23
Jun/10

Tips to Becoming a Successful Reseller

by under Introductions

In web hosting community there is a hot topic we may talk about everyday,that is reseller hosting. The reseller is the middle man, they find the customers and sell their customers hosting plans they got from a hosting company and receive an affiliate commission from the web hosting provider or resell the bandwidth and server storage space with different hosting plans for a profit.

If you would like to be a hosting reseller and make it successful then please keep reading. There are many methods for becoming a successful reseller in this exceedingly competitive industry. A few of these methods include:

  • Have a solid business model
  • Follow robust business strategies
  • Readily deploy new technology
  • Maintain high service levels
  • Accommodate changing needs
  • Provide scalable hosting plans
  • Automation regarding account creation and billing

The reseller industry is typical of any business entity; the product is the only difference.

By sticking to a solid business model and following robust business strategies, the reseller company can follow a strict plan of action while maintaining efficient strategies. This will result in a successful business.

It’s also important to deploy new technologies as the hosting company releases them. This will attract new accounts while giving the current users an option to upgrade to improved equipment. With improved equipment come faster speeds, less downtime and more storage space; all of which are requirements in a competitive industry. On that note it’s beneficial to initially find web hosting providers that are up-to-date on server technologies.

Another essential tip is to maintain high customer service levels. This means quick responses (within 24 hours) to emails and easy access to technical support. Generally when reselling, the technical support help is offered by the primary hosting provider. Good customer service also relates to accommodating changing needs. This will keep customers happy with the service and improve retention rate.

Similarly, it’s important to offer scalable hosting plans. This allows clients to expand their business during increased periods of traffic or with the addition of resource-intensive media files. Giving them the option of improved plans also increases retention rate.

The final suggestion is to completely automate account creation and billing. This indicates that account creation and billing can be completed online. Since the world has become a quick and automated place, instant account creation and automated billing have become standard.

There are many individuals that are successful in the reseller hosting business. As most web hosting providers become available and the need for inexpensive hosting becomes the norm, reseller hosting will have an enormous influence on customer hosting preference.

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30
May/10

Features to Look for With SSH Hosting

by under Security

SSH hosting (secure shell hosting) is a method of communicating with a computer that’s at a remote location. Basically, it’s a secure way for a home computer to communicate with a server in a different locality.

This type of hosting is especially important to programmers and others that may work from home. Secure shell hosting allows them to access confidential information through the network. Those in technical professions can actually make changes to equipment from the confines of their home.

For the average hosting consumer, it’s important to utilize secure shell hosting for the security this technology offers. In order to make an informed decision on SSH hosting providers, it’s important to know what features are essential.

The following features are vital to selecting the right hosting provider: access to a remote console, port forwarding, file transfer utilities, SSH2 hosting, exec request.

Access to a remote console is basically a window that opens on the user’s screen giving them a secure link to a remote server. This allows the user to virtually execute programs as if they were actually logged in directly. This is exceedingly helpful for completing tasks from a different location.

Port forwarding is another feature to search for in an SSH hosting provider. This technology secures exposed TCP/IP connections that are created by third party applications. These applications leave connections prone to network attacks which can result in serious downtime.

An additional SSH hosting feature to be cognizant of are file transfer utilities. These are command line utilities that secure file transfers by utilizing SFTP. This is a standard remote file transfer protocol that communicates between SSH and regular servers. For consumers looking for an SSH hosting company this technology is absolutely necessary.

SSH2 hosting is the new and improved version of SSH hosting. It covers all potential security risks, even those that are extremely unlikely. Those hosting companies that do not offer this protocol should not be considered by the consumer for their hosting choice.

Finally, an exec request acts similar to a remote control by executing programs from a remote location. The difference being exec requests send the data without any type of encoding. This feature is mainly useful for automating network options.

Remote consoles, port forwarding, file transfer utilities, SSH2 hosting and exec requests are all necessary features when choosing an SSH hosting provider. It’s always in the best interest of the website to find a good, reliable hosting provider that offers top-notch security features.

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27
May/10

The Downfalls of Multiple Domain Hosting

by under Domain Name, Introductions

Multiple domain hosting has many benefits that make it one of the most popular choices available. While there are only a few negative aspects, they should still be considered when choosing a hosting type and provider. If planning to own and operate many websites, multiple domain hosting is the best option.

