Thanks for the quick reply. This helps a lot. I learn more as I go. Hopefully after the first of the year I’ll start working on my first web design contract.

Tim Price

They are talking about the monthly budget (in GB’s) of traffic you can have for your site.

“I see some of the hosts offer a free domain name registration. Is this the way to go? ”

As long as the domain is in YOUR name and not the host. Some less than honest host will hold the domain hostage should you ever decide the leave.

“Do I still have to pay a yearly fee for the domain name?”

Typically yes but it all depends on the hosting package.

My advice:

Buy the domain on your own and then pick a host. You buy a domain here:

Domain names

… We are a of domain names - helps pay the bills.

When you choose a hosting company, just tell you have a domain name and they will guide you on how to get your website live on their servers.

Hope that helps,

Stefan Mischook

I was doing a little research on web hosts and I have a couple of questions about what I found. When they are talking about, for example “2000 GB transfer”, are they referring to the speed at which your page loads or are they referring to speeds for ftp? The domain name, I see some of the hosts offer a free domain name registration. Is this the way to go? Do I still have to pay a yearly fee for the domain name? If I no longer use this web host, do I get to keep the domain name? Is there some where I can go and purchase a domain name, besides a web host?

Tim Price

NEVER start a job without cash in your hand. Otherwise what happened to you will happen.

Sorry to hear it.

Stefan

I typically handle everything for the client because it makes it easy for them … which means they will depend on you more. Which in means they will likely stay with you.

I buy my domain name separately from my hosting.

It is OK to show your work. So if your work involves using templates, that’s cool. I would tell show the before and after so that the client can see that even thought you are working off a web template, the end product will look much different.

… that addresses a common fear that some clients may have, where they think that if you use a template their site will look exactly like the template and people will see it as such.

Stefan

It’s looking like I may have to step things up a notch and get my side job going a little faster than I thought. I will email you and explain these circumstances later. On question 2, do you typically let the client pay for the web space themselves or do you charge them the a monthly fee and take care of it for them? Also when you go to a web host is your domain name included with the web space or do you have to pay extra for a domain name? I don’t have a webpage of my own yet but after I get things rolling I will get something of my own. Since in my current job I only do some form and reports using php, mysql and html, I don’t think that is what a client would be wanting to see as examples of my work. Is it ok to show some templates I’ve downloaded from the web and modified myself to make them unique ok to show a client as an example of what I have to offer him?

Tim

… That’s why pitching that you use Web standards will do nothing in terms of appealing to your client. Regarding that, I just say something like:

“We create websites that are built in such a way that they are easy to keep up to date - saves you money.”

Stefan

Be careful though. I made the mistake of asking too many techie questions in the first version of my questionnaire.