Just Web Hosting Solution

Archive for February, 2010

Majority of web hosting services online opt for a reseller hosting plan to reduce on the costs. Even through a well managed oversell will not do any harm; one should always shun unplanned overselling web host services because they may do more harm than good on your business.

Before buying any web hosting services, it would be vital to first understand what is reselling and overselling and managed overselling reseller host plans more often will involve an oversell on the side of the hosting provider. As mentioned, a well managed over selling is acceptable, although you should always be on the lookout at the server load on the regular basis so that you can be in a good position to inform the service provider, whether the host will be ready for an overselling.

Switching hosts and landing complains when the present one appears fishy is acceptable and not viewed as unethical. It is, however, advisable to check out the spam policy on the official website of the web hosting service providers at the FAQs section because you can find that a website that is not on the SPAM list today may be blocked due to its acts the next time you check. The two most important things about a genuine and truthful web host are well laid out spam policy as well as guidelines for combating spam activities.

This explains the reason why services that block out some bulk emails and send them to the spam folder or completely ignore them is the most preferable choice among many hosts today. Another indicator of a good host is one that offers a long trial period as more often than not they will not over sell their services in any unplanned way. Giving enough time to test the server greatly helps reduce risks on the side of the client when it comes to losing money due to unscrupulous services.

That said, unlimited hosting customers who go for these hosting services should understand that the services are not really unlimited the client will use limited space and capacity, which takes the stance of unlimited web hosting, but it is just a stance, it is not the case. If you know you have lots of traffic coming your way, your best bet would be to go for dedicated server rather than the self-branded cheap unlimited hosting services.

There should also be a clear cut refund policy and terms when it comes to getting full money back in case one is not satisfied with the services and decides to terminate the services during the trial period. Top web hosting services will have a pro-rated refund policy even beyond the trial period hence should be the option of any web master out there.

The success of your website or blog site is greatly dependent on the type of hosting company that you decide to do business with. Selecting a professional hosting company is crucial, first of all because the hosting company is the main determinant of the overall user experience on your site or blog and secondly, should the web hosting provider prove incompetent, it can be very hard to change service providers. Here are 5 things to put into consideration when selecting professional web hosting.

Consistency

This is the main factor when selecting a hosting provider. While bandwidth and disk space will contribute when some people are making their decision about a company, the two are important yes, but not as important unless you’re dealing with a very popular site or blog, which isn’t the case for a newbie. In reality, a newbie will use utmost 10% of the bandwidth on a typical hosting package. Thus, the main feature that you have to look at is the reliability of the host i.e. uptime and server speed. The other thing you need to factor in as your online business starts to grow is the features available and whether the company will be able to increase your features as your business grows.

Do research

This is highly recommended, use search engines such as Yahoo and Google to find out what others say about the company you wish to do business with. Visit online forums such as web hosting talk to find out how reliable your choice of company is from people who have previously dealt with the company

Be cautious of over-sells

A lot of hosting companies today will provide a lot of Gigabytes of disk space as well as bandwidth, and unlimited domain at less than $6.00 a month. It sure is a great offer indeed that will make a lot of people sign up for the offer. However, if you think critically, the product has been oversold hence the company wouldn’t be able to guarantee quality.

Still on point, even though the promotion says it’s less than $6.00, you’ll have to pay for a period of 1 or 2 years up-front. This is where lies the problem, you’ll be tied down to a product for 1 or 2 years regardless of whether the service is of good quality or not. Look for a professional web hosting company that will give a very rational specification.

Technical support service

Look at the support service of a company before you sign up. This you can do by sending an email inquiring something to the company and see how long it will take them to respond to the mail. The other option is to call and see how long they’ll put you on hold or how friendly they’ll be on phone and the level of technical know-how the telephone operator has. Needless to mention, a poor customer service reflects how poor the other departments will be.

Low price isn’t always good

Seek a professional web hosting company and if you get an affordable one, the better, if you don’t, just pay what you have to pay to ensure your blog or website is stable.

Why do your wear the best clothes when you go to the dance party? It is just because you want to grab the attention of some sweet dame? You might boast of a slim and trim figure but it will not help if you visit a party with tattered clothes on. In such a case, nobody will even notice you. Your well defined body needs the support of a suitable dress. It is the same thing with doing business on the internet. You might be having one of the most awesome website, but for it to grab attention on the internet it needs the support of a suitable web host.

