WEB HOSTING 55

While you are doing your research on different web host service providers, keep the following points in mind. This will enable you to know what you should look out for, and thus, make a right choice. 

• Chalk out your technical requirements. You have to precisely understand the hardware requirements as well as the server platform you need.
• You need to be clear about the disk space you need and the bandwidth you require.
• If your website includes programming designs such as Visual Basic scripts, Cold Fusion, Active Server Pages (ASP), Microsoft Access, or Microsoft SQL database; you would need a web host that supports Windows platform.
• If your website includes programming designs such as PHP, mySQL database, CGI, Perl, or SSI; you would need a web host that supports Unix/Linux platform.
• If your website does not have loads of content, you don’t need to buy too much of disk space. A disk space of 500 mb would suffice. And if your website is a heavy one with lots of content, images, videos, and animations; you would need a massive disk space of 1GB-10GB.
• For your bandwidth requirement, you need to assess the amount of traffic coming to your website. If you expect huge inflow of traffic to your website, your bandwidth will exhaust quickly. Therefore, you have to look out or a web host service provider that can provide massive bandwidth, something in the range of 40 GB – 100 GB per month.
• You should ask your web host service provider to delineate all the costs involved in the services you require. Guard yourself against any hidden costs.
• Examine all the features a web host service provider is claiming to offer.
• Check the compatibility of the web host services with regard to web authoring tools such as Front Page and Dream Weaver.
• Check whether or not the web host service provider you are intending to choose provides e-commerce features. And if it does provide the same, would you be charged extra costs.
• Check the number of email accounts and the number of FTP accounts offered by your web host service provider.
• Check the database and scripting languages supported by your web host service provider.
• Check whether or not your web host service provider offers 24/7 customer support.

  Web Hosting – Domain Registration

To build a website and maintain it requires a lot of work and can prove to be complicated, time-consuming and costly for individuals and small and large scale companies. It is a good idea to help from service providers that specialize in all aspects of web hosting.

Apart from providing you a space in the server where you can store information in your website and a steady internet connection, many web hosting companies also provide additional services that may include:

• Domain name registration
• Renewal of domain name
• Email web hosting
• Data transfer
• Directory protection
• Backup services
• Technical support

Virtual web hosting is one of the methods used by web hosting companies. This allows them to host different domains on one computer or server. Thus, if you decide to get a virtual web host, you are only renting a space in the huge server and sharing it with many other domains.

Also known as shared web hosting, virtual web hosting is the cheapest and most efficient form of getting your website a place on the World Wide Web. For about $10 per month, you can use 1 GB disk space of a server. Usually, a web server has more than 4 GB of RAM so they can house several website domains on a single disk.

Basically, there are two kinds of virtual web hosting services:

• Name based
• IP based

In name based virtual web hosting, only one IP address is used by various host names while in IP based virtual web hosting, every web server that is configured with several virtual network interfaces on one physical interface, has its own IP address.

Like all other types of web hosting, there are some drawbacks of virtual web hosting. For one, you may experience problems encountered by other domains that share the server. Also, there may be lesser bandwidth, security and technical support services as compared to dedicated web hosting.

 Web Hosting – Domain Registration

When you start an online business, it is common to have multiple domains running simultaneously. It is best to go for multi domain hosting in such a case. This allows you to host more than one website under a single web hosting plan. Commonly, this is termed as “shared web hosting”. 

Multiple domain hosting has the benefit of making domain management much easier and also helps in simpler modification of settings of different domains from the same control panel.

When choosing a shared web hosting plan, keep the following things in mind:

Server space

Make an estimate of the amount of disk space required by your website. This includes taking into account the current as well as future expansion needs of the website. Also, some applications like file hosting require more disk space than others. Ask about the per GB cost of upgrading your disk space limits.

Bandwidth and data transfer

Most web hosting plans will offer a limited amount of bandwidth and data transfer allowed for your website. Make sure that it is sufficient for smooth functioning of the website now and in future. The speed of connectivity is another factor which must be considered. Your customers don’t want to wait while a webpage takes a long time to load.

Multiple domains

Check the number of domain names and sub domains allowed in the chosen web hosting plan. Get one with unlimited domains to enjoy uninterrupted growth and expansion as and when required.

