What To Consider When Changing Your Web Host

There are many reasons you may consider changing web hosts. Perhaps you are not satisfied with your current provider's support or features. Perhaps you found a better price elsewhere and you simply cannot pass up the savings. Regardless of why you want to move from one web host to another there are several considerations before doing so.

You want your move to be smooth with little to no down time. You want your customers or viewers to have a seamless transition so your site is not disrupted. Of course, sometimes something may go wrong but with a little planning you can mitigate the possibility of problems.

Save your Site Now

You do not even want to think about moving from one host to another without properly backing up your entire site. If something happens and you lose your files, you will be sure to have a back up copy you can use to restore. It is best to manually back up all your files in case there are incompatibilities between your existing host and your new one. Make sure to budget ample time for the back up to run. You may be surprised how long it takes to back up all of your files.

Research your New Web Host

It is possible you are moving from one host that has a certain set of features to another with the exact same. Possible but not likely. Therefore, you may run into compatibility problems and at the very least you will need some pertinent information in order to properly move what you need to. You will need the following in order to move to your new host:

◉ Find out what means they allow for uploading files and make sure you have it available to quickly upload your site. The minimal need would be a proper FTP client.

◉ Get the DNS information for your new host and make sure you have your domain account information so you can quickly modify settings when needed.

◉ Make sure you have your temporary URL handy so you can test your site before changing your DNS.

◉ Have a list of all the server information in order to make necessary script changes so your scripts will run properly.

Pre Move Etiquette

Let everyone know you are going to move and over what period of time it will occur. Whether you have a business or personal site it is simply good etiquette to inform your users that you are moving so they do not wonder what has happened in case you are down or experience problems. Your users will understand that sometimes these things are necessary and sometimes they can even be your best asset by letting you know if there are any lingering problems that escaped your notice after the move. Let them know when you will move then let them know when the move is finished.

During the Day of the Move

Make a plan of action for your move. Schedule the time you will move for the slowest day and the slowest time of day. This way as few people as possible will be disrupted by the process. Have a list of all the steps you need to take in order to move including details of file structure so you can ensure all files copied correctly. Once all the files are uploaded completely, test your site using the temporary URL. Use your check list of pages on your site to visit each one and ensure it is working properly. Once this is done you can change your DNS. Make sure you tell your visitors what you are doing so they can help identify problems.

After the Move

Once all your files are moved and all your testing is done you can then change your DNS. Log into your domain host's account and change the settings to your new host. It used to take up to forty eight hours for the domain to propagate fully but it typically occurs very quickly these days so most of your users will be able to identify any problems shortly after moving.

If there are any issues you can always go back to your old host and make changes. After a few days if you have discovered no problems, cancel your old account and you can be sure your move was successful.

Planning for all contingencies as well as being very organized will ensure your move from one web host to the next runs smoothly. Make sure you back up your site at your old host, gather everything you need prior to moving, inform your viewers and write out an organizational plan before you move. Once you are finished moving your files test your site thoroughly before changing DNS. Once you are done testing, only then should you change your DNS.

Even if everything seems to be working fine, wait a few days to be sure before cancelling your account at your old host. If you follow all the steps your move will go smoothly and you will have fewer chances of something going wrong. Of course, sometimes the unexpected may happen but with proper steps, you can reduce the odds of dealing with them.

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Blogging Consider Wordpress Web Hosting

Blogging is extremely popular these days. Many businesses and personal sites use it to communicate with their customer base or visitors. Some people even use blog software as a CMS or content management system. There are several blogging platforms available, many for free but easily the most popular and most used is WordPress.

WordPress is a free, open source blogging software that is easy to set up, easy to use and is highly customizable making is a leader in the industry. Because so many people use it WordPress web hosting has become its own niche in the industry.

Why Blog and Use WordPress Web Hosting?

Personal and business sites use blogging frequently for various means. For businesses, blogging is a great way to keep customers engaged and allow them to interact as a community. In addition, it keeps fresh content on the site and helps to increase search engine optimization by encouraging traffic and incoming links.

The same holds true for personal sites that use their blogging as a means to make additional money with the use of pay per click advertising. Many personal sites also use blogging strictly as a means of entertainment, to write about interesting topics they wish to and share them with friends, family and any general public who stumbles upon them.

Why Does WordPress Web Hosting Need its Own Niche?

Cheap web hosting often offers one click install of blogging software including WordPress. This is a great additional script for web sites. However, sites that strictly use WordPress as either a blogging tool or also as a Content Management System use significantly fewer resources than other sites because there is only one script being run. Customers who only use this one script feel other web hosting solutions are too expensive because they are paying for a lot more than they will ever use. So, WordPress web hosting evolved to accommodate the needs of the customers who demanded another option.

There is cheap web hosting available with servers that are compatible with WordPress installs but give you other features as well and there is also WordPress or blogging specific packages that are offered at a cheaper rate. Whichever one you choose, you will have a bargain rate for your blogging needs using WordPress.

What to Look for in a Word Press Web Hosting Package

If you have a new site and you plan to use WordPress blogging software, one click installation is probably a selling point for you. This makes installation and set up of the software incredibly easy. Some web hosts specialize in catering to the WordPress community and also offer additional free templates that you can choose from to set up your blog. You don't need to have any experience with coding or graphic design you simply plug in the template by following the directions.

If you have an existing blog you will already know what resources you need. But if you are just starting out you may want to go with the smallest available package and make sure you can upgrade if you need to as you get more popular. Some other features you may want to consider include:

◉ High Uptime Percentage - If you have a busy blog you do not want your blog unavailable to your viewers for prolonged periods. Personal sites may lose viewers when they cannot see your blog posts and it may cause a loss of revenue for businesses.

