Archive for the ‘Web Hosting Questions’ Category
What is the Definition of Web Hosting – What a Web Host Does and How to Choose a Good One
If you are new to the wonderful world of websites, you may have come across the term web hosting, but perhaps not fully understand what it is. Every website needs a web host in order for it to be available online for visitors to see it. If you create a website, you can do this on your own computer at home, but if you want it to be seen on the internet you have to upload it to a server, which is a powerful computer where all your web pages are stored. From here anyone with your website address can find it and view your pages. The company who provide the server for you are your web host.
Web hosting is a specialist business that involves the provision of computer space where people can pay to have their websites stored. As well as the basic storage of web pages, the web host has to enable your pages and files to be downloaded by visitors to your site. This service is known as the provision of ‘bandwidth’. Whenever someone views a page on your website, they are downloading the information stored on the web host’s server, so there is a transfer of data. Bandwidth is just a measure of data transfer over a certain period of time.
There is a direct cost involved in both storing your pages and allowing them to be downloaded, so web hosts will charge you based on how much storage and data transfer you require. If you look at the various packages available on any web hosting site, you will see that there are normally different options which include varying amounts of ‘disc space’ (storage) and ‘bandwidth’ (data transfer).
You will select the most appropriate disc space allocation based on how big your site is likely to be. The more pages and files you have the more disc space you will need to store it. Certain file types, such as images, take up a lot more storage space than others. You choose how much bandwidth you need based on how busy you expect your site to be, and what type of data is going to be downloaded. For example, if you have a website that contains lots of video files, that is going to require a lot of bandwidth.
When looking for a web hosting company, you will obviously need to check what packages are available and look for an appropriate level of bandwidth and disc space, but there are other important considerations too. The most important of these is how reliable the web host is in terms of keeping websites online and in dealing with queries and technical problems. With any web host you are going to have to contact their support staff, even if just to answer questions or queries, and how good this service is can make all the difference to your experience. An unreliable host could leave you with your website frequently off-line and no quick answers or solutions when you ask for help.
The best way to check out the reliability of hosting companies is to seek reviews or recommendations based on previous customer experience. Whatever they say they will do for you counts as nothing compared to what an existing customer tells you they have actually done.
What is the Advantage of a Web Host Reseller?
Many believe web hosting reseller plans as an inexpensive alternative in contrast to shared hosting. In these days Windows reseller hosting alternatives are well thought-out to be a much enhanced alternative over Linux. Now are a number of of the rewards of using such a service as the web host reseller. For one thing, you need to understand that with such a function, you do not necessitate to clutch too numerous accounts to uphold communiqué with customers.
To a certain extent, there are functions that are like chalk and cheese – organizational sections obtainable that helps in following all the purchasers and put aside a lot of period. Also, there is a lot of versatility in the use of a host reseller and you do not have to worry about things like compatibility and whether or not the systems that are using and connecting to each other are using the same digital language to ensure that there are no issues at stake. Without difficulty in the verbal communication of your alternative, the appliance can be hosted there. For this reason, you can without difficulty run PHP, MySQL based site with your ASP.NetSQL position.
Supplementary ASP libretto works improved with a Windows hosting stage. Also, with the supplementation of the control panels given to you, you will then be able to access all sorts of services from one single control point which makes for ease of use and a no hassle approach to controlling your website and the host as well. Also, the very fact that most of the website host resellers are based solely on Windows, you are then able to easily capitalise on the technology that is available to you and add in any sort of third party services to augment your website and your host options.
You will be then able to offer advanced programmes to your clients and augment their entire experience. You can also include things like push technology and even the use of share point, which is also one of the services available on the web host reseller Windows based platform. Web Hosting Reseller by means of Windows reseller-hosting choice makes available with dependable information organization and examination software, which you can take advantage of in any sense of the world to enhance your command and control over the website, not only on the side of the host, but also on the side of the end user. The consumer gets a superior policy that provides prospect to cultivate and spread out their requirements.
Without difficulty, they can make the most of the most up-to-date expertise. and technology to enhance the experience for themselves and their clients, especially when you consider that most people who buy into the whole web host reseller option are looking for slightly cheaper ways to launch their digital enterprise. To be acquainted with further about Web Hosting Reseller, pooled network hosting provisions and other services that those are contributing by these selected corporations, call on a web continuance applications business now.
