How to Choose a Web Hosting Service! (By Tracy Perrin)
1. Support.
Is there really anybody there? Send them a question by email and see how long they take to respond. You want to know if they'll be there when you need them. Some offer 24-hour support and a few will respond quickly. Speedy customer service is rare and indicates a superior service. I think that this is the single most important consideration. Also, check out the quality of their online documentation.
2. Server performance.
You want a server that is reliable and fast. There is a free tool available that allows you to evaluate this before making a decision! NetMechanic.com will measure the speed of access for all facets of access (network speed, DNS lookup, connect time, download time, and absence of timeouts). The "download time" statistic is the most important single item to compare. Collect your list of candidate hosting services and run side-by-side tests of all the candidates. Sample during peak and non-peak times for optimal comparison.
3. Are they familiar with the application you plan to use?
If you're planning to use a particular application that requires special setup parameters (such as Online Merchant, a popular online store), make sure your potential host is familiar with the application. Otherwise you may find yourself spending a great deal of time trying to figure out how to configure it - perhaps never succeeding!
4. Traffic allowance.
Compare your traffic allowances. Some services give you a small limit on the amount of material that can be downloaded from your site each month and charge you large amounts when that limit is exceeded. Some offer huge traffic allowances (several thousand MB/month, where 1,000 MB = 1 GB) for the same price as others that limit you to a few hundred MB/month. Sure you probably need less than a hundred MB/month now, but why put yourself in a position where you have to move when your traffic takes off? Plan ahead and allow for growth.
5. Space.
How much space do you expect to eventually want for your web site? Planning ahead can save you lots of money later. If you expect to grow, look for a place that offers sites of 100 MB or more. Some services offer 500 MB sites for less money than others that offer only 30 MB.
6. Features.
Consider what features you want to simplify development of your web site. -Do you want access to a cgi-bin so that you can install your own scripts? -Do you want many scripts pre-installed and pre- configured? -Do you want to be able to use Microsoft's FrontPage? -Do you want autoresponders for email processing? -Do you want email aliases (automatic forwarding) so you don't need to check email in more than one place?
7. Guarantee.
With so many hosting services to choose from, why not choose one that offers a guarantee? Services that offer a moneyback guarantee are confident that you'll be delighted with their service.
8. Cost.
Look for hidden costs when comparing price. -Do they expect you to pay for a long term in advance to get a good price? Choose one that doesn't bait you with a low price that's only available if you make a long-term commitment. -Will they handle the registration of your domain for free? -If you're transferring an existing domain, will they submit the domain change to InterNIC for free? Choosing an excellent service to host your web site doesn't have to require luck. Knowing what to look for makes selection simple. Good luck with your marketing and God Bless
วันศุกร์ที่ 3 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2550
Web Host Ethics (By Richard Lowe)
Web Host Ethics (By Richard Lowe)
Okay, I've had to change web hosts half a dozen times in the last year and I've noticed a pattern. It's a very clear and simple pattern, actually a series of behaviors on the part of web hosting companies.
These behaviors cause these companies to lose customers and gain poor reputations. To sum it all up in a single word: ethics. Web hosts need to act ethically. As long as they are ethical towards their business and customers, they thrive. When they become unethical, they will fail. What are web hosting company ethics? This is a code which all hosting companies need to follow if they want to stay in business for the long term.
The most important goal is up-time - Almost anything can be forgiven as long as sites are up and running, as close to 100% of the time as possible. Every feature provided by a hosting company needs to be working and working properly. A small amount of downtime (an hour or two in a month long period) is acceptable, but more than that is not.
Every time I've had to change web hosts, this was the base reason. Unexplained and unexpected downtime. Oh, there were many excuses and many reasons which I'm sure were perfectly valid. But the basic reason why I create and maintain a web site is so people can see it - and they cannot see it if the site is down. To make it even worse, sites which are down for a significant length of time have side effects.
Webrings owners often check for broken rings using automated code - down sites will trigger suspensions and even deletions. Search engines tend to drop sites which are down too often or for too long a period of time. And, of course, visitors may remove your site from their bookmarks, thinking you have closed it or moved on.
The second most important goal is performance - I understand that you want to jam as many sites on a single server as you can. This is how you maximize your profits. Please understand that all of the web sites which you host must perform well.
So don't overload your servers. Stay in communication - We all know that things happen. Sometimes servers do crash and once in a while they require maintenance. Let your customers know about important events. If you are concerned that they might consider it spam, give your customers the option to receive updates if they desire.
I had one host (Hostrocket) which performed, in my opinion, one of the most hostile acts that I have ever seen against a paying customer. I had a CGI script on my site which logged each 404 error in a text file. Normally this script was harmless and used little CPU. Unfortunately, with the new breed of worms striking the internet, 404 errors went way up and the script began using large amounts of processor.
One day I tried to reach my site and didn't get my friendly front page. I got a "forbidden" error. I freaked out and sent off a quick email to the web host support group. I didn't receive a response. Not a word (and it was only early afternoon).
I sent another, then another. Nothing. Finally, 18 frantic hours later, I received a note that my site was closed down because of the script. The number of four letter words that spewed from my mouth that day would have turned a street girl's face red. I was so angry - not because they closed my site, but because these idiots (again, Hostrocket) didn't tell me what they had done.
Because of that, I wasted almost an entire day trying to figure out what was wrong What I would have done had I been the technical person in their company is simple. Just disable the script and send off an email to the web site owner explaining why and telling him not to do it again. If the owner ran the script again, then shut down the site (and, of course, send another email). Needless to say, I regained access to my site, copied my databases to my hard drive, then switched web hosts. Within two days I had moved my site to another, much better hosting service (and, of course, I deleted the offending script).
Don't test on your production servers - I know you want to upgrade your Apache to the newest version or install the new control panel right away, but please don't immediately install anything on your production servers. Believe me, your customers don't care about any of this - they want working sites. Saying "everything is going slow because we upgraded" is not acceptable - the host should know ALL side effects of any upgrades from actual testing long before any change, however, small, is made to a production system.
Free hosting companies seem to have a bad habit of using production systems as test beds. This is one of the strong downsides to using free hosts - they really don't care if your site is up or not, as long as the advertisements are displayed. Acknowledge your trouble tickets - One web hosting company that I was with for quite a long time was Addr.com. These guys had easily the best support so far.
What stands out in my mind is every single message that I sent got acknowledged by a human being. The sequence was as follows: I would send a trouble ticket and get an automated response. A short time later, I got a note that the ticket was handled. I always respond with a "thank you", because I've been a support person before and I understand the power of getting thanked. Addr.com even responded to the thank you with a "you are welcome" message!
Do what you say you are going to do - I was with a hosting company called Bizland for over a year. They were good most of the time except for (a) excessive downtime, and (b) they didn't deliver on their promises. They kept saying CGI will be released in April, then May, then June. Finally, I decided I could not wait anymore (and also concluded the host was down too much) so I moved my site.
To contrast, another hosting company (hostrocket again), had a nasty habit of just closing tickets. I'd send in a question and get an answer, then ask another question as follow-up. I would never get a response, then check to see that the ticket was marked "closed".
This is not the way to keep a customer happy. Actually read your trouble tickets - I write very clearly in trouble tickets, precisely because I've been a support person and I know exactly what is needed. I'm constantly surprised at how many times web host support people simply don't read the ticket and thus do the wrong thing. One particularly glaring example was a ticket which I sent in which said to set up a certain domain with bigmailbox.
The support person (from Hostrocket) changed the MX record for an entirely different domain, in spite of my message clearly stating "change it for domain xyz".
This caused my site to lose email capability for two days until they eventually figured out what they messed up. Most importantly, remember where you get your money from - This message is for all web hosting companies everywhere.
Your money comes from those people called webmasters. Free hosting companies get their money indirectly via the content provided by webmasters. With paid hosts the relationship is direct and to the point - money is paid by webmasters.
If you annoy your customers or don't provide service, then you will find yourselves out of business. And in these days of a looming recession, good customers are gold. Keep them happy and your company will prosper.
About the author: Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets at http://www.internet-tips.net - Visit our website any time to read over 1,000 complete FREE articles about how to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Okay, I've had to change web hosts half a dozen times in the last year and I've noticed a pattern. It's a very clear and simple pattern, actually a series of behaviors on the part of web hosting companies.
These behaviors cause these companies to lose customers and gain poor reputations. To sum it all up in a single word: ethics. Web hosts need to act ethically. As long as they are ethical towards their business and customers, they thrive. When they become unethical, they will fail. What are web hosting company ethics? This is a code which all hosting companies need to follow if they want to stay in business for the long term.