◉ Robust Servers - While you may start off small if you have a topic that is interesting to people you may find that your traffic starts to grow. If you get to be too large, though, you may use a lot of the host server's resources, causing degradation of services on your site as well as those sharing the server with you. Slowness on your site can leave viewers and customers frustrated causing them to leave.

◉ Reliable and Fast Customer Support - If you ever do have a problem you want to be sure your needs are addressed as soon as possible so you can get back to business as usual quickly. If you have a host with a highly trained 24/7 customer service staff you will likely get your needs addressed quickly.

◉ Good Reputation - One of the best ways to reduce the odds of a negative experience is to search for referrals. Look for other bloggers who have used the WordPress web host you are considering before committing to a package. If they have had a good experience with the host, odds are you will too because you are using the hosting space for similar purposes.

WordPress web hosting is a great way to accommodate your blogging needs. WordPress is the most common and most popular blogging software today. Because of this popularity many hosts concentrate on ensuring they cater to the WordPress community. Many web hosts offer affordable hosting with one click installs of WordPress. Other hosts have WordPress specific hosting plans that allow you to blog at an affordable rate.

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When Should Managed Web Hosting Be Considered

If you are looking for web hosting solutions for your website you may be confused as to which hosting option to choose. You can choose between free and paid hosting, or shared and dedicated hosting. Then there are other hosting solutions such as virtual private servers (VPS) or cloud hosting. With all the solutions you may feel a bit overwhelmed.

If you feel your site is going to be rather popular, yet you do not have the knowledge or staff to deal with administering all the server possibilities, it may be beneficial to consider a managed web hosting solution.

What is managed web hosting?

Simply put, managed web hosting is when the web host takes care of the operation of the server so that you don't have to. It used to be that managed web hosting was a term specifically applied to dedicated hosting. This is still the most prevalent use of managed hosting but you can find managed services these days applied to other hosting solutions such as co-location, cloud hosting or VPS.

If you do not have the knowledge to set up your server space the way you need to in order to conduct your business, or if you find you do not have the time to do so, a managed hosting solution may be an ideal option to consider.

Who uses managed web hosting services?

There are two basic reasons managed web hosting is used. It is used by both individuals and businesses to minimize the amount of hands on IT work that needs to be performed on the server in order to keep it maintained:

◉ Limited IT Knowledge - Some websites are highly popular and need a more robust web hosting solution. However, the business owner or the staff may concentrate on the business as opposed to the hosting solution and simply do not have the knowledge to administer the server space properly. They can then rely on the web hosting managed services to ensure everything is set up properly.

◉ Limited Time - Even if there are available resources they may be dedicated to other tasks and hence, there may not be enough time to properly administer the server as needed. Instead of a need for knowledge there is a lack of time available to devote to it, thus managed services are a convenience.

What is included in managed hosting services?

If you are considering paying the additional cost for managed services you want to know what is included in that cost. All web hosts have various services that they consider managed. Some provide particular services as part of a package and then some are available a la carte and only paid for whenever you need them. You may find:

◉ Trouble shooting
◉ Server monitoring
◉ On call maintenance
◉ Hardware upgrading
◉ Software upgrading
◉ Software installation
◉ Backup services
◉ Security auditing
◉ Control panel set up

Benefits of managed hosting services

Managed hosting services are available at an additional fee. This may seem like an expensive way to host a web site. However, there are many advantages you will possess by choosing managed services that often make it a great value, even though it may not be the least expensive:

◉ If you have an IT staff, their time can be better utilized with other functions. Professional IT staff are expensive so you want to make the most of their talents. The web host is often better suited to handling critical server issues because of their concentrated knowledge. Often issues can be handled quicker and more efficiently allowing your own IT resources to be free for other tasks.

◉ If you decide to administer your hosting needs yourself you may find that it is a highly expensive venture. Because a web host is in a position to demand bulk rates for bandwidth, server space, hardware parts and software you will very often save a lot of money overall.

◉ The web host will provide much greater security and increased performance by using the technology available through the datacenter. This means that your website will be available and reliable for your customers.

◉ You can never guarantee that something will go wrong during working hours. It is usually cost prohibitive to have your own IT staff available 24/7 just to monitor your servers. However, the web host will often already have available 24/7 support staff who will monitor your server and deal with any possible issue that may arise.

Managed web hosting services are not cheap. You will pay extra for the benefit of having the web host's technical support staff available to you. You may pay for it for a monthly fee or on an a la carte basis whenever you need specific services. However, just because you are paying extra for it does not mean it is not worth it. With all the advantages you are likely going to pay less for managed services than you will if you have to hire someone to deal with it yourself. Therefore you are, in fact, procuring better value for your money.

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Multiple Domain Web Hosting More Common Than You May Think

Multiple domain web hosting is incredibly common. Web hosting companies encourage this and many people who use web hosting find that multiple domains not only makes sense but are in fact becoming more and more necessary.

There are a number of reasons for having multiple domains and any web hosting company that wants to be considered competitive will allow hosting of multiple domains from one web hosting account.

What is the reason for having multiple domains?

There are many reasons to have multiple domains. One of the most common is simply because the person with the web hosting account has multiple projects on the web under different domain names. They choose to host them all off their web hosting account, which allows them to more easily manage all the web sites they have up.

By utilizing one primary hosting account the user can see statistics and manage the mail server for all of the domains from one control panel and having email redirected from one domain to another is easier when it is all handled internally.

Another incredibly common reason to have multiple domain names registered is to make sure that the person who owns a .com name also owns the .net and other internet extensions. It can be very difficult to do business should a business own and use the .com but a competitor or spammer gets hold of the .net extension.

Some businesses have even gone so far as to secure other domains with similar names or misspellings. The most notable instance of this was when misspellings of one of the most popular web portals and search engines would take the person to a page with explicit material. That site now owns those domains and likely paid a pretty penny for them. When a company or person has multiple domains that need to go to one location, redirecting them is very easy to do and can be handled within the control panel for all of them.

