Choosing The Right Web Host
Choosing The Right Web Host - The Hardest Customer Task To Solve
Can we take this whole internet thing one step further and host our site ourselves on our own PC? Well, the basic answer is no! If you need to get a site live quickly or cheaply, it can be nearly impossible to do it yourself. Outsourcing these tasks to professional web host prividers that will save you money and headaches. The company will lodge your site on a web server, make the necessary connections between your domain name and their server configurations and then you're up and running. Your site is out there on the internet for all to see . But there are so many web hosts. How can somebody choose between them?
Different companies offer different plans, features, transfer rates and support levels, so how can you choose what's right for you?
The problem is that there are so many, and to some shoppers, there is a lot of technical jargon that can get in the way of picking the right one. This article is meant to simplify matters a bit by giving a reasonable way to estimate a web host’s value.
The first thing to be done is to decide what you need your page to do.Is this you personal site,business site or some organiztion site.Do you think selling things on your site, or maybe managing a forum , do you need a hit counter ect.These are just some of the questions you need to answer yourself before even starting to choose.
There are more factors in what will determine the best hosting provider for you and that will be the primary goal of this artcle.
First thing to consider: Storage Space and DataTransfer
A small information site or personal site will usually only require a few megabytes of disk space, however, data transfer depends on the size of the pages your are offering your visitors multiplied by the number of visitors. Therefore, a popular and graphics heavy website requires a greater monthly transfer than a text site. You should look at a minimum of 2 GB (2000 MB) data transfer a month. Check with the company that they can upgrade your account if your site increases it's need for storage or monthly data transfer. Prepare for growth now so that you are not caught off guard by unexpected costs when you go to expand your services.
Second thing to consider: reliability
For any online business, uptime is critical. You absolutely cannot go with a host that has an uptime of less than 95%.
No web host can have 100% uptime, and it’s impossible to guarantee. Avoid any hosts promising more than they can deliver. Most claim 99.9% uptime, but due to the nature of computers and communications equipment, outages will and do occur occasionally. You can contact a company and ask, but they will tell you they're very reliable. Instead, ask for a couple of sites they currently host, that you can check out for yourself. The word of mouth is probably most powerful in helping to judge these companies.
Third thing to consider: Technical Support
Critical to success, you'll need an internet hosting company that can help you resolve problems quickly with the least possible disruption to your site activity. As most hosting companies offer inclusive technical support, you shouldn't pay extra for this. If you're not offered 24 hours/7 days you should look elsewhere. Most hosts have email support, but keep an eye out for hosts that have phone numbers listed. These are obviously more valuable. Though some hosts have excellent turn around on email service requests, there’s no substitute for actually being able to talk to somebody if you need to.The test is to contact the company and ask questions. If they don't reply within 48 hours, or don't reply at all, consider another hosting company. A good company should reply within 24-48 hours.
Fourth thing to consider: Added Features
Various internet hosting companies offer a variety of services. Web hosters provide a listing of overwhelming features to hosting plans to entice you into joining their services. However, more importantly, what features you need and what ones you don't need. Make a list of what you know your website must be able to do and find out if the company you are researching can make it happen for you.
If you are paying for a website, you should definitely be getting email accounts and FTP access. Don’t settle for a site without them. Make sure the email addresses are for your domain and not at your host’s domain. FTP access is critical is you intend to do any amount of uploading files to your server. Don’t settle for web applications. Also, you will want a host that provides a user control over these two features. Examples of services include also visitor counts, e-mail forwarding options, real time chat, shopping cart functions, and web statistics. The list goes on. With a predetermined needs list in hand, you won't forget to ask important questions.
Fifth thing to consider: Pricing Structure
If the previous four steps check out, then you need to consider price and this can vary widely. You need to consider setup fees, monthly fees, plan discounts and optional extras in your calculations. Don’t let price be the primary factor in your decision unless you are launching a personal page. For ecommerce, businesses and organizations, the quality of the service is more important. Some companies offer you no monthly fees, but check the fine print before agreeing to anything. Free sites almost always have popups or require space invasive banners. Don't simply look for the lowest price. You need to know how much the prices will grow as you expand your services and customer base. Ask about a variety of scenarios. For example, a small business owner who knows he will only need a small site to get started should ask about internet service provider hosting prices for medium sized websites with a larger number of visitors.Think for the future!
