Time was when local trades people hardly needed to advertise at all. Villages were small, there often was just one of each trade in a village, and word of mouth got the job done. Even if there were two butchers or blacksmiths, everyone knew who they were, where they were located, what they charged, and who was willing to barter for their services instead of insisting on cash payments. There was no WorldWide Web then, of course, and no need for  web a hosting solution.

Villages grew into towns, town grew into cities, the number of seamstresses and shoemakers and carpenters increased, and it was harder to keep track of who was who or where they were located or what they charged or what services they offered. So trades people started handing out flyers and putting ads in the daily paper.

The phone was invented, and some time thereafter, the Yellow Pages. For a long time, people “let their fingers do the walking.”

That isn’t enough anymore. The answer?Web Hosting solution to your advertising needs.

You see, getting your name out there in front of people is only half the battle. You also need to trumpet your basic (yet enticing) information. Your phone number. Your location.

What credit cards you accept. Your hours of operation. Any special education or other qualifications you have. Quotes and recommendations from satisfied customers or clients. Any awards you may have won. Any affiliations (from the BBB to a craftspersons’ association). Your picture, so people feel they’re dealing with a person and not just a faceless company. And anything else that will either inform the public as to your qualifications and the services you render, or persuade people that you’re the best choice.

Web a Hosting company can be your best ally… and advertisement.

What can a church do with a website? First, on the home page or “landing page,” you’ll probably want to put the essentials: the church’s name, address, phone, and email address to begin with. You also want to list the church’s denomination, or “non-denominational” if such is the case. Then, naturally, you’ll want to display the times at which you offer worship services. Is it Sundays at 11 AM? Do you have Wednesday evening services too? Any other times? And then you’ll want to display, at minimum, the pastor’s name. For a small church, the pastor may be the only name to list. For a larger church, you may have a pastor, an assistant pastor, a pastor emeritus, a youth pastor, a youth leader, a choir director, an organist, a head of Sunday school, and perhaps others include office support staff. You may want to list the board members as well.

Does your church have a motto and/or a mission statement? List those on the home page too.

Now, what about posting a monthly calendar of events? If your church offers special activities, whether of a religious nature, fund-raising, communal, or otherwise, list those potluck lunches, field days, rummage sales, guest speakers, and other events on a calendar page.

How about pictures? If you have pictures taken at past events, candid shots showing people involved and enjoying themselves, or even pictures taken during your worship service, showing people raising their voices in song or praising God, why not display those, too? Visitors to the site may soon turn into visitors to the church itself!

How about posting a list of forthcoming sermons? If you know, a month in advance, the topic of the sermon for each Sunday of the coming month, list those on a page on your site as well. You’ll find that easy web hosting makes access and page revision a simple matter.

You might want a page devoted to the Sunday school, too. You can list the teacher or teachers, perhaps tell a little about what the kids are taught, and maybe even show pictures of the kids involved in some fun learning activity.

Another page can feature prayers or scripture quotations, or a list of suggested readings for the month or for specific occasions or needs.

Then how about a monthly letter from the pastor, and perhaps one from the president of the board of directors as well?

If you’ve got special fund-raising needs, such as a fund to procure a new organ, list that and show how close you are to reaching your goal.

Now, what about community outreach? If you have a food pantry or clothes closet for those in need, a ministry to the homeless or ill, a soup kitchen, a lending library or bookstore, or any other activities that reach out to the community at large or any segment of it, you’ll want to make sure to get the word out by way of your website. With a web hosting, you can change your message as often as you want to — even daily, if you so desire. Get your message out to the community and watch your congregation grow!

I’ve heard authors say, “But I’m not selling the book directly. That’s my publisher’s job. I’m not self-published. What do I need a website for?” The answer is that in today’s world, you still need to promote yourself as aggressively as possible. It’s not enough just to write a book, or even to write a good book. You need to get behind it and push it. And your website is your “public face.”

A web hosting company can give you prices that will enable you to decide whether you want:

• A website for yourself in your name, on which you can list your book or books, any related work you do (for example, public speaking, consulting, article- or column-writing, teaching) on the topic or topics of your book or books, and any other work you do for which you would like your availability to be known (for example, ghostwriting books for others).

• A website for your book, in the name of the book itself, again not just promoting the book but also listing the adjunct work you do in the field that the book’s topic covers.

• A website for all your books on a given topic, again promoting any adjunct work you do on the topic your books cover.

It is a matter of cross-promoting, and you need your website to get the message out. Cross-promoting? Yes… letting your readers know you’re also writing columns or articles or doing public speaking or…. And letting your column readers, talk attendees, etc. know about your book or books. Now that you’ve got what’s called “a platform,” make the most of it. Get the word out!

A web hosting solution is the answer to your promotional efforts, so don’t wait another day to reserve your website, design it, and build it. Your career  depends on it. Be a smart promoter and get that publicity machine going!

We’ve gone from the age of the do-it-yourselfer to the age of hiring pros for most things, yet there are still some people who prefer the DIY approach, either because they’re hands-on types, because they enjoy the challenge, because they’re “control” types who believe no one else can do the job the way they want, or because the DIY approach to most things is more cost-effective. As it does in many areas, this all applies to website design. But just as there is a web a hosting

Now more than ever, there are shortcuts to DIY web design, with programs you can buy that make it possible for even a relative internet doofus to design his or her own website. Yet now more than ever there are also options and possibilities such as flash, background music, and integrated videos that are best left to the professionals.

What sort of a website do you need?

Well, are you a small business? A mid-sized business? An individual professional? Do you want something quiet and simple, or something complex or even flashy? Do you want or need music, videos, and other complex technical stuff? There is not a web hosting problem with any of those, nor is creating the site an issue, but if you really need complex sound or graphics capabilities, best to leave the site creation to a pro.

Ready? Get set. Choose a web a hosting company that is reliable and a website designer who can carry out your wishes. And go!

This is a serious error.

A web a hosting company needs to be chosen with care. You don’t want one that is going to have a lot of technical troubles, one whose server will frequently be down, or one that is based in a region where the electricity supply is unstable due to weather conditions or for other reasons.

On the other hand, geographic proximity to the webhost is of no relevance. The web hosting company may be clear across the country or halfway around the world, at no detriment to the stability or functionality of your site.

Does the webhost you are considering have a good tech support department? This is relevant, though it is something you are likely to find out only after you have signed up with a web hosting company and encountered your first problem. (The occasional problem — as long as it is truly only occasional — is inevitable and should not be seen as a black mark.) If your webhost disappoints you in this regard, then it is time to change webhosts.