As you look to establish an online presence, it is very important that you select the right web hosting company. Web hosting is the service that delivers your website to people when they type in www.yourname.com. There are thousands of these companies online today, and knowing the right questions will help you select the one that meets your needs. Here are some to get you started.

1) Is domain registration included, or do I have to pay extra?

Most of the best web hosts today offer free domain names (the .com) when their clients sign up for a long-term package. Registering your domain with the company you host with reduces headaches and hassle that can result from trying to import your domain to your hosting company. However, understand that this feature is often only available when you pre-pay for one year or more.

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Web design is simpler than ever, and that’s a good thing. Creating an HTML Page A web page is created using a language called, Hypertext Markup Language, better known as HTML Code. The key to creating a successful web site is to only use tips and codes that will enhance your visitors experience on your web site. I think it’s the way forward for web design. Making a web page that works requires a lot of sensitivity to the various forces at work. As web site designers, we always try to create a web site navigation scheme that (a) is consistent throughout the entire web site and (b) allows the site’s visitors to find what they are searching for quickly and easily. Many web newbies understand that blue, underlined text is a hyperlink. Get control over your web page’s fonts. If the font you use is not available in a visitors computer the web site will use the default font of your computer which is much worse. So try to keep to common and professional web fonts. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on seminars or spend hundreds of dollars on books to find out what’s wrong with your web site.

Many graphic designers who specialize in print design like to show off their design talent by creating beautiful image maps that are slow to download. Another advantage for using image maps for site navigation is that graphic designers can show a bit more creativity in designing an image map compared to designing a set of navigation buttons. Usually Netscape gives some problems, especially when you try doing complicated HTML designs.

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