Choosing a Hosting Company for Your Life Coaching Web Site

As coaches, we know that a Web site can bring us many new clients, and depending on how you structure your coaching business, it can be crucial to its success. But if you’ve never had a Web site before, the process can be overwhelming and confusing.

This brings us to today’s Third Degree question:

“I need a Web site for my coaching business, but I am SO not a techie, I have no idea where to begin. What should I do first?”

One of the first things you need to do is find a reliable web hosting company. Of course, this task alone can be quite daunting, but I’ve made it easier for you. I’ve come up with a checklist of essentials that your Web host must have before you should even consider working with them.

Excellent Reliability
Since your site is often the best way for your potential clients to get to know you better, there is nothing more frustrating than finding out your Web site is down, and has been for hours. You must make sure that the Web host you select not only has good reliability, but superior reliability. This is your business on the line, after all. Treat it as such and get hosting that works for you when you need it.

Superior Customer Support
When you do need help, make sure that your hosting will provide it. One thing I recommend is to contact support to ask a simple question about the hosting, before buying. That will give you an idea of what the customer service is like before you make a commitment. Because if they can handle a newbie question in a friendly and supportive manner, without talking down to you, then you can comfortably assume that they will professionally handle any major issues you may face down the road.

The Stats You Need
Several of the most popular hosts do not offer the statistics that every online business owner needs. Why should you be concerned with statistics? Stats tell you, among other things, where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, and which pages on your site are getting the most traffic. This information helps you tweak what isn’t working and enhance what is. So make sure you can view your site’s statistics. If the host has a CPanel as their control panel, then you’ll have the stats you need, so find a host that uses a standard CPanel.

Room to Grow
The web host you choose should offer unlimited hosting. This means that, if you add more websites to your package down the road, the price does not increase drastically for each one. Many online businesses start with one site and grow over time. Can your host grow with you?

Bandwidth and Disk Space
Also, make sure that the host you choose is in the ballpark for bandwidth and disk space. Most programs offer approximately the same amount, but if you plan to add a lot of audio or video, you will need to have adequate bandwith. So be sure to look into this as well.

A History of Happy Customers
New hosting companies are popping up daily. Some are being run by a couple of teenagers in their garage. Obviously, that’s not who I want to entrust with my business. I want to know that the company I’m choosing has been around a few years, and has a history of happy customers to show for it. Look for testimonials on the Web host’s site and ask your fellow coaches who they use.

Affordable
Last, but certainly not least, make sure you aren’t paying more than necessary. When looking for a Web host, price is always a factor, so shop around and make sure that the web host you decide upon offers a great price, BUT has all the features you need.

These are the key features that any Web host should offer before you consider doing business with them. Taking the time to find a reliable host at the start of your coaching business will help ensure your success.

If you’re looking for a few suggestions, these are the hosts that I personally use:

Bluehost – I’ve been using this host for a year and have several sites and email accounts with them. I have even registered a few domains through them. The only negative I have experienced was a less than friendly response I received via email on a support question. However, I must say that it is difficult to accurately gauge someone’s “voice” from an email, so I have not let this affect my otherwise excellent impression of them.

Reliable Webs – this is the host for Essential PLR, the site you are on. I didn’t intend to have two hosting companies, because that means I’m paying twice as much per month than I should be. But Reliable Webs has a great deal where you can buy a preloaded blog for a very low price, so I thought I would check it out. Once I purchased the blog, I was so impressed with their service, that I haven’t been able to bring myself to switch my site over to Bluehost. I’ve even considered switching my other sites over to Reliable Webs. (Big sigh.) I’ll have to make a decision soon. I’m a big tightwad and hate spending more than I have to.

Of course, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of Web hosting companies out there, so check out several before deciding. Just keep in mind the essential features above.

Related posts:

1. The StumbleUpon Blog is a Great Model for Your Coaching Site
2. Using Teleseminars to Launch Your Coaching Business

Filed under: Internet Marketing Tips • PLR Questions Answered

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