For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host" is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the Internet where your Web site resides.

In other words, just like a physical business needs an address, so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address, including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search engines and visitors to find your site.

Let's look at some common problems we often have with hosting companies:

• You can never find an actual person to talk to! They may have a 24-hour customer service line open, but you can never get through to a real person.

• Hosting companies often think that the "lowest price" will always get the sale, but they fail to realize that what people really want is excellent customer service, servers that are up almost 100% of the time, and a variety of services that come with the hosting package.

• Many hosting companies don't provide any other functionality other than Web site hosting. They don't provide a "control panel" full of goodies such as PGP secure e-mail, shopping carts, log analysis, database creation, etc.

• Guess what? Technical support people often don't make the best "customer support" people. They may be technical gurus, but their main interest lies in their high tech servers and other functionality, rather than solving the simple problems of their customers.

In other words, weak customer service is a major problem with the majority of hosting companies these days. Solution:

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Combustion Hosting Company, and to say I was impressed is a vast understatement.

Here are some things that struck me as unbelievable. When the phone rings, whoever answers the phone is required to stand up to answer it and talk. After all, the sheer act of standing up requires that they're alert and are listening to your problems and concerns. And, you actually speak to a "real" person!

With Combustion, if you have a problem, they don't just "tell" you how to solve it, they solve it for you! Also, their services certainly aren't limited to "hosting." They can set you up with an account to where you can access the Internet through local access numbers no matter where you travel.

Their prices are extremely reasonable -- much better than I had been paying previously. Plus, the "extras" I've received by going with Combustion are amazing.

But the one thing that makes Combustion shine over most Web hosting companies is their devotion to providing good customer service, and this is an area in which they truly excel.

So, if you're in the market for a new Web site, or if you aren't pleased with your current host, consider Combustion Hosting. It will be one of the smartest moves you could ever make for your Web site. robin@searchengineworkshops.com