Great idea right: Having used the internet for a number of years and seeing, personal pages, online mini web sites and e-commerce sites multiplying like rabbits, as well as my neighbor down the street making thousands of extra dollars each year from her online sale of bears, inspired me to take the plunge. I work hard. Why not let the internet create a second income stream for my business. Great idea right? Well let's say maybe. I started, as do most, with the internet to find the company or person I would choose to build my website. How exciting! I was thrilled thinking I would soon join the ranks of online entrepreneurs making money while they slept. What could be easier?

Don't leap before you look: I soon realized the number of web site designers seem equaled only by the number of companies or individuals offering to host your web site. I am beginning to see that this is not going to be as easy as buying a new pair of shoes. Some asked for up to one third of the total charge to build my web site up front before they would even begin. Others seemed way and I do mean way too anxious to get my business. They would design and manage my web site if I hosted with their company. The correspondences were exchanged and with each I gained new knowledge about the inside of the internet. The side I never considered, as the average person who uses the internet regularly.

From the sea of providers; there were several who promised this or that service for free. Why all the free stuff I thought? Maybe I should re-read the emails to make sure there is nothing I have over looked. I took my cherished Saturday to review my notes and communications from and with several individuals and companies offering much the same service. Having the phone number of a woman who taught computer science at the local college proved to be a God send. One phone call and I was amazed at what I did not know about the internet especially as an online business providing services to customers. My acquaintance, in the span of our thirty minute conversation, mentioned security and integrity of the hosting webmaster repeatedly. None of the people I had been communicating with mentioned security, integrity, business ethics nor expanded on the degree of access they had to my online business. With this thought came a down pour of what else has not been mentioned. My approach to choosing, especially the company to host my web site, took a different route. I gave less consideration to what was being promised as free and listened carefully for the things I should be hearing, that were not being discussed.

If a company says don't worry about it. Do Worry: There was one company who left a lot to my imagination with regard to limits on storage and bandwidth usage. If a company says don't worry about it; instead of giving you firm limits. You should worry about it. Or better yet just move on to a company who clearly states what you are purchasing, what it will cost and for what length of time. There are unethical people in the internet industry, who welcome the uniformed. After your web site is hosted with their company, they have at hand a wealth of ways to take advantage of their customer. Look closely at their portfolio of web sites now hosting with the webmaster. Take note of the contact numbers and make a few phone calls. One to see if they are satisfied with their service and two to make sure the bulk of web sites you are reviewing don't belong to the webmaster. Do they mainly serve businesses, which have the basic informational three to five page web site without e-commerce? Does the hosting webmaster allow blogs, gaming, photographers web sites, video or musicians web sites and bulletin boards with photo or video galleries, all of which use bandwidth? If not, It may be in your interest to keep shopping.

Ask questions. If there are web sites hosted that represent bandwidth users ask who owns them. Some webmasters lease a server to eliminate the cost of having their personally owned high bandwidth using web sites. They sell off small amounts of storage and bandwidth to pay for their heavy bandwidth draw web sites. There is nothing wrong with this. It is a common practice, as long as you receive what you as the customers were promised. You would not wish to find yourself in a position of having your web site designed, up, generating income and attracting new customers; only to be informed by the hosting webmaster that they want to renegotiate your yearly hosting fee due to your bandwidth usage. How could they want to negotiate what was sold as unlimited?