Web Hosting Resources
Your designers have given you a promising website. Now your next job is to get it hosted. First timers usually fall into the trap of bad web hosting companies. You come across scores of them in every nook and corner who sound capable and promise to do their job well but the resultant is a website that does not have much of bandwidth resulting in a slow and unprofessional website, and to make it worse the customer service is poor as well. So, finding a dependable web host is really tricky. You can find them through search engines and forums but before you zero down on one, you need to check a few things about the web hosting company. Get to know about the company that are you are hiring.
Credibility of the Company
Make sure that hard-core network engineers run the company and they are on the block for at least 2 years. Avoid the companies that are run by amateurs even if they give you a cheap bargain because your ultimate aim is to put your best step forward and that is your website. You need to check their credentials thoroughly, Read the ‘About us’ page ‘Terms of service’. Also read the web host forum and reviews. Please check for the credibility of the posters as well. Check the technology used by the company and go in for the one, which has at least 95% of the uptime for most of its servers. You need to know if the company publishes its address because after all you need to be sure if the company is legitimate since you are putting your company’s future in the hands of another.
Bandwidth
There is nothing called unlimited bandwidth. If you buy the unlimited service, your host might shut you down claiming that your website has been using unfair amount of system resources. And beware bandwidth usage and system resources are two different aspects when dealing your host. Always go in for the bandwidth one or two sizes bigger because finally your aim is to grow. Initially you might need less as the traffic is poor but eventually when the traffic builds up and your site is popular you would have to grab for the entire available amount.
Space
The web host gives you a certain amount of space on its servers. The need and the usage really depend on you. If you buy 5 MB of space it is plenty for the web pages and images of most of the business websites. But you need to confirm if this includes the mail, log files etc as well. A web host that includes everything usually gives at least 15 MB space minimum. And make sure that you don’t get sold into buying space than you really need.
Dedicated vs. shared servers
The web space you rent might be shared by a number of other clients of the company you choose. This is a very common trend. This should be your proffered choice if the number of hits is less and the website you own does not have a huge traffic but if you are moderately popular and the graphics and images take time to download, then dedicated servers are the best bet. If you go in for shared hosting then check if the same server does not host any adult or red flag site because some search engines weed all the websites hosted on this kind of server and you don’t want to be weeded out.
Support
A simple and quick tool to determine the online and offline support that you may require once your site is hosted is to mail your pre sales questions to the company. The response time will tell you a lot about the dependency of the company. So before signing the contract be sure that you will get response even at 3.00 am in the morning if needed.
Lastly always think ahead of time so your intention might be to grow bigger as compared to what you predicted. So to save time and money always have enough bandwidth and space so that you can grow into it without a second thought.
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BluEnt eSolutions - your one stop destination for all your professional web related requirements catering to website design, web development, SEO, corporate training, web hosting, VoIP services, flash presentation, and other web related applications.
Tags: linux, unix web hosting, Web Hosting, web hosting providers, web hosting services, web site hostingWhat to Look for When Searching for a Web Host
Today you can go online and find over 263 million links to web hosting related sites. With all of those links, how do you pick one? Which company is right for you? What do you need and what can you skimp on? This article will go through every option of a typical web host and not only explain what they are, but tell you if you need them or not.
Before you go looking for a host you need to know some basic things. First off every hosting plan will come with a set amount of bandwidth (sometimes referred to as transfer). Bandwidth is how much information is passed between the web hosting server and a visitor’s computer. You will get a monthly allowance of bandwidth and it will most likely be a number in Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB). When someone visits your website (referred to as a visitor) their computer pulls information from the server you website is located on and transfers it to their computer. This transfer of information uses some of your allocated bandwidth. In general, the more intricate your web page is, the more bandwidth it uses per visitor. Pages with many photos, music, etc use more bandwidth than pages with all text. You only need a lot of bandwidth if you are planning on having a large number of visitors to your site and have an intricate site.
The second thing all hosting planes must include is space. Space is simply the amount of storage allocated for you to place your website in. This number will be in Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB). The more space you have the more stuff you can put online. If you plan on putting pictures or big files online, make sure you go with a hosting plan with a large amount of space. If you plan on hosting a small site with just a few pages, then pick a plan with less storage. A typical plan would include 500 MB of storage and 1 GB of transfer. This is often more than enough for a small website.
