HOSTING HOTLINE
Choosing a Web hosting company is one of the most crucial decisions you will face when building an adult-oriented Web site. It is ultimately your Web host who will be responsible for making sure your Web site is online, connected and accessible to users.HOSTING HOTLINE
Choosing a Web hosting company is one of the most crucial decisions you will face when building an adult-oriented Web site. It is ultimately your Web host who will be responsible for making sure your Web site is online, connected and accessible to users. It is therefore critical that you choose a reliable, reputable host; otherwise, you may find yourself offline and losing money – fast.
The first step in choosing a Web host is to determine what kind of hosting package you’re looking for. Hosting companies typically offer four distinct packages: free, shared, dedicated and co-located. Here’s a rundown of the differences:
1. FREE SERVICES:
A popular choice among newbies, and also great for gallery pages. Free hosting packages offer a specified amount of disk space in exchange for ad space on your site. While typically not the most flexible option, free hosts are great for someone new to the industry, or for someone who needs only a small amount of space to drive traffic elsewhere. Many free services also feature great support forums staffed by people who have years of experience in the industry and who can definitely help you succeed online.
2. SHARED:
Shared hosting services are usually on the lower end of the hosting package scale. Shared hosting means your site will be stored on the same server as a number of other Web sites. Most shared packages are accompanied by domain names, email addresses and simple database functions. Larger sites, however, should steer clear of shared accounts – they offer limited space and bandwidth options.
3. DEDICATED:
If you run a busy site (or are planning to), you’ll need a dedicated server. A dedicated box is exactly what the name says – it’s an entire server dedicated to you. Dedicated servers tend to be a lot more expensive than most shared packages, but once your site begins to attract a lot of traffic you won’t have much of a choice. The good news is that with a dedicated server, you will benefit from tons of space, increased speed and the ability to configure the server any way you like.
4. CO-LOCATED:
If you need the space and power of a dedicated server but want complete control over the machine, you should probably look in to co-locating a server. With co-located hosting packages, a hosting company will connect your server but leave the maintenance to you.
Once you’ve figured out what type of package you want, make sure you purchase ample disk space for your site. Make 10-20 megabytes (MB) the minimum, and increase that minimum incrementally as the number of pictures in your site increases. A site with 100 to 200 pictures, for example, will require 50-70 MB of space.
As a consumer in a saturated market, you have the advantage of being able to pick and choose when it comes to finding a Web hosting company. Don’t settle for one that doesn’t completely suit your needs, and whatever you do, don’t pick the first company you lay eyes on. Do a little research – ask people for opinions, or even call the company you’re considering. Talk to them, and make sure there’s a human on the other end of the line. Be sure to reference online materials that could help you in your search; among them, take a look at The Adult Webmaster Forums, YNOT’s Web hosting and resource centers, and a company that I highly recommend , which now has over 120 pages related to adult Web hosting online as well as an advanced host search.
Also be sure to find a company with solid technical support — you’re almost sure to contact your host’s tech support staff at least every once in a while, particularly when you first build your site. Most reputable Web hosting companies offer free technical support via e-mail and telephone. Be wary of companies that only offer support through e-mail and ICQ.
A final word of advice: don’t fall for companies who pepper you with a barrage of supposed “features.” Things like Web-based upload systems, unlimited email accounts and support for things like CGI are now industry-standard. As the buyer, you’re in the driver’s seat. Don’t be fooled.