Most web hosting providers only allow the use of one website per domain. This is due to the number of customers they’re hosting. By allowing only a single website the provider is able to maximize their profits and thus increase bandwidth and storage space to accommodate new customers. Consequently the main method for hosting multiple sites is through the use of add-on domains.

Despite the many benefits available, it’s important to contemplate the two primary shortcomings of multiple domain hosting. These include:

  • Accumulation of traffic
  • Disastrous downtimes

One of the biggest issues with multiple domain hosting is the accumulation of traffic. If a website or group of websites becomes popular, traffic increases thus eating up bandwidth, server storage space and other aspects the client is paying for. To counterbalance this, the user could simply upgrade their accounts or open a new account to split the traffic.

Also, by checking the log files of each domain name, it’s easy to spot which domains have the most traffic. That way when the client splits accounts, they can identify which domains to place in the new account.

The second downfall is the disastrous results of a server going down. Since all aspects of all sites are on a single server, if that goes down, all sites go down. This showcases the importance of finding a trustworthy and reliable hosting provider.

On the other hand, most servers rarely go down. Also, any decent web hosting provider has backup servers in case of a natural disaster or malicious attack. If an issue does occur, the system switches from the primary server to the backup with little time lost. When searching for a provider, it’s imperative to ascertain the amount of time it takes to switch servers.

Overall, the many benefits of multiple-domain hosting greatly outweigh the costs. Most hosting providers have contingency plans in case of any major issues that arise. Multiple-domain hosting continues to be one of the most popular choices available. As the internet continues to grow and websites expand to networks of websites, the need for this type of technology will greatly increase.

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26
May/10

A Review of 1024cms

by under CMS

1024cms is a content management system application that is currently at the forefront by utilizing AJAX technology within all areas. 1024cms is a free, open source application that employs user interaction and active administration.

1024cms is such a popular application because of the numerous features offered to the user. These features include:

  • Setting up community forums
  • Download areas
  • News posts
  • Member management
  • Newsletters
  • File downloads system
  • 3rd party plug-ins
  • Movies

Another useful feature is:

  • Addition of modules
    • PM module
    • FAQ module
    • News module
    • Gallery module
    • Search module
    • Member profile module
    • Custom page maker module
    • Custom URL module
    • Custom menu module
    • Admanager module
    • Theme module

Additional features include:

  • Calendar addition site-wide
  • AJAX chat
  • Logins/Logouts
  • Online polls

Given the number of attributes, 1024cms provides the client with full control over every aspect of their online content. 1024cms is an open source content management framework equating to no restrictions and 100% customization of the website. This application is fast and easy due to the use of templates. Secure and easy-to-use templates allow the user to add any features they desire by utilizing premade templates for each action.

Additionally, there is a registered user system and since this is open source software, the support community is top-notch. This open source project is a supported project management application with no single freelancer behind its creation. 1024cms has been collectively developed, maintained and supported.

In order to full utilizing the application, there are a few requirements. These include the installation of PHP 4.3.10 on your computer. However, this software has been tested up to version 5.2.0. Also, your website must have at least one MySQL 4.1.9 or higher database. Since this application operates on a prefix based system, the database doesn’t need to be empty. Finally, you must have a MySQL name and password.

1024cms may become the future of content management system applications. The overwhelming number of features paired with the use of AJAX for all areas is a winning combination. The easy to use templates allow for a fast and effortless environment so you can focus on the development and maintenance of the site, not the technical aspects.

The free, open-source community boards can answer any questions you may have for the ultimate support group. Since this is a highly recommended application, all users should take advantage of this excellent content management tool.

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25
May/10

3 Reasons Why Consumers Choose Windows Web Hosting

by under Introductions

Windows is the most popular operating system on the Earth, with millions of computer users undoubtedly logged into Windows right now. However, the web hosting industry is still relatively diverse, with much of the business consisting of Linux web hosting plans. Linux web hosting is cheaper for both the consumer and the web hosting provider, thus it is a much more common web hosting solution. The average webmaster doesn’t know the difference between Linux, Unix, or Windows web hosting, and thus the industry is shaped by the factor of price alone, as consumers and companies choose plans that are the most affordable. However, there are some very distinct uses for Windows web hosting.

