If you want to get started with an online business, one of the first things I recommend that you invest in is web hosting. I know that there are a lot of ways to make money without your own web site, but it really pays to have a site on a web hosting account that is the main hub of your business.
Your web site is your opportunity to showcase what your business is about. You can use opt-in forms to build your subscriber list. You can offer products and services on your site. You can run special offers. And you can start posting to a blog to get readers and free search engine traffic.
If you've never had a hosting account or a domain name, it can be confusing figuring out what you need to do and learn to take this step. It isn't really that bad. It is kind of like any skill you have now. At first it was hard, but now you can do it without thinking.
An example of this is riding a bike. It was hard at first, but even if you haven't ridden for a few years, it will usually come back to you easily. When I get in my truck and drive to the store, I don't really think about it. I have done it so often that it is automatic.
Okay, maybe these are silly examples, but I hope you get the point. Learn a skill, and it will serve you well. There are 2 basic steps to getting web hosting.
The first step is to get a domain name. There are a few places online that offer this service. The big names that come to mind are Godaddy and Namecheap. Both have been around for several years, and while I use Namecheap, it's up to you who you want to use. You'll need a domain name to set up your web hosting account.
To be continued...
