Website hosting?

Aaron Phillips · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 20:01 (GMT) Post subject: Website hosting?

I'm trying to set up my website now, I have someone to design it and everything's ready pretty much, I just have to buy the domain and server space. I'm looking at getting it from Godaddy.com, but I don't know how much server space I need. I think one of the packages offers like 5G, and then the next step up looks like 100G then 200G, now I can't imagine I would need 200...and it's hard for me to believe that I'd even need 100...What are people generally using on here? All I want to be able to post is several different demos, pictures, obviously text, and maybe some videos eventually, but that's not neccessary right now.

Thoughts?

Jordan Reynolds · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 21:34 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi Aaron,

It sounds like you just need a pretty basic website setup. Do you already have your domain registered at godaddy.com? I dont know if you already know this but you can have a domain registered with company A and host it with company B. I manage all my domains at godaddy.com because it's the cheapest.

For hosting, I have been using dreamhost.com for the past 2 years. They are extremely cheap, easy to use, and quite reliable. I really like them personally.

They really only offer one basic package but it looks like it comes with 500GB of storage. For what you are doing you would really only need...30GB. I don't know if many hosting companies even offer such low storage though Smile

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You can find some sweet coupons on http://www.retailmenot.com/view/dreamhost.com .

If you have any other detailed nitty gritty questions about website management/hosting let me know Smile

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Aaron Phillips · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 22:20 (GMT) Post subject:

I hope I did it correctly, but I've registered my domain and got my Dreamhost server set up (thanks for that by the way!). I set up my domain with a private set up...is that good? I'm hoping that doesn't make it harder for people to contact me for work. I suppose if I put my contact info on the site though, they can contact me that way. It's a domainbyproxy thing...sound familiar? I read a few things saying that was important so as not to recieve tons of spam and the like.

Thanks so much for your help!

Aaron Phillips · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 22:23 (GMT) Post subject:

ALSO

I think I may have registered my website without a www in front of it...does that mean that if someone types www before my domain it won't work?

Thanks!

Jordan Reynolds · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 23:15 (GMT) Post subject:

Yes, private setup is always a good idea. This definitely will not make it more challenging for people to contact for WORK related things. Your domain WHOIS info is really only used for well, nothing much really. It is pretty much just a "law" that you have this info available to anyone at any time. It's only really useful to someone if they want to buy your domain or something. Thats all.

When you register a domain you are registering the "name.com" or "name.net." Once you actually host this domain you have the option of allowing people to view your website by using name.com, www.name.com, or BOTH. I would just recommend using both. I see no harm in it. I would definitely not recommend only allowing people to access it using the www. This always pisses me off when I can't just type in a domain without the w's Wink

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In your dreamhost web panel, goto Domains-->Mange Domains. In here you will see your domain listed. Click "Edit." In here you will see "How do you like the www in your URL?" I think the "Both" option will be selected by default. If not, I would change it to both Wink

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Scott Pollak · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 23:26 (GMT) Post subject:

Aaron, I was a professional web designer for years.

It sounds like you'd be well-served to enlist the services of a professional designer to help you thru all these questions you have (not me, don't worry... I don't do it anymore!). But when you don't know the answer to the question you posed about 'not registering it with the www in front...' then that tells me you're in over your head. (BTW the answer is: you don't register the domains with a www in front. You only register the name and the extension, such as aaronphilipsvoice.com or bigbadvoiceguy.net, etc). I do know that Nikki Saco, a wonderfully sweet voice talent you'll find on these forums, also does site work and is VERY knowledgeable about all of this. She created the SaVoa website at www.savoa.org. I can also recommend someone else if you want to contact me.

Additionally, if you know so little about this, and try to create your own site, it will look horrible and will serve to work AGAINST you, rather than for you. You want a site that will reflect professionalism.

Now, on to hosting. I use GoDaddy for all the accounts I set up in the past, including my own site. 5gb is MORE than enough for most folks unless you're going to post a lot of video or run large database programs. Most audio files will be medium-low .mp3 for fast loading and will be pretty small. With 5gb you could put, literally HUNDREDS of audio files out there. And yet another reason you NEED a pro to build your site is to 'optimize' the images for low file size and fast loading. You know when you go to a website and it takes freakin' FOREVER for the page to load? That's because some neophyte who was clueless put out a full-sized, too-high-resolution image. You don't need that! But unless you have the tools and training to do it you'll be lost. Add to that getting your page optimized for search engines, and you can see that creating an attractive and effective website, along with all the nuances of setting up hosting, and domain registration, AND creating and uploading files, isn't really for the uninitiated.

Hope this all helps.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008, 23:45 (GMT) Post subject:

Aaron, after posting that lengthy reply I went back and re-read your query and realized you DO have someone to design it. They SHOULD be able to take care of hosting arrangements and domain registration for you, too.

Aaron Phillips · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008, 01:23 (GMT) Post subject:

Well thanks, Scott, for saving me the time of correcting you ; ) (totally kidding). But your advice is still fantastic, and my designer seems pretty knowledgeable, but it's definitely good for me to know what's going on so that I can keep on top of her.

Thanks everybody!

Hopefully I'll have a nice site in the next couple weeks!

AA