It is in the task of selecting the best that people often land up making mistakes. People often end up purchasing flashy dresses for wearing to the party just because it came for a relative low cost and was accompanied with a free tie and handkerchief. It is another fact that they might never end up using that multihued tie or the odd colored tie. It is the same in the case of web hosts. People often opt in for one because it comes with freebies like unlimited bandwidth, disk space, and free domains.

Are you sure that your business website will require unlimited space or whether you shall be requiring infinite bandwidth? Have you ever checked about the server uptime and whether it is 99% or more? Have you bothered to check about the help desk and whether they are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year? You should not forget that despite your having a properly designed website that is optimized for search engines, it can never be successful if it cannot be viewed. There are many web hosting companies that run on a low speed backbone and if you have opted in for their services, and if your website is heavy on graphics, it might take to long to open.

In such circumstances, a potential client visiting your site will browse away to an opponent’s site. Would you like that to happen and suffer losses in your online business? You should always look for reliability in the web hosting organization that you are choosing. You should ensure that they have an uptime of 99% or more. You should make sure that they have a help section that is always available. If you are not satisfied with their services, there should be an option of getting a refund of your money within a stipulated number of days.

Would you prefer to lose your business on the web to fail even before it has established? Would you like your online business to be just like the millions of others or would you prefer it to be something special? Most people never bother about selecting the proper web hosting service initially with the end result being that they find no increase in their business. Let us face some harsh facts. You are setting up your website because you want to increase your business. You do not want your business to remain static with just a few local clients availing of the same.

With a properly designed and search engine optimized website you can increase the number of clients manifold. However, just getting a properly designed website and having it search engine optimized is not sufficient. It needs to be put on a server that has an uptime of 99% and more in order to ensure that it is viewable as and when required. While browsing the net you must have come across various sites that are not accessible and return back a 404 error? Then there are countless occasions where it takes ages for a website to open just because of the slow speed backbone of the server hosting it.

If you recall, you had never revisited those sites again. You should not forget that the majority of new surfers also boast of the same habits. They will never wait if a website takes too much time to open and will try their luck on another website. This is despite the fact that the location they first visited had something that was vital for them. It is common business sense to opt in for organizations that provide you with the best in backbone speed and other facilities at prices that do not burn a hole in your pocket.

Let us face the bitter truth. There are many organizations that lure you with unlimited domains, space, and data transfer. Are you sure your business requires it? Think again and you will find that it does not. You should rather opt in for a web hosting agency which provides you with stability and is famous all over the world for their reliability. Reliability is the key word in making any online business successful and if you have to pay an extra charge for that, so be it. That extra charge will prove to be an asset in the long run.

More than a month has passed since you launched your new website and there are hardly any clients visiting the same. It is not that you are offering trash. The program that you are offering through your site is something that will be of interest to all. Wondering what the problem might be, you request your friend to check out your page and it is then when you face reality. Your friend calls back and states that your site is down and is not accessible. However, there is no need for you to worry since the customer help desk is there to resolve your problems.

On dialing the help desk you are greeted with a message that they will get back to you on the next working day. Today being a Saturday, you are doomed for the next two days. The fault is yours that you did not enquire properly before selecting a proper web hosting service for your website. It is true that the company you have selected to host your website might be providing cheap services but that does not mean that will not provide timely help when required.

Nobody has the time to revisit a dead website regardless of the goods it supposedly offers. The huge sum of money that you had spent in getting your website designed and search engine optimized seems to have gone down the drain. However, all is not lost and you still have time to assess the problems and rectify them. Before you select any web hosting company, you should chalk out a plan. Check out what your requirements are and then proceed ahead keeping them in mind. Most people make the mistake of falling in for the unlimited trap.

They are always on the lookout for unlimited domains, emails, bandwidth, and storage space. With that kind of mentality, they end up looking at unlimited web hosting services and generally end up with one that does not provide proper services. Your business needs a rock solid host that is reliable and is renowned all over the world. Do not get fooled by the fancy bells and whistles… they are for personal sites and not for business ones. Some of the best web hosting providers might charge you a bit more than others but have you checked out their reliability? Would you risk your business with an unreliable web hosting organization?

There are different types of persons in this world and they have their different modes of selection. No two fingers are alike and it is the same with the various web hosting companies on the net. If your girl friend offers you an engagement ring, would you wear the same on your index finger? Obviously not! The engagement ring in meant to be worn on the ring finger. It is more or less the same when entrusting the task of hosting your website to any web hosting company.