Other web hosting customers will set up mirror sites for each domain to better track traffic to each extension simply to know if there is one that is working better than the others.

Security - Another factor worthy of consideration

For those really serious about security, having multiple domains on their web hosting account can significantly enhance security. Rather than having all of the administrative functions associated with email addresses revolving around the domain that the public sees, many individuals and businesses will have a secondary domain name that is often a random selection of numbers and letters at a lesser used extension as their primary administrative domain. This domain is not published but is registered to the person.

Some web hosting companies perform this type of protection automatically as it is becoming more and more common place. It also allows the web hosting company to give the customer a parking spot while other domain names are purchased.

How do I go about getting multiple domains?

There are several ways that a person or business can go about securing domain names. Often for both ease of use as well as procuring a higher level of convenience, web hosting clients will in fact utilize their primary web hosting company to secure any domains they may require. While this is convenient and easy to do, there are several downsides to this option as well.

The biggest downside is when you have the web hosting company do the work; they often subsidize the costs and ultimately are the ones that own the domain. If you decide to change web hosting companies, getting the domain at that point can become a problem. Some web hosting companies will be easy to work with but others will be difficult in the hopes that you just give up and stay with their web hosting services.

The other route to go with registering domain names is to go through a domain registration company. The benefits of going with a domain registration service are in the end the person who registers the domain owns the domain. The other benefit is that at times the registration of domains more directly is cheaper than using one's web hosting company to do this service for them. The downside to this method of obtaining domains is that once they are registered to a person or company, the web hosting company has to be notified and some background work is performed to make sure that when someone types in that domain it is routed properly to the specified web hosting company the person is using.

Getting multiple domains is really a very easy feat to accomplish and it is incredibly common. All web hosting companies allow multiple domain names, however, some basic packages do limit the number of domains that can be registered to the account.

For the person who is just beginning, this will likely not be a large concern; however, later on it could be an issue. Luckily, most web hosting companies allow their customers to easily upgrade their web hosting package to have more domains very easily.

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What You Should Know About Shared Web Hosting

If you are shopping around for web hosting solutions, you will likely see the term "shared hosting" quite often. This is especially true if you are looking for budget hosting solutions. The most popular and least expensive of all paid hosting options is shared hosting.

It may seem like you should also jump on the shared hosting bandwagon and it is quite likely that you should. But, shared is not for everyone so before making that decision, know exactly what you are in for and whether shared is really the best option for your hosting needs.

What is Shared Hosting?

In order for your website to appear on the Internet your files, pages and software applications need to reside on a server. That server then connects to the Internet and allows people to access your site.

There are several options of how to get your site on the Internet. You can host your own server in your facility, use another facility (co- location), choose to have your files on one server provided by your host (dedicated hosting) or you can choose to share server space with others at your provider.

Shared hosting means you share the server resources with others. You have complete access to your account and only your account and a set amount of resources and features.

Responsibilities: Your Web Host and You

With shared web hosting the provider is responsible for all server maintenance. General maintenance and upgrades to both server hardware and software are the sole responsibility of the host. The host may, for example, replace drivers or upgrade their operating system software.

You are responsible for your own site. You will use a control panel to have access to your site where you can monitor your traffic, upload files, set up your email and install applications. Most web hosts will not help you maintain your site as part of your hosting package. You will share the server with several other clients. Each of you will be allotted a certain amount of bandwidth, disc space and features that you control via your control panel.

Why Choose Shared Hosting?

While you may not necessarily fit well within a shared hosting environment there is a reason shared hosting is the most popular. It is the most affordable option available for paid hosting solutions. Most individuals, small businesses, medium sized businesses and moderately trafficked web sites will thrive in a shared hosting environment.

Web hosting is a highly competitive industry, thus it is common to find hosts that provide affordable packages rich in features. Some advantages include:

◉ Price - Monthly fees are very affordable and you will often get even more of a discount if you pay in a lump sum for the entire year.

◉ Scalability - Most hosts have a variety of packages. The smallest package comes with the lowest disc space and bandwidth allotments and may also only have a minimum amount of additional features. Then there is typically graduating packages that include additional features for a greater price. You can choose the minimum package you can get away with then upgrade as your site grows.

◉ Features - Most hosts these days have ample options in features that will suit just about everyone's needs. Included in this is often one click installation of popular scripts that will add functionality to your website. Forums, blogs, chat, calendars and more are examples of scripts that may be included in your package.

When Sharing May not be for You

While sharing suits the vast majority of purposes, there are those who are not suited to a shared environment. Enterprise businesses and high traffic sites are among those. The reasons you may not want to consider a shared solution include:

◉ Performance - These days performance is not usually an issue because software and hardware on the server is much more robust and reliable. However, if there is a site that has a spike in traffic, you may see system problems.

◉ File Restrictions - Because everyone on the server must be considered in order to maintain high uptime percentages and to guarantee the security of the server, some applications and functions may be restricted. You may not be able to run particular applications that are needed on your site.

◉ Resource Restrictions - Although many web hosts claim unlimited resources, if you read the fine print you will see this is not really the case. If your site starts off on a shared server and becomes popular, something in your site bogs down the server or you start eating up too much bandwidth you will likely be asked to leave. There is a chance that you may have outgrown the possibility of shared services.

With dedicated hosting you have a lot more freedom to do what you wish and you have a greater amount of resources. However, you will also pay a lot more for those benefits. The fact is, most sites do not need the resources afforded dedicated servers and can instead use shared hosting. But, before making that decision, make sure you know exactly what shared hosting entails and whether or not you will likely fit into that model.

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The Difference Between Cheap And Affordable Web Hosting

The average consumer today is fairly savvy. Regardless of whether they are shopping for high ticket electronics or simply choosing a food item, more and more consumers are well-educated and they comparison shop to find the best price. However, no consumer is willing to truly sacrifice quality for price, especially in markets where you simply don't have to.