Windows Applications

The primary reason to choose Windows web hosting is the need for compatibility with Windows applications. Microsoft has effectively cornered the market and created somewhat of a monopoly in the consumer computer industry. The main problem with Windows applications is that they need to be run in the Windows operating system. If your sites currently utilize Windows applications, then you will need a Windows-based web server to keep your site running smoothly. Since Windows web servers only receive support from Microsoft, consumers have to wait until Microsoft can fix any bugs, unlike Linux which is an open source software. This dependency on Microsoft makes Windows web hosting more expensive, and absolutely necessary in some situations.

The Windows Brand

The second reason why people choose Windows web hosting plans over Linux web hosting plans is the trust in the Windows name. Many average computer users have never heard of the Linux operating system. Many people simply trust the Windows name more than Linux, but does this make it any more powerful or capable than Linux? In technical terms – no. In social terms – yes. In other words, the power and convenience of the operating system is no longer a factor since the Windows brand is synonymous with a large portion of computer technology. It is nearly impossible to buy a good piece of software without having access to Windows or Mac. As Mac web hosting is unavailable, Windows is the familiar name that comes to mind.

Simpler User Interface

Another reason why someone would use Windows web hosting would be the sheer familiarity of the operating system over Linux. If you’re familiar with the Windows operating system then chances are you’d be more inclined to choose a Windows web hosting plan. This however is not always the correct thing to do, as the user interface of a Windows server is not exactly the same, or similar to the Windows operating system. In fact, many people believe the Linux servers contain an easier interface. In fact, many would venture to say that Linux is an overall better value for your money, which would only leave one reason to buy Windows web hosting – the need for Microsoft compatibility with web applications. The entire Microsoft organization is built on this concept; monopolize and conquer.

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24
May/10

The Best Billing Software to Power your Reseller Business

by under Softwares

One of the most important considerations when running a reseller hosting company is the billing software. There are many different types available to the general consumer at many different prices, some are even free. Those that are free are usually packaged with a reseller hosting account or within the control panel software.

There are many billing programs available for a price. A few examples of best quality reseller billing software include:

  • WHMautopilot
  • Clientexec
  • Modernbill
  • Account Lab Plus
  • phpCoin
  • WHMCS

WHMautopilot and Clientexec are generally offered packaged with reseller hosting plans. WHMautopilot is an excellent billing program for beginners. It has the basic tools and is easy to use making it a top choice for novice reseller businesses. While Clientexec does offer more advanced features, it’s a popular program due to the simplicity for everyday management.

Modernbill is generally used with larger reselling businesses. One primary downside is that Modernbill tends to be expensive. It offers many advanced features including fraud protection, automatic account creation and compatibility with major control panels like cPanel and Plesk. On the other hand, Account Lab Plus offers many basic features and is fairly inexpensive.

PhpCoin is a free script that is another helpful program for those new to the reseller business. It offers the basic billing options. Conversely, WHMCS offers many features including fraud protection, automatic suspension and built in support tickets which are extremely important in the billing department. Also, WHMCS is easy to use, affordable and easy to setup. That way, it’s easy for both reseller beginners as well as experienced users.

Billing software is a vital aspect of the reseller business. When first starting the company, free software with basic features is an acceptable method for conducting business as there are a limited number of clients. Once the company expands, the needs of the business change. With more customers, more features will need to be utilized especially the detection of fraudulent charges and the protection of important billing information.

The security of billing software bundled with many features makes for a well-rounded and well-trusted software program. The above list is some of the highest quality billing programs currently available. Depending on the stage of business, they offer everything a client needs to accommodate their users. As billing software becomes more advanced, the technology will allow for more automated procedures.

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23
May/10

Managing Email Accounts in Control Panels

by under Control Panels

The web hosting control panel is perhaps the most important interface you’ll have to deal with when building, operating and managing your online business. The control panel represents the entire back end of your web hosting account, which consist of a variety of modules that let you control the front end and administrative interface within a centralized user-friendly control center.

Most control panels are split into sections, to help you become acquainted with the various features as quickly as possible. If you have never dealt with a control before, then it would be best to go with a web hosting company that offers control panel video tutorials. Many web hosting providers give their clients access to a plethora of instructional video clips, so there is never a moment when you’re lost or don’t know what to do.

