Getting your hosting set up
Setting up hosting is really not hard once you have done it once or twice. This is the next step in the survey questions of what was holding you back. So far you have found a product and did your preliminary research to start building your list. You know your customer and have found or created a product to use as an ethical bribe that your potential customer just has to have.
Now you need to get a hosting account. There are a huge variety of choices available but for the average person starting here is what I would recommend.
- Cpanel hosting
- Good support
- Good uptime
- Ability to host more than one domain
- MySQL data base availability
- Ability to increase bandwidth easily
You will also need a domain name. You can pick up a domain name at many places but it should not cost you more than $10 per year. Personally, I use Go Daddy but there are plenty of other choices available.
Do a bit of research before you decide on a host. Do some searches on Google to see if people are having problems with them. Test out their support with a question or two to see how responsive they are. You can get a good solid hosting account for $10 a month or so and most will have a discount and be less than $100 if you pay for the year up front. For my blog customers that are looking for hosting I recommend Zoot Host but there are other good resources available.
Once you have purchased a domain and gotten a hosting account you will get an email from your new host that has the nameservers and your log in information. You will need to log in to your registrar (the company that you purchased the domain name from) and change the name servers. The nameservers will look like ns1.domainname.com and ns2.domainname.com. The domain name and the number after ns will be in the email from the new web host.
This will make your domain appear on the internet when someone types it in. Next you will need to log in to your Cpanel. You can do this by typing in your browser http://yourdomainname.com:2082 and use the user name and password that your web host sent you.
Once you get inside Cpanel there are tutorials on how to use your new web hosting (one of the reasons I recommend a Cpanel host). Set up an email account and you are ready to start uploading your web pages.
If you need more help there are free videos that will show you how to do these steps at Videos For Beginners. For even more video help on using Cpanel check out Discover Cpanel.
Next part will be creating your actual squeeze page.
Mike Paetzold
Disclaimer: Some of the links mentioned within this post or posts it may lead to are my affiliate links and in such case I will get compensated for recommending those products. However, I will never recommend something that I don't personally believe in and I welcome your questions and feedback.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Mike,
I fully agree with you. I have done a lot of different hosting, still do. it just make no sense to use anything different then cpanel hosting. There are many around. If you use more then a few domains then take a basic reseller account, you get the Web Hosting Manager and be in full control of adding domains, sub domains etc. Also to set storage and bandwidth on each domain, keep them close to actual so you get alerted if something abnormal happens. The increased cost is minimal.
Fred
Fred Lotgering´s last blog post..Easter GiveAway 2009 Guide Nussbaum invite JV Partners
March 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I can’t stress how important good support is for a hosting company. If you are only looking for the cheapest host and not much else, then be careful.
When you are first starting out online, you may not need to talk to the support much, or even when you are making good money.
But the first time your site goes down or something happens, you will be glad you have good 24/7 support.
Joel Osborne´s last blog post..Turn PLR Products Into An Instant Cash Flow – IClickPLR
March 17th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Great post Mike. Hosting is the backbone of any online business and if you’re serious, then you just have to have a host with cPanel. Good to see you mention the video training available as it can be really useful to newbies. The support aspect is crucial, so don’t go with any host. Ask around and particularly check out what people’s support experience has been like. If you have a problem with your hosting and your site is down for some reason, support becomes of paramount importance.
Cheers,
March 17th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Hosting is to Internet marketers what hydro is to offline businesses – lose either and your business goes dark and the cash register stops ringing up sales. And like a hydro connection, it should go down as seldom as possible, be restored quickly when it does, and a full explanation of what happened provided to you before you even ask.
But because human error or natural disasters can disrupt either for varying lengths of time, as your online business grows it’s important to have alternative hosting available at all times, or to pt a few of your sites on different servers, so no one crash can take your entire income offline.
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March 17th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
No matter how much you try to convince people that cheap is not always the best, there will be a few that will never learn. Having a good hosting with great support can literally let you sleep better at night or morning not having to worry about your websites. I hope readers take your post to heart and truly understand how important hosting with a good company is to you.
March 17th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
You are absolutely right Mike,
Hosting is one of, if not the, most critical parts of the whole process. If the hosting ain’t workin’ then ain’t nobody going to see your site. Plain and simple.
Sorry for the slang.
Thanks for the fantastic content!
Brett McEllhiney
Brett McEllhiney´s last blog post..Guido Nussbaum needs contributors for his Easter JV Giveaway 2009!
March 18th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
When I first started out trying to put something online, I was captive to the hosting systems I was placed at. It took a while but when I finally learned what could be done with a cpanel a light went off.
Then I had a problem, erased an important file by accident and learned that having an accessible and good host was vital.
I now have two hosting plans. And find advantages there as well.
Found the Discover Cpanel you mention to have been very helpful
March 18th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Hey Mike!
Great post on a very important subject! I remember when I was first starting out debating whether or not I should purchase a hosting package with unlimited domains and it didn’t take me long to realize that the unlimited domains was a very smart option (and it’s only a few extra dollars a month than the hosting package for a single domain).
Jit
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