CGI-BIN/ A very important component if you're planning on adding any sort of interactivity to your site like forms, shopping carts, etc. Usually comes as standard equipment, but I've seen some of cheaper hosts leave it out entirely.

EMAIL BOXES & POP 3 ALIASES/ One thing that's very important to me is ability to use different aliases with my domain name. For example, if your domain is ezineadauction.com, you may want to set up separate addresses to sort your mail like service@ezineadauction.com or support@ezineadauction.com. They may all funnel into same mailbox, but you can set up filters at your end, making customer service a whole lot easier.

If you have a "wildcard" account, you can set up as many aliases as you like. If you have other employees who will need their own private box, check with web host to see how many boxes they will allow.

STATS/ Once you start getting traffic, you'll want to know where it's coming from and what pages of your site are being visited. Some web hosts will throw stats tracking in with their standard package or at least give you access to your log files, which you can then use with third party software to run reports on traffic your site is receiving.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS/:

1) If you want to use Frontpage: Do they have FP server extensions installed?

2) Do they offer autoresponders?

3) How about a secured server option for payment transactions?

4) Do they back up all websites in case of disaster?

5) Do they offer assistance in programming or design work if needed at an hourly rate?

6) Do they offer shopping cart software if you're going to be selling products?

7) Do any customized forms come standard with your account, like feedback or order forms?

8) Bandwidth- Be aware that bandwidth is how much data can be transferred in a month's time. This shouldn't be a concern unless you're getting a ton of traffic, but be aware that most hosts do have limitations on what they'll allow.

As you can see, there are many factors to take into account when choosing a web host. Your host is essentially spine of your site,so you want to make sure that one you choose is reliable and solid. Nothing can ruin a site faster than an unreliable host. I know; been there, done that.

If you'd like a list of possible hosts take a look at http://www.WebIspList.com. For a comparison of hosts pop over to http://www.HostCompare.com or to search for a host by features you need go to http://www.HostSearch.com

Remember, choosing a good host is essential to success and reliability of your online business. Do your homework and choose one that's right for you.

The email manager has saved me a lot of time from manual configuration. You can quickly and easily set up email accounts, set up and remove POPs, create auto-responders, create aliases, and more. Virtualis has 21 tools in all--certainly more than I can cover in this article! One of best features of Virtualis hosting software suite is that it is totally web-based. This allows for instant accessibility, no matter where you are--certainly helpful if you travel frequently or have customers covering a wide geographical area.

SUPPORT

Even for experienced web developers, a primary consideration is Support. Questions always arise as you develop sites and add features and/or functionality. The ideal hosting company will be there to assist you along way, as well as talk you through any rough spots. Since support issues are rarely constrained to regular business hours, make sure that your chosen hosting company offers support 24/7 (just in case), and offers a variety of means to contact support, such as telephone, email, and web-based access.

SPACE

Finally, "Space," refers to how much server room you will need to store/manage your digital data. How much space you need can be determined by how much content you will post, how much data you will store, and how much traffic you are expecting. Ideally, you should find a company like Virtualis that offers both shared and dedicated servers--that way, you can start small, and expand as your online business grows.

Shared servers are simply servers that are shared with other businesses. Most small to medium-sized businesses prefer shared hosting because it is cost-effective and can be scaled to amount of space that your business needs. Virtualis offers shared "Virtual" servers that range from VS Mini, at 30 MB of space, all way up to VS Meta, which has 300MB of disk space. Of course, if you require more space, a dedicated server option is likely best for you. Virtualis offers five different dedicated servers that range in size from 4.2 gigs (the DEDA1) to huge DEDA5, which has 18 gigs of space.

I hope my experiences will aid you in your hosting selection

process. You need to look at reliability, service, software, support, and space. That way, you can wisely choose "silent partner," who will deliver steady uptime, sophisticated time-saving tools, and supreme customer support. After much personal research, and after consulting my good friend, Jim Daniels, I chose Virtualis. From getting my domain name to finding right hosting package for my needs, my silent partner-Virtualis-made getting my business online impossibly easy.

For more information on how Virtualis can be your silent partner, go to.....

http://www.virtualis.com/vr/lschmeck/orderform.html