Online Craft Business

Before you launch your online craft business, you'll need to make an informed choice about web hosting services.

With all of the business web site hosting services available, you'll have lots of options available to you. A little bit of research will help you to determine which company best meets the needs of your craft business.

I have used www.GoDaddy.com and I have also used Site Build It (which is an all in one system, not just web hosting) for my own sites. I've had good experiences, particularly great customer service, with both companies.

Online Craft Business: What to Look for in a Web Hosting Company

• No ads on your site

  (unless you chose to put them there yourself) You'll usually find ads on free sites. Most web hosting companies will automatically place ads on a free site, so not only do you not have complete control over the look of your site, but you also will have links on your site that will entice your visitors to click away from your site and on to someone else's site.

• Consider the size and type of files you can upload

  This can be particularly be a concern with free sites. If your site is picture heavy, as many online craft business sites can be, ensure the limits on the size and type of files you can upload are adequate for your needs.

• Minimum 99% uptime

  Is your web host reliable? You don't want your site down when visitors are trying to access it.

• Bandwidth

  Bandwidth can also be an issue with free sites. Your web hosing company may impose limits on amount of traffic you can have before your site is shut down or you get a bill.

  Most experts recommend you look for at least 1-3GB traffic per month when you site is new, and you may need more as your site grows. Be sure to carefully check the company's policies on bandwidth overages when you're choosing a web host so you're not shocked with big bill as your site grows.

• Disk space

  Most sites use less than 5MB. Some business web site hosting services will offer unlimited space as a way of promoting themselves. Don't let offers of unlimited space influence your decision when you're choosing a web host. It's very unlikely that you'll really use it

• SSL

  (Secure Sockets Layer) ? SSL is an internet protocol that allows applications to transmit information back and forth securely. You'll need this if you're planning on collecting credit card information. Your site may only be a gallery to start, but plan for the future. You may eventually want to start selling your work online. Be sure you can upgrade your plan if necessary.

• Email

  If you're serious about portraying a professional image to your customers, then you'll want to set up an email address that is along the lines of yourname@yourdomain.com. An email address without your company name as the extension can look very unprofessional to a lot of potential customers.

  You'll be amazed at how quick and easy it is set up this little bit of distinction for your business. Most 3 to 4 dollar monthly web hosting plans will offer this feature.

• Simple Control Panel

  The control panel includes tools that allow you to manage your web account. You want to sell your art online, not become a technical genius, so the more straight forward, the better where this is concerned.

• Autoresponders

  Will you be able to set up an automatic reply when someone emails you? Using autoresponders can be an effective strategy for streamlining your administrative tasks.

• 24/7 Technical Support

  Trust me, if building an online business is new to you, your web host's technical support team will become your new best friends, or if they're not very helpful, they'll be your new worst enemies. Good business web site hosting services will provide responsive, helpful technical support 24/7.

Once you're finished the task of researching web hosting services for your online craft business, you're ready to start thinking about designing your site.