Email Accounts Module in Your Control Panel

Perhaps one of the most important parts of your online business is communication with your clients, which happens through the email module of your control panel. In the email module of your control panel you can create accounts at your domains, which creates a sense of credibility when establishing communications with prospective clients. You can also assign email addresses to members of your company, setting up individual passwords and and login credentials for each employee. The amount of email addresses you can create will depend entirely upon your web hosting plan and the limitations your web hosting provider has set.

Setting up Email Accounts

To set up email accounts in your control panel, simply go to the email accounts module and begin typing the credentials for the new email account. Some control panels are different, however the most popular control panel (cPanel) will let you begin creating the email account as soon as you enter the email accounts section of your control panel. If you’re hosting multiple domains on a single hosting account, then you’ll need to select which domain you’d like to install the email account for. Once the account is setup you can login and decide which email viewing application you would like to use.

Setting up Email Access

Once you have created your email accounts and logged in using the drop down menu to the right of your email account name, you can then choose which email processing application you’d like to use to view your email. The three most popular email viewing applications are SquirrelMail, Horde, and RoundCube. Out of these three, most people use SquirrelMail. You can setup your favorite email viewing application to open automatically when you check your mail, simply clicking on the enable autoload button below the name. You can also setup the appearance of your inbox, autoresponders, and other personalization features that help you increase your productivity with email. You can setup filters, folders, and even mail forwarding to several accounts for maximum control over your employee’s emails.

Conclusion

Having your own private email address is absolutely imperative if you own an online business, especially if you have several employees that receive support mails on behalf of the company. Any serious online business owner will need to learn how to use the email module in their web hosting control panel.

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20
May/10

How to Check if Your Web Host is Search Engine Friendly

by under Search Engines

Most web hosting service providers offer a wide variety of hosting plans that can meet everyone’s needs. All web hosts strive to provide service that is satisfactory and prices that are affordable, however each one has a different set of plans to offer, and the inner workings of the hosting account can be significantly different. Perhaps most importantly is whether or not your hosting account is search engine friendly. While this may not make sense to many webmasters, there are certain aspects of a web server that may make it more susceptible to higher or lower search engine rankings. The following information should help you understand exactly why some web hosting accounts are not liked by the search engines.

Shared IPs

Shared web hosting accounts in particular are risky when it comes to search engine optimization because they require you to share an IP address with other webmasters, which means you can be viewed as the same entity by search engine bots. Also, shared web hosting accounts stand a  greater chance of  causing server downtime, which can cause the search engine bots to fail to index important site updates. In general, all shared web hosting plans are not recommended for serious online business owners are those looking to get high rankings in the search engines.

Free Web Hosting Accounts

Just like shared web hosting accounts, free hosting accounts are also frowned upon by the search engines, not only because they are a form of shared hosting but because the servers are generally sub-par. As mentioned web servers that perform poorly are not ideal for search engine optimization, simply because they reduce the quality of web surfing, both in the perspective of the visitor and the search engine crawlers. Free web hosting accounts also tend to have many limitations that will keep you from updating your site regularly, which is an important factor when trying to rank highly for a particular keyword.

Robots.txt

The robots.txt file is a file that dictates who can and cannot view your website. The file has the ability to block all search engine crawlers from your site, so it can be devastating for your search engine optimization campaign if formatted incorrectly.  Most hosting accounts will have this file created and formatted for you by default, however some hosting providers will have the file set to block all search engines by default. Virtually any hosting account can have this problem, depending upon the provider. Most hosting providers have taken steps to prevent this, however if you notice that your robots.txt is automatically configured to block search engines you should immediately correct it and notify the support staff so that the problem can be fixed.

Conclusion

Although search engine optimization relies on seemingly countless factors, the fact is your entire campaign can be doomed right from the start if you encounter any of the above web hosting pitfalls. It is always best to make sure you have covered all of the basics before you begin structuring your site for the search engines.

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19
May/10

Cheap Web Hosting Company Tactics to Watch Out For

by under Introductions

Cheap web hosting is inexpensive for a reason. Generally there’s a lack of features, support and updated equipment that customers find with more expensive hosting companies. Although most cheap web hosting companies are honest, there are a few that may use questionable tactics to get business.

