A quality host must have ability to properly manage its available bandwidth. If your host is not managing its bandwidth correctly, or using more than it can handle, results could be disastrous. Hundreds of websites could suddenly go down, including yours, disrupting your sales and costing you money. As a rule, a host shouldn't be using more than 50% of its bandwidth. That's a big enough cushion if extra bandwidth is ever needed.

Additionally, your host should offer you protection from any attacks by hackers. You should be able to rely on your host to keep a constant vigil over your website. You want security of knowing your livelihood is being watched over by competent, trustworthy people. That is, after all, part of what you're paying them for.

One factor that cannot be stressed enough is stability. In my opinion, a good host should boast at least 98% uptime. Obviously higher is better, but a minimum of 98% should be guaranteed. If a visitor tries to access your site and it's down, you've lost a potential customer for life.

Make sure your host has regular, and reliable back-up systems. Crashes do happen, though thankfully not very often. In unforeseen event of a crash, it's imperative that your host has up-to-date backups of your data, so it can be easily reinstalled when system is back online. It may never happen to you, but it's best to choose a host that is prepared.

This is your livelihood, so always be vigilant. Don't be afraid to treat your web host as you would any other supplier. It's up to you to see to it that your host is providing you with services you're paying for. Research your potential host well and make sure they not only offer everything you need, for today and in future, but are also reliable and trustworthy.

It can often take years to build kind of reputation you need to truly be successful. Don't postpone starting your business any longer or you could lose momentum. Haven't you deprived yourself of real financial freedom long enough?

Copyright (c) 2002 eMoney Enterprises ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dave Barrett is editor of eMoney Monthly, official ezine of the eMoney Enterprises family of websites, including: http://HostOnTheRange.com

3. ESTABLISH A SUBTLE REFERRAL PROGRAM

Referrals from customers are easier to sell than cold prospects. And they don't cost you anything. It's too bad you get so few of them.

You can generate a continuous flow of referrals with a simple but subtle Customer Survey. Send it to your customers by postal mail, email, fax or post it on your web site. The survey I use asks only 3 questions:

1. What did you like best about our (product or service)?

2. What can we do to improve value of our (product or service) for you?

3. Who else do you know that wants to (state benefit provided by your product or service)?

The first 2 questions focus attention on benefits you provide. Your customers are more likely to volunteer referrals at 3rd question when they are already thinking about value of those benefits.

BONUS: You also gain something from answers you get to first 2 questions. The first question often generates a response you can use as a testimonial (with your customer's permission). The second question may provide an early warning of a problem you need to correct ...or it may alert you to an opportunity you can exploit.

Select one of these simple marketing strategies and start using it in your business. It won't take much time or effort and you'll see results almost immediately. Then repeat process with each of other 2 strategies until all 3 are part of your marketing system. You'll enjoy a permanent increase in your sales volume for a very small increase in your expenses.

Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in building successful businesses. He just released a revised and completely updated New Edition of his manual, "How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards", and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards" Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV