Web Hosting Services Absolutely Necessary for Your Website’s Success
Web hosting services play a vital part in your website’s success. Without a web host you will not have any way to support your site on the Internet, so you must make sure that you choose a quality hosting account that provides a wide variety of features and services. Read the following suggestions of things you should look for in a quality web host. There are plenty other things to look for, these are just a few of the super important ones.
Suggestion #1 – Support
You want a web hosting service that provides support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. The reason for this is you need your website up and running at all times, allowing you to make sales. If your website is down it could be costing you a lot of money, not to mention visitors who cannot access your site. If you have a problem at 6 am Christmas Day, you want to be able to contact your web host support and have it taken care of. This is a sign of a good web hosting company. Also, don’t just take their word they offer support round the clock, give them a couple of test calls at off hours and weekends to see if they respond.
Suggestion #2 – Contact Information
You should have all the important contact information for your web host. If this information is not available then you’ll most likely have problems in the long run. If they cannot give you a way to contact them when you have a problem or need help then you may have to wait days before you get your problems resolved. This is unacceptable. If contact information is not listed online keep looking for hosts.
Suggestion #3 – Free Will Cost You
If you are developing a website for business purposes, make sure you buy your own URL and get real website support that you pay for. If you use free web hosts, you will cost yourself money because customers will not take your site seriously as the impression will be that you don’t either.
Suggestion #4 – E-mail
Make sure your web host supports e-mail and allows multiple addresses. You will need this in your business so you certainly want a server that supports this. If not, find another host because most good web hosts allow for e-mail addresses.
Suggestion #5 – Server Space and Bandwidth
You want to be sure your web host has adequate server space so your website has plenty of room to grow. Bandwidth is also important because the more bandwidth the host has, the faster your page loads, which in turn means more customers that will actually make it to your site because it opened quickly.
About the Author
Michael Turner shows you exactly how to increase web site traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it today at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/
How to Know When It is Time for Your Website to Move On to Dedicated Servers
Knowing when it is time to move onto a dedicated server includes many variables and requires you to answer a variety of questions. While dedicated servers are great because only you and your business will be using them, they are expensive and require someone to manage them, which costs more money. Evaluate if you have all of the elements required for a dedicated server before making plans to move onto one. Below are several things you should consider first.
Question #1 – Can You Afford It?
One huge question that will play a large role in whether or not you move onto a dedicated server is whether or not you can afford it. You need to do some math to not only figure out how much a dedicated server costs, but how much you will have to pay for an administrator or for a fully managed dedicated server. These can be expensive, especially if you do not have a large budget. Make sure your budget supports a dedicated server before you start looking into one.
Question #2 – Managed or Unmanaged?
Another consideration is will you want a managed or unmanaged dedicated server. An unmanaged dedicated server means you have to have the knowledge and skills set to manage it personally or else you need to hire someone to do it for you. Consider this as well because if you don’t, you might find yourself in over your head or spending money you had not budgeted.
Question #3 – Extra Space and Bandwidth, Do You Really Need It?
Do you really need the space and bandwidth a personal server provides? If your web pages are loading rather quickly and you still have plenty of space on a shared server, you should consider why you need to invest in a dedicated server. If you need the space and bandwidth then you should do it, however if you don’t there really is no reason to unless you have extremely sensitive information.
Question #4 – Do You Have Sensitive Files?
The number one driving reason why individuals want dedicated servers is because they only hold that persons information, rather than a variety of peoples and businesses. So, if you have ultra sensitive information you cannot risk being stolen, a dedicated server is definitely the way to go.
Question #5 – Do You Need the Tools and Options?
Having your own dedicated server means you have a variety of tools and options at your fingertips you did not have on a shared server. There are no rules with a dedicated server because it is all yours, so whatever you need to do you can do it. Just keep in mind the ever rising prices.