These methods may end up costing the client more than their cheap offerings. It’s easy to find a low cost hosting provider with thorough research. However, many offer certain prices that change as stated in the terms and conditions. The primary tactics that cheap web hosting providers use are advertising as a low priced website offering free hosting and not mentioning service level, customer support or all packages available.

Service Level

The first major problem is that over time, the service level deteriorates. Generally, consumers will move from the cheap or free hosting to a higher priced plan. If running a business, money will be lost due to the poor service. Furthermore, what the hosting company doesn’t mention is that extra services also cost money. It’s best to review website needs to today as well as in five years.

Customer Support

Most cheap web hosts don’t advertise excellent customer support. When there’s a problem the consumer may be on their own at fixing it. They may eventually fix the problem, but it will not be quick. The service available from slightly more expensive hosting providers will generally be more responsive.

Available packages

The provider most likely will only advertise the cheapest package. While this is initially appealing, scalability might be low. Consequently there may only be a few packages that are offered so if upgrades are needed, they won’t be able to provide for customer necessity.

With web hosting prices drastically dropping, it’s almost not worth it to sign up for a cheap hosting package. For slightly more money, consumers can get a much better long-term deal. If the client is simply publishing a personal website then these sneaky tactics generally aren’t applicable.

However, those starting an ecommerce business need to be cautious. A large part of internet business is having the tools to support the site. These include excellent uptime, quality customer support, up-to-date equipment and scalability. These areas tend to be lacking with cheap web hosting.

The companies aren’t advertising these areas for a reason. Their main advertising campaigns are centered on the monthly low price for a plan. The best solution is to conduct thorough research asking good questions and find out the true answers as stated in the terms and conditions.

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18
May/10

Reasons Major Control Panels Have Licensed Resellers

by under Control Panels, Softwares

The software control panel industry has developed into big business. There are many control panel software companies available that sell to hosting companies. One downside is these companies do not sell control panel software directly to customers. For individual customers to purchase a hosting control panel, they must buy through a reseller.

Larger hosting companies tend to get control panel discounts than small business or even individual buyers. There are a few reasons that major control panel software providers only sell through licensed retailers including:

  • Small number of customers
  • Excellent marketing strategy
  • International exposure
  • Focus on software development

By having a smaller number of customers (the resellers), the major control panel providers can save money on sales, accounts and billing teams. Those companies that would like to deal directly with the software developer can purchase monthly or yearly licenses. Others must consult with another company such as a reseller. Overall, the costs of maintaining many small monthly payments can be high and it’s difficult to manage.

This method significantly decreases costs thus leading to lower prices for all customers. Consequently those corporations receive lower pricing because of the volume of licenses purchased. This relates directly to economies of scale meaning the more you buy, the less each individual unit costs.

From a marketing perspective, control panel software companies can have other smaller companies complete all the marketing and advertising for them. They sell the product and receive a small percentage of the sale while the software provider again saves money on marketing, advertising and sales. This also leaves the firm time to focus on the large volume buyers.

Furthermore, since there are many companies across the globe marketing and selling the software, this gives international exposure to the parent organization. Also, there’s no need to deal with different languages and cultures since there’s a local company in many countries that are marketing to their population.

The final reason is the control panel provider can focus on software development. Since there’s a plethora of companies selling their software, this eliminates the need for putting effort into the other segments of an organization; it’s already completed by competing smaller companies.

The sales, marketing and advertising methods of control panel software providers is ingenious. It uses a reseller to take these functions out of the company thus saving a great deal of money. These reseller companies all compete against each other utilizing the provider’s software. For individuals requiring control panel software, they must pay full price due to economy of scale. This is standard practice in all supply-chains.

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17
May/10

Top Ten Reason To Market Your Business Online

by under Introductions

The Internet. The great leveling medium that makes a small business nearly as accessible as TheBigCorporation.com. But many businesses throw up a site without much thought about the potential impact it can have their business.

Why should you have a web site? Why should your business be online?

These 10 reason will give you something to think …

1. Greater Marketplace Expansion

Boundaries are nonexistent and less restrictive. Making it easier to reach new customer markets both globally and locally.