Email accounts

Separate email accounts may be required for separate domain names. Many web hosting providers offer web-based or outlook based email accounts or both. You must look for a web hosting provider that offers unlimited email accounts. 

User-Friendly Control panel

The web hosting account should have an easy to use control panel and provide easy access to all information. Some web hosting services provide customized control panel as well. There should be adequate instructions about the method of using the control panel and modifying the various settings. You should be able to add or remove any applications according to your website’s requirements. 

Technical support

There should be adequate and effective technical support for your website to perform well. There should be minimum possible downtime and prompt solutions for problems as and when they arise.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

When you get a web hosting package from a company, it comes with a control panel which will enable you to manage and maintain your domains and their respective files. Cpanel is one of the control panel options and it is also quite popular with most professional Internet marketers.

Cpanel is quite helpful when dealing with managing your domains with ease. Cpanel is a web based administrative control panel, which makes it easier to manage all of your domain names and files associated with them from a central location. Cpanel will also give you access to important features like website statistics. The web hosting control panel within cpanel was designed with the end user in mind. It is probably the most user friendly on the market today.

You can manage functions such as account or site creation from your control panel. In addition to this it also gives you the ability to manage your email addresses as well as auto responders.  It will also help with your mail forwarding which will be beneficial to your business. Cpanel also includes additional features such as spam filtering and web mail so that you can check your email from any computer on the planet.

You can build and edit web pages from your cpanel web hosting control panel as well as manage your Microsoft Frontpage password. At the same time you can also make changes to the Apache handlers and manage options such as search engine submission. Another great feature is that you can set Cron jobs from the cpanel. In other words it is just a way of setting up automated tasks to take place at a particular time schedule.

Cpanel makes so many things possible. It has the ability to activate and use the preinstalled CGI scripts such as forums, chats and shopping arts. One popular feature with cpanel is fantastico. This feature allows for one step installation of Content Management Systems such as Mambo and the ever popular Wordpress blogging platform. Your work can get work done much easier and faster if you have cpanel with the Fantastico feature.

If you have a large number of domains, emails, ftp accounts, it will be important that the control panel is easy to use and that all the information can be easily accessed. Most web hosting services usually provide cpanel. Some use their own customized control panel.

All in all whichever control panel you use just make sure that you familiarize yourself with the interface so that you can get used to it as fast as possible.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

The best judge of the right time to switch to a new web hosting provider for your website is you. There are many factors which have an impact on this decision. Some of the most important ones include online business expansion, customer demand for more facilities and problems faced with current web host.

Most people experience web hosting issues like slow uploading of pages, file transfer errors, unfulfilled uptime guarantee, bad technical support and bandwidth and disk space restrictions. If you are one of these people, you must consider shifting to an upgraded web hosting plan or change the web hosting company itself.

A website’s performance is affected by the efficiency of the web hosting service. For critical websites, even a few hours of downtime can result in huge business losses. In the virtual world, customers will not waste any time at an inaccessible website before they shift to a competitor. That’s the last thing you want for your online business!
The decision to switch to a new web host should not be taken impulsively. You need to analyze the best possible solution for your website’s issues rather than making a wrong move in frustration.

Here are a few indicators for alerting you about the right time to shift to a new web hosting company.

#1: Tech Support
If you aren’t getting prompt response for your queries, the technical staff is either overburdened or incompetent. Both situations are harmful for your business if your problems remain unsolved for a longer period of time. Before your online business starts facing losses, you should look for another web hosting provider to reduce the downtime involved in shifting from one host to another. Test the technical and customer support of the new host before signing the service agreement.

#2: Package Pricing
Don’t get lured by free or cheap web hosting plans. Go for a reasonably priced web hosting package which offers large amount of features. Reputable web hosting companies offer feature-packed hosting plans for all levels of businesses. You must check their credibility, experience, security and customer reviews to get a better idea about their services.

#3: Flexibility
Many website owners feel the need to shift to an upgraded plan or another web hosting company due to restrictions on business growth. When your brand popularity rises and customer traffic increases, there will be need for more applications, scripts, files and other features to be transferred in and out of your website. this requires flexibility in bandwidth and data transfer limits. Shared web hosting may not be able to support high traffic websites. Then, it will be better to go for dedicated or colocated web hosting.