The most important goal is up-time - Almost anything can be forgiven as long as sites are up and running, as close to 100% of the time as possible. Every feature provided by a hosting company needs to be working and working properly. A small amount of downtime (an hour or two in a month long period) is acceptable, but more than that is not.
Every time I've had to change web hosts, this was the base reason. Unexplained and unexpected downtime. Oh, there were many excuses and many reasons which I'm sure were perfectly valid. But the basic reason why I create and maintain a web site is so people can see it - and they cannot see it if the site is down. To make it even worse, sites which are down for a significant length of time have side effects.
Webrings owners often check for broken rings using automated code - down sites will trigger suspensions and even deletions. Search engines tend to drop sites which are down too often or for too long a period of time. And, of course, visitors may remove your site from their bookmarks, thinking you have closed it or moved on.
The second most important goal is performance - I understand that you want to jam as many sites on a single server as you can. This is how you maximize your profits. Please understand that all of the web sites which you host must perform well.
So don't overload your servers. Stay in communication - We all know that things happen. Sometimes servers do crash and once in a while they require maintenance. Let your customers know about important events. If you are concerned that they might consider it spam, give your customers the option to receive updates if they desire.
I had one host (Hostrocket) which performed, in my opinion, one of the most hostile acts that I have ever seen against a paying customer. I had a CGI script on my site which logged each 404 error in a text file. Normally this script was harmless and used little CPU. Unfortunately, with the new breed of worms striking the internet, 404 errors went way up and the script began using large amounts of processor.
One day I tried to reach my site and didn't get my friendly front page. I got a "forbidden" error. I freaked out and sent off a quick email to the web host support group. I didn't receive a response. Not a word (and it was only early afternoon).
I sent another, then another. Nothing. Finally, 18 frantic hours later, I received a note that my site was closed down because of the script. The number of four letter words that spewed from my mouth that day would have turned a street girl's face red. I was so angry - not because they closed my site, but because these idiots (again, Hostrocket) didn't tell me what they had done.
Because of that, I wasted almost an entire day trying to figure out what was wrong What I would have done had I been the technical person in their company is simple. Just disable the script and send off an email to the web site owner explaining why and telling him not to do it again. If the owner ran the script again, then shut down the site (and, of course, send another email). Needless to say, I regained access to my site, copied my databases to my hard drive, then switched web hosts. Within two days I had moved my site to another, much better hosting service (and, of course, I deleted the offending script).
Don't test on your production servers - I know you want to upgrade your Apache to the newest version or install the new control panel right away, but please don't immediately install anything on your production servers. Believe me, your customers don't care about any of this - they want working sites. Saying "everything is going slow because we upgraded" is not acceptable - the host should know ALL side effects of any upgrades from actual testing long before any change, however, small, is made to a production system.
Free hosting companies seem to have a bad habit of using production systems as test beds. This is one of the strong downsides to using free hosts - they really don't care if your site is up or not, as long as the advertisements are displayed. Acknowledge your trouble tickets - One web hosting company that I was with for quite a long time was Addr.com. These guys had easily the best support so far.
What stands out in my mind is every single message that I sent got acknowledged by a human being. The sequence was as follows: I would send a trouble ticket and get an automated response. A short time later, I got a note that the ticket was handled. I always respond with a "thank you", because I've been a support person before and I understand the power of getting thanked. Addr.com even responded to the thank you with a "you are welcome" message!
Do what you say you are going to do - I was with a hosting company called Bizland for over a year. They were good most of the time except for (a) excessive downtime, and (b) they didn't deliver on their promises. They kept saying CGI will be released in April, then May, then June. Finally, I decided I could not wait anymore (and also concluded the host was down too much) so I moved my site.
To contrast, another hosting company (hostrocket again), had a nasty habit of just closing tickets. I'd send in a question and get an answer, then ask another question as follow-up. I would never get a response, then check to see that the ticket was marked "closed".
This is not the way to keep a customer happy. Actually read your trouble tickets - I write very clearly in trouble tickets, precisely because I've been a support person and I know exactly what is needed. I'm constantly surprised at how many times web host support people simply don't read the ticket and thus do the wrong thing. One particularly glaring example was a ticket which I sent in which said to set up a certain domain with bigmailbox.
The support person (from Hostrocket) changed the MX record for an entirely different domain, in spite of my message clearly stating "change it for domain xyz".
This caused my site to lose email capability for two days until they eventually figured out what they messed up. Most importantly, remember where you get your money from - This message is for all web hosting companies everywhere.
Your money comes from those people called webmasters. Free hosting companies get their money indirectly via the content provided by webmasters. With paid hosts the relationship is direct and to the point - money is paid by webmasters.
If you annoy your customers or don't provide service, then you will find yourselves out of business. And in these days of a looming recession, good customers are gold. Keep them happy and your company will prosper.
About the author: Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets at http://www.internet-tips.net - Visit our website any time to read over 1,000 complete FREE articles about how to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Is Your Web Host A Paddle Boat Or A Cruise Ship? (By Mike Jones)
Is Your Web Host A Paddle Boat Or A Cruise Ship? (By Mike Jones)
A paddle boat is great for fun on a day off! But would you consider taking it to the open sea? A cruise ship on the other hand is ideally suited for pampering its guests with every facility imaginable for the vacation of your dreams! Applying this analogy to web hosting can help you make a wise decision if you are currently 1) new to internet business and looking for that first web host, or 2) up and running but thinking the time has come to upgrade to a higher level. Web hosts fall generally into 3 categories. They are: 1) Free Services 2) Budget Hosts (under $20-25 per month) 3) Full Service ($25+ per month) Let's take a look at each category.
1. Free Services
If you want to run a home page for personal interest for family and friends, great! If you want to ease into the internet cautiously, great. Tripod.com offer a good free service with reasonable support. Or check out: http://zap.to/1freewebpage/ for a good listing of what's available. In short, if you merely want to paddle around, have a little fun, gain some experience, these services are fine. For serious business however you really need your own domain name, not someone else's. Tripod takes the edge off by allowing your name to come first in the URL, e.g. http://yourname.tripod.com Having said that, you can't get away from the fact that your credibility as a business takes a hit when clients see this kind of domain name.
2. Budget Hosts
You get what you pay for, generally. Many may knock the value of budget hosts. If you are running a serious business, then probably this kind of package would not give enough stability or features. Consider the following first-hand nightmare experience: "One popular low-cost host left my entire site dead for over a week while I scrambled frantically to save my business. Heck, I couldn't even reach anyone or get them to return my plea for help. When the dust settled, they had lost the backups of my entire site and I was left to fend for myself." - Ken (Internet Marketing Challenge) On the other hand, you may find my experience helpful in your decision making. I am running a resource site at present containing information pages and some doorway pages. I don't sell from my site. I don't need a secure ordering page. For my purpose in running this particular domain, a budget host is fine.
However, I ran a check on it some months back using the free service at http://hostwatcher.com . I was shocked to see how many times the server was down, or there was a very long load time for my pages. I wrote and complained. The reply came back that ownership of the host had changed and a better service was promised. Recently I checked again and found the company now has a 99% up time - a vast improvement. I was on the verge of changing my host but I now find the service is very good for what I need. Read a more in depth report on this here on my website: http://www.vitalstop.com/cheapwebhosting.htm
3. Full Service
If your business is taking off and you need 24 hour full support with all the "bells and whistles" then this is the way to go. If your internet business is your main stay then you need a "cruise ship" company who are going to give you professional top of the line facilities and service. See if there are good shopping cart facilities so you can easily set up your online store.
Managing your post office and autoresponders should also be easy through a friendly interface with good web hosts. Look for 24 hour technical support and immediate response to customer needs. Some even have a troubleshooting crackforce which can give a response usually within an hour or two.
This is the kind of service you can expect from a top line professional web host. If your site is really beginning to make money, can you afford any less? Choosing a web host or changing a web host is one of those decisions which will have a massive impact on your business. Use the 3 category test above and decide where you are going! Then decide whether to jump into a paddle boat or book yourself a ticket on a cruise ship for a happy trouble free experience.
A paddle boat is great for fun on a day off! But would you consider taking it to the open sea? A cruise ship on the other hand is ideally suited for pampering its guests with every facility imaginable for the vacation of your dreams! Applying this analogy to web hosting can help you make a wise decision if you are currently 1) new to internet business and looking for that first web host, or 2) up and running but thinking the time has come to upgrade to a higher level. Web hosts fall generally into 3 categories. They are: 1) Free Services 2) Budget Hosts (under $20-25 per month) 3) Full Service ($25+ per month) Let's take a look at each category.
