Here are resources I recommend because they are ‘best in class’ and have great tech support for non-technical people.
PLEASE NOTE: In my experience, it is best to put your eggs in separate baskets.
I recommend that you:
- Keep your [hosting vendor] separate from your [domain name vendor] and your [web designer], even though they will all try to be your one-stop-shop for everything. It is in your best interest to have direct relationships with each of these companies.
- All the companies listed here are better at the service noted here, than all the other stuff they are selling. You just need to keep clicking ‘No Thanks’ to finally get to the shopping cart, because they try to sell you lots of stuff you don’t need from them.
Web Site Hosting:
BlueHost.com for 6.95/mo. It is easy to install and maintain a number of great tools with their control panel, as well as manage email accounts and use promotional tools. Please use this link to let them know I sent you:
http://www.bluehost.com/track/handspundigital/CODE25
Buying & Managing Domain Names:
Buying a long term registration for your domain name helps you with search engines.
- 10 year registration indicates longevity and seriousness.
- 1 year registration says you might not be around next year.
The additional things you DO want to buy with your domain name include:
- business registration
- privacy
- GoDaddy.com – great prices, good phone support, try to sell you lots of extras. If you choose this service, please use this link to let them know I sent you:
http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/redirect/go.asp?isc=cjcdplink - NeworkSolutions.com
- Register.com
Event Pages, Invitations, Promotion, & Attendee Management:
EventBrite.com is a great pay-as-you-go service.
- If your events are free, the service is free.
- If there is a fee for your event, you pay them 2.5% +$0.99 per ticket sold with a max of $9.95 fee.
Please use this link to let them know I sent you: https://www.eventbrite.com/r/bestinclass
Basecamp