Top Hosting Companies

Having a Dedicated Server, When Does This Make Sense?

Ricardo d Argence — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:11:28 +0000

Having a popular webstie is encouraging, especially if it is related to your business. However, you’ve probably never thought popularity could cost you money. Shared web services allow only a specific amount of web traffic each month. Each and every host has their own way of handling cases where the total amount of traffic exceeds the threshold.

Some servers will suddenly shut your site down, which means your visitors will see only a page telling them you have exceeded your allotment. Others will allow your page to keep running, and will charge you for the extra bandwidth. Extra usage charges could end up costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if your site gets popular rapidly.

This is why it’s vital to keep an eye on your bandwidth usage and the traffic that goes through your site every day. If it begins to look like you’ll exceed your bandwidth allotment, it might be time to look into getting a dedicated server. It might be tempting to use one of the shared hosting servers that claims to offer “unlimited” bandwidth. However, in the end, you’ll probably find that there are limits written into the fine print.

In addition, shared web services have less availability time than a dedicated server. By upgrading, not only will you be increasing the length of time your website is available to the viewers, but you will even attract more. The benefits of upgrading to a server of your own are that it will improve reliability and performance as well as give you total control over your website.

A dedicated server will afford a greater degree of control over the applications that you want to run and will not leave you wondering why the host is down. You can also run more sites on one server - as much as a few hundred. However, it’s important to budget for extra fees. The initial cost will be high but having a dedicated server is worth the expense.

There’s a setup fee, and a dedicated server can cost as much as $200/month. However, if you stop and think about it, you’ll realize that that amount per month in exchange for reliability is a good deal, versus poor reliability and occasionally being charged several hundred dollars for bandwidth overage.

Find out what you can do with a dedicated server and your shared hosting troubles may be over. You won’t have to deal with problems from scripts other users are running, downtime, or extra charges just because you’ve become popular. If your current provider is one that you are satisfied with, inquire about their options for dedicated servers. On the other hand, if you’ve had poor customer service experiences and other problems, you might have better luck elsewhere.

If your site gets more and more visitors every day, you need to make sure your guests aren’t using too much bandwidth. Inattentiveness to your website traffic could prove costly. Switching to a dedicated server will prevent unexpected overage bills, and will reduce extra downtime; this is a move that will eliminate your worries about whether you will exceed monthly allotments.

Overall, a dedicated server will be well worth the investment, despite the increased cost. A reliable server for a low price can obtained by having control, reliability and all the bandwidth you need to take care of your website’s visitors.

Reseller Hosting Defined

Johnson — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:57:13 +0000

Reseller hosting means purchasing a plan or a dedicated server for the purpose of establishing your own company. As a reseller you can decide what kinds of services you can sell. You can provide shared, dedicated or co location web hosting or merchant accounts, store fronts etc.

If you go with hosting then it might be useful to offer some other hosting related services like domain names, search engines etchant a variety of business of all sizes, small through large, are actively taking part in this business opportunity from educational institutions offering web hosting to students and teachers, to associations and other organizations offering hosting to members and staff, to the work-at-home entrepreneur offing hosting to his or her clients.

One of the main benefits is regular and balanced revenue. It forms a source of additional income for the companies. Reseller hosting is no different either, a reseller buys a Web hosting package from a hosting company and tries to sell it independently. The profit for the reseller lies in either the discount or in the commission s/he gets from selling an account. This has provided the necessary boost to reseller hosting and it occupies a vital place in the market. The competition in this field is relatively less, so there are no risks or losses.

Also there are no comparisons between small and large companies when it comes to reseller hosting. Most web hosting companies try to outsource their services to resellers as it helps them to extend their business reach without the cost of marketing and sales and also helps them to concentrate on the business side of things. You can also decide the amount you charge for each small part that you sell. This leaves a lot of room for profits and monetary gains.

You should find out the type of hosting you are interested in. The reseller might purchase a package whose features are valued at $100 for $90. So, the reseller stands to make a $10 profit on selling the package to customers. Normally as the customers increase, so does the profit margin for the reseller. You should also be aware of the technical aspects like disk space, control panels and bandwidth. If you are interested in purchasing web hosting from any company you should check the reseller plan which they offer for the best features and benefits for you and your clients.

