To begin the process your first step is to take a look at what your web hosting needs actually are. Do you need to help customers find your business? Are you wanting to establish a community with interactive features for your members or site visitors? Or do you need a great way to showcase your portfolio that lets you sell your talents to potential clients or buyers? Finding a web host that offers a ton of great features is not going to be very helpful to you if you do not know what you actually need or how you can incorporate those features in your web hosting needs. To get you started thinking about what you need and how you can incorporate some of the more popular web hosting features into your online identity, here is a quick over view of the more common features offered by a number of web hosting providers.

Site Builder:  This is one of the important areas that you need to deal with at the very beginning; how will you design your web site? If you already have web design software that you want to use to create your new masterpiece or will be hiring a designer to take care of that aspect of your web site for you then using a host that offers easy FTP access or an easy editor to give your design team room to create will be very important.  You can also find a professionally designed template that you can purchase then customize and upload to your web host.

But what if you are not a web design guru and you do not have a budget large enough to afford the luxury of hiring a design pro? This is where selecting a hosting provider that offers an easy site builder will be very important. Most site builders are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) drag and drop editors which mean that all you have to do is choose from a selection of predesigned templates and plug in the information and options that you want to add to your page.

Who Is It For: This is perfect for those who do not have a lot of time to put into designing the look and feel of their web site or for those who do not have the design software or know how to create their own web sites.

Blog: Blogs are being used today for everything from personal journaling to full blown magazines but are they an essential component for your web site needs? Blogs can help you to easily update information on your site and communicate with your web site visitors or customers. There are many blog hosts available and most hosting packages include easy to install blogging platforms such as WordPress that allows you to easily customize your blog’s look by choosing for a variety of themes or uploading your own. 
Who Is It For?: A blog is great for web site owners who want to offer regularly updated information or online newsletters for their customers or members on a daily or weekly basis and for those who will be offering more detailed information that they want to use to draw more visitors to their websites. A blog can easily be used to supplement your current needs; for example, a bridal shop could use a blog to display how to articles and feature on selecting the right dress, etc.

Community Features: If you want to engage your site visitors and have them returning to your web site frequently, adding community features can be a great way to go. Community features can range from a simple discussions forum to a full scale content management system that allows users to post articles and comment on content. Adding polls or a guest book is also another simple way to get your customers or visitors engaged with your site.

Who Is It For?: If you want to keep your customers on your site, get a lot of feedback from them, or encourage users to help grow your content then community features will be important to you. You will need to decide what level of visitor interaction will suit your needs in order to determine which community features you need. Those who only want to get basic feedback on a particular issue or two may make due with a simple poll where as web masters who are looking to create a full, robust community will need to find hosting that offers a forum and content management features that allow you to assign users the ability to add content to your site.

Email: If you want to communicate under your own brand, such as Your Name@YourDomain.com then finding a host that provides email services will be important. This is an area where you may want to think long term as well. If you want to offer email services to your site members with your domain then you will need to locate a host that provides larger email services that can be accessed by others. If ; however, you only want email for yourself or other key members of your company or organization then basic email services should work fine for you.

Also, you should consider how you want to access your email. Do you prefer web based email that can be accessed from anywhere or do you want the flexibility of using POP email services that allow you to use an email reading program such as IncrediMail or Microsoft’s Outlook? Knowing which options you prefer will help you to choose the best web hosting solution.

Top Recommendations:
To help you in your search, here is a quick review of some of my favorite options for web hosting.

Site 5 Hosting: This is one of my top picks for hosting with tons of options, great features, and an easy to use control panel that allows you to host single or multiple sites from one easy account. Site 5 has unlimited space and unlimited bandwidth plus they offer tons of preinstalled scripts including blogging platforms such as WordPress, forums, and CMS (Content Management Systems) including phpNuke, Joomla, and others. They have an easy to use site builder for chooser from a series of predesigned templates or you can easily use the ftp option to upload your site designed with software elsewhere. With free unlimited email and easy to manage domain tools, Site 5 is top rate choice that you can also feel good about because Site 5 is a green host and they plant a tree for every new account. With a 30 day free trial and money back guarantee you can not go wrong with this hosting option which is great for all levels of expertise, even those new to web hosting. They also offer Moodle for those needing to add educational elements to their sites or communities.
Who is it Best for? New users and professonals alike, Site 5 is great for anyone looking for a great all in one solution that is easy to use, especially those looking for professional WordPress hosting or need the great educational tools offered by Moodle.
Costs: Rages from $4.95 per month to $13.95 per month depending on package and term with no set up fee.
Cons: You do not get as much control over the design elements offered online; however, you are free to use any design software that you want and upload using ftp.