So far we have talked about bandwidth and storage space. Both of these are required to even have a website. Now we move to the extras. Some may not consider email an extra, but in terms of what you have to have for a site to function it is only an extra. Email accounts are almost universally considered a must for website owners. If you have a website you should have an email address for that site. Most sites need only one email address per person. Find the number of people who are “behind the scenes” of a site, and give each of them one email address. For example, if you are planning on having a family website, give one email address to each family member. Business sites are required to have multiple email addresses (addresses like postmaster@example.com, support@example.com, etc), so people seeking to start a business website should find a hosting plan with many email addresses. POP3 email allows you to use outlook, thunderbird, and other email programs like that. I would not look at a hosting plan that does not offer POP3. A typical website needs about 3 email addresses.
Another extra that is very useful is FTP. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows you to transfer files between your computer and your website quickly and easily. FTP is not required, and not necessary for small sites or sites that don’t change often. I would suggest picking a plan with FTP access if you are creating a website for business or one that needs constant changes and/or updates.
Sub domains are a great extra that some people like. A Sub domain is simply something.yourdomain.com. You can place whatever word you would like in front of your domain name and have it directed to a different webpage. For example, if you had pictures located on your site at www.yoursite.com/pictures, you could add a sub domain and rearrange that link to look like pictures.yoursite.com. Sub domains are used most often by more experienced users. Most people do not need them, so don’t pick a host based on these.
My SQL Databases are necessary for things like most photo galleries, calendars, shopping carts, etc. Simple sites do not need these databases, but someone looking to place a photo gallery, support system, etc. on their site should get a hosting plan with these included. Each item that requires My SQL will use one database, so pick a plan with enough databases for your specific situation. Only factor databases into a decision if you think you may use them at some point. Be aware of hosts that charge extra if you decide later on that you want My SQL databases. You should try to find a host that is flexible and will allow you to add on to your package at anytime.
The absolute most important thing when considering web hosts is support! A web host that does not have great support should not even be considered. You will run into problem with your website. Unless you are a seasoned webmaster, you will find something you don’t know how to do or fix, and great support is critical then. You will need a host that can reply to your support requests quickly, and correctly. Pick a host that has been highly rated, or that you know puts more emphasis on support than things like marketing or flashy site designs. Beware of hosts that will say anything to get you signed up, and beware of sites that charge for support. A good web host included great support with all of their plans.
There are other features of web hosting not discussed here, but the most important and most widespread are. The last two issues that arise with web hosting are what server operating system to pick, and what type of hosting to pick. 90% of people should be on a shared server (a server with many different hosting clients on it), but some may want a dedicated server. A dedicated server is what big businesses or high traffic sites need, but they are not cheap. Dedicated servers host you and you alone (hence the term dedicated). As for operating systems, I highly recommend Linux servers. They are more stable and often cheaper than windows servers. Do not worry about not being able to find scripts that will work with Linux servers. Linux has a huge following and most scripts are designed to work on Linux servers. In fact, many great scripts are only available for Linux.
So in conclusion, focus on service and support of a web hosting company. Figure out an estimate of what you need (in terms of space and transfer) then search for a reputable host that can provide you with your needs, great support, and good prices. Find a good price, but don’t go with a free host. These are almost always terrible hosting plans, bad service, and older (often slower) servers. You can even ask around to see if anyone you know has a website and can recommend a good host to you. Don’t be afraid to ask a host a question. In fact it’s recommended that you talk to your host before you join. After all, this is the only way to evaluate their support before you join.
Helios Solutions.net (http://www.heliossolutions.net) is one of the top internet web hosts today. We strive for perfect customer support, great products, and prices everyone can afford. We have been in the hosting market long enough to know that it is all about the customer, and we are not afraid to show that. We have been giving people hosting, design, and tech advice for years, and have a great support team in place for any questions our customers ever have. In short, we are all about the customer and would love to help you in regard to hosting, design, servers, or general hosting questions.
Tags: hosting, Web Hosting, web hosting providers, web hostsHow to Find the Right Web Host and Avoid Costly Mistakes
One of the most important decisions you’ll make as a Web site owner, Internet marketer or Webmaster, is choosing a reliable Web hosting service. Sorting through a multitude of hosting companies and making sense of the various service plans offered, can certainly be intimidating.
Knowing what to look for and the kinds of questions to ask, will help you to make an informed decision that ultimately saves you money and grief. The aim is to find the provider that best serves your particular needs. And there lies the key — your particular needs.