You should select one that is cut out for the task. Most people, especially those who are planning to launch their website for the first time, get quite confused with the technical terms that are put up by web hosting companies. While some technical terms are meant for educating the end user about what he or she should expect from that organization, most others are put there for fooling them. Let us take a simple example. What is the value of unlimited space, bandwidth, and domains along with emails when the server is down 50% of the time?

In order for your business to be successful you should select an organization that has built up its reputation over the years. They might charge you a bit more than others but that extra charge is well worth it. Come to think of it, you have spared no quarters to get your website designed and search engine optimized. Why did you not opt in for a cheap designer? It was because you wanted a perfect website made that will reflect the true nature of your business and will help you to increase your business. You should also apply the same logic when you are on the lookout for a proper web hosting company.

The primary thing that you should check out is their server’s uptime. It should be 99% or more. A 24 hours help desk that is open 365 days a year is another thing that you should be on the lookout for. The control panel provided by the company should be easy to use. Chances are that you might not be satisfied with their services. In such a scenario, the organization you are planning to opt in for hosting your website should have a free money refund offer if requested for within a fair period of time.

Linux has definitely gained its popularity among the world-wide web-users recently mainly because of its high stability. Linux is probably one of the most stable operating systems in the world which had been highly sought. A huge numbers of web users have turned to Linux solution to take advantage of its great benefits which are worthy and crucial for the survival and expansion of their online business.

Linux is an open source operating system which is free of charge where its code is accessible to the public for any kind of usage or modification for their personal used. As a result, Linux had successfully received a lot of useful feedback from the public in terms of ideas for improvement, alternative methods of solution, possible defects or loop holes which Linux can be enhanced and developed in. Through the constructive feedback and extensive research, Linux software had been enhanced greatly over the recent years, incorporating some of the most important features which are highly preferred by their clients.

It is not surprising to know that Linux has dominantly championing the web hosting market today. Come and let us find out more about Linux software and understand what drives it to strategize its market position in this competitive industry today,

1. Linux web hosting appears to be more stable compared to windows web hosting probably because it is an open source operating system. With such an open programming environment, problems get to be identified almost immediately with continuous enhancements carried out on periodic basis so that any single change can be deployed soonest possible. It is not advisable to cum up these changes or bug fixes and have them deployed at the same time because this will increase the risk of Linux applications operating system and will require a longer trouble-shooting time because of the multiple changes.

2. Linux has been considered to be more universally compatible with many other operating systems in the market today. It helps to save time and resources because of its high compatibility, which would otherwise be needed to solve many of the incompatibility issues if they are not with Linux operating system.

3. It is imperatively cheap to own and host with Linux web hosting as Linux Operating system comes free or at a very low cost of distribution. Basically anyone and everyone would afford to host with Linux web hosting operating system, as long as they have the interest to learn. This enables Linux to get the necessary exposure to a wider level of audience whom may be the potential customers of Linux web hosting service subscribers in the near future.

4. Ease of switching between hosts is another benefit of Linux. Theoretically, any website which has been designed and configured to be hosted on a Linux-based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily at the same time. However the reversal does not work the same way. This is probably another key reason why many people tend to design and build their website based on a Linux-based web server instead of Windows or Mac-based web server now.

5. Websites need to be as dynamic as possible to incorporate any potential changes at any one time. Normally a web site starts with a few pages of simple html but this expands and changes over a considerable period of time to meet and suit all kinds of different requirements from the customers. A good website needs to be designed with great scalability above everything else without the need to make huge site changes all the time.

It is with great fanfare that you have decided to launch your new website. You have even thrown a small party to celebrate the occasion. After months of debating you have finally launched your business on the web. After all, this is the trend that the world is following and why should you be any different. Being the owner of owner selling fancy items, there is no dearth of customers… but most of them are repeat customers who are based in the locality. You were more interested in tapping the international market and making your presence felt all over.

You are inundated with congratulatory phone calls from your friends, relatives, and business colleagues. As one more call comes in you pick it up to hear some more congratulations. What you hear leaves you ashen faced. One of your friends has called up from overseas and according to him your website cannot be accessed. Not believing what you have just heard, you try to open your website, but it does not. However there is no need for you to get paranoid… just one phone call to the help desk and the will solve things out. There are more problems in store for you.

Nobody is responding to your phone call… you can just hear a recorded message stating to leave your message at the sound of the beep and that they would contact you on the next business day. It is Friday night so it means none of those whom you have so cheerfully invited to visit your website will be able to do so before Monday… and that too if the web hosting company you have entrusted the task of hosting your website is able to resolve the problem. When you are paying money for hosting your website you should ensure that they provide a 24 hours helpdesk that is available 365 days a year.

