What is the greatest invention of this century? The Internet of course. The super information highway. What is the Internet? The Internet is the greatest technology of the 21st century. It connects people from all over the world. It enables them to learn and to communicate. In fact, it is the largest multimedia library on the planet. And it is free. What more can you ask for? If you love to communicate, then the internet has been created for you. The internet is a global phenomenon. It has been the talk of the world since its inception. There have been many articles written about the pros and cons of the internet. But everything in life is full of paradoxes.
One of the best things about the internet is that you can have your own private space where you can tell the world what you like, what you don't like etc. Maybe you're good at something and want to share your talent with the world? Then the internet is the perfect place for you to do that. You just need a little bit of web hosting and you’re good to go. You don’t even need a website or any design skills. You can use Microsoft Word, any publishing software, and you can create your website just like you would any other document. It really is that simple, as long as you have a computer and are willing to learn a bit.
People seem to confuse domain names with web hosting. So, what are they? To have a website online, you first need to purchase a domain name. This is the “Mysite.com” part of your domain name. Then, you need “web hosting” which is paying a company to store your site on their server. A server is a computer sitting on the internet that “hosts” your website. In other words, stores your website. You can turn your computer into a server, but in order for people to see your website, it needs to be on at all times. That’s why most people use hosting companies. They pay you to keep your site online at all times.
Are you unsure which web hosting company you should choose? There are hundreds of them vying for your business’s attention. You need to figure out which one is offering the most at what price. Not all companies provide telephone support. It’s a must for any beginner and most importantly, you need to be able to call and ask for help whenever you need it. You want the ability to upgrade your storage capacity. You may start with a small site, but if your site performs well and you require more space, you’ll want to upgrade easily. You may also require additional bandwidth when your site receives more traffic.
You may want something more. A content management system (CMS) that allows you to easily add, modify and remove your own content. You don’t need to know anything about HTML, PHP or any programming languages. All you’ll see is a user-friendly interface with easy usability. Some companies offer this for a fee and it’s a quick and easy way to add content to your site. You want to sell your products online. That means you’ll need an online ecommerce site with a shopping cart feature. That’s all well and good if you’ve got the programming skills to create this feature, but in reality, not many of us do. So, to get this feature, you’ll have to pay for it. There are some web design companies that offer this feature, but the price varies.
Once you’ve got your eCommerce website set up with shopping trolleys and you’re all set with hosting, you might be wondering why you’re not getting many visitors. Well, it’s because of the sheer number of websites out there and the competition. Site engine optimization is a full-time job, I know I am! You can pay someone or a company to do all the work for you, but it takes time and results don’t always show up right away. It’s hard to find a hosting company that provides all these services. But there are some companies out there that do. A company that provides everything from domain registration and web hosting to web design and optimization, along with 24/7 customer service and email is the best option.