Every successful business has its niche (a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fit). Marketing materials are carefully written to emphasize a business’s strengths and their competitor’s weaknesses. A great example that comes to mind was one brand of typesetter which was capable of producing point sizes in tenths of an inch (unique to that brand).

Another was capable of zooming horizontally independent of vertical, in one percent increments (great for Rx labels). When the time came to upgrade or renew leases, thousands of existing documents had been produced using their unique parameters. To maintain uniformity, all new bids had to confirm to those same standards – effectively locking that client into their brand. In document imaging, one brand of copier could produce banner advertisements. Another could direct print PDF documents without opening them first. My point? There is a niche unique to your industry. Have you identified your niche, and are you marketing what makes your products and services unique?

The niche doesn’t have to be technical in nature

A niche could be how fast you deliver, the quality of your work, the level of support you provide, your pre-sales advertising venues, and any number of other things – anything that sets you apart from your competition. In web hosting, most niches relate to more bang for the buck – in bandwidth, RAM, disk space, add-ons and so forth.

The Web Hosting Industry

The web hosting industry is fiercely competitive, just as in many other industries. Web hosting continues to be a mystery to most new entrepreneurs though, even as prospects are rapidly becoming more computer and Internet savvy. My own grandchildren are extremely Internet savvy, but couldn’t tell you the difference between Linux and Windows, or ASP and PHP. Most prospects understand the need for an online presence, but are lost when it comes to how to select a decent provider.

Branding

In terms of mass appeal, branding is paramount. Here again, an integral piece of branding is your niche. I can think of a few web hosting providers who own their niche, not financially, but in the mindset of prospects, just as Kleenex and Xerox own their niche. If I were to ask someone if they’ve heard of your company, would they be like, “Yeah, they’re highly recommended,” or “Never heard of them.” Getting from Point ‘Unknown” to Point “Highly Recommended” requires more than competing with similar packages, which I see a lot of online. When prospects compare your website against all the other sites they’ve just visited, is there anything that definitively sets you apart?

By: Steve Bloemer

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One of the best tips is to shop around for a web hosting company. There are plenty to choose from out there. You should choose a service that you can afford and is value for money. Check with other people through forums and chat sites about good companies. This is a great way to learn about who is offering the best packages. It is very important to thorough read through all the information before you choose a hosting company. Look at what they offer and how they can deliver the service that you need. On the surface, they may all seem the same, but be sure to read the terms and conditions and note the differences. It is not always about paying the least. Getting what you require is the most important thing.

Questions you need to ask yourself: Do you know if the host has a backup site facility? If they do not have this service then shop somewhere else. The web hosting company should have an easy-to-use control panel. You also need to know where the host server is. This may seem irrelevant but if the servers are in a different time zone to you then communication with customer service could be a problem. What type of connection will you have with the provider? You need to know what you are paying for. Can the host offer you upgrades? If your business grows, you will need to upgrade your hosting account for more bandwidth and space. So, you should keep your options open and see how your hosting company might be able to help in future. While we are on this subject does the host have a limit on disk space? What is your bandwidth allowance? Can you just pay for extra if you need more? You will be surprised how much you need, and how much you will want when the business takes off. Try to think about what you need now and what you may need in the future for example sub domains, statistics, PHP, FTP, SSH and Perl.

Some of the other points to consider are as follows:
Do they offer friendly and efficient support which you can use? How much control do you have over the server’s hardware? This may seem odd but if you have a dedicated or virtual server and it fails to respond, you may need to reboot it, or at least expect the host to do it quickly so your site is visible and usable. Is the server managed? This will affect the host server’s up-time. This doesn’t rule out the option of unmanaged hosts, it is merely something you need to look into to see what you need.

By: Steve S. Waugh

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Gone are the times when webmasters were left with little or no service. No more do you just get a series of explanations as to why things have not been done. Demand quality and unlimited web hosting. Some of the bigger companies offering web hosting unlimited packages also offer coupons. The coupons will offer more for your money and help you get started.

Can the unlimited hosting company talk to you straight away? Most are very quick in replying and this will help you run your web site smoothly. If they do not offer quick responses then move on. This should be 24 hours a day. Excellent backup service is a must. Having professional technicians that are available to advise you is a necessity for most webmasters. Some companies offer ‘30 day free trial’ and that can be a chance to see if the service meets your expectations. You should also have the freedom to use unlimited email addresses, scripts, files, sub domains, add-on domains, and unlimited databases. You may want a web hosting package that is for novices or professionals alike. Being able to create and develop good strategies is paramount to success.

Finding the right web hosting unlimited plan for you does take a little time but the rewards are great when you have found the right one for you. Use forums and web information to start with. When you have a few web hosts that meet your requirements, check them out in more depth. If you are down to two and they offer free trials then you can try them both, see what results you get, and then make the final decision.

By: Steve S. Waugh

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