SO YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET

tips to get you started in the right direction

1. A Piece Of The Web To Call Your Own
It seems like everybody has a website these days, doesn't it? Giving yourself some kind of web presence is unbelievably easy. These days even people who are barely computer literate manage to create their own web page.

Having a web page seems like a good idea, right? You've heard of everything that the Internet can offer and you want a piece of the action! Excellent! That adventurous spirit will take you far! But before you go off full speed ahead, there are a few things that you may want to consider.For example, who will host your website? Will you have a domain name? Who will design your website? What kinds of web applications will you be needing? What content will you provide to give users incentive to visit your site?

Let's face it, you don't want just any old website, you want a website that is unique to your business. You want a website that people will want to visit more than just once. You want a website that people will remember and bookmark. You want reliable, hassle free service and a professional website design.

These tips will help you sort out what you need to do to make that dream a reality. The emphasis is to help you find the best services available for your unique business needs. Towards that end, this document will not be advertising any product or service. It is hoped that you will find the information here helpful in researching your options and making the right decisions for yourself.

2. Choosing The Right Hosting Provider
In order to have a website on the Internet, you first need a web hosting provider. A web hosting provider gives you access to some web space. This is the space on the Internet that holds your business' web pages.

This can be tricky. Many web hosting providers promise the moon, but fall far short. Here are a few points to ponder when considering a web hosting provider:

- Do they provide technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Even the best hosting companies can experience downtime and technical glitches. If your business absolutely needs these issues resolved at any hour of the day, don't settle for anything less.

- Do they have a toll free support number? Most web hosting companies allow you to contact them via email or a "Trouble Ticket". However, they should also give you a toll free phone number. It's not unheard of for some companies to make their