Five Features You Need for Successful Web Hosting

So you need hosting for that great website you have planned. You did the obligatory Google search and found out there are a gazillion web hosting companies. They all are offering what you need (web hosting) and you found the price varies from free to sky’s the limit. You also found that there are a ton of features some of which you have no idea of what they are. So now what you thought was going to be an easy task has just turned into a semester of study at your local junior college. Well believe me I know what you’re going through. Through trail, error and mistake I have learned that not all web hosting is created equal. While there area ton of features and hosting plans offered by web hosting companies, there are five basics factors you will want to make sure you are getting when selecting your hosting provider.   

1. Databases
Be sure you are getting ample databases to support and expand your website. All blogging, forum, and Websites that use any form of dynamic data applications or capture user data require a database to function. Unfortunately, most shared hosting packages only offer one to five databases; this can limit your ability to expand and may not be enough to carry out the planned functions of your website. The minimum number of databases you should look for is ten. Granted you may not need that many but if you do they will be readily available without spending additional money to add on databases. Usually the higher priced hosing plans offer more databases but you should not have to opt for a more expensive plan to get 10 databases.

2. Multiple Domains
Web hosting companies usually limit the number of domains you can serve from your hosting plan. Some hosting plans, usually the lower cost or free plans, only allow one domain name per plan. If you are for sure you will only have one website then this will be of no consequence. However, if you plan on having multiple websites then you should look for a hosting plan that offers the ability to host multiple sites from a single hosting plan. A hosting plan that offers at least 5 domains is a minimum. You should be aware that the resources of your hosting server will be shared by all domains assigned to the web hosting plan. Make sure the plan you get provides ample disk space, bandwidth and databases to keep multiple sites up and running.    

3. Developer Support
Developer support is the litmus test for any Web host. You may be starting with a simple website but as time goes on many times you may want to add additional functionality or features to your site. Also when adding new websites to your hosting plan additional capabilities may be needed. This is where a hosting provider can easily make or break your plans. If your web hosting provider is limited on developer languages or web application offerings you may have to find a new hosting provider. This is something you do not want to do. Having multiple hosting accounts or hosting providers is a sure way for confusion and frustration. Most hosting companies offer various language support and misc. application support but why not get it all. Yes there are hosting providers that offer everything you will ever need and it doesn’t cost any more.
 
No matter what hosting package you are considering, make sure you are getting the most support possible. Below is a list of the most popular website development items available:

• PHP
• MySQL
• Ruby on Rails
• Python
• CGI
• Perl
• Java
• ASP.net
• Coldfusion
• Frontpage Server Extensions
• Content Managment Tools
• eCommerce Solutions
• Project Management Tools
• Blogs
• Message Board/Forum Tools
• Photo Gallery Tools
• Admin Tools
• Misc. web-site add-ons

4. Customer support
Working late at night on that website, or perhaps on the weekend (Sunday Night)? Got a deadline to get a site up and running but just ran into a problem. Perhaps you just discovered you need an additional web app or database. It can be very frustrating and sometimes costly if you cannot get customer support from your hosting company when you need it (on your schedule). Always look for a web hosting service provider that provides 24×7 customer support. That is 24 hours a day 7 days a week and I don’t mean just Email support. Email support is important and should be part of the customer support package but what you really want is phone support. Many times problems or issues need to be discussed to reach a quick resolution, passing Emails around can takes days or sometimes weeks. Your number one tool for support should be the phone, make sure your web hosting company is awake and working when you are. You will want to make sure there is an on-line knowledgebase as well. Not only is a knowledgebase good for answeering questions, it is also very usefull for use as a learning tool.  

5. Server Uptime
Your website should be up and running 24×7. However things do happen in the real world that can sometimes cause a website to go down. In spite of real world problems, your web hosting provider should offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee. With today’s internet technology there are ways to insure websites stay functional virtually every minute of every day. Don’t settle for a hosting company that cannot guarantee your website is up and running around the clock.   

Web hosting is the backbone of the success of your website. While the content of your site is vitally important, any short coming in your web hosting service is sure to translate to failure at your site. The hosting company you start with is most likely the one you will stay with, so take the time to choose the right web hosting company from the start, you’ll be glad you did.     

Five Points Differentiating One Hosting Company From Another

Now a days web hosting companies are growing at very fast rate. However the point to worry is that they are least concerned for one’s business. So now the point emerges that how do one pick out one hosting company for another for that big Internet move? The following are the 5 ways to differentiate a best out of the worst-

1. Traceable Testimonies – There are several web hosting companies providing a testimony page. The main feature of so-called good web hosting companies is that they will actually link to the person who ‘said’ what is posted. In case there is no linking it means that the hosting company simply made up the testimony. So if one is worried for the success of his/her business, he/she should not get involved with a company with doubtful reliability.