What to Look For in a Web Site Hosting Company
There are thousands of web site hosting companies available at your beckon call. However, not all are created equal. In fact some are really bad and cost a lot of money, and others which charge very little are excellent. Do not equate price to quality when it comes to a web hosting company. Make sure you follow some of the advice below so you are not paying for things you do not need.
Advertising
Many webhosting companies will place ads on your side in a top, bottom or side bar or insert Kontera code that makes certain keywords in the content of your website become clickable ads. They do this to help offset hosting costs by offering you a lower cost. If you are ok with ads on your website then this is a good option only if the host is free. If you are paying for hosting then there should be no forced ads.
Space
How big is your website? If you have a simple 4 or 5 page site then you probably don’t need gigabytes upon gigabytes of space. Most hosting companies offer a variety of packages based on your needs. Make sure you choose a package for the space size your website requires. There is no need to pay for more than what is required.
Transfer Data
Each hosting company will allow you, up to a certain amount, to have data transferred from your website to a visitor’s computer. This can be the website pages themselves, data, pdf files, video, images and things like that. If you have a website like YouTube make sure you pick a package that offers a large amount of transferrable bandwidth. Also make sure you check into how much they will charge you per megabyte you go over your monthly quota. It could be a few pennies to a few dollars.
Interactivity
Is your website going to be interactive? In other words will you have a guestbook to sign, a newsletter that visitors can register for, do they need to log in to your site? If so then your web host must be set up for CGI, common gateway interface. It’s a fancy way of saying interactivity over the web. The two most common are Perl and PHP, although you could use ASP, Java, Flash, ActionScript and many others. If you already know what your site is going to be developed in, then make sure you choose a host that accommodates.
Price
How much are you looking to spend? I have a couple of websites where I pay about $4.00 per month and for that low cost I get everything I need. Some hosting companies charge per year, some bi-yearly and others monthly, as is the case with my websites. Know the budget of what you want to spend on your website. Most hosting companies will allow you to upgrade as your demand for space and speed increases. So if the cheapest package will suffice for now and is within the budget, then that is probably what you should go with.
Hopefully before you make the plunge and settle on a web hosting company you follow some of the advice above and make a decision based on what you truly need and what your website really demands.
The Importance of Good Business Web Site Hosting
When starting a business online, a good web host is really important in projecting both a brand and an identity that people can trust. What you need to know is that when choosing a good business web host, there are certain things you need to look out for, and usually it is a matter of the company projecting an identity that you can trust as well.
First and foremost, the web host must be one that has the resources to take on the needs of your business and if your business is something that is data heavy, it needs to be able to take on the requisite amount of data without lagging. Some of the below par websites out there are actually just old services rehashed with a new look, so you need to be able to identity what sort of technical needs the server must have to be able to handle your business.
Also, you need to know what type of platform it is running and this is important to you as well. What you are running on your end must be optimally compatible with what they are running as well, as sometimes computing languages may clash and slow down the hosting solution for you. Also, you need to be able to know whether or not this website host is one that is dedicated. The hallmark of a good business host is one that is able to give you great dedication of services – this is important in the dynamic customer experience of your website or online services.
Something that is slow, has constant errors, lags and cannot establish a connection will not inspire the customer to sign on to your services or to even purchase whatever it is you are selling. It also affects your brand quite badly as trust and communication cannot be established. This is why a good business host with all the technical capabilities is so important in establishing good relations with your potential client base.
The whole point of this is your image, and this is the first thing that customer sees and this affects all the decisions that they make down the value chain of their experience with you. It is just like entering a store. Customers base their whole experience on the things that they see, the appearance of the shop, the design and layout, the attentiveness of the customer service or sales person and the overall experience.
This is exactly what the website is trying to replicate. So you have to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that there no hiccups as well. This way, you will then be able to take advantage of the platform of the internet and make some headway with your digital venture. These are the very tangible and real benefits of getting a web hosting solution for your business that you can trust and one that is credible. Be a bit more exclusive in your choice and discriminating when you do pick one and everything will just fall into place.
Small Business Web Hosting Services – 5 Features Every Business Web Hosting Service Should Provide
Countless of web hosting companies offering business web hosting plans and services for any imaginable web project. But irrespective of what you have in mind with your business website, make sure that your web host provider offers this 5 essential features. Otherwise your online business will fail miserably before it has begun.
Feature 1: Daily Server Backups
Good web host providers back up their servers on a daily basis. That ensures that your web files are protected in case of a sudden server crash. This must not cost extra charges as it normally is included in the hosting plan charge. So, avoid web host providers that perform back-ups of your web files for extra cost.
