Starting out in any type of online marketing or Internet business can be confusing and overwhelming. There are so many different aspects of a start-up: domain name registration and purchase, Web site host purchasing, and of course,
"building" of Web site itself. This leaves many consumers looking for an easier way to purchase everything in one place, both to save money and to save time.This has led to rise of "total packages" by many hosting and Internet development companies, where everything is included: domain-name registration, software for design of a site or an online method of building a site, professional design of site, and of course, hosting. This is quite popular as it whittles down process of getting a site up and running for many new to Internet and online marketing.
However, with convenience of Web-hosting packages of this sort, there also can be inconveniences. No road is paved "with gold" and this type of registration, hosting and design package deal is no exception. There can be problems that surface later on when purchasing a Web design and hosting package that also includes registration. These problems usually present themselves in following forms:
1. Once a Web site becomes popular, hosting charges may rise exorbitantly, as "special" that was presented initially can become inapplicable once a certain amount of traffic or size of site changes. This is more of a problem for larger business sites than for smaller business sites or "personal" or "theme" sites.
2. Some "specials" only exist for a limited amount of time, and charges can rise steadily after that period.
3. A Web site owner may have different needs as time goes on, and "package" no longer suits needs of owner. This can include inability to change pages on one's own, or inability to effectively track traffic, as some come with traffic statistics packages.
4. Downtime (when a site is down and can't be viewed) can be significant enough to warrant a change of hosts or domain name registrars.
5. A Web site, registration, and web hosting package company may go out of business, leaving a client with no way to contact them, and three services to quickly replace. This also leaves a site open to loss of registered domain name, as well as loss of revenues while site is "down".
6. A contract may exist which states that "special" prices are only offered contingent on remaining with a certain company for a specified amount of time (which may be years).
7. The actual "name" of your site may not even be registered to "you" perceived "owner", but to hosting and registrar company that initiated purchase through package deal. This how Web site hosting, design and registrar packages "save" money many times for consumers, as they "buy in bulk", registering hundreds of sites per month.
All above seem simple enough to rectify. Simply "switch" Web site, hosting, and domain name registrar to that of other companies.
This is point, however, in which "trouble" can rear its ugly head. Some hosting and domain name registrars seem reluctant to "hand over" a site to any other company, as it does mean loss of a customer and therefore, revenue, for themselves. The current hosting company and registrar may likewise delay a transfer, or refuse to provide sufficient information to a new host or registrar to effectively conclude a transfer. It becomes even more tangled, if name of a site has been registered to them.
This is where it is possible for a "nightmare" of subterfuge regarding a site to begin. Sometimes, after numerous contacts, with no reply, a Web site owner will realize that switching of site has become a real battle.
Here's an actual real life example of a friend of mine, Katheryn:
After much downtime had occurred, Katheryn wrote to initial hosting company, and domain name registrar, stating her disappointment in service. A rather nasty letter was received in reply, telling her that she could either "like it or lump it" and that there was not anything they could do, as a contract was in place that could not be "broken" by any means. The language of e-mail correspondence was rude and uncalled for, and a phone number was not provided anywhere for more personal contact, neither was name of support person that wrote e-mail.