1. Free Services
If you want to run a home page for personal interest for family and friends, great! If you want to ease into the internet cautiously, great. Tripod.com offer a good free service with reasonable support. Or check out: http://zap.to/1freewebpage/ for a good listing of what's available. In short, if you merely want to paddle around, have a little fun, gain some experience, these services are fine. For serious business however you really need your own domain name, not someone else's. Tripod takes the edge off by allowing your name to come first in the URL, e.g. http://yourname.tripod.com Having said that, you can't get away from the fact that your credibility as a business takes a hit when clients see this kind of domain name.
2. Budget Hosts
You get what you pay for, generally. Many may knock the value of budget hosts. If you are running a serious business, then probably this kind of package would not give enough stability or features. Consider the following first-hand nightmare experience: "One popular low-cost host left my entire site dead for over a week while I scrambled frantically to save my business. Heck, I couldn't even reach anyone or get them to return my plea for help. When the dust settled, they had lost the backups of my entire site and I was left to fend for myself." - Ken (Internet Marketing Challenge) On the other hand, you may find my experience helpful in your decision making. I am running a resource site at present containing information pages and some doorway pages. I don't sell from my site. I don't need a secure ordering page. For my purpose in running this particular domain, a budget host is fine.
However, I ran a check on it some months back using the free service at http://hostwatcher.com . I was shocked to see how many times the server was down, or there was a very long load time for my pages. I wrote and complained. The reply came back that ownership of the host had changed and a better service was promised. Recently I checked again and found the company now has a 99% up time - a vast improvement. I was on the verge of changing my host but I now find the service is very good for what I need. Read a more in depth report on this here on my website: http://www.vitalstop.com/cheapwebhosting.htm
3. Full Service
If your business is taking off and you need 24 hour full support with all the "bells and whistles" then this is the way to go. If your internet business is your main stay then you need a "cruise ship" company who are going to give you professional top of the line facilities and service. See if there are good shopping cart facilities so you can easily set up your online store.
Managing your post office and autoresponders should also be easy through a friendly interface with good web hosts. Look for 24 hour technical support and immediate response to customer needs. Some even have a troubleshooting crackforce which can give a response usually within an hour or two.
This is the kind of service you can expect from a top line professional web host. If your site is really beginning to make money, can you afford any less? Choosing a web host or changing a web host is one of those decisions which will have a massive impact on your business. Use the 3 category test above and decide where you are going! Then decide whether to jump into a paddle boat or book yourself a ticket on a cruise ship for a happy trouble free experience.
How to Select a Webhost that Fits Your Needs (By Marc Goldman)
How to Select a Webhost that Fits Your Needs By Marc Goldman
Whether you're considering starting a website or you have one and want to possibly move it, this article can help you decide what the best webhost means to you. To begin, every website is hosted on only 3 platforms: Unix, Windows NT, Macintosh Very few sites are hosted on a MAC server, so the majority of webhosts use Unix or NT. For these reasons we will focus on only those 2 platforms. Unix and NT both offer various options and have different abilities.
Your choice of which platform to use depends on what applications you want your site to run and the amount of control you want to have over your site.
Unix
Unix is the oldest and one of the most widely used operating systems. It is the basis of the internet and most webservers originally ran on a version of Unix. Unix is know as a multitasking operating system which means that it can run many applications at the same time without them affecting each other. This is very important when you consider that hundreds of websites, running thousands of CGI scripts, all receiving thousands of hits could be running on one
webserver.
Why Use It?:
It's reliable Ability to host many websites on the same machine. Almost all CGI scripts run better on Unix. Programming flexibility. Much more administrative control. With Unix, webmasters can really tweak their websites (assuming they know what they are doing) to run at optimal levels. Developers can run CGI scripts and create applications specific to their needs.
Down Sides: Is case sensitive. It is not an easy operating system to learn. Must use telnet or Ftp to make changes.
Windows NT NT is a relative newcomer to the webhosting game but it is fast gaining a large share of the business. NT was built to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft's web authoring tool, Frontpage. As such, it is often the perfect solution for newcomers who do not want to learn HTML or CGI programming or deal with the day to day hassles of administering a webserver.
Up Sides: Can use Microsoft Frontpage to publish your website as opposed to using Ftp or telnet. Can use Cold Fusion. Somewhat easier to administer (especially for the average webmaster). Is not case sensitive. If you do not plan on learning the in's and out's of the web and administering your site, NT is probably your tool of choice.
Down Sides: Provides poorer security than Unix. Because of the security issues, the hosting provider will usually institute tighter security measures. Cannot run all CGI scripts although this is changing. Your needs as the webmaster and your visitors needs will determine the type of webhost and the platform you need. Once you have done some more research into what platform you need, stop by an independent website like: http://www.tophosts.com and choose one of the top 25 hosts to fulfill your needs.
Some issues to consider while pondering which host to choose:
1.Uptime: This is probably the most critical piece of information you need to know to make an informed decision. How often a server goes down means lost business and lost sales and no one needs that. Our webhost is up 99.9% of the time as compared to the first one we had which was more like 25% of the time.
2.Bandwidth Usage: Some hosts actually charge you for the amount of traffic you get once you pass a certain percentage. Why on earth would you want to be charged for that? Our webhost offers us unmetered traffic at no extra cost (this is what you should look for).
3.Server Space: Look for hosts that give 50-500 mg of space. As the technology changes sites will take up more space. You should try to get as much as you can right now even if you don't use it all.
4.CGI Access: This is critical. You need the ability to use CGI and especially custom CGI. If a host doesn't offer it, run screaming!
5.MSQL; Real Audio; Real Video; Cold Fusion: This is the future of the web and in particular web marketing. Make sure a host offers support for these applications even if you don't presently have a use for them. You will be glad that you spent your time doing this research before you jump in and choose a host or switch to a host that provides you with nothing but problems. You deserve the best, go for it.
Whether you're considering starting a website or you have one and want to possibly move it, this article can help you decide what the best webhost means to you. To begin, every website is hosted on only 3 platforms: Unix, Windows NT, Macintosh Very few sites are hosted on a MAC server, so the majority of webhosts use Unix or NT. For these reasons we will focus on only those 2 platforms. Unix and NT both offer various options and have different abilities.
Your choice of which platform to use depends on what applications you want your site to run and the amount of control you want to have over your site.
Unix
Unix is the oldest and one of the most widely used operating systems. It is the basis of the internet and most webservers originally ran on a version of Unix. Unix is know as a multitasking operating system which means that it can run many applications at the same time without them affecting each other. This is very important when you consider that hundreds of websites, running thousands of CGI scripts, all receiving thousands of hits could be running on one
webserver.
Why Use It?:
It's reliable Ability to host many websites on the same machine. Almost all CGI scripts run better on Unix. Programming flexibility. Much more administrative control. With Unix, webmasters can really tweak their websites (assuming they know what they are doing) to run at optimal levels. Developers can run CGI scripts and create applications specific to their needs.
Down Sides: Is case sensitive. It is not an easy operating system to learn. Must use telnet or Ftp to make changes.
Windows NT NT is a relative newcomer to the webhosting game but it is fast gaining a large share of the business. NT was built to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft's web authoring tool, Frontpage. As such, it is often the perfect solution for newcomers who do not want to learn HTML or CGI programming or deal with the day to day hassles of administering a webserver.
Up Sides: Can use Microsoft Frontpage to publish your website as opposed to using Ftp or telnet. Can use Cold Fusion. Somewhat easier to administer (especially for the average webmaster). Is not case sensitive. If you do not plan on learning the in's and out's of the web and administering your site, NT is probably your tool of choice.
Down Sides: Provides poorer security than Unix. Because of the security issues, the hosting provider will usually institute tighter security measures. Cannot run all CGI scripts although this is changing. Your needs as the webmaster and your visitors needs will determine the type of webhost and the platform you need. Once you have done some more research into what platform you need, stop by an independent website like: http://www.tophosts.com and choose one of the top 25 hosts to fulfill your needs.
Some issues to consider while pondering which host to choose:
1.Uptime: This is probably the most critical piece of information you need to know to make an informed decision. How often a server goes down means lost business and lost sales and no one needs that. Our webhost is up 99.9% of the time as compared to the first one we had which was more like 25% of the time.
2.Bandwidth Usage: Some hosts actually charge you for the amount of traffic you get once you pass a certain percentage. Why on earth would you want to be charged for that? Our webhost offers us unmetered traffic at no extra cost (this is what you should look for).
3.Server Space: Look for hosts that give 50-500 mg of space. As the technology changes sites will take up more space. You should try to get as much as you can right now even if you don't use it all.
4.CGI Access: This is critical. You need the ability to use CGI and especially custom CGI. If a host doesn't offer it, run screaming!