Homestead: If you do not have a lot of technical ability and you just want easy to use web hosting without a large learning curve, then Homestead is a great choice. You can choose from hundreds of predesigned templates or have complete control with true drag and drop features that allow you to put any element anywhere on your page without predesigned restrictions. You can also easily add a customized web form or predefined guest book to your site with just a click.
Cons: No community features available such as blogs or forums, and no member management to allow visitors or customers to log into your site.
Who is It Best for? Individuals or Businesses who want basic hosting features without a complicated user panel or want complete real time control over the look and feel of their site.
Costs: Packages range from $4.99 a month for a simple 5 page site to $49.99 a month for an unlimited number of sites and pages.

Pro-Stores: If you just need an e-commerce solution instead of a full blown web site then Pro-stores may be a good option for you. You can choose from professional templates, edit customizeable options including html, and even run coupon offers or generate logos for your online store. If you want to establish a full featured, professional online store front, then this is the perfect solution.
Who is it Best for? Retail businesses looking to put their entire product line online in an easy to use, professional store format.
Costs: They offer two packages, $29.95 for up to 5,000 products or $59.95 per month for up to 100,000 products; both with a 0.5% transaction fee.
Cons: Designed for large retail businesses, if you only have one or two items to sell this may not be the best option and a standard web site with PayPal integration may work better for your needs.

In addition to my top picks, you may also want to check out a couple of these other great options:  

• 1&1 Hosting
• Lunar Pages
• Host Gator
• Fat Cow Hosting
• Start Logic

Ed Note: All links above are affiliate links. Clicking on them for your purchase helps support Niki and her great writing.

BOOKMARKS:

You need to find the right websites and bookmark them in your Favorites folder in your browser so that when you are ready to research and apply you will have all of the sites you need at your fingertips. Some suggested sites to bookmark include:

PASSWORDS:

For many of the sites you have bookmarked, you will need to set up User ID’s and PIN’s in order to access your personal information and applications. Of special importance is applying in advance for a PIN to use on the FAFSA application. This is obtained online at http://www.pin.ed.gov/. Both the student and parents (if claiming the student as a dependent) will need their own separate PIN’s. To receive the FAFSA PIN each party will need their Social Security number and date of birth. These are also common requirements for PIN’s on investment, lender and bank sites – along with your account numbers.

FAFSA = Free Application For Federal Student Aid

EFC = Expected Family Contribution

SAR = Student Aid Report

CSS/PROFILE = College Board’s Financial Aid Application

SEE YOUR ACCOUNTANT:

Schedule an appointment with your tax preparer before year-end. Your accountant can guide you in making decisions on manipulating your income and assets prior to the end of the year. How can you best reduce your income for the year from an aid perspective? Is there a bonus, raise or additional income source such as alimony that you can delay until after 12/31? This will keep your income level lower for the upcoming school year’s aid calculations. However, it may also increase next year’s income figures, making your aid figures less attractive for you in the following school year. Are there capital gains that can be offset through sales of assets with losses? This can help your taxable income and also reduce your asset base for aid factor purposes. Same goes for charitable contributions. Tax and aid laws are complicated. Work with your accountant to make the waters less muddled.

Your accountant can also assist in estimating your year-end income figures and resulting tax calculations that will be required on the FAFSA application. Working off of the prior year’s returns and using pay stubs and account history details from your bookmarked websites will help provide the details needed. You can file your FAFSA before filing your federal returns using quality estimated figures. Upon your actual tax filing, which should be done in early February once all tax forms have been received, if your formal figures do not match your estimated figures, you will need to update your FAFSA. This can trigger requests for document copies and hold up your resulting Student Aid Report (SAR) however, so estimate with pristine care and calculations. Your accountant can be an excellent resource for providing estimated tax return figures in advance of filing.