You should have a clear vision of your Web site’s purpose.
- How is it going to be used?
- What do you intend to accomplish with it?
- Will you be selling products, or simply providing information?
- Will there be interactive forms on your site for subscriptions, referrals, surveys and so on?
These answers will be useful in helping you decide on the best hosting package for your type and size Web site.
A smart way to begin your search is by soliciting feedback from friends and associates who already have a Web presence. Their responses will usually be candid and insightful, and you could then followup on your own.
Another approach is to visit discussion boards and online forums like WebHostingTalk, where you’ll find informative posts and discussions complimenting reputable providers and griping about unsavory ones.
Host directories are another resource you could utilize. Simply typing “host directory” (with quotation marks) into your favorite search engine query box, will return thousands of pages for you to investigate.
The next step is to compare service plans, features and tools. Here are areas you need to look at closely:
Technical Support. This ranks at the top of my list of priorities. You must have help when you need it. Support should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and should be accessible by telephone, email, online forum or even live chat. The size of the support staff and the number of customers they service is also good information to have.
Customer Service. It should be prompt, professional, courteous and effective. The quality of this service will play a major role in developing (or destroying) a mutually beneficial business relationship. Test this yourself by calling or e-mailing the company and making note of how they handle your query.
Storage Capacity. You will need to know how much hard drive space you get and how much it will cost if you need to increase it. The amount of space you need depends on the size and type of your site. Generally 25 to 35 MB is more than enough for a small site. If your site is an art gallery or music site, for example, with lots of image and mp3 files, this area will be particularly important to you.
Bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred per month. Pay attention to the limits allowed under the different plans. Recognize that as your site gets busier, your bandwith requirements will increase. Most hosts charge additional fees for usage that exceeds the normal allocations, so be sure to read the fine print.
FTP and Telnet Access. File Transfer Protocol (FTP ) is used to transfer files to and from servers on the Internet and allows you to manage your web site. If your site permits visitors to download software, see whether you can set up an FTP site exclusively for downloads. If you have large files for download, find out if the FTP site permits the resumption of interrupted downloads. Most FTP programs can accomodate this today.
The Telnet protocol is one with which many users are not at all familiar, but it is still used extensively. It’s useful for troubleshooting CGI scripts and changing server configurations. Not all servers allow Telnet access.
Platforms: UNIX / NT. UNIX is the most popular platform in use today on web servers. It is reliable, easy to configure and flexible. Setting your own file permissions is a snap. It supports scripting languages like Perl and PHP. Most of the free scripts available for download are from the UNIX platform.
Microsoft’s NT is favored by the next largest number of hosting providers. Scripts that work on this platform are not as readily available as with UNIX, and NT users often require assistance from their Web Host Administrators to set file permissions. NT supports MS applications such as ASP, Access, Front Page and scripting languages such as Perl and Cold Fusion.
e-Commerce. A robust Web hosting company should be facilitating your e-commerce needs with shopping cart software, merchant account setup support, secure real-time credit card processing and so on. They should have a library of scripts to accomodate forms, statistics and guestbooks on your site. Support for Real Audio, Real Video, VRML, Java, Shockwave, Cybercash, secure transactions and other utilities should also be available.
Some Other Considerations
- e-Mail Boxes & POP Aliases - Are you permitted a limited or unlimited number of e-mail addresses?
- Autoresponders - A powerful on-line marketing tool for putting your promotions, sales letters, brochures or catalogs on autoreply. How many are you permitted and are they sequential?
- E-mail Forwarding - Self-explanatory and convenient.
- Mailing Lists - You must have the ability to develop your own mailing lists. This feature is essential to successful Internet marketing.
- Web Mail Access - Allows you to retrieve e-mail from any computer connected to the Internet.
As you can see, several factors ought to be seriously considered when selecting a company to host your Web site. This is an important decision. Be diligent. Do your homework and be prepared to be flexible.
Choose a host that has been in business at least a few years, and who offers features that can be upgraded as your Web site expands. Your company image hinges on the reliability and service of your Web host.
Hermas Haynes is an Internet marketer and Webmaster of http://SixFigureProfits.net. He offers an informative blueprint on how to create and manage your own profitable online business in six simple steps. Visit his site today and get your free preview.
Tags: hosting package, reliable web host, web hosting providers, web presence