2. The Internet Is A Great Market Research Tool

Analyze competitors’ web sites. Find data and analysis material for new markets. Receive customer feedback. Possibilities are endless.

3. Release Time Sensitive Materials Faster

You can make information available anytime you want. Make changes on your web site instantly. Something you can’t do with printed materials. You can send last minute sales announcements to your customers.

4. Make Information More Easily Available To Customers And Visitors.

You can post your hours of availability. Put your brochures, catalogs etc. online. You can include a Frequently Asked Questions section. The Internet gives you the ability to add sound and/or video to your site.

5. Ability To Conduct Business 24 Hours

Your web site works 24 hours a day, seven days a week advertising your business.

6. Test New Services And Products

Since you can reach markets faster and quicker, you can test new idea, try a marketing campaign before rolling it out. You can know where to position your product or service in the marketplace.

7. Extremely Cost Effective

It costs practically nothing to put a web site online. Putting brochures, newsletters, and catalogs online saves a fortune in printing and mailing cost. News Releases and media can be distributed over the Internet quicker and cheaper. You decrease administrative cost through online automation. Lower telecommunication cost.

8. Make Connections

It’s not what you know but who you know that opens business doors. Networking online is more time effective than meeting face-to-face. Online you can meet prospects and business colleagues anytime of the day or night. You can quickly build your reputation and credibility all from the comfort of your home .

9. Your Customers Are Online

Consumers are getting online in record numbers and it increases every year. Online retail sales will grow by almost 25% this year, according to Forrester Research. Keep this in mind… people use the Internet to research their buying decisions.

10. Your Competitors Is Online

The best reason of all to market online! Forget the “I’m a local business” mentality. I guarantee no matter what your business, one of your competitors is successfully using the Internet to market their business. Over 40 million people used the Internet last year looking for local information.

The Internet is not going away. How much potential business are you losing by ignoring this powerful marketing tool?

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16
May/10

Choosing the Right Domain Name

by under Domain Name

So you’ve decided to put a web site up on the Internet. In this article, we will discuss the best way to choose a domain name for your business web site, but many of the same principles apply if you are choosing a name for a hobby or informational site. So, let’s choose a name for your little piece of the Internet.

There are some blunders that people make while choosing a domain name for their site that inhibits its popularity. A good domain name of a site allows people to find your site easily on the Internet. The following would give a fairly good idea of what to avoid while choosing a domain name.

The basic mantra of naming your site is to avoid using numbers in your domain name. Many of the websites on the Internet use numbers either to save letters or to seem different. As an example, a person might name his or her website as www.fun4pets.com for a pet-related website. People who wish to access this site would have to make sure whether the 4 in this domain name is a number or the words
‘for’ or ‘four’. This is how confusing it can get.

Avoid hyphens. It is not advisable to use hyphens in a domain name on your Internet site. They are not easy to remember. When people use hyphens in domain names they presume that the potential customers will remember them, which is quite unlikely. For instance, when customers see a domain name like ‘www.fun-for-pets.com’ they are most probably going to type ‘www.funforpets.com’ because it is
more logical and definitely makes more sense. Thus, avoid superfluous things.

Now that you know what not to do, let’s talk about some of the things you should do when looking for a domain name. First and foremost is to ALWAYS use the “.com” extension for domain names. This is the standard that everyone uses when typing in a URL to their Internet browser, and if you have another extension – .net, .org, .biz, etc. – you may be sending people to another site altogether. If the name you want is not available with “.com” then pick another domain.

Next, you want to make sure that your name is easy to spell. There are a lot of bad spellers out there, and if you choose a name that can be misspelled, it will be. For example, if you choose something like “www.specialoccassions.com”, you may get any variation of either word, so people may be typing in “www.spechulokashens.com” (and don’t laugh – I’ve seen worse misspellings on the Internet!).

And finally, try to make sure your domain is short. You will want to try and keep the domain to two, or at most three, words, and also try to keep it under 25 characters. This will keep the mistyped URLs to a minimum. For example, if your URL is “www.thebestwebsiteevernomatterwhat.com”, chances are you’ll get a lot of people missing letters and never finding your web site.

You could assume the guidelines stated above to be of a general nature. There are always going to be exceptions to the rule. Just keep in mind these when you give a domain name to your website and you would find that your business would thrive as people would find your website with ease.

