When the internet started, I’m sure more than a few of us thought it would be a passing phase. Or at least something that most people would never need.

Well, as we all know now, the internet is here to stay. It’s now crucial to many aspects of our lives, especially if we’re looking for side income.

Serious bloggers and business owners must have their own websites, so now it’s just a matter of choosing the right web hosting company. Whew! What a daunting task, with hosting companies popping up left and right.

I just found a cool website, Web Hosting Geeks, that offers side-by-side comparisons for various hosting companies, as well as customer reviews. Their site also offers lots of information, including links to relevant articles about web hosting. If you’re considering switching companies, starting a new site on with a new host, or you’re just interested in keeping up with what’s out there, check it out.

Do you have multiple blogs or websites? How do you keep up with the latest companies?

Interested in some good reading about web hosting?

When looking for hosting for a new or even current blog, doing your homework also includes reading what others think. Not just what others think about your potential host, but also what people think of web hosting in general. There’s so much to learn, and I’m fan of research. That’s probably why I’m addicted to the Internet.

I just found a new blog with lots of web hosting articles.

From my understanding, the rest of the website isn’t launched yet, so don’t be turned off by the articles. There’s more to come, including tutorials and more specific web host information.

If you check out the site, let us know what you think about it.

Bloggers know that having a reliable hosting service is key to running a successful blog. Constant outages and limited domains are some of the worst issues you can run into.

I’ve been pretty satisfied with my current provider, but I’m always on the lookout for others. Shopping around just makes sense, and it might be a good idea to use more than one provider to protect against outages.

I found a new company called Concentric Business Solutions. They are a shared hosting provider that caters to small businesses (and if you’re a blogger with any monetization, you are a small business). Besides the usual suspects, including email, web hosting, and domain registration, they also offer free virus protection and spam filters.

If you’re in the market for a new provider, check out Concentric. They might be just what you need.

You’ve probably heard that Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo!, which recently rejected Microsoft’s unsolicited bid.

So maybe that’s why Yahoo! is making some moves. I’m not a financial person, and I don’t keep up with the goings-on of big companies, so if you have any insight on the matter, let me know.

But what I do know is that Yahoo! has launched its new Yahoo! Toolbar, and they want people to try it out (here’s a handy link if you want to download the Yahoo! Toolbar). Apparently Yahoo! has a lot of the same things that Google does (again, I haven’t kept up with these things, so maybe it’s not news to you ). They even have a hosting plan, which I’m going to have to try the next time I need a new provider.

I was actually a Yahoo! person until recently, and now I use Google for everything. So I’m willing to give Yahoo! a try again, starting with their toolbar. It gives me quick access to my Yahoo! Groups, Yellow Pages, Personals (dating online isn’t a bad idea), and their search engine.

What do you think about the Yahoo! Toolbar and the other products? Will Yahoo! be able to compete with Google again? Will there soon be Yahoo! pagerank too?

If you’re reading this blog, you probably already have a blog or website. Even if you do, this offer is for you.

First, let me tell you that I’ve been using AN Hosting since I started my blog. It’s been great! 

I think there was one day that it was down for some reason, but they fixed that and it’s been great ever since. I also like that I can get phone support 24 hours a day.

On the negative side, I will say that the cpanel isn’t that easy to figure out. 

That said, AN Hosting is offering an incredible deal on their hosting package. As soon as I get the funds I’ll be moving one of my other websites to them.

For new customers, plans start as low as $4.95 per month!

The AN Hosting “One Size Fits All” Plan includes:

• 999GB of disk space (up from 250GB)
• 9,999GB of bandwidth (up from 2,500GB)
• Host 999 domains on one account (up from 20 domains)
• Free domain for life!
• Free site move!
• 30 day money-back guarantee
• Free website builder
• 24/7 phone/e-mail support
• Free scripts library

Only $4.95/mo with no setup fee. Hurry! This offer only lasts until midnight on November 22, 2005!!

And, if you use my link, feel free to use this coupon code to get three months free (GOTAPEX-ROX-01)!

Yes, I’m an affiliate of AN Hosting. They have a great affiliate program. I encourage you to sign up.

What hosts do you use for your blogs? Let us know. It’s always good to comparison shop. 

Happy Hosting!

I’ve moved! I still have WordPress as my blog platform, but now I’m with AN Hosting instead of WordPress.com.

I’m not a web developer, and I must say this is all very confusing. I figured out how to move my blog easily enough. But there’s all these bells and whistles that seem to require a degree in rocket science.

I’ll get it soon enough, but it’ll take me some time. For now, enj0y my journey! I’ll try to write frequently as I play with themes, features, and all the other gadgets.

Subscribe to Crayon Writer

I finally decided on AN Hosting! I found a coupon code, so I get the first 3 months free.

My new address will be www.crayonwriter.com, but I haven’t set anything up just yet.

The next plan of action will be to figure out what kind of content will keep my loyal readers and attract new readers. Feel free to let me know.

For now, I’ll offer some advice about finding a good host for your blog or website. In a word, research.

• Check out reviews
• Read other people’s blogs to see what they’re using
• Consider your bank account
• Call the company a few times to see what customer service is like
• Look for coupon codes to get discounts

I’m off to figure out my new host! Very exciting!