5.MSQL; Real Audio; Real Video; Cold Fusion: This is the future of the web and in particular web marketing. Make sure a host offers support for these applications even if you don't presently have a use for them. You will be glad that you spent your time doing this research before you jump in and choose a host or switch to a host that provides you with nothing but problems. You deserve the best, go for it.
Web Host Ethics
Web Host Ethics
Okay, I've had to change web hosts half a dozen times in the last year and I've noticed a pattern. It's a very clear and simple pattern, actually a series of behaviors on the part of web hosting companies. These behaviors cause these companies to lose customers and gain poor reputations.
Okay, I've had to change web hosts half a dozen times in the last year and I've noticed a pattern. It's a very clear and simple pattern, actually a series of behaviors on the part of web hosting companies. These behaviors cause these companies to lose customers and gain poor reputations.
วันเสาร์ที่ 28 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2550
Website Design Do’s and Don’ts
Website Design Do’s and Don’ts By: Lindawati Siedarta
Here are common lists for website design do’s and don’ts. This list can apply not only for Google but also for all of search engines. These lists can help you to increase your website optimization and also can make visitor like your website because it saves download time and gives easy navigation among the page. Please pay attention, read carefully and apply the lists to your website.
DO
1. Choose and use Web Hosting provider that have good quality and service.
2. Make a relevant, useful and unique content in your website, especially for Home/index page. People always forget about this, actually this is the important thing.
3. Update your website’s content regularly, especially for Home/index page. Website that always update its content will get the more visit of Google robot. This cause can make your visitor to come back to your website again.
4. Make a group or directory with the content that relevant with your website. If you have 50 (fifty) short pages/article is better than you have 10 (ten) long pages/article (continuous page) because long page/article can make your visitor not feel like to read it. You must make sure that each of articles has minimum 200-250 words.
5. You must place and use keyword in the title, heading, first paragraph, link text. That is the main place that Google will check, the important is in the title. It will be easier for you to check the keyword in each page/article if you highlight the keyword or make it bold.
6. Make a unique title and description for each page or article. That is an important thing and you don’t miss it.
7. Make a Related Link page to add your link to another website as a part of exchange link. Please make sure that you have some content in this page, don’t just contain text of that link.8. Make Link To Us page that contain easy copy link code. Please make sure that your link contains your best keyword.
DON’T
1. Don’t use transfer page to your website. Google will give you penalty because of that.
2. Don’t repeat keyword on the same page. Please make sure that your keyword density is 3-8% for total of the word in your article, if not Google will consider that become SPAM.
3. Don’t use hidden text in your website, such as white text in your background. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
4. Don’t use small text with small size of font also. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
5. Don’t use hidden image link. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
Here are common lists for website design do’s and don’ts. This list can apply not only for Google but also for all of search engines. These lists can help you to increase your website optimization and also can make visitor like your website because it saves download time and gives easy navigation among the page. Please pay attention, read carefully and apply the lists to your website.
DO
1. Choose and use Web Hosting provider that have good quality and service.
2. Make a relevant, useful and unique content in your website, especially for Home/index page. People always forget about this, actually this is the important thing.
3. Update your website’s content regularly, especially for Home/index page. Website that always update its content will get the more visit of Google robot. This cause can make your visitor to come back to your website again.
4. Make a group or directory with the content that relevant with your website. If you have 50 (fifty) short pages/article is better than you have 10 (ten) long pages/article (continuous page) because long page/article can make your visitor not feel like to read it. You must make sure that each of articles has minimum 200-250 words.
5. You must place and use keyword in the title, heading, first paragraph, link text. That is the main place that Google will check, the important is in the title. It will be easier for you to check the keyword in each page/article if you highlight the keyword or make it bold.
6. Make a unique title and description for each page or article. That is an important thing and you don’t miss it.
7. Make a Related Link page to add your link to another website as a part of exchange link. Please make sure that you have some content in this page, don’t just contain text of that link.8. Make Link To Us page that contain easy copy link code. Please make sure that your link contains your best keyword.
DON’T
1. Don’t use transfer page to your website. Google will give you penalty because of that.
2. Don’t repeat keyword on the same page. Please make sure that your keyword density is 3-8% for total of the word in your article, if not Google will consider that become SPAM.
3. Don’t use hidden text in your website, such as white text in your background. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
4. Don’t use small text with small size of font also. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
5. Don’t use hidden image link. Search engine will consider this as SPAM.
Building a One-page Website
Building a One-page Website By: Erin Ferree
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your business cards and other marketing collateral materials. You want to include your website address (also called a URL) to build your credibility. However, you're not quite ready to write and design a full website. At the same time, you don't think it's a good idea to distribute your new printed materials showing your website URL and to have only a a blank web page waiting for your potential client's inquiries. What to do?
Does this sound familiar? Many entrepreneurs who are starting small businesses find themselves in this position. We suggest that you build a one-page website to use in the interim. Elements to design into your one-page website include:
• Your brand identity graphics. Include your logo and visual vocabulary elements on your website for a consistent look and feel across your materials and to build your brand recognition.
• A short description of your business. This description should be between one paragraph and one page in length when typed into a Microsoft Word document, and it should also be concise. You don't want your one-page website to be a scrolling monstrosity, website visitors will read the content of a shorter page. And, the ultimate goal of your page is for people to read it and learn more about you!
• Your contact information. It's very important to include information about how to get in touch with you-in case someone stumbles upon your website, becomes interested, and wants to hire you! It will also serve as a great reference for any of your current clients or anyone you meet while networking who loses your business card before they have a chance to call you.
• A testimonial from a client, to enhance your business's credibility. An enthusiastic, signed testimonial by a real person-you provide a link to their website as "proof" of their existence-will begin to calm any fears that a potential client may have. This makes even a basic one-page website compelling.
You will see that even a one-page website can bring in new clients and help to convert prospects to clients. And, since having a website is a "must" in today's business world, your marketing package will be up to date as well.
You can use a one-page site as a starting point for a much larger site in a step-by-step manner. Writing one or two web pages at a time and developing a five- to six-page (or more!) site over a period of time is a much less daunting task than developing a full site all at once. Even my 330+ page (and counting!) website started as a one-page site.
The most common excuse that people have for not having a website for their business is that they don't know what to include on it. If you have a hard time writing a single page about your business, try recording yourself talking to a friend or client about your business-it's often easier to tell someone your story than to stare at a blank page.
Another reason to have a one-page website developed would be to get a jumpstart on building search engine rankings. You can include search engine keyword phrases into the text on the page, and then submit the one-page site to the engine's ranking software. You'll get established in the search engines and will be able to begin building your site's search engine profile and history. This is the beginning of excellent search engine optimization and the first step on the path toward great rankings that will drive many visitors to your site.
A great advantage of having a one-page website is that you can include your URL on your printed materials. You won't have to reprint your cards and collateral when you do launch your full site!
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your business cards and other marketing collateral materials. You want to include your website address (also called a URL) to build your credibility. However, you're not quite ready to write and design a full website. At the same time, you don't think it's a good idea to distribute your new printed materials showing your website URL and to have only a a blank web page waiting for your potential client's inquiries. What to do?
Does this sound familiar? Many entrepreneurs who are starting small businesses find themselves in this position. We suggest that you build a one-page website to use in the interim. Elements to design into your one-page website include:
• Your brand identity graphics. Include your logo and visual vocabulary elements on your website for a consistent look and feel across your materials and to build your brand recognition.
• A short description of your business. This description should be between one paragraph and one page in length when typed into a Microsoft Word document, and it should also be concise. You don't want your one-page website to be a scrolling monstrosity, website visitors will read the content of a shorter page. And, the ultimate goal of your page is for people to read it and learn more about you!
• Your contact information. It's very important to include information about how to get in touch with you-in case someone stumbles upon your website, becomes interested, and wants to hire you! It will also serve as a great reference for any of your current clients or anyone you meet while networking who loses your business card before they have a chance to call you.
• A testimonial from a client, to enhance your business's credibility. An enthusiastic, signed testimonial by a real person-you provide a link to their website as "proof" of their existence-will begin to calm any fears that a potential client may have. This makes even a basic one-page website compelling.
You will see that even a one-page website can bring in new clients and help to convert prospects to clients. And, since having a website is a "must" in today's business world, your marketing package will be up to date as well.
You can use a one-page site as a starting point for a much larger site in a step-by-step manner. Writing one or two web pages at a time and developing a five- to six-page (or more!) site over a period of time is a much less daunting task than developing a full site all at once. Even my 330+ page (and counting!) website started as a one-page site.