Marketing Services for the Internet

Gary Terrazas — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 04:55:51 +0000

Good Internet marketing services for a business are those that achieve all that is required for an Internet business to succeed in all its activities.

There are a great variety of good and lousy Internet marketing affiliate programmes and services available and so the task of choosing the best one for you may be quite overwhelming.

So, the first step in identifying the best provider of Internet services for your business is to learn the difference between what is a good Internet marketing programme and what is not!

Being able to tell the difference right off will prevent a promising company from being ripped off by those out there who prey on businesses in need of Internet marketing services for their company.

A useful online marketing program is known as affiliate marketing. The first thing you should know is that any good Internet marketing service affiliate program will not charge you for membership or for services not rendered. So beware of any Internet marketing affiliate program that asks you for any money upfront to become a member of their specific program.

You would find it necessary to take advantage of SEO search engine marketing opportunities. To do this you have to try to optimize your website for the popular search engines relating to your target market. Depending on where you are Google and Yahoo remains top choices. Make sure that any search engine you choose to work with is relevant to your specific needs.

Do your best with the top search engines to see what techniques work and what doesn’t work for your site. By using this information you can identify the best techniques which are more suitable for successful ranking of your website.

In Internet marketing you have an option of using PPC as a marketing medium. You could do such a program with a search engine or just decide to place ads on a website already enjoying high traffic.

Be cautious of paying for advertising on a busy site when that traffic irrelevant to your business. E.g. advertising fine bed linen on a coal mining website!

If you decide to use the services of an Internet marketing company or consultant take care to pick the best. Take time to make adequate research into their pedigree and history. Look at past projects they have done. Ask them for their resume, ask if they have existed under any other name in the past and research that too.

It is a good idea to ascertain an Internet marketing firm’s abilities before employing them. Do this by asking them to describe how they intend to help your business grow. A good company is pleased to provide you with all the information you request, a bad company not.

Choose the best from the many Internet marketing companies available to ensure that your business is successful.

Get Your Site Ranked By Website Review Sites

Stuart M.Russell — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:48:27 +0000

There are times when you need to find something relevant, appealing and interesting to you, without much effort. The best places to achieve this are website review sites. These website reviewers go through different websites to evaluate what each offers to their visitors and give them a suitable ranking. Depending on the type of website, the reviewing panel will look at various aspects according to specified standards before providing a rating.

Navigation ease, interesting features and the content’s relevancy are among the things a website review site will look at closely.

Broad categorisation is prominent in website review sites and generally include a large range of topics under a single classification. For example, if the category is computers and electronics, it will have everything from computer hardware items to self-help guides for web designing.

Each review site has a different criteria, so every website they review will be rated according to specific standards expected from the particular website type. For example, a website for selling ebooks won’t be reviewed on the same standards as a website for free photoshop tutorials.

But, some common standards are followed as a practice by all review site, such as the ease of navigation, content relevancy and other features including animations. Sometimes, the update frequency of a website is also taken under consideration.

For website owners, getting their sites evaluated, reviewed and rated is an excellent way to be more prominent in the online market and gain a better, more trusted reputation. Higher ranked websites are more likely to have heavy web traffic, because they are easier to find on search engines and are generally more popular. You get more credibility with an impartial judgment provided by such a website reviewing panel.

By getting a website reviewed by an authoritative group and having it ranked in a place such as a website reviewing site also lets the internet surfer find it more easily. Information about the various reviewed sites are also easily available in these sites, so by visiting a website review site before trying out anything on a specific site, you’ll find out if it’s worth your time and effort to get involved. This is especially true when you want to buy and sell online.

Some website review sites provide their services free of charge, while others require you to make an advanced payment to get your site reviewed. There are some personal blogs contributing to the site reviewing process, but these are often biased and fail to mention certain faulty aspects.

Good SEO Strategies for Your Website

Johnson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:52:43 +0000

If you would like your web page to be found more often in a search engine chances are you will do what everyone else is doing and shoot for some SEO strategies to help you out. SEO is not difficult but not easy either, there are some strict rules that you need to follow to rank well on the Search Engines. Many people say MSN is the easiest SE to rank for then comes Yahoo! and finally Google. If you are going to use SEO strategies for your web page you will need to focus on your keyword text. When using SEO strategies you have to put the exact keyword in the exact spelling in order for the search engine to pick up what you want it to pick up.