SPEND:

In calculating your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) the government uses all of the financial information reported on the FAFSA. What your definition of an EFC is versus the government’s is generally vastly different. The government wants the student and their parents (if claiming the student as a dependent) to spend down their non-retirement assets almost entirely towards education. They don’t allocate as much for a reserve toward everyday living expenses, taxes and insurance payments as you might imagine. So when you receive your SAR you may be disappointed with the EFC results. Since they are expecting the student to use all of their hard earned dollars towards education, why not go ahead and beat them to the punch? Every student needs a computer or laptop. Perhaps some storage organizers for the dorm room. Use assets solely in the student’s name to purchase these items before year-end. This will reduce their assets, using them for school related expenses that would be spent anyway in the upcoming year. And it can lower the EFC, increasing the aid potential.

TALK TO THE SCHOOLS:

Many applicants use their high school’s Guidance Counselor to research financial aid information. However, most colleges and universities provide departments available as a resource for the financial aid process. More unique are schools such as Farleigh Dickinson University who offer workshops and one-on-one assistance with an aid counselor to prospective applicants. Check with the schools you have applied to and find out if they have a program or department available to assist with application questions, resources or guidance with the FAFSA and other aid options.

Look up their college codes on the FAFSA website or obtain from the school directly and list the earliest deadlines first on your FAFSA so they receive your SAR in time.

In order to receive an aid package from your school you may need to complete a CSS/PROFILE application in addition to the FAFSA which has an entirely different set of financial questions excluding less than the government does. Each school sets their own deadlines for CSS and FAFSA aid filings and you need to know what they are. Call them and get that date firm on your calendar. Many are around February 15th since it can take over a month for SAR’s to be generated. PROFILE’s can be filed prior to year-end and the exercise can get you prepared for the FAFSA process.

Look beyond overall tuition, room & board pricing. You want to know about any flexibility across their various plans. What are the Meal programs or requirements for on campus students? Do different Housing locations or sizes carry different costs? How can you be considered for one over the other? Are there free or discounted transportation options for on or off campus students? Are rentals available for electronic needs? Is the school’s health insurance cost less than what you currently have? Whatever you can do to reduce your complete college cost will reduce the amount of your government assigned EFC that you need to spend. Knowing the true figures and available cheaper options when calculating your budget will leave you better prepared when seeking supplemental aid.

DON’T GET LAZY:

Money you are given as opposed to loaned is the best kind. Use your time wisely now and while waiting for the government by seeking out and applying for scholarships. These pools of money are limited too, and the sooner you can find the ones that you genuinely qualify for, the better your chances are of being a lucky recipient. Employers, communities, intended career organizations, academics, athletics, military, arts, music, specialty competitions and other avenues are all worth looking into. Just beware of scams and unrealistic opportunities.

Implement these tips and you will be better positioned when the filing window opens for the FAFSA, and for knowing what your overall aid package needs to provide. Do you have any other resources, tips or tricks for maneuvering the college aid maze?

This is the first in a series of posts about the college financial aid process. Subscribe to our feed so you won’t miss future tips on scholarships, loans and other aid related issues.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SXC.HU

Check financial records and update address for W2′s:

Once the new year begins we will be headed into tax season, so if you have not already done so be sure to update any of your records with current or former employers so that you will not miss important end of the year paperwork including those W2′s that you will need in order to file your income tax and other important documents during the coming tax season.

Also, do not just assume that if you did not move during this past year that your records are necessarily correct with the personnel office. Database moves or account updates can sometimes result in some one entering your information in incorrectly and even a small typo on your address could mean that your tax forms get lost or misdirected. So take a moment to double check all of your account information with your employers, banks, etc. to insure that the information that they have on file is indeed up to date and error free.

This is also a good time to review your financial records to see how your accounts were performing over the last year and what adjustments you may need to make in the coming year. You can double check to see if you have any savings bonds or cd’s that may be maturing in the coming year or reevaluate your current investments or retirement plans to see if they need to be adjusted for the new year.

Weatherize Your Home:

Before the harsh winter takes full force be sure to weatherize your home by sealing gaps and drafts, repairing faulty thermostats, replacing broken or single paned windows, etc. Having your home properly weatherized will keep you family toasty in the cold weather months and save you money on heating costs.