The most common excuse that people have for not having a website for their business is that they don't know what to include on it. If you have a hard time writing a single page about your business, try recording yourself talking to a friend or client about your business-it's often easier to tell someone your story than to stare at a blank page.
Another reason to have a one-page website developed would be to get a jumpstart on building search engine rankings. You can include search engine keyword phrases into the text on the page, and then submit the one-page site to the engine's ranking software. You'll get established in the search engines and will be able to begin building your site's search engine profile and history. This is the beginning of excellent search engine optimization and the first step on the path toward great rankings that will drive many visitors to your site.
A great advantage of having a one-page website is that you can include your URL on your printed materials. You won't have to reprint your cards and collateral when you do launch your full site!
Web Development Company
Web Development Company By: Ganesh Patil
Benchmark IT Solutions Specializing in best-in-class web development, website design, software development, custom software development, application development and Flash multimedia
The number of websites is on a rise on the Word Wide Web for the last few years. The websites are increasing in number and so is the level of competition amongst these websites. Never before the competition in the online business was as close as it is today. No website can survive without proper promotional activities to back its performance. Keeping this in view, the design and development of a web site becomes very important. There are many ways by using which a website can help you in making money. All these things can be used most appropriately if your website is designed accordingly. If your website is not a well designed one, you may not be able to take the advantage of a lot of online opportunities. Website creation is something which needs some innovation as well as state of the art technology. If you would like to create a more advanced web site, you will need to learn the art of image editing, Javascript, php, Databases/SQL, web servers, MS SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Postgres, Sybase and scripting language.
The main idea while developing the website is to build a website about the topic that is neither too broad or general so that it already has much more websites that you can imagine nor too narrow and specific that you do not have the substantial visitors for your website, and holds a potential of good profitability and high traffic. Our services of custom website development provides our clients; the much needed flexibility in deploying their ideas into reality. A friendly, personalized, but professional approach combines to have desired results.
Having the best of infrastructure and state-of-art facilities helps us to utilize out talented professionals for turning clients thoughts into advantageous online ventures. The websites particularly stanched for e commerce have become backbone for many businesses associations, as there had been a tremendous rise in the use of Internet. As an offshore software development company, initiative is to provide the best of services in web designing as right solution for every budget call.Our internet services group together with our software team has created a product that caters to the most basic business website needs as well as the most demanding mid and large level client
If you are interested in our Website and Software development services please visit us on the web at http://www.benchmarkitsolutions.com
Benchmark IT Solutions Specializing in best-in-class web development, website design, software development, custom software development, application development and Flash multimedia
The number of websites is on a rise on the Word Wide Web for the last few years. The websites are increasing in number and so is the level of competition amongst these websites. Never before the competition in the online business was as close as it is today. No website can survive without proper promotional activities to back its performance. Keeping this in view, the design and development of a web site becomes very important. There are many ways by using which a website can help you in making money. All these things can be used most appropriately if your website is designed accordingly. If your website is not a well designed one, you may not be able to take the advantage of a lot of online opportunities. Website creation is something which needs some innovation as well as state of the art technology. If you would like to create a more advanced web site, you will need to learn the art of image editing, Javascript, php, Databases/SQL, web servers, MS SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Postgres, Sybase and scripting language.
The main idea while developing the website is to build a website about the topic that is neither too broad or general so that it already has much more websites that you can imagine nor too narrow and specific that you do not have the substantial visitors for your website, and holds a potential of good profitability and high traffic. Our services of custom website development provides our clients; the much needed flexibility in deploying their ideas into reality. A friendly, personalized, but professional approach combines to have desired results.
Having the best of infrastructure and state-of-art facilities helps us to utilize out talented professionals for turning clients thoughts into advantageous online ventures. The websites particularly stanched for e commerce have become backbone for many businesses associations, as there had been a tremendous rise in the use of Internet. As an offshore software development company, initiative is to provide the best of services in web designing as right solution for every budget call.Our internet services group together with our software team has created a product that caters to the most basic business website needs as well as the most demanding mid and large level client
If you are interested in our Website and Software development services please visit us on the web at http://www.benchmarkitsolutions.com
Advice On Choosing The Best DSL Provider
Advice On Choosing The Best DSL Provider By: Dawn Smith
When you're on the hunt for a DSL package there are many things you will be considering. Connection Speed, Download limits, Service Quality, Extras, and of course the price. With so many thousands of companies offering what seem almost identical services at varying rates, how do you weed out bad ones and get the best package at the best price? Well this guide should set you on the right track to broadband heaven.
First of all you need to consider what other services you use in your house. If you have cable TV then you may want to consider an all-in-one package that gives you broadband, Cable, and telephone all for one flat monthly fee. Other things you may want to consider is the extras that some companies offer. Firewalls, anti virus software and suchlike are all common incentives. If the software provided is good then you could save yourself a bundle by signing up. But, it's important to know that you are getting value for money.
Before I sign up to any service I do a number of things to check it out. Online reviews are an invaluable way of finding out about a company. Make sure you are looking at third party reviews and not just testimonials from their own website. If you look hard enough you will find reviews and comments from current subscribers that will tell you almost everything you need to know. One of the reasons that this is so important is because DSL companies have notoriously poor customer service. Many have call centres abroad and service representatives that speak poor English. For normal enquiries this is fine but for technical issues (of which I have had personal experience) you need somebody with a good grasp of the English language to get to the route of you problem so if possible check this out before you buy. The other thing to check for is downtime. There's no point getting the cheapest option if it means that half the time you can't connect to the Internet. Online reviews will quickly inform you if there is a particular problem with a DSL company.
The next thing I do is speak to friends and family. This is perhaps one of the best ways of getting good advice. Most people have a DSL connection nowadays and people you know will be able to give you their honest opinions of the service they are with. I have actually recommended my current service provider to three of my friends and they are all happy they took my advice. I get good customer service, no downtime, and it's very easy to install and use.
Once you are satisfied that you have found the right company you will probably find they have a variety of packages to suit the light to heavy Internet user. Here's the crucial but that can cost you if you don't get it right. It's very hard to know exactly what your needs are and I would therefore always opt for the lowest package first unless you are completely sure it will not be enough. Of course you will want a connection speed that suits you but you don't want to pay for download limits you will never reach. If you go over your download limit, your DSL provider will be happy to upgrade you to the next package.
With all this in mind, take your time, select the top three packages you can find, and them compare those three against each other. This way you will be sure to find the right one for you.
When you're on the hunt for a DSL package there are many things you will be considering. Connection Speed, Download limits, Service Quality, Extras, and of course the price. With so many thousands of companies offering what seem almost identical services at varying rates, how do you weed out bad ones and get the best package at the best price? Well this guide should set you on the right track to broadband heaven.
First of all you need to consider what other services you use in your house. If you have cable TV then you may want to consider an all-in-one package that gives you broadband, Cable, and telephone all for one flat monthly fee. Other things you may want to consider is the extras that some companies offer. Firewalls, anti virus software and suchlike are all common incentives. If the software provided is good then you could save yourself a bundle by signing up. But, it's important to know that you are getting value for money.
Before I sign up to any service I do a number of things to check it out. Online reviews are an invaluable way of finding out about a company. Make sure you are looking at third party reviews and not just testimonials from their own website. If you look hard enough you will find reviews and comments from current subscribers that will tell you almost everything you need to know. One of the reasons that this is so important is because DSL companies have notoriously poor customer service. Many have call centres abroad and service representatives that speak poor English. For normal enquiries this is fine but for technical issues (of which I have had personal experience) you need somebody with a good grasp of the English language to get to the route of you problem so if possible check this out before you buy. The other thing to check for is downtime. There's no point getting the cheapest option if it means that half the time you can't connect to the Internet. Online reviews will quickly inform you if there is a particular problem with a DSL company.
The next thing I do is speak to friends and family. This is perhaps one of the best ways of getting good advice. Most people have a DSL connection nowadays and people you know will be able to give you their honest opinions of the service they are with. I have actually recommended my current service provider to three of my friends and they are all happy they took my advice. I get good customer service, no downtime, and it's very easy to install and use.
Once you are satisfied that you have found the right company you will probably find they have a variety of packages to suit the light to heavy Internet user. Here's the crucial but that can cost you if you don't get it right. It's very hard to know exactly what your needs are and I would therefore always opt for the lowest package first unless you are completely sure it will not be enough. Of course you will want a connection speed that suits you but you don't want to pay for download limits you will never reach. If you go over your download limit, your DSL provider will be happy to upgrade you to the next package.
With all this in mind, take your time, select the top three packages you can find, and them compare those three against each other. This way you will be sure to find the right one for you.
