If you are an absolute beginner this is where you should start. if you already have your own domain name and web hosting you can fast forward to part 3.
It is much simpler to set up the server to handle anonymous FTP and SSL encryption if the server has got a dedicated IP address. And this is possible in case of dedicated web hosting only. Well, it is possible however it is much more difficult in the case of Shared Web Hosting. Hence, one can make a choice her as well.
No that you have your domain name, it is time to choose a hosting company there are hundreds if not thousands of Shared Web Hosting UK companies. Here are the important thinks to keep in mind before choosing a hosting company.
Word of mouth is a great way to hear as to who is a good host and a bad host. If you know somebody in a similar position to you, ask their opinion from their experience. There are plenty of good honest web host companies out there but like every market there are a few bad apples. Ask the questions and make sure you are confident with the replies before you join up.
Affordable Web Hosting is what everyone wants but you do not want to give up all the things you had with your old host. Some may offer more bandwidth and space to grow your website but how much do you really need. Before you think about moving to a new web hosting you must first find out how much space you are currently using. Some hosting sites can offer you more than you need in order to get you to sign up. Why pay more for something you will never use. How likely will you build a website that is 10,000GB in size. That is huge! Some of the most popular websites out there is not that big so why pay for it. Plus, you want to make sure that the uptime is 99.9% of the time. If not, it can cost you visitors if your pages are not live all the time.
Where do I buy a domain name? Don't worry. Nowadays, many hosting providers will give you free domain name just to sign up with them. But if you like to build many websites, then you will need to register domain names. I would suggest Moniker, Godaddy etc...
I can't stress this enough, with an established online business your most precious asset is your domain name. Don't risk your business for the sake of saving a few dollars!