Change fire extinguishers and smoke alarms:

Nothing is more important than your safety and that of your family. Having properly installed and functioning fire extinguishers and smoke alarms is an essential part of home safety and there is no better time to take inventory of these fire safety items than now. It is also a good idea to check for loose wiring or to take care of escape routes such as fire ladders for upstairs windows or to check for properly functioning fire escapes.

Make annual check-up appointments:

If you are long over due for your yearly check-up appointment with your health care provider now is the time to take care of it and get caught up so you can face the new year knowing that you are either in great shape or that you are on top of any potential problem. This can also help in setting some of those personal goals for the coming year. For example, if your blood pressure is a bit too high then you might want to set weight loss goal or find ways of reducing stress. If your cholesterol numbers are not where you would them to be then one of your goals for the coming year might be to change your diet to avoid unhealthy, high cholesterol foods and to get more healthy, anti-oxidant and low fat foods to improve not only your cholesterol levels but your over all health as well.

Have car serviced:

Just as it is important to keep yourself in good running order, so do you need to keep an eye on your car. This is a good time to make sure that you are up to date on all of your needed maintenance for your automobile such having your spark plugs checked and getting an oil change if you are over due.

In addition to regular standard maintenance you will also want to take this time to make sure that your car or truck is properly weatherized and will not be a safety hazard for you and your family in the coming winter months. Check your tires for good tread or get snow tires if you live in an area where you expect to be driving in snowy winter conditions. Purchase chains, check the anti-freeze levels, and make sure that you have an auto first aid kit for winter. Your auto first aid kit should not only include your standard first aid supplies such as bandages, etc. but should also include safety reflectors, jumper cables, and thermal blankets to help keep you and those traveling with you warm should you become stranded in the cold weather.

Take a home inventory and update your insurance.

Another task to undertake each year is to update your home inventory and check on your current insurance coverage. It is a good idea to keep an eye on your insurance from time to time to make sure that your premiums are up to date, that you have the latest paperwork that you will need should you ever have to file a claim, and to make sure that the coverage your are getting is adequate for your needs. If you previously had a larger policy based on out standing debts that have been paid or property that you have since given away or sold then you may be paying for more coverage than you actually need and likewise if you have replaced old, out dated equipment or required new items your current coverage may not be adequate so take a moment to review your current insurance policies not only for your property and automobiles but any health or life insurance policies that you may have as well.

Take a health inventory and create goals for the new year.

Weight loss and health related goals rank among the most common of New Year’s Resolutions. If improving your health is one of your top priorities this coming year, then start by taking a self inventory of your health and life style. Look at your diet, the amount of exercise that you get, and any recommendations or insights that you may have gotten from your health care provider during your yearly physical and decide what is work for you to have a healthy lifestyle and what is not. Then you can set some obtainable goals for the the new year to help you be healthier and feel better. And do not forget to include mental health areas as well including an evaluation of your stress levels.

Set a yearly budget.

Before you begin to make merry and ring in the new year, be sure that you know exactly where you will be financially in the coming year so take a brief moment to review your current budget and to see if you need to make any changes in the coming year. And for a great way to help boaster your savings, if you have received a raise for the new year, maintain your old budget as if you were not making any extra money and then put that extra cash flow into your savings so that you can be prepared for an emergency or unexpected cost that could arise.

Update your address book.

While you are sending out those holiday greetings you have a great excuse to update your contacts. Double check not only the addresses but you may want to make sure that you have current phone numbers and email addresses for any friends and relatives who may have moved or changed jobs recently resulting in a change of their contact information.

Have an emergency planning meeting with your family.

An important part of safety for your family is emergency planning. Does everyone in your family know where to meet in case of an emergency of natural disaster? Is there an easily accessible list of the current medications that you are taking or health concerns that your family can use to communicate with a doctor should you need emergency care?

Sit down with your family and discuss an emergency preparedness plan, evacuation routes, and other important safety information. You might even want to hold a few fire drills or other such emergency response practice to help everyone in your family know where to go and what to do should the need arise.

Though your to-do list may seem rather large at the moment, completing these tasks each year is an important way to make sure that your home is protected, that your family is safe, your finances are on track, and that you are doing all you can for your health so that you can indeed have a happy new year.