All Grown Up: Why Your Small Business Needs a Web Solution Not a Website
All Grown Up: Why Your Small Business Needs a Web Solution Not a Website By: Ilene Rosoff
Raise your hand if you have a website for your small business. Now keep it raised if it is generating a significant volume of prospects or sales. Not holding your hand up anymore? You are not alone.
Just a few years ago, small companies flocked to the web in droves, rushing to post their first website, anxious at the prospect of low-cost instant exposure. The web was going to be the great equalizer, putting small business on par with the big brand names, dangling the promise of visitors flocking to a company's site to purchase its wares or partake in its services. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, for most small businesses and organizations, the promise fell short and company sales did not skyrocket from an unending march of site visitors.
So, what happened? For one, the web quickly became ultra competitive. Millions of sites sprang up in every business category making it virtually impossible to be found in the search engines. What little bit of traffic the businesses may have enjoyed when the site was first launched began to dry up. Also, as the web evolved to become a more interactive user experience, it became more technologically complex and many small business websites did not keep up. The other part of the problem was in the approach; not understanding that just putting together a website, even a pretty one, and finding some faceless company offering cheap web hosting services is not likely to make you the next great success story. A large hurdle that many small business owners and managers face is the tendency to compartmentalize the web into a few oversimplified tasks: grab a cheap domain name, find a budget small business website design and development person, look for some impossibly low-priced website hosting, and then expect their website to magically appear on page one of Google. Unfortunately, this ends up being a waste of time and money.
A Solutions-Based Approach with Professional Guidance
To create an effective web presence requires a solutions-based approach with clear ideas about what you want to accomplish and who the audience is you are targeting. The right elements have to be present; a well orchestrated website design with cohesive branding, solid technical acumen, clearly defined objectives for the organization, reliable small business web hosting services and some method of marketing your site and tracking the results. The web is constantly evolving and search engine competition is fierce. Being successful on the web requires consistently evaluating the site's effectiveness based on your objectives, understanding the latest technologies and trends, having a dynamic website marketing plan and constantly fine tuning. While you don't have to spend a fortune to create real value on the web, you should also be realistic. Understand that being successful will require an investment that you should plan for and a clear vision of how your website fits into the goals and objectives of the organization. If you don't have the experience and technical resources in-house, working with a professional web solutions provider, preferably one specializing in small business web design and development can provide great benefits. A good starting point in the process is to have an understanding of the core elements that are part of a successful website strategy and how they fit together.
Raise your hand if you have a website for your small business. Now keep it raised if it is generating a significant volume of prospects or sales. Not holding your hand up anymore? You are not alone.
Just a few years ago, small companies flocked to the web in droves, rushing to post their first website, anxious at the prospect of low-cost instant exposure. The web was going to be the great equalizer, putting small business on par with the big brand names, dangling the promise of visitors flocking to a company's site to purchase its wares or partake in its services. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, for most small businesses and organizations, the promise fell short and company sales did not skyrocket from an unending march of site visitors.
So, what happened? For one, the web quickly became ultra competitive. Millions of sites sprang up in every business category making it virtually impossible to be found in the search engines. What little bit of traffic the businesses may have enjoyed when the site was first launched began to dry up. Also, as the web evolved to become a more interactive user experience, it became more technologically complex and many small business websites did not keep up. The other part of the problem was in the approach; not understanding that just putting together a website, even a pretty one, and finding some faceless company offering cheap web hosting services is not likely to make you the next great success story. A large hurdle that many small business owners and managers face is the tendency to compartmentalize the web into a few oversimplified tasks: grab a cheap domain name, find a budget small business website design and development person, look for some impossibly low-priced website hosting, and then expect their website to magically appear on page one of Google. Unfortunately, this ends up being a waste of time and money.
A Solutions-Based Approach with Professional Guidance
To create an effective web presence requires a solutions-based approach with clear ideas about what you want to accomplish and who the audience is you are targeting. The right elements have to be present; a well orchestrated website design with cohesive branding, solid technical acumen, clearly defined objectives for the organization, reliable small business web hosting services and some method of marketing your site and tracking the results. The web is constantly evolving and search engine competition is fierce. Being successful on the web requires consistently evaluating the site's effectiveness based on your objectives, understanding the latest technologies and trends, having a dynamic website marketing plan and constantly fine tuning. While you don't have to spend a fortune to create real value on the web, you should also be realistic. Understand that being successful will require an investment that you should plan for and a clear vision of how your website fits into the goals and objectives of the organization. If you don't have the experience and technical resources in-house, working with a professional web solutions provider, preferably one specializing in small business web design and development can provide great benefits. A good starting point in the process is to have an understanding of the core elements that are part of a successful website strategy and how they fit together.
8 Steps to Choosing the Right Web Host
8 Steps to Choosing the Right Web Host By: Ryan Lunzmann
You need an algorithm for choosing the right web host, right? Well, here it is. Let's go through the considerations that you need to ponder in order to ensure that you get what you need. This is an important decision and you don't want to charge in blindly. You want to choose the web host that is going to provide your needs as they stand now as well as where they lead to in the future. Here we go: 1. Understand the differing types of hosts: shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated, and managed dedicated. 2. Go for stability, not just size. Research how long the hosting business has been in operation. See if they have recently changed ownership, and if they show positive cash flow. 3. The possession of fully redundant data centers. If you are considering doing business with a smaller hosting vendor, ensure that they have adequate power and connectivity capabilities. Inquire as to the number of lines the facility has. Do they possess an on-site generator? Does the generator receive regular checks and maintenance? What is the average utilization of the connections available? 4. How skilled is their staff? When you need customer service of a technical nature, you need it immediately, right? Find out the availability of their systems administrators. 5. Other customer's reviews of the hosting services. Same as any business, the hosting vendor should be able to provide good references. 6. Is the potential host flexible? In the future, your needs may change. Can you upgrade services should the need arise? 7. Make sure that the host does not have black holed IPs. The host that you want to do business with would not be one that promotes porn sites, spammers, or other security issues. You are considering associating your business with this host. Think about it. 8. Begin with and maintain a clear and written understanding of all services and all charges for them. If you do your research before beginning business, you will find a better avenue to the successful hosting, and thereby promotion, of your online business. Take your time in making this important decision.
You need an algorithm for choosing the right web host, right? Well, here it is. Let's go through the considerations that you need to ponder in order to ensure that you get what you need. This is an important decision and you don't want to charge in blindly. You want to choose the web host that is going to provide your needs as they stand now as well as where they lead to in the future. Here we go: 1. Understand the differing types of hosts: shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated, and managed dedicated. 2. Go for stability, not just size. Research how long the hosting business has been in operation. See if they have recently changed ownership, and if they show positive cash flow. 3. The possession of fully redundant data centers. If you are considering doing business with a smaller hosting vendor, ensure that they have adequate power and connectivity capabilities. Inquire as to the number of lines the facility has. Do they possess an on-site generator? Does the generator receive regular checks and maintenance? What is the average utilization of the connections available? 4. How skilled is their staff? When you need customer service of a technical nature, you need it immediately, right? Find out the availability of their systems administrators. 5. Other customer's reviews of the hosting services. Same as any business, the hosting vendor should be able to provide good references. 6. Is the potential host flexible? In the future, your needs may change. Can you upgrade services should the need arise? 7. Make sure that the host does not have black holed IPs. The host that you want to do business with would not be one that promotes porn sites, spammers, or other security issues. You are considering associating your business with this host. Think about it. 8. Begin with and maintain a clear and written understanding of all services and all charges for them. If you do your research before beginning business, you will find a better avenue to the successful hosting, and thereby promotion, of your online business. Take your time in making this important decision.