Feature 2: At Least 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Web host companies make a lot of claims to persuade you to sign up for their hosting plans. In order that you’re not buying a pig in a poke you have to watch out for a Money-Back-Guarantee for at least 30 days. That’s enough time to put their hosting plan to the acid test and if you have minimal doubt that they are not standing by their promises you know what to do and get your money back.
Feature 3: Uptime Guarantee Of Your Website
Good web host providers are based on a reliable high quality server infrastructure. That means they only use quality hard- and software and employ trained server administrators to keep their network well maintained. If that’s the case they are able to offer a 99% uptime-guarantee and that’s what you have to keep an eye out for.
Feature 4: 24/7 Technical Support
24/7 technical support is a MUST of any good web host provider. If it’s just a claim you’ll see if you really need qualified support someday. So make sure before choosing a web host provider that they stand by their promises. If not it could be a pretty tough task to maintain your business website.
Feature 5: Free Account And Script Setup
A good web host provider will assist you in every step you’re making and that, of course, means that you can expect free and easy account and script setup. Many web hosting plans support a wide range of script installing features so that the installation of web projects like Wordpress, OS commerce, Joomla, phpBB2 etc. will be a breeze. And good web host companies maintain this service without any extra charge.
What Web Hosting Should Include
What is web hosting? Do I need a paid web hosting or I can get on well with the free one? The used terms can be not clear for those who do not know what hosting is.
What is the web hosting?
The web hosting is a way of allocation of a site in the Internet network. As soon as you have placed the site on a server – whoever can get access to it, having typed a domain name in address line. Access to the site is possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
To place the web site in a network, it is necessary:
- First of all, to have your own web site. It is necessary to have a site copy on the local computer (in HTML-files), or ready materials a script which would allow to create a web site on a server directly.
- A domain name. It is necessary to find and gain a domain name of a site. It is desirable for the name to correspond the subject of the site and this name should be remembered. The domain name can be in any, on your choice, domain allowed zone, for example: .com .net .org .ru etc. Chosing domain allowed zone be guided by the data about domains subjects. Domains .com, for example, are intended for sites of a commercial trend, .org – official bodies and Public organisations. Regional domains speak about a site accessory to any region. This is an optional rule, but it is necessary to remember it.
- To order one of hostings-schedules in the company which gives hosting services.
What is server?
It is the computer placed at the Internet provider and connected into a world net on which the web site copy is stored. As a rule, one server contains many web sites at the expense of the big disk space. But as a whole, it has no importance. This is not the server value important, but its computational capabilities and capacity of the Internet channels of the provider.
With the help of any web browser (programs for sites review in the Internet) you can get access to your web site, having typed the site address in the address line.
The web hosting can be compared to real estate rent. Number of companies are ready to offer hosting for the friendly price, however not many can provide with hosting of proper quality. Speaking about hosting costs, it is necessary to mark that for the majority of web sites the card cost per month can not exceed 10 US dollars. Within this cost it is possible to find a hosting-company, giving about 300 megabytes of a disk space on a server and every possible functions, such as: installation and running of scripts, databases support, control panel (i.e. your management panel) of a web site where not only site customizations are made but also e-mail customization.
If you plan to create your own site in the network, it is necessary not only to decide what level the web site will be, but also to chose a provider correctly. Statistically, more than 70 % of web sites owners passed from one hosting on another at least once. Changing the provider is explained by a quality dissatisfaction of given hosting services.
Indeed, any provider says that it is the best, and it has the lowest prices etc. And then it appears that the support service does not answer, or answers, but with delay, a server from time to time “is freezing” because of the big charge. Such imprudence in a choice of the provider can bring the big losses.
Imagine what means absence of access to a corporation site where each half an hour is refreshed important information for the employees who are in remote branches of the company. Imagine that potential clients of the corporation cannot get contact phone or an e-mail address because they cannot get on a site. Probably, in half an hour they will find another company, your competitor. And they will not make the second attempt to come on your site. The damage from freezing servers can be huge.
In order not to make errors in hosting choice, it is necessary to visit forums and rating sites where hosting-companies are discussed. It will be good to read attentively clients’ opinions on different hosting-providers. Time spent for forums studying and responses reading will answer stability of your web site operation.
Solutions To Finding The Best Rated PHP Web Hosting
Its sometimes hard work trying to find the best rated web hosting that will cater for all your needs and that has all the key features that will enable you to run all the activities that entail web hosting. You should always lookout for the following key features when assessing the quality of the best rated web host.