2. Testing Quick Response Claims – Its very easy and recommendable to test the response of a web hosting company i.e. just by emailing them. One should check carefully that the host he/she is going to choose should provide an email address or at least a feedback form. In order to check the effectiveness of support and response one should simply ask a question about their service, and should check how fast they respond. Thereafter one should compare that with what they have ‘advertised’ as their response time. Thus the truth will be visible soon.

3. Online Help or Ticketing System – there are several hosting companies offering online ticketing/helpdesk. For the start it’s enough to find that one’s host is having this feature.

4. Sense of Community – There is still possibilities that good web hosts have problems. In case of honest web hosts they are open and quick to resolve them. There are several hosting companies offering online forums i.e. a place for their customers and potential customers to post questions, comments, testimonies, and complaints online. Thus the simple criterion to select a good company is that really good hosting companies will not only answer these questions, but will also supply educational posts that may answer similar future questions.

5. WHOIS – there are several links available to guide users. One such is www.whois.sc, which provides a lot of information about one’s web host. Besides providing technical information, it also tells how many websites are running on that server. One should always keep in mind that more websites doesn’t always equal better company. Thus it’s really important to check that the server isn’t bogged down.

Another utility of this is that it is a good place to make sure that the host isn’t on any blacklists. By blacklist it means that there are documented reports of spam coming from that server, which is not at all good for one’s business.

Thus the conclusion is that whether one is a newbie or an old one, if he/she will consider the above tips he/she is certainly going to benefit in his/her business.

Five Reasons to Choose Unix Hosting

Though Red Hat Linux and Microsoft Windows are currently prevalent on the market, Unix is making a comeback as a viable web hosting solution.  The platform offers all the power and stability of Linux at a price that is often considerably cheaper than Windows.  Many web hosting operations are currently run on Unix-based systems that range from Mac OS X to FreeBSD.  While these platforms are great alternatives, this article will give you five reasons why Unix itself makes a great choice for your hosting needs.

1.) Tried and Tested

Unix is arguably the most dependable operating system for the network server and web hosting environment.  The platform has thrived for more than 30 years and has been tightly integrated with the internet since its inception.  Although other systems have received worthy improvements over the years, Unix is a time-tested platform, offering the power and flexibility needed to meet a wide range of hosting needs.

2.) Unrivaled Stability and Security

During its tenor in the hosting industry, Unix has proven to be notably faster than other operating systems.  It also has a reputation for having the ability to create the most secure hosting environment imaginable.  These qualities have made it a mainstay in the world of corporate business and e-commerce.  Perhaps the greatest benefit Unix offers is its high level of stability and performance.  Unrivaled processing power and a rock-solid core makes it an ideal choice for simple web pages and complex applications alike.

3.) Unmatched Reliability

While Microsoft Windows offers a graphical icon-based interface for added simplicity, Unix has no GUI at all.  This dramatically reduces overhead and allows the system to dedicate the full power of the hardware to quickly and efficiently serve web pages when they are requested.  Even in a shared hosting environment, Unix is virtually impervious to server crashes or any types of faults caused by administrative errors dues to its user-level permission structure.  When used as a platform, it can help create a fault-tolerant web server with the ability to prevent potentially damaging processes, thus enabling your website to continuously run smoothly.

4.) Extremely Compatible

Being a veteran server operating system, the Unix platform is largely supported by software developers and vendors.  The software integrates seamlessly with Apache, PHP, Perl, MySQL and other web technologies commonly used with Linux.  It also offers full support for Microsoft FrontPage, a web design and management tool that was once only available in Windows-based hosting plans.  Thanks to compatibility enhancements, FrontPage can now run flawless on both Windows and Unix servers alike.

5.) Affordable and Easy to Use

Several have the misconception that Unix is an open-source operating system.  This is not true.  In fact, its source code is under license with numerous vendors and much of the core remains proprietary.  However, Unix hosting still tends to be affordable because of its integration with free and low-cost open-source products.  And while naturally a more complex system, this platform is just as user-friendly in the typical shared hosting environment as Windows or Linux.  Therefore,  it does not matter if you are an inexperienced webmaster or a novice, Unix hosting can offer all the power or simplicity you need to succeed with a website.

Five Reasons to Choose Windows Server 2008 Hosting

Windows hosting is quickly becoming a preferred choice and Windows Server 2008 is one of the main reasons.  The latest version of Microsoft’s server operating system is equipped with many innovative technologies, including new web services, virtualization tools and enhanced security features that make it one of the most reliable platforms on the market.  Customers are increasingly flocking to Windows hosting solutions and here are five reasons to choose Windows Server 2008 as your web platform.