Elements to Avoid in Web Designing
Elements to Avoid in Web Designing By: Colin Stables
As a web designer, you should design your websites to give your visitors the greatest ease of use, the best impression and most important of all a welcoming experience. It doesn't matter if you had the greatest product in the whole world -- if your website is poorly done you won't be able to sell even one copy of it because visitors will be driven off your website by the lousy design. When I'm talking about a "good design", I'm not only talking about a good graphical design. A professional web design will be able to point out that there are many components which contribute to a good website design -- accessibility design, interface or layout design, user experience design and of course the most straightforward, which is graphic design. Hence, I have highlighted some features of the worst web designs I've come across. Hopefully, you will be able to compare that against your own site as a checklist and if anything on your site fits the criteria, you should know it's high time to take serious action!1) Background musicUnless you are running a site which promotes a band, a CD or anything related to music, I would really advise you to stay away from putting looping background music onto your site. It might sound pleasant to you at first, but imagine if you ran a big site with hundreds of pages and every time a visitor browses to another page on your site, the background music starts playing again. If I were your visitor, I'd just turn off my speakers or leave your site. Moreover, they just add to the visitor’s burden when viewing your site -- users on dial up connections will have to wait longer just to view your site as it is meant to be viewed. 2) Extra large/small text sizeAs I said, there is more to web design than purely graphics -- user accessibility is one big part of it too! You should design the text on your site to be legible and reasonably sized to enable your visitors to read it without straining their eyes. No matter how good the content of your website or your sales copy is, if it's illegible you won't be selling anything!3) Popup windowsPopup windows are so blatantly used to display advertisements that in my mind, 90% of popup windows are not worth my attention so I just close them on instinct every time each one manages to pass through my popup blocker (yes, I do have one like many users out there!) and, well, pops up on my screen. Imagine if you had a very important message to convey and you put it in a popup window that gets killed most of the time it appears on a visitor's screen. Your website loses its function immediately!In concluding this article, let me remind you that as a webmaster your job is to make sure your website does what it's meant to do effectively. Don't let some minor mistakes stop your site from functioning optimally!In Summary:1) Avoid background music 2) Avoid Extra large/small text size 3) Avoid Popup windows
As a web designer, you should design your websites to give your visitors the greatest ease of use, the best impression and most important of all a welcoming experience. It doesn't matter if you had the greatest product in the whole world -- if your website is poorly done you won't be able to sell even one copy of it because visitors will be driven off your website by the lousy design. When I'm talking about a "good design", I'm not only talking about a good graphical design. A professional web design will be able to point out that there are many components which contribute to a good website design -- accessibility design, interface or layout design, user experience design and of course the most straightforward, which is graphic design. Hence, I have highlighted some features of the worst web designs I've come across. Hopefully, you will be able to compare that against your own site as a checklist and if anything on your site fits the criteria, you should know it's high time to take serious action!1) Background musicUnless you are running a site which promotes a band, a CD or anything related to music, I would really advise you to stay away from putting looping background music onto your site. It might sound pleasant to you at first, but imagine if you ran a big site with hundreds of pages and every time a visitor browses to another page on your site, the background music starts playing again. If I were your visitor, I'd just turn off my speakers or leave your site. Moreover, they just add to the visitor’s burden when viewing your site -- users on dial up connections will have to wait longer just to view your site as it is meant to be viewed. 2) Extra large/small text sizeAs I said, there is more to web design than purely graphics -- user accessibility is one big part of it too! You should design the text on your site to be legible and reasonably sized to enable your visitors to read it without straining their eyes. No matter how good the content of your website or your sales copy is, if it's illegible you won't be selling anything!3) Popup windowsPopup windows are so blatantly used to display advertisements that in my mind, 90% of popup windows are not worth my attention so I just close them on instinct every time each one manages to pass through my popup blocker (yes, I do have one like many users out there!) and, well, pops up on my screen. Imagine if you had a very important message to convey and you put it in a popup window that gets killed most of the time it appears on a visitor's screen. Your website loses its function immediately!In concluding this article, let me remind you that as a webmaster your job is to make sure your website does what it's meant to do effectively. Don't let some minor mistakes stop your site from functioning optimally!In Summary:1) Avoid background music 2) Avoid Extra large/small text size 3) Avoid Popup windows
Leading Vancouver Web Design Company Advises on How To Choose A Web Developer
Leading Vancouver Web Design Company Advises on How To Choose A Web Developer By: Penny P
Do you realize your choice of web developer plays a major role in determining the success of your online business? An award-winning Vancouver web design and development company offers you benchmark guidance on choosing the right web developer, so you can avoid fatal mistakes that could cost you your online business. Through my professional online experience dealing with Think Profits.com Inc., a leading Vancouver web design and development company, I’ve learned to set my standards sky high when it comes to helping my clients choose the right web developer to handle all their online business needs.According to this top-rated Vancouver web design and development company, an ideal web developer should do nothing less than to create more profits for your online business, by providing search engine optimization with leading-edge, search engine friendly, custom web site design solutions; successful Internet marketing strategies; and one-stop Internet services to fully leverage your business’s online marketing potential.This Vancouver web design company also suggests that you should find out if your web developer has a strong ability to perform with creativity, integrity, and commitment to excellence. Find out whether they offer long-term value and know how to apply unique Internet marketing business strategy methodology that will give your online business initiative every competitive advantage available today.With rising demand in the web development industry, it becomes imperative that you choose the right web developer to drive your online business. Some people simply choose a web developer from one of the first few people who contacted them, while others make their selection based on the prices offered to them from various companies or individuals. I must warn you…this kind of selection process can negatively impact the overall delivery and implementation of your online presence on the web!What people most often forget to consider is the ability and track record of a web development company. How long has it been in business? Is it stable and will it still be in business once the work is done? Does it have the capability to deliver what you’re looking for? Are the prices offered feasible and comparable to market standards? Does its team have the technical competence to warn you about any potential flaws or problems that can creep in at a later stage? Does the web developer provide after-sales support when work has been done and delivered?Another important factor you should consider when selecting a web design and development company is the client experience. Are client testimonials and references available for review? Have clients’ expectations been met or exceeded? Has the company maintained long-term clients, and proven its ability to successfully build long-term client relationships?These questions may seem like obvious inquiries to some of you, but even then, how do you know what’s considered a satisfactory answer? Is it safe to trust that you’re in good hands? Really, how well is your web developer performing for you? Don’t waste another minute wondering! Start with some simple due diligence to make sure your online business is on track to success. Refer to the benchmark standards set in place by leading Vancouver web design company Think Profits.com, and use the site to learn how to make smarter decisions to fully leverage your business’s online potential!
Do you realize your choice of web developer plays a major role in determining the success of your online business? An award-winning Vancouver web design and development company offers you benchmark guidance on choosing the right web developer, so you can avoid fatal mistakes that could cost you your online business. Through my professional online experience dealing with Think Profits.com Inc., a leading Vancouver web design and development company, I’ve learned to set my standards sky high when it comes to helping my clients choose the right web developer to handle all their online business needs.According to this top-rated Vancouver web design and development company, an ideal web developer should do nothing less than to create more profits for your online business, by providing search engine optimization with leading-edge, search engine friendly, custom web site design solutions; successful Internet marketing strategies; and one-stop Internet services to fully leverage your business’s online marketing potential.This Vancouver web design company also suggests that you should find out if your web developer has a strong ability to perform with creativity, integrity, and commitment to excellence. Find out whether they offer long-term value and know how to apply unique Internet marketing business strategy methodology that will give your online business initiative every competitive advantage available today.With rising demand in the web development industry, it becomes imperative that you choose the right web developer to drive your online business. Some people simply choose a web developer from one of the first few people who contacted them, while others make their selection based on the prices offered to them from various companies or individuals. I must warn you…this kind of selection process can negatively impact the overall delivery and implementation of your online presence on the web!What people most often forget to consider is the ability and track record of a web development company. How long has it been in business? Is it stable and will it still be in business once the work is done? Does it have the capability to deliver what you’re looking for? Are the prices offered feasible and comparable to market standards? Does its team have the technical competence to warn you about any potential flaws or problems that can creep in at a later stage? Does the web developer provide after-sales support when work has been done and delivered?Another important factor you should consider when selecting a web design and development company is the client experience. Are client testimonials and references available for review? Have clients’ expectations been met or exceeded? Has the company maintained long-term clients, and proven its ability to successfully build long-term client relationships?These questions may seem like obvious inquiries to some of you, but even then, how do you know what’s considered a satisfactory answer? Is it safe to trust that you’re in good hands? Really, how well is your web developer performing for you? Don’t waste another minute wondering! Start with some simple due diligence to make sure your online business is on track to success. Refer to the benchmark standards set in place by leading Vancouver web design company Think Profits.com, and use the site to learn how to make smarter decisions to fully leverage your business’s online potential!