About the Author
Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/
The Ups and Downs of Dedicated Server Web Hosting
Getting your own dedicated server for your business is a great idea if you are interested in security, being the only business on the server, eliminating potential server problems, and have a budget that includes a substantial monthly fee. If you have a busy commerce website and a lot of visitors, then a dedicated server is probably your best bet, not to mention completely secure. However if you have a smaller site, with less traffic, and a low budget, you should wait until your budget grows as well as your website to use a dedicated server. Consider the following points to help you learn more about the ups and downs of dedicated server hosting.
Ups
Dedicated server hosting is beneficial because you know you are the only one using the server and it is 100% dedicated to your website and information. Shared web hosting is less expensive, but also less secure. If you have your own server your information will be safe and secure and you will not have to worry about security breaches.
Avoid server problems due to others sharing the server, submitting bad information that affects the server, and ultimately you in a negative way. With your own dedicated server you will only deal with your own information. The actions of others on the server will not affect you because you are the only one on the server.
On your dedicated server, you install and use the information and software you need. Space is not taken up for software and programs for other users that you do not need.
With a dedicated server you have less reliance on your Web host and as a result you will save any delays that might occur as well as money that you would possibly lose from being offline.
With your own dedicated server you will be able to offer support to your clients 24/7 if you so desired. This is not an option on a shared server and is a worthwhile benefit to many companies considering a dedicated server.
Frequently increased income is a result of using a dedicated server because you will be able to make changes, assist clients at any time of the day or night which means you make additional money. When you have control over your server you put the power in your hands instead of someone else’s.
A dedicated server is faster as well and your web pages will load significantly quicker, which means people will stick around to see what your site is about. With a shared server it might take longer for your site to load and people won’t wait for this.
Down
The one major drawback to dedicated server hosting is the price. It is more expensive than shared hosting and as a result not an option for many people.
About the Author
Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/
Top 10 Web Hosting Blunders and How to Avoid Them
Consider the following web hosting blunders and do not allow yourself to make these mistakes that can have a seriously negative impact on your website.
Blunder #1 – Contact Information
Make sure your web host has contact information available to you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This should be in the form of phone numbers as well as e-mail addresses that correspond to the web host domain name. Make sure you are dealing with a real company that is serious about both their business and yours.
Blunder #2 – Lots of Bandwidth
If you are using a free or cheap web host then more than likely you will not have a lot of bandwidth which could cause you problems with your website. Even if you have to pay a little bit more money, it is worth it to gain additional bandwidth. Make sure you ask about this before signing up with a web host.
Blunder #3 – Generous Disk Space
Many times people find a cheap or free web host and just sign up without ever checking for the amount of disk space. A questing to ask yourself, what happens when the diskspace is filled up? Make sure that the hosts you are considering provide generous amounts of diskspace, if it is limited you might consider using a web host that is larger and offers more services.
Blunder #4 – Web Host Domain Name
Make sure the company domain name matches the web host company name before giving out your credit card information or hosting your website with them. On the Internet it is up to you to decide whether a company is legitimate or not, check out the domain and company name to find a match to be sure.
Blunder #5 – Security
Regardless of the web host you use and your website design you must ensure that you have secure websites for purchases where people will enter the banking and or credit card information. If your site does not appear to be secure, customers will leave. You want to avoid this at all costs and go to all lengths to make customers feel secure and confident buying from your site.
Blunder #6 – Plan Ahead
Make sure you have a plan for the future and an idea of your websites growth. Without this you could run into some serious problems if you outgrow your website, shopping cart, or bandwidth too quickly and do not have a plan on how to handle things. Make a plan for slow, medium ,and fast growth so you will know what to do in every situation.
Blunder #7 – Slow Server
Make sure you web page loads within 10 seconds for a 56 k modem. If not, then people will leave your site before the page ever opens. The reason for this is people are looking for instant gratification on the Internet. If you cannot provide them with the information that they want in a timely fashion, they will leave. It’s as simple as that.
Blunder #8 – Design
Make sure that whatever web host you use allows you to design your site for ultimate success. If there are any rules or regulations regarding your site design that will possibly impact your sales and the way customers perceive your site then find another host. There are plenty to choose from.