By the end of most days, I couldn’t tell you anything about what I had done that day because my brain was just overwhelmed. Sometimes my wife would feel a little slighted because I couldn’t even remember conversations or events during weeks where I was intensely busy. It was a rotten feeling and tiring. I was waking up each day feeling like I was multiple days behind in my job, and that the To-Do list was long enough to crush me under its weight if I printed it out on paper.

Then I started to realize that it didn’t have to be that way.

Remove

The simplest way to deal with information overload is just to start removing things from your list each day. Do you really need to check e-mail every time you receive one? Do you really need to read all the articles on that blog you are subscribed to, or better yet, do you really need to be subscribed? Start removing things, one at a time, until you reach a point where you can list all of your must-do daily tasks on your fingers. No using toes to lengthen your list!

Many blogs allow you to subscribe to a single author or category. Take advantage of this feature to reduce your daily reading list.

Combine

There are some things that you don’t really need to remember because you might just have a low-level connection with them. Things that usually fall under this category for me include Facebook and most other social media sites like it. I combine these into a “single” task for the day, and go through them all quickly. I usually leave it as one of the last things on my list, so that if I run out of time in the day, there is no real harm.

Combining tasks to streamline and optimize your work day is never a bad idea. Much like remove, you can put all your e-mail checking as something you do at the start of the day, and then at noon and one last time before you finish your work day. Combining your e-mail checking (especially if you have multiple accounts) into blocks of time, rather than reading, responding, and organizing e-mails throughout the day will allow you to focus on important things, and not feel like you spent your whole day in your e-mail inbox.

Outsource

Outsourcing can seem like it is out of reach for some people, but the biggest limitation on your attention and resources is usually you. I’ve had my own experiences with hiring virtual assistants, some good, and some bad, but in the end, it usually saved me time, energy and allowed me to focus on more important tasks. If you take your time to find a good assistant, or some people you can trust to do good work, you might just free up the time you need to take a break between tasks and get your thoughts more organized.

I’ve even outsourced things that I am good at so that I could focus on potential problems and pitfalls, and with so much competition online, there are many savvy web workers that can help out for a reasonable cost. A great example for me is WordPress themes. I can code them myself, but the time it takes me to do it right, and make it work on all browsers can eat up a few hours. If I outsource it, I get that time back and the cost is less than my hourly wage, so in actual fact, I saved myself the difference and am not distracted by another item on my extensive to-do list.

Single Task Processing

Multitasking is bad. I know some of you will cringe when I say this, but increasing medical and psychological evidence points to the fact that other than the few exceptions to the rule, people are horrible at multitasking. I used to think of myself as a master of multitasking, but this only contributed to my issues with information overload.

Selecting one task and seeing it through to completion before beginning the next allows you to focus all of your time and energy onto that task, speeding up how long it takes to complete, and allowing you to let the depth of any problems or issues you may have to deal with really sink into your mind, helping you remember the task more vividly later on when you might need to recall details regarding it.

Reflect

When I first started, I just pushed through the days quickly, looking forward to getting paid, and didn’t give much thought to the tasks I had completed in the course of any given day. Days melted together and projects started to get a little disorganized. I realized fairly quickly that at the end of each day, I need to think about how I did and reflect. I also used this time for self managing, asking myself “did I get done everything that I could have?” Usually the answer that my brain quickly shot back was “No, but you did everything that had to be done today, and there is always tomorrow.” Without labeling this time as reflection time, I was still conscious of the need to have it, and its benefit. It helped me unwind, relax and see my accomplishments.

Relax

Of course this brings me to the most important way to deal with information overload and that is to relax. There is no single person or job where one bad day will traditionally bring the end of the entire world (save for the guy with his finger on that nuclear missile launch button), and so reminding yourself that while everything you had to get done was important, it isn’t the end of the world if you miss something, forget something, or don’t complete something. Making sure to find time to relax will help you remember things, organize your thoughts and not feel so worn down. You might not be able to take a vacation in Europe, but you can find small things that bring happiness and relaxation to your life, thus helping you battle the stresses of work and life more effectively.

In the end

In the end, it is up to you to decide how you want to live your life, but being in a constant state of overload will eventually lead to things breaking down. If you want to stay passionate about your work and life, you need to find coping mechanisms, systems and strategies that work best for your life. If you can take one tip from this list and effectively apply it to your own situation, you’ll be a step ahead of where you were, and that’s better than where you’d be in a year if you didn’t take some of this advice.