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15
May/10

Windows vs Linux Web Hosting – Pros/Cons

by under Introductions

One of the choices many users have to make when choosing web hosting provider they’re going to stay with in the years to come is about the Web hosting operating system. While there are tons of operating systems a web hosting company could run internally on, or as a platform for their clients’ sites, usually the choice of operating systems boils down to Linux and Windows.

Linux vs Windows

Linux and Windows are the two major Web hosting operating systems. Traditionally Linux was the first operating system to be used in Web hosting but Windows is catching on quickly. Both operating systems have their pros and cons and as you have probably guessed, in some cases one of them is the better choice, and in other cases it is just the opposite.

The choice between Linux and Windows is strongly affected by personal preferences of the one making the choice. Linux and Windows are two major operating systems – one of them (Linux) is open source, while the other (Windows) doesn’t share its source code with the world. Both camps have their supporters and to some extent it is true to say that the discussion if Windows or Linux web hosting is better is a “religious” debate about open source vs proprietary software in general. In a sense, the dispute Windows vs Linux web hosting is like the brunettes versus blondes dispute – both contenders have pros and cons and it is largely a matter of personal preferences.

Anyway, in order to help you make an informed decision about Linux and Windows web hosting, we’ll try to summarize some of the main points to have in mind before you make the decision:

  1. Do your applications demand OS or the other? One of the most important issues to consider when choosing Windows or Linux web hosting is what applications you will run on your server. Many applications can be run on both Windows and Linux and some applications are only made for one of the platforms and ported for the other. Still there are cases, when the applications you plan to run are a limitation and they force you choose Linux or Windows.

    Even if your applications are ported from the other operating system, generally these applications work best in their native environment – i.e. Apache on Linux, .NET on Windows, so if you are tied to a technology, actually your choice (fortunately or unfortunately) has already been made. In any case, you need to make sure in advance which operating system your applications demand because migrating a site later is not fun.

  2. Is security vital for you? There is hardly a web master, who will say that he or she doesn’t care about security. However, in some cases security is especially vital and you can’t afford to make compromises with that. Generally speaking, Linux is considered to be more secure (especially the security-enhanced distros) but Windows can also be secured well, if the administrators know their job. So, in terms of security there is no clear winner – you can have Linux and a poor administrator and this is more of a security risk than Windows and a real pro to administer it.
  3. Price. As a rule, hosting packages that use Linux are cheaper and this is not at the expense of quality! Linux hosting packages are cheaper because Linux is free, while Windows costs money and your hosting provider has to charge you a few cents/dollars more because of the licensing fee he or she has paid for Windows. However, all equal, in most cases the difference in price due to the operating system used is quite negligible and it is hardly a critical factor.
  4. Training. Another thing to take into consideration is the ease of use. In the case of Windows vs Linux web hosting, the difference is also negligible. Whatever you choose, the learning curve for you won’t be much different. If you are using Windows as your desktop operating system, don’t panic about if you choose Linux, that you will have to learn tons of new things – more often than not you will be using Web-based applications to access your site, so whatever operating system you pick, these applications are more or less the same (actually, chances are that you will be using mainly a web browser and/or a FTP client to access your site).
  5. Your test server. Another limitation you might have in your choice between Linux and Windows web hosting comes from the operating system of your test server. It is really wise to have a test server, where you deploy your changes and test them prior to uploading them to your live site. If for some reasons you can’t get a test server with the operating system of your choice (for instance, your company regulations dictate that you only use Windows), then this is also a limitation. However, unlike applications tied to one operating system, it is easier to find a workaround to this problem – if nothing else is possible, you could set a test server with the operating system of your choice at home and connect remotely to it to test your changes.
  6. Your personal preferences. Finally, one more pro/con you need to take into account, are your personal preferences. We have already mentioned that the dispute if Windows or Linux is better as a web hosting operating system is not exactly a rational one (except for the applications/technologies, which run only on one of these operating systems), so your personal preferences could be the strongest pro/con in the decision-making process.

