Web Venues Internet Services, Web Site Registration, Hosting, Consultation, Design, Construction, & Administration

What To Look For, And What To Avoid

Virtual Hosting has numerous advantages and few disadvantages of other Hosting Options. We will give you some examples to illustrate these advantages. For our examples we will be using the following "fictitious" business name:

"Janes Custom Curtains"

The Major Advantages Of Virtual Hosting Are

Marketability: You can pick a name that's easy to remember and (depending on availability) matches or mimics your business name.
http://www.janescustomcurtains.com/ or http://www.janescurtains.com/ as shorter is usually better in Web Site and E-Mail Addresses.
Recognizability: To everyone visiting your site, it looks as if you own your Web Server. This http://www.janescurtains.com/ as opposed to this http://www.webvenues.com/janescurtains/ which isn't bad, but some servers require longer names and use abbreviations like this sample http://www.mywebserver.com/users/~janescc/index.htm thus forcing obscurity.
We've never understood this one: http://www.aol.com/cbs/ for Columbia Broadcasting Service. They are big enough to own and maintain their own servers, but they opted to put their name behind another companies (America On Line).
Associativity Of E-Mail: Your E-Mail address can now associate directly with your business, instead of jane3597@aol.com your e-mail address can be jane@janescurtains.com
Various E-Mail Associations: You can have different E-Mail accounts for your employees or departments. sales@janescurtains.com for sales, service@janescurtains.com for service or installations.
Portability: Since you are using an actual "Domain Name" registered with the registering authority, if any of the following happen:
- You Become Dissatisfied With Your Current Server
- Your Server Merges With Another Company
- Your Server Sells And Changes Names
- Your Server Goes Out Of Business
Your company or organization is now protected. You can move to another Server and be up and running, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Your Web Site Name, and E-Mail Addresses stay the same and everything now points to the new location. If you are using "Directory Hosting" or your "ISP's" Standard E-Mail Addressing, and any of the above changes take place, it could be catastrophic to your business, if it relies heavily on its Web Page and daily E-Mail. Not to mention the cost of reprinting all stationery and print ads.
Affordability: Currently Domain Name Registration at Web Venues Internet Services^™ is $35.00 for the first two (2) years (compared to $70.00 at Network Solutions / VeriSign) and $17.50 per year thereafter a 50% Savings. There is a one time Server Set-Up Fee of $50.00, which includes our time to register your new domain. This gets you "In The Door" to your own domain for $85.00 total.
   Due to additional time requirements, transfers of existing domains to our server may incur additional costs if your current server is out of business, or uncooperative in the transfer process.
   Hosting fees at Web Venues Internet Services^™ are paid annually in the amount of $216.00 which works out to $18.00 per month. This amount may be prorated to a specific month of the year in which you wish your annual hosting fees to come due.
   Compared to the cost of owning and maintaining your own Web/E-Mail Server $5000.00 to $40,000.00 per year depending on equipment, software, administrative and employee costs, and specialty phone lines and equipment. This makes the "Virtual Server" a good choice for most small to medium size business.
Scaleability: Does the Server have the ability to "Grow" with your business, if needed? Things to consider are:
- Size of Server
- Location of Server (Rural vs. Urban)
- Area Tel/Co Infrastructure & Growth Potential
- Type of Connection(s) to the Internet Backbone
- Types of Hosted Domains on the Server
- Number of Hosted Domains in Relation to Items Above
- Equipment & Support Growth Capability

Administrative & Billing Contacts: We are referring to those listed in your Domain Name Registration. This is of utmost importance.
If your Server doesn't allow you to hold these two (2) positions in your Domain Registration; "FIND ANOTHER SERVER!!!" If you or someone in your organization doesn't hold these two titles, your Web Site is now controlled by someone, outside of your organization. If the "Web Hosting" bill doesn't get paid on time you may loose your Domain Name to another business. Also, if you need to move your Web Site to another Server for one reason or another, it may take months if possible at all.
E-Mail: Make sure the Server you choose has the ability to let your E-Mail accounts run as part of your Domain. jane@janescurtains.com
Not jane@thatwebserver.com
Access: You should have access to your "Virtual Server" even if you don't do your own Web Design and Updates.
Support: Technical Support should be available during "Normal Business Hours" and on the Servers Web Site "as required".
Knowledgeable Personnel: Do those you talk to know about products and services available to Web Site owners; and are they willing to point you in the right direction for those they don't have substantial information on?
Plain English: Are you comfortable talking about your needs with your potential Host Server? Are they able to explain well enough for you to understand without using unnecessary technical jargon?
To answer your next question.. No, we can't always get around using "Techno-Talk", but we do our best to make analogies you can understand if, you don't know what in the heck we are talking about.
Costs:   Compare closely. Some Servers require you to go through them for Domain Registrations and Renewals, adding as much 300% to the actual cost.
   If you Host with us, we register your Domain Name free of charge. As "new" Domains that we register, take us less time to get set up and working, than those we have to transfer over from somewhere else.
   Monthly Hosting Fees vary widely, we've seen them 4 times what we charge for the same or less service. Other costs to compare are; additional e-mail accounts, cgi-bin, data base services, shopping cart services, secure server, site certificates, and more. After you know what you need for your Web Site, compare all costs involved not just the Hosting.
Stability: How stable is the Server? In plain English "How many hours of the day, days of the week, and weeks of the year does it run without problems? Most "Good" Servers will have less than 8 hours "Downtime" a year. Of course there are factors (weather, flooding, extended power outages, war, etc.) that a Server has no control over which may push that number up, but they will be able to tell you that.
Ask for a list of Web Sites they Host. Visit those Sites at different times of the day to see how they work. Also contact a few of those Site Administrators via E-Mail to find out if they are happy with the service they get.
Type of Hosting By Server: Find out what type of Web Sites the Server Hosts.
Morality & Ethics Aside, if a Server Allows Hosting of Adult Content Web Sites, Chat Room Sites, or Bulk E-Mailing Web Sites. Your Web Site will suffer not by association; but by lack of optimum download and transfer speeds from your Web Site, during "peek" Internet Usage Hours.