Keep also in mind that the most expensive plan is not necessarily the best, and the biggest name company may not be the right match for you. Many perfectly fine packages for small businesses now run between $15 - $25 per month. Some people say that there are three types of Web Hosts: free hosts, cheap hosts and good hosts - and there is more than a grain of truth in this.
A good web host company will not tie you into a long-term contract that will prevent you moving if you don't like the service.
Final words:
The most important thing to remember is to research and shop around. The are options and features that are offered by a wide variety of web host providers that is bound to suit you. The more requirements you have, the most likely you pay more. But paying for a quality web host provider is a good investment especially if your business will in the future become more reliant on the Internet. Finally, don't hesitate to ask questions and inquire about the services of web hosts - you don't want to regret it later.
Comments (0) 14.09.2007. 12:53
Choosing the Best Website Templates
Choosing the Best Website Templates
Website templates are the best way to keep a consistent standard website that makes things uniform and visually appealing to website visitors. Website templates make the starting of a new website easy and they freshen up an old website not so mind numbing.
The first step getting one of these off and running is to look at your template options. There are many online companies that offer templates that can be downloaded and used for just about any website. The choices that are out there are endless. However, you must choose the template that will be right for you and your website.
There is the standard option: The basic website template that offers no bells and whistles for the viewer. These website templates are mainly just text and pictures. This type of website template is good for websites that are designed to be informative and down to business.
Another common type of website template is that of the flash template. These come in many shapes and forms with many different varieties. Many typically have some sort of movement or visual effect that catches the observer’s eye some with sound effects. Don’t forget whenever you buy a template to ask for the source files, so in case you want to make any changes on your template in future, it is will be easier for you.
However these standard website templates may not be enough for the casual website designer. If a top of the line no holds bar check me out website is what is desired than the desired website template is going to be something along the lines of a flash with animation or 3D effects.
If there is a specific style desired then there is a website template that has it. From flowers and bunnies to military themed ones you are sure to find the template that will best suit your websites needs. The cost to download one of these templates varies based on style and source of the download. The average cost for a website template being upwards of fifty U.S. dollars.
The cost of a website template is well worth the look that can be achieved when it is used. Website templates help create an image of professionalism that will make website viewers take that website seriously. The organization that is gained from the use of these consistent website templates will keep viewers coming back for more and will allow a business to grow.
Comments (0) 14.09.2007. 12:52
Best Web Server
Choosing The Best Web Server For Your Online Business
What is a web server? Basically, a web server embodies the theory of supply and demand: it supplies your website when the people demand it. When a user wants to view your website, the server finds the URL’s file and uploads it to the user’s browser. However, there are many different kinds of servers to choose from, so how do you find the right one?
The Virtual Private Server is a great choice for larger businesses that have complicated needs. It’s best if you have some experience working the program, because you have to know how to control the settings, but if you can read and understand the manual, you’ll be fine. The plus to a Virtual Private Server is that it’s a single server that branches out, letting you work independently while paying with the other host customers. You can also have up to 50 websites. It can be costly at over 100 dollars a month, but if you’re concerned about security and control, a Virtual Private Server is probably the way to go.
The more popular server is Virtual Hosting. This is a single server that is shared with many users. Because it’s controlled by an administrator, you don’t need to worry about technical skills. However, you don’t have as much control as you would with a Virtual Private Server, because every time you want to change something in your settings, you have to contact the admininstrator. Secondly, you’re only allowed one website, so if you want to start a second site, you have to create a new account. The good news is, it’s a great deal at only about 20 to 50 dollars per month. So if you have a small business with just one or two websites, and you don’t want to worry about technical skills , Virtual Hosting is the best choice.
You also have to think about web server software. One type is Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). It only works with NT-based server systems, as NT is a Microsoft product. It has crash protection and plenty of support, so you don’t have to worry about viruses. Also, if you use NT, you get IIS free with it.
However, the most popular type is Apache. It’s always free, and while it isn’t supported like IIS, it’s always updated and easy to use. So if you’re looking for something safe, IIS is a great choice, but Apache is more popular for a reason.
These are only a few of the servers and software you have to choose from, but they’re a start. If you do your research and think of what will best benefit your business or webpage, you can make a well-informed decision that will let you be a successful host.
Comments (2) 14.09.2007. 12:50