Finding the right web hosting at an affordable price can be a daunting task. Most common web hosting providers will promise the world and then bring many headaches. Would you like to see your site down for 24 hours or more and receive next to no help from support regarding the problem? This situation is avoidable by carefully considering a web hosting provider before handing over your money.

The largest problem with affordable web hosting providers is support, many web hosting providers that offer the world but for only $1 or $2 per month are only there to provide the hardware aspect of web hosting, at this price point it is simply not possible for them to offer the kind of technical support that you should expect.

The reason most people don’t find the best host that suits their needs is because they fall prey to a seemingly good web hosting plan that they find first before spending the time to research prospective hosts properly. It takes some level of knowledge to find the best web hosting provider for your needs.

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Designing a quality, unique website requires the right combination of art, technology, and communication skills. It is vitally important to the success of any professional website project for the client to be actively involved in helping the designer identify and understand their true wants and needs. Web designers act as both creative coach and translator of ideas. Turning ideas into concepts, incorporating customer feedback, and prototyping rapidly creates a hands-on, evolutionary workflow for the customer, producing maximum results and a pleasant customer experience.

Step 1: Learn a little (or a lot) about the client’s business

Once a client has committed to building a new website, it’s time to dig in and learn a little about the business and the specific requirements. This can be done through a simple questionnaire for smaller sites, or may require many hours of consultation for larger ones. Some of the questions asked include: website goals and objectives, target audience, color and style preferences, examples of preferred websites, etc. If a client already has specific text and images that they would like to have included (maybe from an existing brochure or catalog) it is time to share the files and information with the designer, and the designer will in turn review it and share an objective opinion on the usefulness and quality of the customer supplied materials. If a domain name does not already exist for the site, this would be a good time to decide on a name and have it registered. The designer can help as little or as much as necessary in this area. Once all information has been received, work will commence immediately on the custom website design. Idea sharing and customer involvement is always welcomed and encouraged.

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So your business has decided that it is time to make its presence felt on the internet. You have your all your information ready, and you may even have created your website and it is ready to go live on the internet.

The next step is to find a web hosting provider, but how do you evaluate web hosting, and then make a choice on which provider to pay your hard earned money too?

Choosing the correct host for your company’s needs is a very important step, if not the most important step when taking your business online. The host you choose is responsible for placing your website online, and keeping it there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is nothing worse for a business to have a website that is not accessible by your customers, if your site is not online it has the potential to cost you a sale, and also sales in the future, if a prospective customer attempts to go to your website only to find it offline, the chances of that customer ever returning again are very slim.

Ok, so what should I look for in a web host?

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If you’re frustrated with the inability to send and receive large files via email, you’re not alone. Most businesses today are experiencing the same problem.

As software programs evolve, the files they create are forever increasing in size. Programs like AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, and a host of many more can create files in excess of 5MB to 300MB.

One of the best ways to send large files via the Internet is by utilizing what is called an “FTP Hosting” service. FTP stands for “File Transfer Protocol.”

How does it work? An FTP Hosting service is simple and effective. Unlike email, where you send files from one person to another, FTP hosting allows you to upload files of any size or type to a secure storage location on the Internet. Once you’ve uploaded your files, the recipient of the files can then download them at will.

So how do you go about selecting the best “FTP Hosting” service? We’ve come up with a list of “Seven Tips” that will help you in the selection process.

1. Good Track Record & References:

The provider of the “FTP Hosting” service should have a solid business track record. You’ll want to select a company that has been in business at least 4 to 6 years.

Remember, you’re entrusting the “FTP Hosting” company with proprietary corporate information. Make sure they are a legitimate company. These days it’s easy to develop a website and call yourself an “FTP Hosting” company. Avoid any company that looks like a “Fly-by-night” operation.

Ask for references! If the provider is good, they’ll ask you how many references you would like! Also, their web site should provide an indication of their length of time in business and references, if they have any.

2. Phone Number:

Make sure the “FTP Hosting” company provides you with a phone number to call, preferably a toll-free number. If you have any problems at all you’ll want to speak with someone.

You’ll also want to call the number they give you and verify that someone answers the phone and can talk intelligently about the service they provide.

Avoid any company that does not answer their phone during normal business hours, as they most likely won’t answer it when you have a question or problem.

3. Guarantee or Trial:

Look for a service provider that guarantee’s their service and will allow you to test it before you subscribe. Ask for a 30-day free evaluation period. If that’s not available then ask for a 30-day, unconditional satisfaction guarantee. It should allow you to cancel within 30-days and pay nothing if you’re not completely satisfied with the service.

In addition, look for a service that provides discounts if you pre-pay for six or twelve months. You’ll be surprised as to how much money you can save by paying in advance.

