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Find an ISP like You'd find a doctor or dentist

Web site developers get people ready for battle, but Internet Service Providers put them out into the action.

Simply put, an ISP is a company that provides access to the Internet - and thus all other Web sites - and enables visitors to get to your site. Real estate practitioners have all sorts of ISP options. They can have their site hosted by an online service such as CompuServe. They can tie into national real estate databases or they can use regional and local companies. A telephone directory in any metro market will have dozens if not hundreds to choose from.

While some site development companies offer access service as well, many do not, which leaves the Associate having to find a suitable vendor. As with any service endeavor, a referral is a good place to start, says Lori Robertson, an author and Internet Consultant whose company, Presentation Imaging, has worked with numerous RE/MAX offices primarily in New England.

"Finding a good ISP is rather like finding a good doctor or dentist," says Robertson. "Ask friends or colleagues who use the Net how satisfied they are with their ISP's ease and speed of access, general service, support and cost. Or ask your Web site developer. Her or she most likely has a list of worthy local providers."

Robertson, who spoke about the Internet at August's 1997 RE/MAX International Summer Conference for Broker/Owners and Managers, offers these tips for finding a suitable ISP:

• Check the speed of the company's transmissionl lines. Expect an ISDN line or something quicker.
• Make sure your ISP access line is a loca, toll-free call.
• Define ahead of time the parameters of technical support, and the costs associated with the level of support your desire.
• Find out whether the ISP's charges are based on the site's usage.
• Ask about the company's ability to track the site's visitors.

For more information on Internet Service Providers, dial-up access or hosting capabilities contact Presentation Imaging at 603-578-9720 or reach us on the web at lgrobertson@earthlink.net.