Whether you decide to switch a web hosting provider or not, make sure that your website has the required support at all times. If not, then its time to go to a new web host which can surpass the services provided by the previous one.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

It is important for you to acquaint yourself with the various key aspects of web hosting processes. Web hosting is not a complex subject. You can easily grasp the various web hosting concepts. The knowledge of these web hosting concepts will not only enable you to put things into perspective, but also helps you make the right choice while choosing a web hosting service provider.

Here are some key FAQs with regard to web hosting.

What does a web hosting company do?
To make your website available online, you need to host your website on a server. A web hosting company offers server space to your website. And you have to pay certain fee to a web hosting company for its services.

Does a web hosting company charge a mammoth fee for its services?
Well, the costs depend on the kind of services you are planning to have. By and large, you can get the desired web hosting services at reasonable rates. In fact, there are hordes of web hosting service providers available in the market.

You can easily get the services at a price that suits your budget.
Usually, you need to pay around $20 to $50 every month for space. But again, it all boils down to the services you want and the web hosting service provider you have engaged.

I am confused as to which web host should I pick?
This is a common problem. The market is awash with so many web hosting companies that you can get befuddled. All the web hosting packages offered by different web hosting companies appear to be similar.

This necessitates the importance of correctly understanding your requirements as well as your budget. Besides, you should look for some basic web hosting features as mentioned below.

• Does a web host provide fast and consistent connections?
• Does your web host provide adequate back-up systems?
• Does your web host charge any set-up fee?
• Does your web host provide 24/7 customer support?
• Does your web host provide you with a domain name?

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

Most people think of web hosting as a complex, computer related process. However, it is not as complicated as it seems to be. Web hosting is the provision of servers or computers for housing a website or a large number of websites. It enables online users to access your website continuously.

You can choose from the various alternative ways of web hosting. Doing it yourself can give you complete control of the website but it may look amateurish and unprofessional. If you want a good quality and effective website, you must be well-equipped with technical knowledge and skills for making and managing an attractive website. It may also require a large amount of investment.

It is a better idea to take the service of web hosting providers for your website. This is a less expensive and more effective option as compared to doing it yourself. There are many reputable web hosting companies which will take care of all your hosting needs; be it uptime, technical support, scripts, design templates, payment mechanisms, website security, etc.

For personal websites, one can go for free web hosting but for business websites, paid hosting is a much better option. This is due to the fact that free web hosting does not ensure customer and technical support nor does it provide uptime guarantee.

When looking for a web hosting company, you must research carefully for the reputable web hosts and compare different web hosting providers for the features and services offered and prices charged.

Here are a few things which you should take care of, before selecting a web hosting company:

Control Panel
You should be comfortable while using the control panel so that you don’t have to depend on the web hosting provider for the administration of your website. Make sure that you can easily upload files to your website and perform other functions without any problems.

Applications
Your operating system should be of a good quality, preferably WINDOWS NT or UNIX. Applications may be supported by Linux or Windows. Some applications make your website more interactive while others are just basic apps. Depending on your requirement and budget, choose the applications you want for your website.

Statistics
Most web hosting providers will give a statistics record in the package you choose. This enables you to see the customer traffic, popular pages, etc.

Tech Support
This is a very important feature for selecting a web host. The web hosting provider should provide 24X 7 technical supports and your website should be repaired quickly to minimize downtime.

Uptime
Don’t go for a web host which provides less than 99% uptime. This means that your website should not suffer downtime for a long period of time. This has a negative impact on customers which, in turn, will affect your sales and profits.

Bandwidth
This is the amount of data which can be transferred over the network through your website. A slow website with web pages taking a long time to download is annoying for the online users, who can get similar information from another website within moments.

Price
You have to choose a web hosting package within your budget. Such deals can vary from $10-$5000 per month. This depends on difference in the type of hosting, server space, data transfer, etc. while shared hosting is much cheaper, dedicated and co-located web hosting will be much more expensive. Smaller enterprises should opt for shared hosting and move to other advanced forms when their business expands and customer base increases.

Domain names
Check the number of domain names and sub domain names offered by different web hosting providers and select according to your requirements.

Security
The web host should provide good security measures for protecting user information from hacking attempts and website infringement. Avoid web hosts who don’t provide appropriate security mechanisms like SSL encryption.

