Remember that some countries have specific requirements on domain name registration.
Be aware, Australia requires an ABN or similar proof of identity before a dot.com.au domain can be purchased.
Are there any hidden costs in Hosting a website?
I still remember the very first web hosting plan I signed up for. I had this feeling about the same as the first car I ever
bought, about the hidden costs and the commitment I might get stitched up into. It makes me laugh to think I felt that
way because in truth there are no hidden costs involved. As far as advertising goes owning a website is still the most
cost effective and yet far reaching form of media on the market. To buy an Australian domain name is still under $20 a
year ($12 at time of this publication) and web hosting available around $50 a year and upwards for a 25GB plan. A
website that can be pages and pages long for under $100 per year compared to a small printed publication in the local
business phone directories costing thousands of dollars.
So what is the catch? Simply put, there isn't one. That is all there is to it. You can find yourself shelling out heaps of
money to a web designer but personally I think they are worth every penny to get the look right first time with the minimal
amount of fuss. You can also shell out big bucks trying to get to the top of a search engine results page or spend lots
trying to get website visitors through pay per click programs and high cost advertising placements on existing well known
directories or popular websites. But these additional costs are all by choice. So don't stress, speak to any designer and
you will get the same story. Web hosting has never been cheaper, more reliable and more used by the general public.
In fact because so many people are taking advantage of the internet marketing as a smart option, you will probably find
choosing a cute domain name to be tougher than it looks.
Why do some hosting packages cost more than others?
There are hosting plans for free, or they start of that way, and there are plans from a couple of bucks through to much
more. So why is this so? As a rule of thumb I like to think of it like this but there are exceptions to any rule. It costs big
money to set up a good hosting server. The costs include the computer equipment itself, the telecommunications
expenses, quantity and trained staff and so on all cost money. The better the setup, the more it costs, which is reflected
in the end user charges and support. The providers tend to do one of two things to when the setup costs are high.
Either they get lots and lots of customers and divide the cost but this means the bandwidth is stretched to the limit and
the service becomes less reliable, or they charge more per customer. The smart thing to do is picking somewhere in the
middle with reliable good services but also within a modest budget. At the time of publication, it is not unreasonable to
expect the hosting costs of a normal five page website to be less than one hundred Australian dollars per year including
a domain name.
Should you promote your business on the internet?
Today you can't afford not to have your business on the Internet because having a web presence is no longer just a
luxury... it is now a necessity! More and more consumers use the internet to research and/or complete their purchases.
Even if you don't directly market your products online, consumers expect a reputable business to have a website for
promotional purposes. It's important to provide current information to potential and existing customers, and a
professionally designed website allows you to communicate your key selling points in a cost-effective manner. Increase
your sales, attract new customers, reduce your advertising costs, accept credit card payments over the Internet or
simply improve your corporate image. In 2009 iHostAustralia was started to bring you webmaster resources including
lists of providers for the Web Hosting Australia market. So don't hesitate, take the first step by trying to find a good
domain name now.
BONUS HOSTING DEAL
Get 12 months free domain name with
any of these hosting packages
Domains in Australia or any other location can be bought through iHostaustralia.
We find the some services are very similar but not all the same. It is worth considering your budget, the payment
options, the range of services included within the hosting plan such as html compression or database depending upon
your needs. It is also worth considering the performance a hosting package provides. A good idea to help discover the
true abilities of a hosting package is to take a short term plan to test the service before committing to a longer and
probably cheaper plan. Whilst it is normal to lock in a domain name for at least a year, a hosting plan can sometimes be
purchased on a monthly plan. However because Australian domain names are nearly always sold covering two years of
registration we recommend getting a hosting plan for a matching two years which will be your cheapest option. Also,
remember you can have more than one domain name pointing to the same web host / website. This is often done when
a company wants to dominate a certain business name having it in both the dot.com and the dot.com.au but we
recommend only doing this with a name similar to your true registered business name to gain credibility.
Hosted by : ihostaustralia Web Designer : Taswiz Best viewed on SeerBOT
© TASWIZ trading as Hosting-iHostaustralia.com.au, 2011-2014
Friends and Sponsors
Hosting / Website / Business Reviews
QuicknEzy Rubbish Removal
Review
Website
Specialists working in and around
Sydney
Want your site or service to have a
review on a site like ours?
Join Text Link Ads