Over the past several years, I have had a number of people ask me for advice on how to get their own Web site online. I've been very cautious in the advice I've given. I simply didn't have the resources available to really get them where they needed to go and stay there. You would think with more than 20 years of computer experience, helping the government manage their Web pages the past ten years, and having my own Website would be enough to start my own Internet business. However, someone who wants to put their business online needs much more than just a single computer geek can provide. They need 24-hour user support, they need various options in Internet services as their business grows, and most importantly they need to have online security. None of these customer needs could really be provided by me to prospective customers, so I've waited. I've waited for the right moment and the moment is now.
Last week I started Dakota Hosting...an online business that will allow you to register your own Internet domain names and provide you with Web servers to host your Website. Dakota Hosting also has a number of Web products featuring such things as a shopping cart for your site and if needed, secure data transactions (SSL). How can I do this? I've teamed up with a larger company that will provide much of the muscle including customer support and competitive prices. How is that for a grand entrance? One issue I do have with the current Dakota Hosting Website is that it is geared toward customers that already know what they want. What I would like to do though is provide a more personal service for those that aren't really sure where or how to begin. They know that they want a Web site, but they don't really know the steps they need to take to get there. Explaining these steps in non-geek terms is what I really want Dakota Hosting to be all about. Once the current site becomes self-sustaining, I hope to make additional changes to the Website to make that happen.