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So you own a business? You want to create an online presence? Well for a start despite what large hosting companies will have you believe it is possible to get an awful lot of hosting for a very low price.

Firstly, space does not matter unless you have a large business which needs to show videos or a lot of artwork. 100-250MB is plenty of space for a website, in fact it is a little too much. You do not need that much space so watch out for large space deals which try to tempt you in, there's no point.

Secondly, bandwidth is not that important. Anything over 5GB should do any small or medium business. Look for around 15+GB if you own a large business or have an awful lot of visitors or downloads.

Another key factor is price, how much can you afford? In my experience (over a year in web design and development) I have found the best deals are often all inclusive ones by freelancers of small companies. They provide a very good service which includes everything, plus if something goes wrong you can always ask them. Actually talking to a large host can be very hard and the level of support offered is not always great. Plus you get the added benefit of having your site designed and built for you which is not so in large companies deals.

That brings me on to another point, who do you want having access to your site? If you know a freelancer or can get in touch with one go down that path as you have more control over what happens with your site, especially if you can actually meet them and talk over your ideas. Planning is important and before paying anyone to design your site make sure you create a good plan.

A good freelance design can cost anything but some freelancers will design and host your site for very little once you get to know them. Bear in mind that the better your site looks the more professional you seem. So spend more on design and less on hosting. If you are in doubt forums such as http://freewebspace.net/forums /index.php are great for finding a good deal and a freelance designer.

Finally, shop around for the best deal and try to ask a lot of people for quotes. If you are stuck on time a good large host will do but you may need to pay a lot more for the design.

Learn more about this author, David Pickett.
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