First, a good web hosting should have easy to use design tools that will give the user an easy time when using the web thus saving him the time that might be wasted by clicking on the wrong web host or one that is not relevant for the required work, secondly a good php web host should have a free domain name that will not interfere with the copyright laws. It should also be one that has unlimited disk space because this ensures that the user can download as much information as he may require. It should also have unlimited data transfer, unlimited email storage, a 24-hour customer service to answer all the queries that may be asked by the web user and above all it must be a reliable and secure web hosting.
Php hosting is of the most preferred host because of its great PHP features for instance the secure apache servers, outstanding technical support and abundant hosting features. This kind of web hosting also provides high quality and security oriented php hosting services. The php hosting users benefit from multiple free tools, secure servers, great features and great customer service.
PHP is one of the most preferred programming languages that provides the most secured and optimized settings on the web for example the switch php versions. All these ensures that the best quality web hosting services are delivered because the php web hosting uses the best hardware, most sophisticated software systems and the best qualified professionals.
It is important to note that the best web hosting companies to host your company can be acquired by looking through web hosting reviews that provides reliable and relevant reading and the right information that you may be looking out for. However you must be careful to note that not all reviews sites offer the right information so you must ensure that all the information is given by those sites that are paid by the web hosts because their information is positive.
Websites that offer detailed reviews of web hosting companies can be judged on their reliability by finding out whether they are being paid by the company that they are making a review for and have a direct connection with the company’s product. Here you will be sure that these web hosting review are unbiased and are based on facts and real customer testimonials.
These web hosting reviews will definitely help you to see the best rated hosting company without unnecessarily wasting your time on companies that are not worth your money. Most of these reviews appear in table form and therefore it’s easy to make comparisons of the different hosting companies basing on the different factors and here reliability is key.
Small Business Web Page Hosting – Top 3 Reasons Why Free Web Page Hosting Will Destroy Your Business
Free Web Page Hosting can be an option if you’re planning a private blog or hobby website and you don’t want to spend money for it. But when it comes to small business web page hosting there are some important things you have to consider in order to be successful with your business website. Sure, saving on hosting charges can be enticing especially if your budget is short, but to save at the wrong end can easily put you out of business. Here are the top 3 reasons why free small business web page hosting will do more harm than good.
1. Poor Reliability
Reliability of the server infrastructure where your business website is hosted on is one of the most crucial features a web hosting company should provide for your business web pages. And reliability not only means that their servers are uptime 24 hours a day but they also should respond quickly so that your business websites could be loaded fast. That’s very important for a good website experience of your costumers and search engines like e.g. Google will rank your business website lower if the response time of your web pages is poor. Web host providers that offer free web hosting usually have not enough money to spend on high quality server infrastructure and that is a risk you shouldn’t take.
2. No Branding Of Your Business Website Possible
Your domain is your brand on the internet. This fact cannot be stressed enough. However, free web hosting usually operates like this: you develop a website and host it on a sub-domain of your free web host provider. All your effort on attracting visitors to your business website will only support their domain because your website is hosted under a sub domain of their domain name. And sub domains have a much lower weight in terms of search engine rankings. One day you’ll move your website cause you realized that free web hosting wasn’t exactly brilliant and all your effort on branding and promoting your website is wasted cause you cannot keep the same domain name.
3. Very Limited Customer Support
As you’ll know for sure, costumer support is a costly matter for any web host provider. Real costumer support can only be done by humans and to employ trained and qualified staff costs a lot of money. On that issue the sheep separate from the goats and a good web host provider always relies on excellent customer support. So, how much real costumer support is a free web hosting service able to conduct? You know the answer. That’s the reason why most free web host providers only offer customer support by e-mail. And for a free hosting service it’s ok, but if you’re under pressure and need a quick solution and you have to wait for an e-mail response. Such days could turn into very long days, especially if you’re running a business.
Free web page hosting services have a right to exist in particular for private websites and testing purposes. But to rely a business on a free hosting plan could be very risky. Poor reliability, the lack of branding possibilities for your business website and very limited customer support are only some of the disadvantages you have to expect when choosing a free web hosting plan. To build a successful business website you need a reliable web host provider and you’ll discover that good web hosting services don’t cost a fortune. Just a few dollars a month and you get good reliable web hosting with excellent support where building up a website will be a breeze.
