When they talk about a NT server or cisco or whatever - what do I need to be sure to sign up for??? Does FrontPage have a special requirement??

On a shared server, when I have a www.com name I should get the same attention from a search engine as if I had my own server - but if it was a free host site - I have a poor chance with a search engine??? Please elaborate... -T

As for search engine rankings on a shared server opposed to a freebie site: a shared server only means that your site will not be hosted on its own stand alone hardware. It will still have its own IP address and will not be part of a group of sites. That is, www.yoursite.com will appear to the search engines as a "real" independant site since it now has its own domain, www.geocities.com/yoursite will not as it is under the geocities domain. In fact, many search engines will refuse to index sites under the large freebie domains as they are getting overwhelmed with requests for what they consider to be hobby sites that don't offer any real content. Right or wrong, that's what many are doing these days, so having your own domain name is important.

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Here is another scenario:
I have a customer that is a dealer for a company called Create-A-Book. She wants me to create a site that is more dynamic than her cookie-cutter site. The company said they would host her, but it would be www.create-a-book/herfranchise-at-the-end
That looks to me as if she would get no credit from a search engine - am I correct?
I want to become a reseller of space and want to make a good argument why she should pay me instead)

[This message has been edited by Tressa (edited 03-13-2001).]

As a web designer, I thought it best to offer my clients the complete package -
design and hosting. Anyone out there who is a reseller of space sorry they did it?????

[This message has been edited by Tressa (edited 03-14-2001).]

In the former case I prefer to have customers use the space I sell them, though I do offer other options or use space which they already have. It is easier to deal with a host with whom you are familiar and with whom you have a relationship.

In the case where I just sell space it is a bit of a nuisance.

In effect however you sell the space you also have to support it's buyers, you are their first port of call if they have a problem or need a question answered, essentially liaising between them and the hosting company. In some cases this is no bother, in others you would need the patiance of a saint and acquire great sympathy for everyone involved in customer support!

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Katherine

InKK Design
LinKKs - Kilkenny's Online Magazine

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"Dogs have owners, cats have staff!"

[This message has been edited by abbeyvet (edited 03-14-2001).]

As for search engines themselves, make sure your client understands the time involved in getting indexed. I'm always amazed when I finish a site for a client and they call me the day after it goes live to tell me they can't find themselves on Yahoo!, Excite, Google, etc.

Now, at the risk of rambling.....I am a reseller as well and there have only been a couple of times with a couple clients where I have thought maybe it wasn't such a great idea. If you think about it though, your client has had so much more contact with you than they will an anonymous hosting company that they would most likely call you first to report problems any way. For the most part, you're looking at having a few hundred bucks a month coming in for practically no work at all.

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