Blunder #9 – Checkout
Ensure the checkout process is clear, easy, and to the point. People want to buy their products without giving you a ton of personal information. Let them do that or simply make certain fields optional if you are trying to conduct market research.
Blunder # 10 – URL
You want your own personal URL that reflects your business and services. Do not use a free host that gives you some kind of space using their URL with some additional information at the end of the URL that directs it to you. Spend the money and get your own URL that is unique, easy to use, and says something about your company. It will be worthwhile.
About the Author
Michael Turner shows you exactly how to increase web site traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it today at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/
Back To School Web Hosting
Every year as school starts web hosts see an up tick in orders as entrepreneurs and stay at home parents have more free time and the vacation summer season winds down to the shorter days of winter. Many hosting companies plan special fall campaigns designed for these small business startups. But lately there has been another wave around this time of year and it comes as specialized hosting packages for students and parents. Increasingly we are seeing websites for bloggers, online photos, resumes, family forums, podcasting, and web cams. This variety of new technologies has spawned a larger need for web hosting. Someone has to host all of this content and information. And in some cases like web cameras, photos, and podcasting the hosting needs are pretty
Seniors and juniors in college are using simple resume websites with “their name”.name to help promote their skills and give potential employees a place to research them. These websites can give a lot more information and if designed well are a tribute to the professionalism you are trying to portray. This is an easy thing to use on job hunting websites and to include in your email signature. You can usually find a website like this for around $40/year with tools to help you easily create it.
Blogs, blogs, blogs. This is certainly one that we here about all of the time. But students, teachers, and even parents love to blog about their education experience from college down to elementary school. Blog websites have become extremely easy to setup and many very full featured ones are free! These websites give anyone a forum to express their views and experiences, and education seems to be a topic people love to talk about.
The next buzzword after blogging is Podcasting. This is the art of taking a blog to the spoken level. People can record whatever they want and upload it to a pod casting website for the whole world to hear. It is very popular for people to create virtual tours of museums and universities for people to download and walk around with in their ipod. Or it can simply be a recording of your personal views for the whole world to hear.
What do parents who like to see their child’s classroom and voyeuristic college kids have in common? Web cams. Another step up from blogging and podcasting your thoughts and voice, is actually filming yourself. Web cams are finding their way in to all sorts of places and the back to school season seems to spur an extra boost. Web cams are being used by schools to allow parents to view their child, they are being used around campuses and neighborhoods for security, and also by parents and children separated by distance to see each other.
Another smaller type of website that we have even heard of is Family forum boards. As a family gets spread out with multiple kids in multiple colleges across the country, a forum board offers a convenient way for everyone to communicate on their own time and keep up with all of the conversations of the family. Most hosting companies offer free forum boards with their hosting plans and these are very easy to install and setup. If you look for a web hosting company with an auto-installer script, such as Fantastico, you will be amazed at how easy it is to get started.
The final type of back to school website are online photo albums. With the proliferation of digital cameras people are now turning to online photo albums as a place to store their family treasures. This also allows your far away college student to post pictures of his dorm room for the extended family to see as well as for the family to post pictures of the good times they are having. A picture is worth a thousand words. There has been the creation of web hosting companies specifically designed for this task. This is called Image hosting. Type “image web hosting” into any major search engine and you will find all of the companies you need to choose from. Also, most web hosting offer free online photo album scripts that you can install. And as mentioned previously, if they advertise an auto installer like Fantastico, then the install and setup is done for you.
The fall months historically offer increased web hosting demand, but with the advent of recent technology trends we are now seeing an increased demand in specialty hosting during the fall that caters to students, parents, and friends. These are just 6 specialty hosting needs but I’m sure there are other ways people are using the internet to enhance their educational experience and reduce the distant that it sometimes puts between family and friends.
About the Author
: Rodney Ringler is President of Advantage1 Web Services, Inc., which owns a network of Web Hosting Informational Websites including HostChart.com, ResellerConnection.com, FoundHost.com, ResellerForums.com, and HostingKnowledge.net. Rodney has over 15 years industry experience from programming to internet marketing.