Important Considerations When Choosing Web Hosting
Important Considerations When Choosing Web Hosting By Doug Bane
By Doug Bane
There are many important issues to think of when looking for a company to host your web site. If you're a beginner putting up a simple site that uses no programming or advanced features; then you would probably be fine with the starter packages offered by most hosting providers. Service, support, reliability and value added features like complimentary PHP or java modules are probably most important to you. However if you're site is for business and/or involves programming languages and/or ecommerce features, then you should be concerned with other issues:- do you need unix or windows hosting ? If you site is written in .Net or Active Server Pages then you definitely need windows hosting. Its the same if you use Microsoft databases like SQL Server or Access. Otherwise you would probably be ok with either platform. Most companies offer both.- do you need shared or dedicated hosting? If you expect a lot of traffic, or you need quite a bit of administrative control over your web site, or your site uses a complex setup of scripts, databases, multimedia content etc then you might need a web hosting company with dedicated hosting.- how many domains and subdomains do you need ? Hosting companies all differ in the amount of domains and subdomains you can have within your web hosting plan. Think carefully about whether this is or will become important to you. Its good to have room for expansion for your web activities without having to switch your web hosting service if you decide to host a new domain, for example.- bandwidth and disk space - make sure you have a good idea of the space and bandwidth requirements for your site. Usually disk space isn't a big issue since the average web hosting company typically offers lots of space with even the starter web hosting plans. However if you're storing lots of data or video, audio files etc. than this will be something to look out for.- do you need ecommerce features such as shopping carts or credit card processing ? These tend to differ by hosting provider, as does whether there's an extra charge involved.- do you want custom PHP modules ? Some companies offer a selection of very useful PHP modules for no extra charge, typically with a simple installation menu. This can be great if you want to add a blog, MYSQL database, guestbook, or other PHP feature to your site.- support - are there decent resources available to you to help you out? Can you easily reach a live person at the web hosting company for assistance at no extra charge?- reliability - do they claim 99.5% or greater uptime ?- speed - If the hosting company's home page takes quite a while to load - then your site probably will to ! See that as a bad sign and move on.- email services - think of your needs and make sure that you use a web hosting service that provides you with the email solutions you want - like POP2 and/or web based, auto responders, and number of addresses etc.
By Doug Bane
There are many important issues to think of when looking for a company to host your web site. If you're a beginner putting up a simple site that uses no programming or advanced features; then you would probably be fine with the starter packages offered by most hosting providers. Service, support, reliability and value added features like complimentary PHP or java modules are probably most important to you. However if you're site is for business and/or involves programming languages and/or ecommerce features, then you should be concerned with other issues:- do you need unix or windows hosting ? If you site is written in .Net or Active Server Pages then you definitely need windows hosting. Its the same if you use Microsoft databases like SQL Server or Access. Otherwise you would probably be ok with either platform. Most companies offer both.- do you need shared or dedicated hosting? If you expect a lot of traffic, or you need quite a bit of administrative control over your web site, or your site uses a complex setup of scripts, databases, multimedia content etc then you might need a web hosting company with dedicated hosting.- how many domains and subdomains do you need ? Hosting companies all differ in the amount of domains and subdomains you can have within your web hosting plan. Think carefully about whether this is or will become important to you. Its good to have room for expansion for your web activities without having to switch your web hosting service if you decide to host a new domain, for example.- bandwidth and disk space - make sure you have a good idea of the space and bandwidth requirements for your site. Usually disk space isn't a big issue since the average web hosting company typically offers lots of space with even the starter web hosting plans. However if you're storing lots of data or video, audio files etc. than this will be something to look out for.- do you need ecommerce features such as shopping carts or credit card processing ? These tend to differ by hosting provider, as does whether there's an extra charge involved.- do you want custom PHP modules ? Some companies offer a selection of very useful PHP modules for no extra charge, typically with a simple installation menu. This can be great if you want to add a blog, MYSQL database, guestbook, or other PHP feature to your site.- support - are there decent resources available to you to help you out? Can you easily reach a live person at the web hosting company for assistance at no extra charge?- reliability - do they claim 99.5% or greater uptime ?- speed - If the hosting company's home page takes quite a while to load - then your site probably will to ! See that as a bad sign and move on.- email services - think of your needs and make sure that you use a web hosting service that provides you with the email solutions you want - like POP2 and/or web based, auto responders, and number of addresses etc.
What's Web Hosting ?
What's Web Hosting ? By: Dr Watson Goh
Web hosting is similar to renting an office space within a commercial building so that you can carry out your businesses. On the same argument, web hosting is the renting of space and bandwidth from a hosting company so that you can publish, upload and make your business website online and be seen by everyone on the internet. Off course, there are those companies offering free web hosting but these providers requires your website to support other businesses advertising banners, pop-ups, etc. As for those fully paid web hosting, they will hand over full site management control to you. This means that you can do whatever you wish to your site contents. What is Virtual Hosting ? This kind of hosting is also known as shared hosting. What this means is to go back to our initial illustration of office space. In virtual hosting, you only rent a small portion of a total bigger space with lots of other people. As such, within one web server, there are many other businesses website being hosted together with yours. You are virtually shared - your site will not be the only one on this specific server. These kinds of hosting method are usually suitable for most people except for professional internet marketers where they may not want other businesses to share with his business. Very few sites would actually need the power of a dedicated server, so this option proved to be a reasonable, reliable and cheap solution to most people. Why don't I just go with the cheapest hosting ? Hosting companies are just like another other business where a health bottom line (good profit) is essential for the company growth. Companies whom shown profitability have the necessary capabilities to improves the level of services to the customers, purchase higher capacity equipments and employ more qualified personnel to assist the customers in resolving any technical issues. Those that do not, are unlikely to be able or in any position, to do any of the abovementioned. Then there are some companies whom does not really understand the market, and may be pricing themselves too cheaply. Therefore, if you go to these companies, you may not be able to receive even a basic standard of services. Off course, there are also a group of companies out there, whom are reliable and cheap and at the same time provides very good services. The big question here is whether you have the time to search for these companies as there are not many of them out there. What is the difference between UNIX hosting and Windows hosting ? The main difference here will depend on which operating system (OS) you are felt is more suitable for your own usage. If you are familiar with, commonly use and your equipments supports Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice. However, there are some pointers that you must always remember. First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a UNIX server. Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Off course, just because it's free does not mean it's not as good - Linux is also an excellent product by itself. How can I pay for web hosting services ? Customers usually pay for web hosting services through various payment methods and this usually depends on which web hosting providers, you decide to work with. Most web host providers will accept credit cards, and some will accept PayPal and/or a Money Order / Check. What is PayPal and can they be trusted to handle my financial ? PayPal is a payment collection company, set up primarily to accept, forwards and transmitted payments. One of their best service is to allow anyone to pay another person anywhere in the world by simply using an email address. Every user will first have to signs up with PayPal and then enters their necessary banking and credit card informations. Once registration is completed, your email address is all you need to send and receive money. PayPal is currently owned by eBay.
Web hosting is similar to renting an office space within a commercial building so that you can carry out your businesses. On the same argument, web hosting is the renting of space and bandwidth from a hosting company so that you can publish, upload and make your business website online and be seen by everyone on the internet. Off course, there are those companies offering free web hosting but these providers requires your website to support other businesses advertising banners, pop-ups, etc. As for those fully paid web hosting, they will hand over full site management control to you. This means that you can do whatever you wish to your site contents. What is Virtual Hosting ? This kind of hosting is also known as shared hosting. What this means is to go back to our initial illustration of office space. In virtual hosting, you only rent a small portion of a total bigger space with lots of other people. As such, within one web server, there are many other businesses website being hosted together with yours. You are virtually shared - your site will not be the only one on this specific server. These kinds of hosting method are usually suitable for most people except for professional internet marketers where they may not want other businesses to share with his business. Very few sites would actually need the power of a dedicated server, so this option proved to be a reasonable, reliable and cheap solution to most people. Why don't I just go with the cheapest hosting ? Hosting companies are just like another other business where a health bottom line (good profit) is essential for the company growth. Companies whom shown profitability have the necessary capabilities to improves the level of services to the customers, purchase higher capacity equipments and employ more qualified personnel to assist the customers in resolving any technical issues. Those that do not, are unlikely to be able or in any position, to do any of the abovementioned. Then there are some companies whom does not really understand the market, and may be pricing themselves too cheaply. Therefore, if you go to these companies, you may not be able to receive even a basic standard of services. Off course, there are also a group of companies out there, whom are reliable and cheap and at the same time provides very good services. The big question here is whether you have the time to search for these companies as there are not many of them out there. What is the difference between UNIX hosting and Windows hosting ? The main difference here will depend on which operating system (OS) you are felt is more suitable for your own usage. If you are familiar with, commonly use and your equipments supports Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice. However, there are some pointers that you must always remember. First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a UNIX server. Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Off course, just because it's free does not mean it's not as good - Linux is also an excellent product by itself. How can I pay for web hosting services ? Customers usually pay for web hosting services through various payment methods and this usually depends on which web hosting providers, you decide to work with. Most web host providers will accept credit cards, and some will accept PayPal and/or a Money Order / Check. What is PayPal and can they be trusted to handle my financial ? PayPal is a payment collection company, set up primarily to accept, forwards and transmitted payments. One of their best service is to allow anyone to pay another person anywhere in the world by simply using an email address. Every user will first have to signs up with PayPal and then enters their necessary banking and credit card informations. Once registration is completed, your email address is all you need to send and receive money. PayPal is currently owned by eBay.
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