Recommendations/Examples for Website Registrar, Host email providers

[alangoldade]

I am requesting web domain registrar, web host and email host recommendations (preferably all in one company).

Details:
I had set up quick using goFFN.com and played with having multiple domains, for example, FraserValleyWeBuyHouses.com and VancouverWeBuyHouses.com, etc as I had heard that locally focused domains do better than widely focused domains (I have not proved, or disproved this).

I found it very expensive to have goFFN forward the domains as there is a monthly charge to forward each domain.
I should add here that goFFN web hosting and domain management has been quick, simple and reliable to create, and maintain. It was very easy to create the Real Estate specific web sites and they were able to transfer and handle my existing .ca domains just as well as .com.

However, I must reduce expenses and am looking for suggestions for one company that provides the following:

1) Domain Name Consolidation. (I.E. Manage all the domains I own via one company)
2) Web Hosting.
3) Domain forwarding (I have used several domains in my marketing and wish to keep them and have them forward to one buying and one selling site).
4) Can handle .ca, .com & .biz reliably. (Some say they can .ca, but when I transferred a .ca domain in the past to PlanetDomain.com, various features did not work.)
5) Email hosting
6) Must be simple and reliable. I.E. I have played with a couple hosts and they are a complicated pain. I do not want to consume my time managing the site, or struggling to get them to fix issues.
7) Must have ongoing effective email spam filters. I currently use gmail.com, which has been great at minimizing spam while letting valid email through. I need my business name in my email, but don`t want to be consumed by spam, or in an ongoing battle to manage the spam filters. I need them to adequately take care of spam, so I can focus on my business.
8) Must be economical. Not necessarily the cheapest.

I have spent many years in the technology industry and I am well aware of how things are sold based on "feature lists", implying that a longer list is higher value. I don`t care about feature lists. I need it to work and not consume my time fighting with it.

Suggestions/Recommendations (including which hosts to avoid) very welcome. Post or email.

Thanks.

Alan Goldade

www.KwaliHousingSolutions.ca

[email protected]

 

[ChrisDavies]

Hi Alan, I use Netfirms, which has a Canadian firm. I use it for registering and hosting a variety of domain names, including .ca/org/net/com/biz. Uptime is generally very good, server speed is usually good. For 99% of people this will work brilliantly. I use the business hosting package ($20/month), which includes 5 free domain names and then pay $5-10/year for the registration of the rest of my domain names (~50 right now).

I`ve heard good things about 1and1, LFC and there`s lots of smaller ones.

Also, consider using Google Apps (enterprise edition) for your email and possibly website.

 

[MonteDobson]

We have had good luck with GoDaddy. Full hosting, domains, email and website builder capabilities. I find them very simple, affordable and good customer service.

 

[JimWhitelaw]

I was going to start another thread for this, but here is as good a place as any. People often ask me about web hosting (I owned a web hosting business years ago). Currently, I like to recommend bluehost.com. I host about 22 or 23 websites with them and I`m happy with the service. The price is very reasonable and they are reliable. Most importantly, their support is good - you can quickly talk on the phone to real people who can fix things. They don`t do .ca domains with their registrar, but have no problems hosting .ca domains that you purchase through another registrar. I think I have 5 or 6 .ca`s on BH right now.

You can sign up using my affiliate link below. FULL DISCLOSURE: If you sign up using this link I get a kickback fee.

But here`s the fun part. I don`t want affiliate fees for myself - I am committing to donate any money raised from my affiliation fees to a charity that my family and I like to work with: Second Chance Animal Rescue Society http://www.scarscare.org/

http://www.bluehost.com/track/majormojo

If you`re going to sign up with them anyway, use this link and do something nice for a good cause too. Thx.

 

[TodorYordanov]

I`ve used godaddy.com for years and never had problem with that. Recently I`ve created adn switched few websites to bluehost.com. I like their interface better and I find it easier to navigate and understand. Also you can host up to 500 websites from one account, which will significantly bring your hosting expense down. Jim covered the rest. Cost is about $6 per month for a basic hosting and installation of Wordpress takes few seconds. Love it.

 

[GaryMcGowan]

I`m another satisfied Netfirms user.

 

[jseib]

I use lifelinedesign.com

Run by a couple of good folks out in Brantford, they specialize in custom CMS based websites (which I am planning to use for my company website one day) and they actually answer the phone when I need help..

 

[JohnSoucie]

Anybody have any experience with SBI?
www.sitesell.com

"Site Build It 2.0" seems to give a full one stop resource for hosting and they educate you/critique on the ins and outs of your website design along with all the analytics. The goal is to get you up high in the regular search results and avoid paying for pay for clicks. That`s my basic understanding of it. It`s $29.99/month or $299/yr.

It`s geared towards monetizing your venture and I can`t find any really negative comments about it so far. People seem extremely loyal to it.....it`s a way of life

Just the myriad of pieces of software they supply to build/analyze your site and keywords seems great. One stop shopping. Lots of the stuff is probably available by various means elsewhere, but I`m more interested in just following a complete worked out program for web success. I don`t expect I would use everything about it but there seems to be more than enough to keep you very busy and high in the search rankings. And the main guy is Canadian! Opinions?

Thanks;
John Soucie

 

[JimWhitelaw]

I don`t know anything about sitesell.com, but the one thing you mainly want to watch for with those types of packages or systems is if it locks you into hosting on their platform. Some things you`ll want to look into:

How easy is it for you to move your content to another service if you need to?
Can you get your own backups of your files & data?
If they are using a CMS (content management system), is it something widely supported or proprietary?

 

[qdsouza]

Another person with NetFirms Business. They recently upgraded there MYSQL DataBase Servers and I have noticed a big increase in response time across the different DB based sites that I host. But I`m hosting 10 DB based sites and 10 other non-DB based sites.

Avoid Globat and Easyhosting. I have had some extremely bad experiences with these hosts.

Quentin

 

[rhafezi]

Regardless of the hosting company you use, I would recommend using Google Apps for email. It has all the great functionality of gmail but customized for your company (your own logo etc..). It can be integrated into your domain easily (mail.yourwebsite.com). It also comes with Google calendar, Google docs, and Google sites etc... There is a free version that allows up to 50 email accounts (more than enough for most people).

Thanks,

Rasam

 

[Fab]

I have a similar request for a recommendation to alangoldade`s, but mine is for an answering service.
Ron Legrand recommends PATlive, as US based company. I am aware they operate in Canada as well (as advertised on their website). I`d like to know if anyone in Canada has used them and what the feedback is.
Alternatively, can anyone recommend a Canadian company?
Thanks,
Fabio