You should also check their up time which should me 99% or more. There are a number of web hosting organizations that provide you with those benefits. They also provide you with additional benefits like free setup of the server (and you were so happy when the organization you chose took just a small setup charge from you). You wasted cash by paying for domain name, whereas all good web hosting companies provide it free for life. Tomorrow if you plan to launch another website with your current host, chances are that you might have to pay an additional sum for the new domain.

With reputed organizations you have the option to host unlimited domains. You also need not purchase a web designing software since they provide you with a site builder. The cPanel control panel provided by the leading hosting providers is industry standard. You might not believe it, but all these features together will cost you far less than what you have paid now. It is high time you changed over your web hosting provider before your new online business goes bust.

There was this gentleman who though he knew everything in the world. It was by sheer luck that he had found out a good web designing studio and had entrusted the job of designing his brand new business website. Though that organization wanted to arrange a decent web hosting company for hosting his website, this gentleman wanted to do the same himself. A series of catastrophes followed. When he did not receive any new visitors during the first month, he consoled himself by arguing that the search engines will take more time to spider his page.

What he did not know was that the hosting provider that he had chosen was down most of the time. Though most hosting organizations are run professionally, some of them are still run by amateurs. They do not know the ABCs of web hosting and yet try to mess with the same. This gentleman in question had, unfortunately, selected one of them. His business would have grown by leaps and bounds had he opted in for a professional web hosting agency. There are many such agencies and they provide some of the best deals that one can think about.

For beginners, this gentleman had to pay an additional charge for getting his account setup… in fact, had he chosen a good host, he would have been provided free setup of his account. He also had to pay money to get his domain registered… this is another avenue where he could have saved money by opting in for professionals who also throw in a free domain as a part and parcel of their web hosting plan. One fine morning his wife requested him to set up a website for her and when this gentleman approached his hosting provider, they asked him to pay the same amount of money that he had paid for hosting his website.

All good hosting agencies permit hosting of unlimited domains at no additional charge. These are just a few things that the gentleman in question missed out by opting in for an unprofessional hosting company. He would have got a far better bargain from a professional company. They would have also provided him with a 30 days money back guarantee in case he was not satisfied with their services. With 99% uptime provided by the professional organizations, our friend would have also received quite a number of enquiries through his website by now.

When running a small business, there are a lot of things that demands your attention and searching for a reliable small business web host is one of those things you need to put some time into. But, for most small business owners this could be a challenge because this may be the first website you are publishing on the Internet. So, how does one go about looking for an affordable small business web hosting solution?

Here are a few questions you can ask before you decide on a web host.

1. What type of hosting do you need?

There are various types of hosting available in the marketplace. At one end, there is the shared hosting. This is the cheapest option as you will be sharing the resources from same server will be shared among many other website owners. At the other end is the dedicated server. In this case, the entire web server is used only by you and no one else. You have full access and control over the server’s resources. Of course, this would be the more expensive option.

2. Do you need managed hosting services?

Some web hosting companies provided managed hosting services as part of the package. If you are completely new to this and are technically challenged, this option would be very useful to you as you need not have to worry about the technical issues related to hosting your website because all this will be managed by the web host. You just need to let them know what you want done and they will do the rest for you.

3. Does the small business web hosting service offer you an uptime guarantee?

If they offer such a guarantee, then you can expect minimal downtime on your website. It is important for your website to be up, otherwise people will not be able to find you on the Internet. You should consider a guarantee of at least 99.8%. But, be wary of those who promises 100% uptime since it is quite impossible to have no downtime at all.

4. Does the web hosting provider provide round the clock technical support?

It can be quite frustrating when your website is down or not functioning properly and there is no one to turn to for assistance. The server may be having problems in the middle of the night and you will want someone to deal with it immediately and be resolved as soon as possible so that your website is available to people at all times. You could be missing business opportunities when your website is down, even during the night.

5. Has the web hosting company been operating for a significant period of time?

You will definitely want to deal with a reliable and stable company. New web hosting companies who have just started their operations are at a higher risk of closing down. They may lack the experience and resources to offer reliable solutions. It is better to trust a more establish company as they have a proven track record.

Choosing a reliable small business web host need not be a big problem. Just give some serious thoughts to your requirements and what is on offer and use some common sense. You will have your website running on the Internet in no time.