Getting Started with Shared Web Hosting

If you are running a new business and you are planning shared web hosting then you are at right place. Before you even think about choosing a web host, there are several things you will need to obtain first as well as important factors you will need to take into consideration.

Firstly, you need to decide on what kind of website you wish to create. Will it simply be a small personal homepage for yourself and/or your friends or are you planning on launching something a bit more ambitious, such as an online business?

Believe it or not, the type of website you have in mind will seriously affect the direction in which you should take in choosing the right web host that is right for you.

An important factor to consider is how you will be building your website. It is NOT a case of uploading a Word or text document and a few pictures onto the internet, because this will NOT work.

Websites are made up of special code that your web browser (such as Internet Explorer for example) interprets, processes and returns as text, pictures and links on your monitor. Simple websites that are merely made up of text and pictures are built and designed using HTML.
To register a domain name, you will need to search the internet for an available domain, use the iStartCloud.com Domains Page for this.

If you are thinking of starting an online business, you will need to set up a way of accepting credit card payments on your website.

Now, you could apply for a merchant account from your bank, which will enable you to accept credit cards, but this method costs a fortune to set up and there is always a monthly fee, plus more fees on every transaction you make.
The best way to accept credit card payments as cheaply as possible as well as being able to accept bank account payments at the same time is to apply for a Business or Premier Account (often referred to as Website Payments Standard) at PayFast or PayPal.

Both are free to set up and there are no monthly fees, which is good news as you don’t want to spend too much money while still in the process of establishing your new online business.

The only fees are transaction fees, which are very small, compared to merchant accounts. PayPal is an ideal and easy to use solution for new online businesses.
Choosing the right shared web host for you is one of the most important decisions you will make when launching your first (or MANY) website.

It is a proverbial minefield! Now, as I said before, your choice of web host depends wholly on the type of website you are planning to launch. Not all shared web hosting plans are the same. They are all different; specifically tailored to different website types. Now, if you’re only planning on creating a small personal homepage.
At iStartCloud we offer a 60-Day Money Back guarantee on all our shared cloud hosting packages so you can try us out totally risk free.