Frequently Asked Questions

Hostway is the leading provider of Web hosting solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. Hostway's next-generation hosting infrastructure and core systems deliver the industry's most reliable solutions, backed by a dedicated team of technical experts providing unrivaled customer service.

The most compelling reason to launch a business Web site is that it gets you in front of paying customers. Not only did people spend $136 billion online in 2007, Web sites influenced an addition $471 billion of in-store sales, according to eMarketer.

If you don’t have a Web site, your business is missing out on a huge revenue opportunity. In today’s world, people research online before they buy. If your business isn’t there when they’re searching, you may lose business to your competitors.

Costco has partnered with Hostway, to deliver a Business Web Site Package that includes everything you need to build, launch and promote your Web site for a low monthly price available exclusively to Costco members. The Business Web Site Package includes:

• SiteBuilder
• WebStore Advanced ecommerce software so you can sell items online
• AddWeb Lite Software to promote your site online
• Domain name registration for one year (Additional domain names can be purchased at $8.95 each, per year)
• 150 GB storage for your Web site
• 5000 GB of Web site traffic
• 200 email accounts
• 24/7/365 telephone and email technical support

If you’re looking for a more advanced Web site than you can build with the SiteBuilder tool, which is included with the Business Web package, you can have a professional Web designer build it for an additional fee.

Yes, you may use a domain you already own even if it is registered with another registrar. Details for updating DNS records to use an existing domain name can be found here.

Yes. If you already have a Web site, but want to take advantage of all the features bundled into Hostway’s exclusive package for Costco members, you can transfer your Web site to Hostway. Just place your order, and when your account is set up, it’s easy to transfer your site using your customer control panel. If you have any questions, Hostway’s friendly technical support professionals are ready to assist you 24/7/365.

After you complete your online order:

• We follow standard procedures to verify your credit card
• Once payment is verified, we set up your account within a few hours
• You receive a Welcome Email with your account access information, directions on getting started and contact information for our 24-hour technical support.

After you receive your Welcome Email, you can log into your control panel and begin using the services. If you have any questions or issues during the process, you can contact our technical support staff for assistance.

Before you can understand Web hosting, first you need to understand what your Web site is. Your Web site is a series of files and code saved on your computer. If you were to allow people to access your Web site directly from your personal computer, your computer would likely crash from all the traffic, and you’d open all kinds of vulnerabilities to information stored on your computer.

That’s why if you want to have your site on the World Wide Web, you need a Web hosting plan. Web hosting gives you space on a server that’s connected to the Internet and allows people to access your Web site. These servers are powerful, with plenty of bandwidth to handle traffic surges and redundancies that all but eliminate downtime. They are also fitted with security features that protect your Web site files from being accessed or altered by unauthorized users.

The Business Web Site Package includes a Web hosting plan with 150 GB of disk space on our servers plus plus 5000 GB of traffic to and from your Web site.

A Web server is a computer or software package that houses Web pages and processes requests to view those pages from Internet users. The software receives a request, then sends the page out over the Internet to the requestor’s computer screen. Web servers are more powerful than the average home computer. They can handle many requests simultaneously.

A Web browser is a software program that interacts with a Web server to request a Web site page. The browser requests the page from a server through the Internet and ultimately serves as a virtual window through which you can view the requested page on your computer screen. It also interprets the various computer languages Web site pages are constructed with. In short, a browser displays the Web site you've requested on your computer screen.

A Web host is a company that owns and operates data centers filled with Web servers where customers may store the files for their Web sites. Hostway is a Web hosting company. All of our servers are housed in data centers fitted with biometric access control, redundant power supplies and other high-tech security that helps ensure the safety of your data.

An email address with your business name on it looks professional and sends a message of legitimacy to your customers. Think about how it looks for your business to have an email address at, say, AOL.com or earthlink.net as opposed to: yourname@yourbusinessname.com.

Email with your business name on it also provides an easy, readily available avenue for customer communication. With 200 email accounts included with this service, you can set up various accounts with department-specific email addresses (i.e., marketing@yourbusinessname.com) to effectively route communications to the right person.

A domain name is a Web site’s address on the Internet, for example: www.costco.com. Each domain name has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with it that is a string of numbers. When you type a domain name into your Web browser, the browser sends a request to the server asking for the Web page associated with the IP for the domain name you typed.

Each domain name has three parts: the host name (www, for World Wide Web), the domain name (costco), and the top-level domain (TLD), .com. Other TLDs include .edu, for education-oriented sites; .org, for organizations; .net, for some specialized Internet and computing sites; .gov, for government sites and .mil, for military sites, among others.

The answer to this question depends on your knowledge level and how you choose to create your Web site.

The Business Web Site Package includes a wizard-based Web site builder that is easy to use. With it, you can get your Web site up and running in as little as an hour provided you already have the text and images you want to use ready. However, you may want to take your time planning your site and take time to build it to your exact specifications.

If you order professional Web Design Services, you will be given a timeline for the development that directly corresponds to the complexity of your Web Site.

Yes, our expert staff of support professionals is ready to assist you whenever you need them: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We're always here, by toll-free phone or email.

If you decide to add on Web Design Services to your Business Web Site Package, you’ll work with our team of professional designers to create your customized Web site to your specifications. You’ll get to choose from thousands of layout options. Web Design Services start at $375 for a 6-page informational Web site or $799 for an ecommerce Web site. Hosting fees apply.

Learn more about Web Design Services.

Yes, you cannot launch a Web site without a hosting plan, which is part of the Business Web Site Package. Web Design Services start at $375 for a 6-page, informational Web site.