep the two independent.”
In shopping for a Web-development firm, business owners should consider capabilities, personality and budget, Ohrt said.
“Look at the firm’s portfolio of work,” Ohrt said. “Are they capable of producing the caliber and type of work that you need? Larger agencies bring more infrastructure, planning, depth and scalability. Maybe you need that; maybe you don”™t. Get a firm that”™s sized right for your project. There”™s a right-sized firm for every business. Once you”™ve found the right fit, give them your budget. Never ask, ”˜What does a Web site cost?”™ That’s just like asking, ”˜What does it cost to build a house?”™ The answer depends on a thousand variables. Outline your budget up front with the agency, and ask what they can produce for you within that scope.”
Plenty of competition remains in the Web-hosting industry to haggle over bids, according to Paula Pierce, president of Windsor-based Hosting Connecticut L.L.C., although a lot of smaller players have fallen by the wayside before the marketing muscle of companies like Scottsdale, Ariz.-based GoDaddy.com, whose risqué Super Bowl ads have made it the talk of the industry.
Pierce”™s own formula appears to be working as well ”“ last month the U.S. Small Business Administration awarded her its annual “Home-Based Business Champion” award.
“A lot of the little guys have been shaken out, but a lot of the big guys remain,” Pierce said. “If you are going for cheap, you can find it. To stay competitive we have not increased our hosting prices since we launched.”
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