UNIX/ NT/ The two most popular hosting platforms to choose from are UNIX and NT. UNIX is by far favorite, as it was only choice way back in early days of Internet. It is easy to configure, great for setting your own file permissions and platform for most of free scripts available for download. It is flexible, reliable and supports scripting languages like Perl and PHP3.

NT is Microsoft's baby. One problem that I have found with NT servers is a lack of readily available scripts that work on this platform. Also, (unlike UNIX) many NT users need assistance from their Web Host Administrators to set file permissions. NT supports MS applications such as ASP, Access, FP and scripting languages such as Perl, Cold Fusion and ASP.

TECH SUPPORT/ When you need help you'll want to make sure you can get it. Some web hosts offer phone support or even live chat. Make sure they have good tech support in place as there's nothing more annoying than needing assistance with your site and not being able to get it.

SET UP FEE/ MONTHLY FEE/ Some hosts charge an initial set up fee to get your site set up and running on their server. Make sure you check on this when comparing prices. I've seen monthly fees ranging from 9.99 to 39.99, depending on plan and services offered. My advice to you would be to look past cheapest and most expensive ends of scale and go with a mid-range pricing plan to be on safe side. You should be able to pick up a reliable web host for 20 to 25.00 per month.

HARD DRIVE/ SPACE/ How much space they're willing to give you is important if you're going to compare apples to apples. You need to keep in mind size of your site when deciding how much space you really need. Generally, 20 to 30 MB is plenty for a small site. You might want to ask if you can pay for more space should your site ever outgrow its present state.

FTP ACCESS/ TELNET ACCESS/ Even if you plan on using Frontpage to manage your site, you'll still need to have FTP access. It is usually standard, but it never hurts to ask. Make sure you keep your user name and password in a safe place. You'll use FTP to set file permissions and to upload your files to web server.

The truth falls somewhere in middle: Online business will never replace brick-and-mortar, but an online presence will be integral to business model of any successful business. Already, e-commerce revenues are in billions, and experiencing exponential growth. Any business that wishes to be competitive in this new marketplace--including your business--cannot ignore power of e-commerce.

Many of you have taken that first step in putting your business online: You have done your research, identified your brand, and chosen and registered a domain name that speaks to your brand. That was easy part. If you haven't yet registered your domain name, don't fret! You can easily do it at:

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

After domain registration, what follows next may be one of most important decisions you make for your e-business...finding right hosting company. This is as important to quality of your business as finding right partner, and many people--even experienced webmasters-- find experience daunting. I would like to share my hosting experience with you-perhaps it will make your decision-making process a little easier.

RELIABILITY

Reliability. Hosting isn't glamorous, but as you know, it is backbone of your web-based business. That is why I refer to it as "silent partner." A good hosting company is dependable, with a steady "up-time" track record. After all, what good is a web site if it's down? A good hosting company should operate like electric company--every day you wake up, it's there, working. However, even most reliable companies need to periodically take system down for maintenance. Your hosting company should inform its customers in advance, and perform that maintenance at off-peak hours--so as not to unduly burden your web business.

The next things to look for I call "Four S's:" Service, Software, Support, and Space.

SERVICE

An extremely important (and often overlooked) factor is Service. Unfortunately, many hosting companies end their relationship with you moment server sale is made. This leaves unanswered crucial question, "Okay, I've got a server--now what?" This is critical when you consider that some companies are so controlling that web masters are discouraged from customizing and/or managing sites for their clients! Other hosting companies give you space on a server, but nothing more--you have to configure server and set up all back-end functionality manually!

As you have probably done this before, I don't need to tell you what a time-consuming and laborious task this is. My best service experience has been with Virtualis. So much so that I've spent last 2 years with them! If you have questions, they are on-call 24/7 to answer them--they even have discussion boards where fellow customers can offer advice and helpful tips. Good service means providing a community of resources throughout life of your e-business.

SOFTWARE