If you have 250 words in your text you will want to include at least 5% of it as the keyword. The problem with Google is that it values old pages too much, you can have a new very informative website but you will probably not be in the top 10 for your main keyword if it is a very competitive one. There are plenty of engines out there that you will be able to check your keyword density in, you can search for them by going to a search engine and typing in “keyword density checker.” You should always place the most important writing around the top of your article.

SEO takes time but it is fun and there are always new things to learn since the Search Engines change their algorithm once in a time, if you have a web page and you follow the SEO strategies you are sure to have more hits than ever to your web page, you just have to find the time and patience to write your own SEO articles, be sure to mention that word that you are aiming for in there a lot though and you should have no problem with your SEO.

Google is the most complicated one but I read somewhere, better you optimize for Google and the other two will follow. Most techniques mentioned in this article are free strategies that only require your time.

Differences In Two Common PHP Language Constructs

Zachary Schuessler — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:55:33 +0000

PHP is a highly robust language- one that has attracted web developers from all across the world to take place in the web application craze that’s been raging. Getting the most out of the language means understanding it- and something most developers don’t know is simple things such as the difference between Echo and Print.

Echo and Print are both commands used to display something to the browser. Both are used in similar structure, and both are identical in output. So what, then, is the use for having two commands that appear to do the exact same thing?

Print is actually something more of a function, as it can be enclosed in brackets. Echo lacks this ability, but then again, there is almost never a need to do so. In reality, having this ability is something that even those who have seen it all in PHP likely won’t need to make use of. This just adds more confusion to the topic than what was previously apparent.

There is the issue of speed that comes along with the fact that Print has to return a value. The extra load will indeed affect performance, but on such a small level that it isn’t even noticeable. It is recommended that PHP developers not take such a trivial amount of performance into mind, and instead pick the printing command that best suits them.

So far the industry standard has been to use Echo, but it should be stressed that either command may be used at will. Echo seems to be the favorite as it is easier to type, not to mention it’s a fun word to say! Those who favor the Print command are usually older programmers, who are accustomed to using the command Print from other programming languages that are now considered archaic.

As a last note of worthiness, it should be made clear that if speed is an issue, more emphasis should be put on how the two commands are used. Repeatedly using either command where a programmer could simply concatenate a string or value together will waste system performance- and on a much more noticeable scale that the difference between returning a value or not. Thus, this subject should be addressed if anything in regards to speed.

In Conclusion

PHP development just wouldn’t be the same without fun debates such as the one just mentioned. But in reality, it really doesn’t matter which route is taken- so long as either language construct is used in a performance-based manner. Although Print may still have somewhat of a following today, as books and publishers start using Echo more often, it’s likely we’ll see a death to the Print command soon enough.

A Checklist for Data Centre Reliability

Amy Nutt — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:07:04 +0000

Planning, creating, and building a data centre can be one of the most expensive tasks an IT director can face. In order to maximize cost effectiveness and achieve optimum performance, reliability is key.

Data centre size can range from one room in an office to an entire building, but there are some basic requirements which must be implemented to ensure system reliability. When designing a data centre, efficient planning is very important. A number of areas must be addressed to ensure a dependable and efficient system which is capable of continued operation.

Understand the potential causes of failure

There are a number of areas cited as the most common causes of data centre failure:

- Environmental problems - Software failure - for example, memory leaks - Hardware failure - such as storage or processing problems - Operator or procedural error - Poor network reliability - Security breaches - for example hacker attack

Environmental considerations

When planning a data centre, there are a number of physical and architectural design features which must be implemented to ensure reliability:

Adequate Air Supply: temperature must be maintained between 20 and 25 ?C and humidity between 40 and 60 %. Too much humidity can cause water to condense on internal components. However if the air is too dry, this can cause static electricity to discharge. Malfunction is likely if the above ranges are not maintained. This is one of the prime causes of data centre malfunction. Implementation of adequate air conditioning and correct architectural design to allow for air circulation between units is vital. Particular care needs to be taken to prevent hotspots from occurring.