When it comes to web hosting, many purchasers of hosting accounts are not aware that better service may be available. In fact, most web hosting consumers acknowledge how little they pay every month and they often believe that at the price point they receive, it may not be possible to find more competitive rates

If made aware, many web hosting customers will gladly change web hosts immediately once they learn that there is affordable web hosting which charges less, yet provides the customer with a feature rich and fully supported web hosting solution.

What is Cheap Web Hosting?

Cheap web hosting is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to web hosting. These companies may be resellers or simply companies that are designed around one element of web hosting: price. Even then, they may not really be the cheapest and they certainly aren't going to be considered the best either.

Because companies that specialize in cheap web hosting know their customer base is likely first time web hosting customers or customers who really have no other concerns but price and basic functionality, they will often offer amazing prices, yet this comes with a catch.

One of the typical catches from cheap web hosting companies include super-low first year pricing and a big jump in price for the second year. Another place they will capitalize is with expensive add-ons; from higher than usual pricing for adding new domains to having paid-only applications or add-ons and requiring the customer to upgrade to access them or even a la carte pricing on applications that are really freeware.

The Dark Side to Cheap Web Hosting

The other half of the dark side of cheap web hosting is the poor support that these companies give. Often times, their downtime records are abysmal. The industry standard for downtime is less than one percent of the time. For people who do not know this statistic, they may think that weekly server outages of a couple hours are acceptable or, depending on what they are using web hosting for, may not be bothered by it. On top of this, tech support may be via email only or there may be an additional charge for tech support.

With email support, there is a good chance of not receiving a reply for up to 48 business hours. The person who is trying to upload a new web page on a Saturday would have to wait until Monday for a reply.

Making the Argument for Affordable Web Hosting

Affordable web hosting just makes sense. The cost for affordable web hosting, whether comparing month to month rates or yearly rates, is only slightly higher than the basic price of many cheap hosting solutions. The best part about the cost of affordable web hosting is that there are many fewer fees outside of the regular monthly payments. There will be a charge to add a domain name but the cost will be quite a bit less and much more in-line with the price that would be charged from a domain registration service.

Additional benefits include free plug-in, typically including database/basic customer management software and web publishing software such as WordPress which are incredibly useful and power pieces of server-based software that many people realize they need, oftentimes after they receive web hosting. Many of the web hosting companies in this arena also provide easy, template based web page creation services as part of the package to help the customer get started.

The other place where affordable web hosting companies really shine is in the customer service and support areas of their business. They often hold themselves to the less than 1% downtime standard. They can afford to be more on diligent because they are typically larger companies. Due to their size, they can also afford to have better technical support.

With most affordable web hosting solutions, phone-based technical support is available, oftentimes available twenty-four hours, seven days a week, including holidays. Problems then, become fixed in a matter of minutes rather than hours.

Affordable web hosting is the better value

The reality is that cheap web hosting is a false economy. While it may seem cheaper, it ultimately costs more when it is all said and done. Between the costs for adding products and services as well as additional downtime, cheap web hosting does not look as good as it once did. Most consumers, once they realize that they can do better, change over to affordable but full-featured web hosting companies as soon as they can.

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Should You Consider Windows Web Hosting

When searching for web hosting you will typically run across a multitude of hosts that utilize a Linux platform, as well as a plethora that use a Windows platform. There are even some hosts that offer both options readily to their customers.

Because many people use Windows as their home operating system they think this is the better solution. Many believe that this will also cause them to specifically choose a Windows platform in their web hosting. However, the truth is that most people will be able to use a Linux platform without problematic instances. Sometimes the choice for Windows hosting is a personal preference and other times it is a necessity.

Linux Vs. Windows: The great debate

The fact is, it is often more important to concentrate your efforts in finding a host that is most reliable, as well as the best suited to your particular needs, regardless of the platform used. There are, however, several topics of debate that are used when comparing Windows vs. Linux in order to determine which platform is best. They include:

◉ Price - Historically Windows servers were more expensive. In the majority of web hosts this is still the case. However, the price is coming down due to the competitive nature of the industry, and you will find plenty of hosts that now offer Windows hosting at the same price or at a price difference that is negligible. Price, therefore becomes less of an issue than expected with both systems becoming fairly comparable. If your budget is extremely tight, though, you can typically find Linux cheaper at more hosts.

◉ Features - Both Linux and Windows have a variety of features available that will allow you to accomplish your goals. Both platforms will allow you to run scripts, create pages, blog, install forums and more with very little difference. If you need a full spectrum of features, you will likely get all you need regardless of platform you choose.

◉ Performance - Performance is something that is often debated. Linux consistently performs slightly better than Windows but there is a caveat to that. First, the difference will likely not be noticed by most customers. The reason there is a difference in performance is due to how each platform is offered. Linux offers a platform that is extendable and Windows is all-in-one. Therefore, with Windows you are getting everything at once which may cause some slowing in performance. Most of this difference is negligible and will never be noticed, however, if this is a primary concern, you may want to choose Linux.

◉ Security - Security is another often debated issue between Windows and Linux. Because of security issues surrounding the home operating system and the popularity of it as an operating system there is the idea that Linux is more secure. However, this is a fallacy. There are also hacks into the Linux system. Both have the potential for vulnerabilities. However, where this becomes an issue is not the platform itself but the staff who monitor it. If a web host has skilled IT administrators and robust monitoring software, security issues will likely not be a problem.

Windows specific features

When considering the differences between Windows and Linux there are really very few differences. Even when differences do occur, there is a lot of debate as to which one comes in favorably. The main deciding factor, though, of whether or not you should use Windows comes down to whether or not you use Windows specific applications. These may include:

◉ ASP - This is a basic application framework web designers may use to create pages.