Payment Mechanisms
Verify the type of payment mechanisms included in the web hosting package. These may include credit card, PayPal, etc.

Remember that you know your website best. Whichever web hosting deal you select, depends on your business needs and objectives.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

Choice of web hosting company is very crucial since any wrong decision is going to have an adverse impact on your entire business. One of the prerequisites for choosing best web hosting company is thorough understanding about your business and your sites specific requirements.

Apart from your websites requirements, there are few criteria which you need to look for in the web hosting company you are about to choose. These include:

• Nature of the site you own. For instance if you run a small business, then your website is sure to hold limited information. In such case shared hosting could be a great choice.
• Disk space and bandwidth play major role in choosing a web hosting company. In case you are going to have high traffic on your site then you would need good bandwidth. Another factor to be considered is disk space. Irrespective of your current scale of operation, it is always advisable to go for a web hosting company offering maximum disk space.
• Server downtime plays vital role in improving traffic on your website. Never go for a web host that claims to offer 100% uptime as it is impossible. Check for a company that offers reliable and dedicated services. Another thing which you need to check is backup facility on your files and data in case your websites crashes unexpectedly.
• With so many web hosting companies operating in the market at competitive prices, you need to choose the best one by comparing their prices.
• Support and maintenance should also be given due significance especially while setting up your website for the first time. Always prefer a web hosting company that offers uninterrupted customer support round the clock via online chat or phone call. Make sure that your service provider can render instant and easy access to technicians who would guide you in resolving technical issues.

All these aspects need to be borne in mind while selecting a web hosting company.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

Choosing a reliable web hosting company can be a difficult task. From first instance, you cannot make out which company is good and will provide the necessary solutions in the long run for your business. It is important to choose the right Web Hosting Company as the success of your online business will depend on it.

Here are 10 points for choosing a web hosting company

• You must be sure about your web hosting requirements such as disk space and bandwidth.
• Remember, a dynamic website with lots of images will need more space than a static all-text website.
• Do proper research to find the right web hosting service provider. Online market is crammed with a variety of web hosting service providers. You need to be smart enough to pick the right one.
• Don’t take a hasty decision in choosing a web hosting service provider. You must verify your web host’s credentials before taking out your credit card to make the payment.
• Know your traffic. You should know the kind of audience your website will have.
• Apart from knowing your traffic, you should know what your traffic does once it comes to your website. Your website hosting requirements may vary according to the visitors’ usage. For example, if your visitors come to your website for online registration, your website’s hosting requirements would be altogether different from a website wherein visitor’s come to know the latest news.
• You should have an estimate for data transfer as well. You can figure that out by calculating the average page size of your website and also the number of expected viewers for that page.
• Check whether or not your web hosting service provider allows upgrading the hosting package.
• Check the customer support service.
• Ask for uptime guarantees.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration

A lot of people go for a budget web hosting plan for their websites. Still, one needs to be prepared to handle its consequences too. Budget web hosting companies have their own secret way of doing business and this is reflected on their overall performance of the company.

This makes it very important for a customer to find out the different types of features, benefits and facilities involved with the web hosting package which has to be purchased. In case of budget web hosting, you must be aware of the operations of web hosting companies and keep the following things in mind:

There are many budget web hosting companies that have no experience or have not been in the market for too long. If you purchase a web hosting service from a brand new, inexperienced company, you will certainly be at a disadvantage. Find a web host with a lot of experience and those who are proud of their service and growth as a web hosting provider.

Make sure that you will have to pay less and still get all the benefits offered by a good web hosting company. You will need a 24/7 support system. While most web hosting companies claim to offer this service, only a few will actually provide it. Test them before you sign for their services.

Read and understand the service level agreement provided by the web hosting company. If they do not support a SLA, you must not go for this web host. A clear service level agreement helps you tackle issues which might arise after purchasing the web hosting plan.

Many budget web hosts claim to be web hosting companies but are actually offering a variety of other business where web hosting is one of the products they deal in. preferably, you should opt for a budget web hosting provider that focuses on hosting alone. Ask them about the same before signing any agreements with them. They must explain the kind of business they are into and sources of revenue. On this basis, you will be able to decide whether a hosting provider is suitable for you or not.

Web Hosting – Domain Registration