- Safeguard against power loss: external environmental factors such as hurricane or snowstorm can cause power black outs. It is vital to have a generator to ensure continued function, as well as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for emergency power. These should be of sufficient size to power cooling systems.

-Fire protection systems: the simplest forms of fire protection are smoke detectors, for early detection of a fire. It is also vital to ensure fire containment to prevent the spread of a fire to the entire data centre. For example: Contained sprinkler systems or gaseous fire suppression.

Software, hardware or network failure

Tested and quality assured hardware and software from reputable brands can help increase reliability. Common malfunction in one component, such as an internal fan or storage disc, can quickly lead to failure in another. Ensuring network performance and reliability can also have a huge impact on the performance of the data system.

Operational procedures

It is impossible to completely rule out human error and operational issues. However, devising an operations procedure to not only maximize performance but also track reliability and malfunction is key. Conduct regular back-ups on each production server to ensure quick file repair in the event of damage. Provide adequate operator training to implement protocol and avoid the most basic of errors such as leaving discs in drives, which would prevent an auto-reboot in the event of system failure.

Data security

Particularly important in large data centres with sensitive information, is to ensure adequate physical security. Corporations may consider outsourcing their data centre to an managed hosting services off-site location with 24 hour security guards and video surveillance. System security also requires keeping up-to-date with the latest security and anti-virus software.

Avoid single point of failure

One final key consideration is to avoid having a single point of failure. Test the system before it goes operational and ensure that if one component fails there is sufficient backup to ensure the data centre can still function. Back-up will make sure that your important data is never lost.

Domain Names - Six Golden Rules for Generic Domain Names

Smash Masterson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:44:12 +0000

How come that certain domain names sell for over a million dollars while others get no interest what so ever. Two domain names may appear to be almost the same and might even have a couple of different characters, like Beds.com and Bedsx.com, but you’ve got it - The first one is a winner and the second a no hoper.

Keyword domain names become profitable investments if you follow these 6 golden rules and you must read them before buying your own domain name. It doesn’t matter which route you take to buy the domain name, good investigative work will guarantee a winner when it comes to selling.

1. Keyword volume: This is an estimate of how many searches the word or phrase has, which is an indication of it?s popularity. For example, according to Google, the phrase “Hawaii Singles” has 2400 searches a month. If you were bidding on HawaiiSingles.com, you would also want to check Keyword Discovery and/or WordTracker for additional data. You’ll never get more than an indication since each tool measures differently. However, it’s a safe bet if people are searching for a phrase there will be some natural traffic and SEO potential, and if there’s no volume, there will be little or none.

2. Commonality: A lot of people say domains are valued on their scarcity, but if you think about it, all domains, both good and bad, are one of a kind. What I like to look for is the commonality of the phrase the name represents within our society and existing lexicon. Usage, word order, and pluralization are huge factors in valuation. For example, “Discount” is not the same as “Discounted” which is not the same as “Discounts.” SportCars.com is valued less than SportsCars.com, and ShoesRunning.com is practically worthless when pitted against RunningShoes.com. Search for the phrase in quotes on Google to see if people are even using it, much less searching for it.

3. True type-in traffic: Most people always rush into domain investing and are not able to get this type of information to guide them first. Type-in traffic is the key to success and we need long term traffic, so don’t pay any attention to search engine or link traffic as this won’t last.

4. Length: Domain length is important. Shorter names are easier to spell and remember, and are far more likely to get visitors. All of these qualities increase the potential for branding, and can drive up valuations far beyond the reasonable, which is great if you are the one selling;)

5. Prior use: If the domain has a past life, and was acquired through a drop service or from an expired list, you want to know about it. Forget perceived positives like search engine ranking and PR since those will likely disappear after the name is in your hands. Instead, delve into the name’s dark side. Was it ever used for spamming? Is it banned from Google’s index? Did it previously contain questionable content? Overcoming these negatives can be more work than you bargained for, even with an otherwise great name.

6. End user development potential: The common denominator in successful domain names is one that can be easily developed and you just have to ask yourself whether you would be prepared to spend your own money on and if you aren’t, forget it. Use these tips to find a domain that will work and will reap you huge benefits in time.