4. Adequate Bandwidth:

Ask your “FTP Hosting” company how much bandwidth is available for file uploads and downloads. Avoid any company that limits the amount of bandwidth available for transferring files.

If a company puts limits on available bandwidth, they are either an extremely small business and won’t be able to service you properly, or they may charge you for bandwidth in excess of a given amount per month. Either way, you won’t be happy at the end of the day.

Look for a company that can provide you with unlimited bandwidth and does not charge you for it.

5. Ease of Use:

The service must be easy-to-use and support file transfers from Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Ask the service provider what, if any, software is required on the client side in order to transfer files to and from the secure FTP site.

Make sure you’re not required to purchase a vendor specific, proprietary software program to transfer your files. You should be able to use any off-the-shelf, downloadable FTP client software program such as CuteFTP, WS FTP, SmartFTP, Fetch, or FTP Voyager.

6. Storage Space Limitation:

Most “FTP Hosting” services are available on a month-to-month subscription basis and their rate is set according to the amount of storage space you require. Make sure your monthly storage limitations have what’s called a “Soft Cap.”

A “Soft Cap” allows you to exceed your storage limitations without incurring an additional fee. More importantly, it allows you and/or your customers to continue uploading/downloading files to your FTP site after you have exceeded your storage space allotment.

In other words, you can continue doing business without worrying about your FTP service provider shutting down your FTP site.

7. Technical Support Via Email:

Avoid any provider that only responds to technical problems via email. There are a lot of providers out there that have great prices but they lack the support you may need. Remember, sooner or later you will have a question or problem and you will want to speak with a live person.

Choose a company that provides you with a technical support phone number, not an email address. Call the number and ask for help! Make sure they answer the phone and provide the type of you support you’re looking for.

Now that you know the questions to ask and what to look for in an “FTP Hosting” service, you’re ready to go out and find one. The best place to start looking is Google www.Google.com. Just type in the phrase “FTP Hosting” and work your way through all the selections. The “Seven Tips” outlined above will assist you in quickly finding the best providers of “FTP Hosting.”

Author Biography:

Karl F. Radke

Karl is the president of “InstantFTPsites.com” and “Prevail Marketing.” He is an online marketing expert, speaker, and entrepreneur. You can learn more about “FTP Hosting” services online at http://www.InstantFTPsites.com

© 2006 InstantFTPsites http://www.InstantFTPsites.com You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “Author Biography”).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karl_Radke

You have one chance to make a first impression. Potential customers will form an opinion of a business within seconds. A company’s logo is therefore extremely influential, as it is almost always the first thing a customer will see. In addition, once a customer becomes familiar with a business, the company’s logo will always be associated with that company name, and in turn, the company name will be associated with the logo. For these reasons, a considerable amount of thought should go into choosing a logo.

A logo should be simple, recognizable, and effective at conveying the desired message to the public. Each aspect of a logo’s design should be carefully analyzed to ensure that it does in fact communicate the right message. The logo’s colors, style, size, shape, font (if it is a logotype), and overall design each play a part in the logo’s overall design, and are all important components to consider when creating an effective logo.

Color is immensely important, as color has a dramatic effect on an individual’s reaction to almost anything. Restaurants not only carefully choose the colors of their logos, but also carefully select the colors of the restaurant interior. In their case, color affects how appetizing a potential customer views their restaurant, and in turn can have a dramatic affect on the amount of business they receive. The colors of the logo or restaurant can be the reason a hungry customer chooses one establishment over another. Financial businesses and banks tend to choose strong conservative colors such as darker blues and reds, to convey stability, trust and success. In some cases, a particular color itself often becomes associated with a business. As the background for their logo, UPS has used the color brown, which is now generally associated with their company. Since the color brown communicates stability, they have been able to use the association as a way of conveying a message of reliability to their customers.

In addition to color, the general style of a logo will determine the overall feeling conveyed to the public. The logo’s style will determine whether people will view the business as conservative or trendy, casual or formal, expensive or low-priced, friendly or exclusive, etc. If a logo includes the actual company name, the font type used in the logo is part of its style as well, and will therefore also come into play by affecting an individual’s overall response to the logo.

Size is also important to consider. A logo will be used in large-scale settings such as advertisements, store-fronts and billboards, but will also be used for small-scale needs like email communication, websites, business cards and corporate stationery. A logo should be designed so that it will be effective and recognizable regardless its size.

Overall, a good logo is a vital part of a successful business, and much more influential than many people realize. Since individuals are often unaware of the effect logos have on their own decisions, they may also be unaware of the influence a well designed logo will have on their own business. By taking time to evaluate the different aspects of a logo, business owners can ensure that their company logo will have a much greater impact.

Liz Jackson writes articles for Logo Design companies such as InstaLogo.com. Create the perfect logo in minutes with our online Logo Creator.