1.) Tailor Made For Web Users

Windows Server 2008 is integrated with IIS 7.0, a powerful application that greatly simplifies server management.  Server administrators are provided with comprehensive management interfaces that enable a higher degree of cross-site control and grants more authority to the end-user.  When used in conjunction with the Microsoft .NET Framework, IIS ensures that you can share data on a much greater level and deliver content to your audience in a more efficient manner.

2.) Powerful Virtualization Technology

If VPS hosting is something you have been considering, Windows Server 2008 makes the ideal platform for your web needs.  This software offers robust virtualization capabilities, allowing you to virtualize multiple operating systems, be it Windows, Linux or Unix, on a single server.  Due to the enhanced flexibility in licensing policies, you can leverage all the cost savings and advantages virtualization has to offer.  With the aid of Windows Server 2008, administrators can work fluently in dynamic environments where they are able to quickly and seamlessly adapt to evolving business needs.  Deploying applications can now be done in a convenient and secure manner without the need for a virtual private network.

3.) Reliable Security Features

Windows Server 2008 is easily the most secure server operating system ever developed by Microsoft.  The platform has been hardened with features such as NAP (Network Access Protection), read-only domain controllers and Federate Rights Management, all of which help to ensure adequate protection for your data, network and mission-critical functions.  Even if a website, server or even the network is compromised, this the security features built into this rock-solid OS will help to isolate the threat and greatly minimize the damage.

4.) An Ideal Choice for Business

Windows Server 2008 is one of the most flexible and scalable server operating systems  available, increasing Microsoft’s market share and giving Red Hat Linux a run for its money.  With enhanced clustering and networking technologies, choosing to host your site on this platform ensures you a versatile and reliable environment to support your application requirements and dramatically boost productivity within your organization.

5.) A Solution You Can Count On

When it comes to web hosting, reliability should be your primary concern in making a decision. Windows Server 2008 can provide the reliability you need, standing out from the competition with a foundation tailored for success. With a code base that is even stronger than the previous version and a host of powerful features, this platform makes an excellent choice for creating, delivering and managing the dynamic applications and rich user experiences needed to help you succeed online.

Is Free Hosting Really Free? Five Things to Consider Before Selecting a Free Web

No doubt, there are several free web hosting accounts that are free to use, but they will cost the user a lot of money, time, and customers as well as if he/she possess a site that is meant for work related to business and is more than the simplest site possible. One should throw light on the following things to know why free web hosting might cost him/her more than what he/she had bargained at the time of signing up.

Thought no.1 Bandwidth

Often, one can say that free web hosting providers offers the user little bandwidth which denotes that it will take longer for his/her page to load. If a page takes more than 10 seconds to load then the user will lose visitors because they will just move on. Due to this reason, one might lose a lot of customers and sales from his/her facility of free web host.

Thought no.2 Advertising

It is a universal consideration that many free web hosting companies are ?free? to the user, yet, the user will have advertising posted on his/her website in addition to pop up ads. Several people do not like such thing and avoid visiting user?s site due to this reason. One should be careful about signing up with a free web hosting company that use to advertise. It probably may not bother the user in the beginning, but it will perhaps affect his/her traffic and sales.

Thought no.3 Web Capacity

By considering that, web host is free; one cannot desire for an ample of web space. Often people do not get the space they require to upload their web page and which include all of their information. The user should confirm that there is sufficient amount of space available from his/her free web space provider and it should properly match with the required elements of the user?s web pages.

Thought no.4 Reliability

Another point to consider while selecting free web hosting is reliability. Often time?s limitations are put on one?s traffic flow and if one exceeds this, his/her site may be disabled for a period of time or one may even receive a bill. Thus one should find out what the rules for traffic and what can be the consequences if one exceeds his/her limit.

Thought no.5 Limitations

In most of the cases, one?s free web host will have rules regarding the size of photos, its upload, icons etc. One should check in advance these things before signing up the contract as if this facility is not available then one is not in a position to upload his/her own photos and then he/she has to check for any other host..

While talking technically, free web hosting is free but in reality it indirectly costs much especially in the long run because it limits activity and business from occurring at the rate set by consumers. Due to this if one?s business is growing and his/her site is experiencing big traffic then free web hosting is really going be an expensive affair. Thus instead of getting in trouble afterwards its better to check in advance if a free server will really be worthwhile and thereafter one should make a plan for change and growth ahead of time as everyone works with a desire to grow.