Are you confused regarding which one that is the better choice? Don’t be – there is no clear answer to this question! Actually, in most cases it doesn’t matter if you choose Windows or Linux as your web hosting platform – what matters more is that you choose a reliable provider with little or no downtime, good bandwidth, and affordable (which doesn’t necessarily mean low) prices. If your applications/technologies don’t force you to choose Linux or Windows, whatever you pick, is a good choice!

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15
May/10

A List of the Most Useful Web Hosting Features

by under Introductions

Without web hosting features, websites would go belly-up. The initial creation and continued maintenance are dependent on the features offered by the web hosting provider. Various helpful features ensure user security and allow the owner to easily alter the website’s appearance and add plug-ins.

There are currently many features available within different web hosting provider packages. Some are better than others offering more uses. The following is a list of the most useful web hosting features available:

  • E-mail administration
  • Easy to use control panel
  • Security administration
  • Online file management
  • Reports and statistics

Each of these features is vital to running a successful website. E-mail administration helps with the maintenance of various emails addresses. Depending on the package, most web hosting providers offer several email addresses to the client. Control panels are becoming much easier to use with new services constantly being added.

Security administration allows the owner to monitor potential security threats as well as monitor the users on the website. Online file management is a helpful feature for organizing all files including uploading to the server. The reports and statistics are one of the most important attributes in assisting website owners with bandwidth usage, traffic spikes, amount of storage used and other areas related to server use.

These are a few of the most useful features for the basic website. As the site expands and accommodates more traffic, a few more features will become beneficial. These include:

  • Autoresponders
  • Virus and spam detection
  • Automatic file backup
  • Password protection options

Autoresponders are an extremely helpful piece of software. They allow the site owner to automatically respond back to emails sent by the users or simply automatically send emails to the users in mass form. If selling a product, this allows the webmaster to send a thank you email as well as updates and news.

Virus and spam detection simply detect and block virus attacks and email spam. Automatic file backup periodically copies files to another server in case of an issue. This is usually completed in the background and not noticed by the client. Finally, password protection options set permissions to different users to give them access only to specific areas of the site.

The use of these beneficial features can boost website efficiency during creation and maintenance. Most web hosting providers offer these services as a courtesy so it’s best to take full advantage as they’re geared toward the client’s success.

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14
May/10

Formulating a Successful Domain Name

by under Domain Name

If you have aspirations of creating a successful online business, then you’ll need to understand the art of branding. If you’ve ever paid exuberant prices for an article of clothing simply because of the name on the tag, then you have been a victim of branding. A brand can hold power over a market because consumer’s grow to trust and remember them.

Your brand is your identity, your reputation, your name, your business! The best way to establish your brand online is with a solid and memorable domain name. In the ever expanding world of Internet e-commerce, domain names are being sucked up by the thousands daily. Authoritative domain names go for millions of dollars in some cases, and it is becoming increasingly harder to find a successful domain name. The key is to think long and hard before you make your decision, because just when you think all of the catchy domain names have been taken, you may find a “domain in the rough!”

Don’t be discouraged by countless failed attempts. You may spend days trying to find the right domain name for your website. Just when you think you have come up with a name that no one could have possibly used yet, you find out it has been taken. This is all part of the process, and only when you understand that will you realize that the perfect domain name is right around the corner.

Good Domains Still Exist

You may have been told that all the good domain names have been taken, however this is simply not true. If it were true then the domain game would be dying, and judging by the statistics, the opposite is true! In fact, there are people that make their living just by coming up with good domain names and then turning around and selling them! If these people can sit back and do it all day long to make money, then I think you’re capable of coming up with just one. There really are a plethora of good domain names left, it will just take a little bit of critical thinking to find one that is suitable for your business.

Be Original

If your business name is something generic like “ John’s Auto repair shop,” then you have probably come to terms with the fact that it is going to be nearly impossible to find a domain that includes your business name. Well, there is a solution. Why not come up with an online business name that is completely different from your actual business name, in an attempt to establish an online branch of your business? Come up with a combination of words that is catchy and original, this will be the beginning of a successful brand.

Use Different TLD’s (Extensions)

If you’re unable to find a domain that ends with .com extension, you should try buying a domain with  another extension. Just because you are using a region specific domain extension or an extension like .biz, doesn’t mean your site isn’t going to get any traffic. In fact, many sites with these alternate extensions are at the top of the search engines. Make sure you try every possible extension before you move on to the next idea.

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