Hosted Exchange Server: Understanding the World of Small Business

David Grantz — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:19:11 +0000

Now a days all you see when you look around is big business. If you look in your kitchen you will probably see brand names like Kenmore and Sears, and your entertainment center is probably filled with big names like Toshiba and Sony. When it comes to computers, Dell and HP have made their mark, and everyone has heard of gaming systems like an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. The fact is that big business has taken over the world, leaving very little room for a small business to exist, let alone thrive. Using a hosted exchange server is one way that a small business can cut costs and be smart in order to move up and survive in a world that was made by big business.

What Is A Hosted Exchange Server? Some businesses are so small, in fact, that they are not even online yet. When you do choose to bring your business online, you?ll discover that the earning potential is huge, but then again, so are the costs. If you choose to have someone design a website for your company, you?ll be paying a pretty penny. This is to be expected, but what comes as a shock to most is how expensive it is just to host your e-mail or to have Microsoft Exchange. Not only do you have to purchase the program, you have to put in your own server and pay to maintain it. The costs can quickly become prohibitive.

Understanding Microsoft Exchange Some companies arent sure that they need Microsoft Exchange. After all, why would someone like a small town florist need a big program like Microsoft Exchange? Let us talk about a florist in a small town. Most successful small-town florists have to make a good amount of deliveries during the day, and those that live in small cities have to deal with remote dirt roads and unnamed streets. What happens if a delivery gets tagged wrong and the driver isn it sure where the flowers are supposed to go? Instead of having to hang up the phone lines by calling back the main shop, a deliverer can simply use Microsoft Exchange to call up the contact information or the calendar in order to know exactly where that rose bouquet is headed.

Making Things Easier Things are truly difficult for small business in this day and age, and the best way to make things easier is to make them simpler. A hosted exchange server can do that for any small business. Having a hosted exchange server means that you don?t have to worry about paying for a server or its upkeep. It means that you never have to worry that your e-mail won?t get where it?s going, or that your deliverer or agent in the field will become confused. A hosted exchange server is one great way to help a small business thrive in this busy and confusing electronic world.

How To Stay Current With Blogs

Ricardo d Argence — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:54:35 +0000

Now that most people have the internet, the local news doesn’t do it for them. We would like to see local stories covered in more depth that local TV news can provide. Alternatively, perhaps you enjoy being aware of local events but you despise having to adhere to a time schedule. In order to get information about the new story you have to hear forty minutes of bad reviews that you have viewed previously.

We are fortunate to have online blogs so we can stay on top of all the most recent information. All of the TV stations that you watch have internet sites. News blogs are ideal for those interested in learning more about certain topics because posts are generally categorized by topic. Political pundits and voiced their opinions fiercly thanks to blogging on the internet. American politics are currently influenced by blogs and political opinion.

But blogs aren’t limited to just politics. You can even find bloggers commenting on recent news events. When the US was bombing Iraq bloggers of Iraqi citizens were very popular. This is where blogs really give the reader the real information from someone who is there at the scene. It’s pretty obvious that traditional media like the news on TV is controlled by big business. Content is very filtered before it gets to you. I don’t know about you but I don’t like my news filtered by anyone.

In order to stay on top of the latest events and posts, you are able to utilize a blog RSS feed. Get all your favorite blog updates at once for free with Google Reader.

If you use google, you can create an account and have your favorites feeds displayed on your personalized home page. This same service is offered by Yahoo. This is probably the most convenient way to get your favorites blogs. There are also readers you can download and install in your PC wich offer a wide range of options to display and filter the content you have choosen.

You may also get your feed by email, if that’s how you want it. Most blogs will offer a service that will send you a daily (or as often as the author updates it) update to your email. This way, you stay informed about the subjects that interest you most. Since I check my email repeatedly throughout the day, it is my preferred method for receiving updates.

If your favorite blog doesn’t offer some of this options, you can ask the author to include it. Most of them will be happy to give you this kind of service to their readers. Although most blog software nowadays have this options installed by default, so it is usually just a matter of activating them.

Presently, I am more inclined to read blogs than to watch the news because I like to be informed without having to sit through commercials.