◉ FrontPage - This is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page creator that allows you to create pages and forms within your site and then easily upload them to your site.

◉ .NET - This is a software framework that provides a variety of solutions such as security, connectivity, application development and more.

◉ Windows Streaming Media - This is a means of serving audio and video to the public and is often used for band sites or for movie trailers.

◉ Access - This is a database system similar to MySQL often used as the back bone of various applications.

◉ MSSQL - This is a relational database system often used with Cold Fusion or ASP

Any Windows proprietary application will be better served on a Windows platform simply because it is designed to work that way. Many Windows applications can be used on Linux via work arounds and add ons but they may not be secure or as robust as what is provided with Windows.

Thus, if you use any Windows proprietary applications as a primary function of your site, you may want to consider concentrating your efforts to Windows hosting. But, if you do not, the platform you choose will likely not matter one bit. Instead you should concentrate on the reputation, features and price for the package you are considering.

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Is Dedicated Hosting The Solution For You

If you are considering hosting options you will likely have run across dedicated hosting solutions. Many web hosts offer both shared and dedicated services and it may be confusing as to which one is best suited to your specific needs. Should you go with the more popular shared solution or do you have a "you get what you pay for" mentality and think because it costs more dedicated must be better?

The fact is that both dedicated and shared hosting have their place and both are great options but your needs and your budget are what will ultimately determine the path that is best for your site.

What is Dedicated Hosting?

With shared hosting you share server resources with other accounts. Dedicated services allow you to host your site and only your site on one server. Typically the web host maintains the server hardware and leases the space to the client. Certain software may be included in this package. The client can install applications as needed and can have as much traffic to the web site as the server itself can handle without worrying that it will bog down other websites on the same server.

Because security is not a raised concern in a dedicated environment than a shared, the client also has more freedom, access, and control.

Dedicated Hosting Benefits

Dedicated hosting may be overkill if you have a personal site or a site that generates low traffic. However, some people prefer to have the autonomy afforded to dedicated hosting and are willing to pay the price for it. Others are simply not suited to a dedicated hosting environment because of the size of their site, its popularity or because of the applications they want to run.

Some advantages of choosing dedicated hosting include:

Flexibility - You can choose to use your server for as many of your needs as you wish as long as it remains within your allotted bandwidth, memory and hard drive space.

     ◉ Control - Because you are not sharing the server with other sites you have a greatly increased amount of control over the server than you do with shared hosting. For example, you may have root access that is not allowed with shared services.

     ◉ Features - Each web host has different features that come included with the hosting package. Some may have a minimum amount of add on services and rely on you to supply your own and others provide you some additional features such as scripts, spam monitoring, control panel and e-commerce solutions.

     ◉ Stability - Because you are not sharing resources you don't have to worry about others' practices affecting your site. In the same vein, though, you do not have to worry about outgrowing a shared solution. You will likely be able to stay with your particular dedicated solution for a long time without moving. You can add to your site with the comfort of knowing your server can handle the growth.

If I can Have All This, Why Would I Ever Choose Shared Hosting?

It is true that dedicated hosting affords you a lot of benefits. However, it does not come for free. Dedicated hosting is significantly more expensive than shared hosting. It is likely that you do not need as many benefits as you receive with dedicated hosting, therefore, in order to save money some sacrifices are made.

Additionally, in order to take advantage of dedicated you must possess knowledge that many people who are not in IT have. Without that skill level you cannot properly use the resources allotted to you without hiring someone to set up your server and install your site. This can take an expensive solution and make it even more so.

Dedicated hosting can be a benefit to web site owners that have extremely popular sites or sited that require scripts that are not allowed in a shared hosting environment. There are a lot of benefits to using dedicated hosting including the control you have over the server and the ability to run a much more popular site. But, in order to do so you have to have the know-how and the budget to make it work.

In order to combat the knowledge aspect of dedicated hosting some hosts offer managed services for an additional fee. This can often be purchased as part of a package and includes a certain number of services. Or it can be purchased a la carte for every time you need a technician to assist you with some function.

Dedicated hosting will allow you to do virtually anything you wish and to grow but it comes at a price. If you have the need for the services, this is the ideal solution for you. However, if you can accommodate your hosting needs in a shared environment, there is no reason to pay for features and services you do not need. Determine what your particular needs, skill level and budget are and then choose the hosting plan that best suits your site.

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What Is Cloud Web Hosting And Will It Work For Me

There is a bit of a buzz surrounding cloud web hosting these days and if you are researching various hosting options, you will certainly run across this term. But, there are only a handful of web hosts currently offering this solution, thus although it is a rather popular option it is also fairly new so your choices in web host are a tad limited.

As this solution gains in popularity, though, it is likely more and more hosts will start offering this as an option. This will benefit the customer by giving them more choices in companies to utilize, but it will also reduce the price for it with the increased competition in the market.

What is Cloud Web Hosting?

Cloud webhosting is hosting that uses the resources of several clustered servers. Basically, this means that your website uses the virtual resources of several servers to accommodate all the aspects of hosting your site. The load is balanced, security is taken care of and hardware resources are available virtually so they can be used when needed. The cluster of servers is the cloud.

Who can Benefit From Cloud Web Hosting?

Cloud hosting is often a solution for web sites that have outgrown the resources of their existing shared hosting provider. If a web site is extremely popular and causes a strain on the resources supplied by a shared server, you may need to find another solution. Often this solution is dedicated hosting where your site resides on its own server. The problem with dedicated hosting, though, is that it is both significantly more expensive and requires a certain level of IT know-how. With cloud hosting, you can have many of the advantages to dedicated hosting without most of the challenges.