How to Transfer Data From One Hosting to Another One Without Any Loss
1. Make a full website copy
Use your favorite FTP manager to load a site on the computer. Probably, there are not all files on a hard disk because you could add some scripts taken from the Internet network. If you use Dreamweaver editor, use GET command to copy all files. If you use FrontPage editor, use ‘import’ function, to make a full website copy of an old website.
2. Select a new web host
3. Transfer your domain name
Contact the company where you have registered the domain name and change DNS (domain name server) or the name server information into the information about DNS of your new web hosting. For some time the site will be unavailable to users while there is a process of changing DNS and the information of new DNS passes through world servers WHOIS (who is who). Usually it takes about 24-72 hours to fulfil the process. Until the site transferring is complete, save all existing services of an old domain name, such as e-mail redirection, a current address of the site and its web hosting. This is important for the site to function. To observe how the process of domain name transferring you can take advantage of service called the Domain Name Search in Whois.net. You can look up the entire account when your domain name will have already been transferred.
4. Load all files on a server of a new web host
When you are convinced that the domain name is already transferred, load all files of your website on a server of a new web hosting. Dreamweaver Editor- at first define a site, then use PUT command to transfer all files and web pages. Thereby the site will not undergo to any changes while files transferring. Editor FrontPage – create a new site from the transferred files from an old web hosting, and then load it on a server of a new web hosting. Be convinced that the new web hosting allows to use extensions of files Front Page. Thus, you will transfer a site entirely on a new web hosting.
5. Web pages transferring to a new web host
Dreamweaver and FrontPage editors make Web pages transferring very simple. While transferring, the site is exposed to almost no changes. One more way of web pages transferring is copying of an initial code when you press the right mouse on page also select “review HTML code”. Then the text is transferred to Notepad text editor. Then select “Save file as” and save the file in the HTML format in a proper place. Before you save the file in HTML format, in the bottom of a line there will be “.txt extension. From the drop-down menu it will be necessary to select” all files “and to change the extension of a saved file on .html, and only then to save this file. After that you will receive a completed web page and you can upload it where it is necessary. However, if the page contains maps, you will have to save them separately.
6. Website editing
Sometimes a website appearance can differ from the one which was on the previous web hosting, because not all files could be transferred. Such thing can happen when editors using. It happens more often when working with Front Page editor because it uses its own extensions at site allocation (additional files for simple allocation). Make necessary changes in design to make a site look as it was on a former web hosting. Probably, you will have to delete or change an initial code in order to recreate the first site completely.
7. Site testing
As soon as the domain name and all files have been successfully transferred on a new web hosting, you should test it on all services working capacity of a new web hosting (for example, e-mail services etc.). If all services work normally, you should refuse the remained services on a former web hosting.
A Beginners Introduction to Web Hosting For Small Business
Web hosting is the product that makes your website available to be viewed by others on the world wide web.
A web host gives space on its server, so that other pc’s all over the world can access your website by means of a network or modem.
There are literally millions of internet hosting products available today, ranging from free services with limited options to dear, special business internet hosting services. Which option you settle on depends primarily on how you plan to use your website and how much you want to spend. Many people put up their website up through their isps, as it’s generally easy and sometimes free.
Most isp packages include a small number of free internet space, along with equipment to create and upload web sites swiftly and simply. Isp web sites are excellent for individuals who want to put up tiny sites with low quantities of hits. However, there are usually rate restrictions, and most internet service providers don’t give a lot of features, so they might not be the best choice for a new business website. Free internet hosting is another good option for smaller, personal sites.
Unfortunately the most well known web hosting organisations i.e. those that appear in the top ten search listings, are still over-technical and too complicated for an everyday individual. The world wide internet has grown in popularity and now non-technical people, more than ever before, wish to utilise such services.
There are some less known hosting businesses that are changing themselves to accommodate for non-technical individuals, to make jobs such as domain name registrations and internet hosting accounts a uncomplicated everyday task. I personally run one such business and my regular close contact with customers has given me with insight. This direct relationship with my clients has given me the feedback and knowledge I need to simplify and remove the difficulty and complexity of web hosting.
If you are setting up an online business or money making project which involves the use of sites then we highly recommend that you do not go for the minimal and most inexpensive internet hosting service. Searches for web hosting will bring you many temptations because there are such cheap offers out there, but to ensure that you have the support you need when you need it, consider careful review of the hosting provider, ring them up and decide for yourself what flavour of service you might expect.