Scalability: With Cloud Web Hosting you can Access Resources you Need as you Grow

One of the primary advantages to cloud web hosting is its scalability. Visualize a group of clouds. Your website is being run in these clouds but it suddenly gets busy. You can gather more clouds around your site to help support it so your users see no degradation of services. However, if you no longer need the additional clouds you can let them float away. Sites that have spikes in resource use can benefit from this option.

Example: Joe owns a website that specializes in downloadable Christmas projects for children. Coloring templates, origami tree ornaments, story ideas and craft projects are all available for use during the Christmas season. Of course, his website is open all year round but he only has a busy season starting in late November, falling off in January. Once the holiday season starts Joe sees an increase in traffic. Near the second week in December his site is visited so often and items are downloaded continuously causing a strain on his shared host's server. His account is suspended and he has to scramble to get his site back up and running on a dedicated machine.

Joe now experiences downtime affecting his customers all for one small portion of the year where he experiences heavy traffic. With cloud hosting, though, he can increase his site's available resources and use what he needs. When his traffic decreases again in January, he can release those resources and run his site efficiently on only what he needs.

Immediacy: On Demand use for Additional Services Helps you When you need it

When you need additional resources you do not have time to wait for customer service to assist you by increasing your bandwidth allotment if needed. If you really have a spike in resources then you risk having your site suspended for causing degradation in services to other sites on your shared server. You may experience down time or slowness on your site caused by the increased traffic. But with cloud web hosting you can increase your available resources immediately, when you need it. This can save you a lot of stress and may even save some customers because the process is seamless. Customers or users on your site will not see any change.

Savings: With Cloud Web Hosting you Only pay for what you use, Saving you a lot of Money

It used to be that when you outgrew your shared hosting environment that your only other option was to move to dedicated hosting. However, this cost a lot of money. For the web site that did not need all the resources available on a dedicated server or did not need them all the time such as in the example of Joe above, the money spent was wasted on unused services. However, with cloud hosting what you pay for is the resources you use. When you no longer need them you release them and you are no longer charged for them.

Scalability, immediacy and savings allow you to efficiently run your website. You can grow and shrink the available resources per your needs. You can get what you need when you need it and you only pay for what you use. This allows you to concentrate on what you know best - running your website. You won't have to worry about your hosting solution.

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Making The Choice For Linux Hosting

If you are new to web hosting you may find the choice between Windows and Linux hosting a difficult decision to make. This is especially true if you use Windows as your home operating system on your laptop or desk top computer. You may be conflicted with the prevalence of Linux hosts available and wonder why they are so popular when you rarely hear of Linux home systems.

Read More: Top 10 Web Hosting

There are many reasons Linux is often used in web hosting and price is a significant component. When looking for hosting, be aware that Linux provides a cost effective, secure and stable environment for your site.

Linux and Windows - Is there really a difference?

There are differences between Linux and Windows. However, the primary difference occurs with the features. If you are using a Windows specific application, it may be advisable to use a Windows server. However, even Windows proprietary applications can often be used on Linux. There are typically available work arounds or translations that will allow you to use your Windows application on a Linux server. However, sometimes these workarounds are not ideal so you need to be careful when using them.

If you do not already use Windows applications, though, you should not have any problem when opting to host with a Linux server. The main points of debate between the two systems include the following:

◉ Although you may see more hosts these days with only slight price differences between Windows and Linux the vast majority of hosts that offer both services offer Linux at a reduced price. If you do not have any Windows proprietary applications already and price is an issue, Linux will likely be the most affordable and the best value.

◉ When searching for web hosts you are likely trying to find as many features as possible offered at the lowest price. Linux and Windows likely have similar applications available including Ecommerce solutions, blogging software, databases, site builders, guest books, forms and more.

◉ Because Windows servers offer an all inclusive solution you are often using resources you do not need. This may cause the Windows server to perform slightly worse than a Linux server. For most people this performance difference may be negligible but for others this is a significant issue and the deciding factor between the two.

◉ For anyone who uses Windows on their home computer they are likely aware of all the security breaches and vulnerabilities that can occur. Keep in mind, though, that these vulnerabilities may also occur with a Linux server. In theory, if the host has skilled IT professionals this will not be an issue regardless of the platform. But there are more IT professionals who are well versed with Linux so this may be an issue in reality.

◉ Windows servers are better suited to Windows proprietary applications such as ASP, .NET, FrontPage, Windows Streaming Media, MS Access, MSSQL and more. However, if you have not yet created a site that uses these applications it will not be an issue. Therefore, you may want to research the available tools that will allow you to use them on a Linux server to see if they will be a practical solution.

The advantages of Linux for your web site

There are some highly specific reasons why you should choose a Windows server. If you fit into this criteria, then Windows hosting is likely the best for you. However, if you do not fit into these then Linux opens up as an option that is definitively worthy of your consideration. There are several advantages to Linux hosting. These include:

◉ Value - The price overall for Linux hosting is usually significantly better. Even if the initial web hosting package is not that much cheaper you typically have a lot more options available. Because you are using open source applications you are saving a lot of money while keeping your applications fully developed. This makes the cost come down overall from tech support to development and those savings are passed on to you.

◉ Growth - Because you are dealing with open source applications that are continually being created by the community you have the opportunity for growth. More secure, more stable and more useful applications are continuously being developed. The growth of the environments and applications are not dependent on paid developers which expands the potential for out of the box thinking.

When choosing web hosting for your business or personal site you should make sure you have a package that is rich in features. You should ensure your web host has a high uptime percentage and guarantee to back it up. The customer support should suit your needs and your host should be reliable. It should also suit your budget.

The platform a web host uses, Linux or Windows, will not matter nearly as much unless you are using platform specific proprietary software. If this is the case, the platform may make a difference. If not, Linux is most often the best solution for your web hosting needs.

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What Is Cloud Web Hosting And Will It Work For Me

There is a bit of a buzz surrounding cloud web hosting these days and if you are researching various hosting options, you will certainly run across this term. But, there are only a handful of web hosts currently offering this solution, thus although it is a rather popular option it is also fairly new so your choices in web host are a tad limited.

As this solution gains in popularity, though, it is likely more and more hosts will start offering this as an option. This will benefit the customer by giving them more choices in companies to utilize, but it will also reduce the price for it with the increased competition in the market.

What is Cloud Web Hosting?

Cloud webhosting is hosting that uses the resources of several clustered servers. Basically, this means that your website uses the virtual resources of several servers to accommodate all the aspects of hosting your site. The load is balanced, security is taken care of and hardware resources are available virtually so they can be used when needed. The cluster of servers is the cloud.

Who can Benefit From Cloud Web Hosting?

Cloud hosting is often a solution for web sites that have outgrown the resources of their existing shared hosting provider. If a web site is extremely popular and causes a strain on the resources supplied by a shared server, you may need to find another solution. Often this solution is dedicated hosting where your site resides on its own server. The problem with dedicated hosting, though, is that it is both significantly more expensive and requires a certain level of IT know-how. With cloud hosting, you can have many of the advantages to dedicated hosting without most of the challenges.

Scalability: With Cloud Web Hosting you can Access Resources you Need as you Grow

One of the primary advantages to cloud web hosting is its scalability. Visualize a group of clouds. Your website is being run in these clouds but it suddenly gets busy. You can gather more clouds around your site to help support it so your users see no degradation of services. However, if you no longer need the additional clouds you can let them float away. Sites that have spikes in resource use can benefit from this option.

Example: Joe owns a website that specializes in downloadable Christmas projects for children. Coloring templates, origami tree ornaments, story ideas and craft projects are all available for use during the Christmas season. Of course, his website is open all year round but he only has a busy season starting in late November, falling off in January. Once the holiday season starts Joe sees an increase in traffic. Near the second week in December his site is visited so often and items are downloaded continuously causing a strain on his shared host's server. His account is suspended and he has to scramble to get his site back up and running on a dedicated machine.

Joe now experiences downtime affecting his customers all for one small portion of the year where he experiences heavy traffic. With cloud hosting, though, he can increase his site's available resources and use what he needs. When his traffic decreases again in January, he can release those resources and run his site efficiently on only what he needs.

Immediacy: On Demand use for Additional Services Helps you When you need it

When you need additional resources you do not have time to wait for customer service to assist you by increasing your bandwidth allotment if needed. If you really have a spike in resources then you risk having your site suspended for causing degradation in services to other sites on your shared server. You may experience down time or slowness on your site caused by the increased traffic. But with cloud web hosting you can increase your available resources immediately, when you need it. This can save you a lot of stress and may even save some customers because the process is seamless. Customers or users on your site will not see any change.

Savings: With Cloud Web Hosting you Only pay for what you use, Saving you a lot of Money

It used to be that when you outgrew your shared hosting environment that your only other option was to move to dedicated hosting. However, this cost a lot of money. For the web site that did not need all the resources available on a dedicated server or did not need them all the time such as in the example of Joe above, the money spent was wasted on unused services. However, with cloud hosting what you pay for is the resources you use. When you no longer need them you release them and you are no longer charged for them.

Scalability, immediacy and savings allow you to efficiently run your website. You can grow and shrink the available resources per your needs. You can get what you need when you need it and you only pay for what you use. This allows you to concentrate on what you know best - running your website. You won't have to worry about your hosting solution.

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Web Hosting Security Is Essential For Any Site

Whether you have a personal site that you use simply to blog on occasion or a global, large scale business, security is of utmost importance. Security is likely the aspect of web hosting that is most important to everyone, and if it is not, it should be.

Lack of security can be devastating to a business if these problems result in loss of income or identity theft. Thus, it is important to understand what aspects of security you should look for and how to determine if your host provides security adequately.

Why is security such a growing problem?

The Internet is accessible to everyone and it is becoming the preferred means of conducting business. Whenever there is a possibility of exploiting a system for the gain of disreputable people, it will be attempted. The Internet is ripe for the taking and criminals will try many approaches to get what they want.

There are literally billions of dollars that go back and forth on the Internet and if these funds can be diverted to a thief, then they will attempt it. This is why consumers are so concerned with security and why you should look at security as a primary concern when choosing a host.

Who are you protecting your site from?

There are essentially two types of people who are out to do harm to your site. The most common and most threatening is the identity thief. This is the person who looks for an opportunity to gather information for personal gain. This sort of criminal is often an operating in a stealth capacity. They try to continue unnoticed for a long duration to maximize the number of victims they can access.

Not everyone who is out to harm your site is trying to steal from you. There is a significant group of hackers who are simply looking to cause disruption. When you are the victim of one of these hackers it can cripple your site causing prolonged down time and a loss of revenues. They typically wreak havoc for the sake of their own fun or to prove to themselves they can disable an organization and they usually work in a hit and run mode. They often put "graffiti" on the site, changing the page to let you know they were there.

What security issues should you consider

Luckily most web hosts are aware that there is a demand for robust security and they are listening to the demands of their customers. However, if you are not sure what to look for you may think you are not at risk. There are two things to consider. First, you need to be sure your web host is taking care of their servers to provide a secure environment. Next, they should provide the necessary tools to ensure you can secure your site and its functionality.

When searching for a new web host or evaluating the security of your own host here are some things to consider:

◉ SFTP - If you have ever uploaded files to your hosting account you are likely familiar with FTP (File Transfer Protocol). You use an FTP client to drag your files to where you want them uploaded and they will be published to your account. SFTP is the same concept but it is more secure. SFTP stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol and it provides an additional layer of protection. FTP, while fairly secure, is still vulnerable. Files can be intercepted and even modified with little to no indication. SFTP closes this vulnerability. Check to make sure this option is available to you via your web host.

◉ SSL - SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. SSL provides an encrypted path between the browser and web server. You can tell if an SSL certificate is being utilized with the indication of a locked padlock symbol on the address bar along with the use of https:// in the address as opposed to http://. If you run an Ecommerce site an SSL certificate is a necessity. It will help prevent customer information from being stolen. Credit card or banking numbers, name, address and other personal information will remain secure. Whenever you need to gather personal, sensitive information an SSL certificate is a must.

◉ Backups - Backups should be performed regularly in order to protect your site in case of a problem or disaster. Most hosts provide a tool in the control panel that allows you to back up your own site. This should be done and you should not rely on your host to do so. However, a host that has sound back up procedures is a plus. Check to see how often the host backs up their servers, what method they use and where backups are stored.

◉ Server maintenance - The web host should make sure the server is adequately maintained to ensure attacks are limited. Check to see if the host has a published security protocol which is a good (though not guaranteed) indication that they are on top of upgrades and patches.

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The Pros And Cons Of Vps Web Hosting

VPS web hosting is one of the newer forms of web hosting that has only recently gained in popularity. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. VPS hosting is a source of confusion for many individuals and businesses searching for a web host for their Internet ventures. The reason for this is that it really is a hybrid of shared hosting and dedicated hosting.

It is no wonder people are confused by the term and are unsure if it will suit their purposes and their web hosting needs. We shall look to clarify the pros and cons of VPS hosting to help you better decide if it is appropriate for your endeavors.

VPS Web Hosting Defined

A virtual private server is one that is partitioned so that it has its own operating system, disc space, and bandwidth. What, exactly, does this mean? A physical server that resides in a data center is used for VPS hosting. That server is then divided into various spaces that create its own virtual server. The account holder who is put on the virtual server sees only their virtual environment and can reboot their server or use it as if it was their own dedicated server.

The space acts just like a dedicated server but it is in actuality a part of one physical server. Because it acts as a dedicated server this is a good interim solution for sites that may need a dedicated server in the future but are not yet ready for it. VPS hosting is a good bridge between shared hosting and dedicated hosting.

Who Uses VPS Hosting?

Many hosting customers have a preference for VPS hosting because they have more control over their environment than they do with shared hosting. Even if they do not need all the system resources allocated to them in the VPS and a shared environment is just as suitable, the control they are afforded is worth the added expense.

For people who want to have dedicated hosting but are a bit wary of the technological knowhow needed, VPS hosting is a good starter package to get their feet wet. They can try it out and increase their skill set without committing to as much money up front.

What Are the Benefits of VPS Hosting?

As with all types of web hosting, there are pros and cons to each and each one is suited to specific circumstances. Generally there are many advantages to hosting your site on a virtual private server. These include:

◉ A VPS hosting account is less expensive than a full dedicated hosting plan that uses a physical server.

◉ Many VPS plans can be customized to meet your needs so you pay for what you want but you do not need to deal with any features you will never need.

◉ Many VPS hosting plans are easily scalable. You can start off in your virtual environment with the minimum amount of resources you need and then as you grow gradually increase your hosting plan to accommodate your needs. You do not have to pay for excessive resources you have not yet grown into.

◉ You have a lot more control over your virtual server than you do with shared hosting. You will likely have root access and the ability to use scripts that may not be allowed in the shared hosting environment.

◉ You have the same technical support as with shared hosting for most issues.

◉ You can choose from semi managed hosting where the web host handles some maintenance and fully managed services.

Are There any Disadvantages to VPS Hosting?

VPS hosting, in theory, is a great way to have the services of a dedicated server but without the cost associated with it. However, there are some potential issues that may occur with VPS hosting. The main disadvantage from a financial standpoint is that it is more expensive than shared hosting. For sites that do not need a dedicated hosting service, the cost may be prohibitive. While it is not as expensive as dedicated, it is also typically a lot more expensive than shared.

From a services standpoint, though, the issue can be a lot greater. Some web hosts offer VPS hosting but do not allocate the resources appropriately. This may cause problems down the line if a particular site uses its resources at peak levels. The reason for this is that the web host may have over sold its space, banking on the probability that each account on the physical server will not use its allocated store of resources. However, if they do, it may cause server issues that will affect all other sites on the server. A way to combat this is to ensure that you are aware of how many virtual accounts are on the server at one time.

VPS hosting is a great bridge between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. It s main advantage is the ability to have complete control over the hosting environment as you would get in a dedicated hosting package but without the cost. There are a few issues you may encounter if the host does not handle VPS correctly but if they do and you can afford the slightly higher price, it is a great option.

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Website Security Consideration

Websites are always to prone to security risks. Cyber crime impacts your business by hacking your website. Your website is then used for hacking assaults that install malicious software or malware on your visitor’s computer.

Hackers may also steal important customer data such as credit card information, destroy your business and propagate illegal content to your users.

Security Considerations

Updated Software

It is mandatory to keep you software updated. It plays vital role in keeping your website secure.

SQL Injection

It is an attempt by the hackers to manipulate your database. It is easy to insert rogue code into your query that can be used to manipulate your database such as change tables, get information or delete data.

Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

It allows the attackers to inject client side script into web pages. Therefore, while creating a form It is good to endure that you check the data being submitted and encode or strip out any HTML.

Error Messages

You need to be careful about how much information to be given in the error messages. For example, if the user fails to log in the error message should not let the user know which field is incorrect: username or password.

Validation of Data

The validation should be performed on both server side and client side.

Passwords

It is good to enforce password requirements such as of minimum of eight characters, including upper case, lower case and special character. It will help to protect user’s information in long run.

Upload files

The file uploaded by the user may contain a script that when executed on the server opens up your website.

SSL

It is good practice to use SSL protocol while passing personal information between website and web server or database.

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