Web Hosting

With all the talk of web hosting and web design and starting your own site, we’ve neglected to mention a category of hosting and DIY websites that are among the most common and accessible: blog hosting. For most amateurs just getting started, especially those who just want to express themselves as opposed to run an online business, blog software may be the best solution. So today, I want to take a good look at the differences between the two types of hosting and what differentiates them.

Web hosting services provide a server and internet connectivity, usually in a data center. This allows individuals to make their website accessible to the public via the internet. Sometimes, files are simply uploaded and delivered to the web with very minimal processing. More comprehensive, and more costly, packages include support for databases and application development platforms which allow users to create more sophisticated websites with things like forums, e-commerce tools and content management systems. Some providers of web hosting will include things like email along with your website.

Blog software is a type of web host that is much simpler to use and includes a content management system. It allows you to post and edit content in text, pictures, video or audio and helps you set up tools to allow viewers to comment on and share your content. Although it may sound limiting, some of the biggest content sites on the web, such as The Huffington Post, use the same blog software that is available to individual amateur bloggers. Usually these software providers offer both a free and paid version, so that a beginner doesn’t need to pay for tools they won’t use and a large established site can have all the flexibility they need.

Of course, a blog may just be a start. If you’re deciding which of these is right for you make sure not to think only about your current needs and resources, but also about how you hope your site will grow.

A few weeks ago we reported on Go Daddy’s abandonment of support for SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Though is issue is far from over, some big names are stepping up to the plate to see that it doesn’t get too far.

Wikipedia will be following the steps of other big sites, like Reddit, and blacking out the English version of their site on Wednesday in protest of the legislation. Many people are concerned that while the bill is meant to protect media producers from having their content used illegally, it will in fact harm sites whose content is user-generated, including things like Wikipedia and YouTube.

Another big step for SOPA’s opponents came when White House representatives spoke up. Although the administration did not officially take a stance on SOPA, it did imply concerns about some recent legislation’s risk to cybersecurity and say that it will oppose any law that could create censorship.

California congressman Darrell Issa, who opposes SOPA, said that members of congress will need a lot more education about the way the internet works before there will be any serious legislation. He also says that he had understood that the bill would not be brought to a vote unless there is consensus.

As law-abiding consumers, this legislation would probably affect us primarily through the service providers who are threatened by it. SOPA would hold them responsible when other people posted pirated content on their servers. That means that besides media sources and web sites, web hosting providers could get in trouble over this, which is why the internet world was taken aback by Go Daddy’s original support.

So even if you’re not sure what this has to do with you as a consumer rather than provider of media, be sure to stay informed about the issues.

If you’ve been following internet news recently, then you’ve definitely heard about SOPA. But just in case you haven’t, here is a quick review: SOPA is the Stop Online Piracy Act. The legislation is meant to protect copyrighted information from being used illegally but it’s not very popular. People are afraid that it’s an excuse to censor the web and put too much control into the hands of big media companies. Pirate websites would probably find ways to get around it while sites with user-generated content, like Youtube for example would be policed more strongly. While most people fear censorship down the line, some even purport conspiracy theories because sites like Cnet, which gave information about how to pirate content, are in fact owned by big media companies. Some claim that they encouraged piracy early on to create the reason for this legislation, which would give them greater control over the internet. Most just see that as hypocrisy however, rather than an intended outcome.

Users are so opposed to this bill that Go Daddy has felt enough pressure from users to withdraw their support for it. The domain registrar and web hosting company was reacting to loud and numerous voices on Reddit and Twitter calling for boycotts of Go Daddy. Although they have worked for years to create legislation fighting online piracy, they now say that it will have to be revised before they can support it. Posts explaining why the company supported specific parts of the bill were even removed from the Go Daddy blog.

I understand how Go Daddy as a domain registrar and web host could easily be sucked into this issue. Although they don’t make their money off of copyrighted content, it’s easy to see that they could be in trouble down the line when people using their services break copyright law. Fortunately for Go Daddy, they won’t be the first to suffer from piracy on the one hand or SOPA on the other so they can afford to be swayed by customer opinion. And whether or not I support SOPA, I salute Go Daddy for giving it a shot and holding out this long.

Our review of GoDaddy web hosting calls the service “unique” and in the past that may have been a little too true, at least according to censors of Superbowl commercials. This year however, GoDaddy has already had its commercials approved by NBC well in advance of the 2012 Superbowl.

Rumors abounded in past years that GoDaddy was intentionally submitting commercials that would be rejected for the sake of the attention that they would bring. It seems to have worked, since viewers crowded the website last year to see the “Internet Only version” of the commercial and GoDaddy experienced a huge jump in registrations in the fifteen minutes after it aired.

Bob Parsons, GoDaddy CEO, denied the claims and said “…we submit concepts that are fun, edgy and slightly inappropriate. That’s GoDaddy-esque and that’s what drives viewers to GoDaddy.com…”

So now I’m trying to understand why people would be drawn to a web hosting service that describes itself as “slightly inappropriate.” I suppose that’s what makes them “edgy” and who doesn’t want an edgy website?

Being edgy comes along with being a fearless straight-talker, innovating and never sugar-coating.  That may sound like a bit of a dramatic way to describe a web hosting service but I’ll admit they have some interesting features.  For example, most web hosting services use one of a few standard control panels whereas GoDaddy created its own. I suppose I can call that edgy.

I’m not sure how many other services I would want describing themselves as “edgy” though. I wouldn’t want my supermarket or mechanic to be edgy and can you imagine if your dentist described himself as “fun, edgy and slightly inappropriate”? I don’t think it would go over well. On the other hand, that sounds like a great way for a football team to win. So I hereby salute GoDaddy for getting into the Superbowl spirit. Go Team!

Recently, there has been a buzz that short .com domains are rarely available or are too scarce. With ICANN’s approval of the new gTLD’s (generic Top Level Domain) there is no longer any need for businesses to worry; well big business at least. Large enterprises can now have a domain name reflecting their trademark. For example, NIKE is going to be allowed to have the extension .NIKE and Apple will be allowed .APPLE. Just to be clear, it’s not only an issue of “allowed”. ICANN has approved the domain extension, however, these businesses will still need to apply for approval via a 200 page application and pay a hefty fee for this domain name. The fee for the domain extension is $185,000 plus a $25,000 annual fee to be paid to ICANN. ICANN has also clearly stated on their website that individuals and sole proprietors will not be accepted to participate in this new program.

Today there are 22 domain extensions such as .com, .net .org etc and another 250 country level domain such as .uk(England), .de(Germany) and .cn (China) etc. ICANN is the company responsible for coordinating unique identifiers on the internet. In order to reach a website, you need to type in a name or number to reach your destination and ICANN regulates those extensions. ICANN hopes that with the introduction of this new program, users will be able to search for things more intuitively. For example, if they are looking for a restaurant, then it may end in .food. Or if they want to review a movie say for example, Avatar, they can look up www.avatar.movie. This would be a domain name that the FOX Corporation (the company that funded the movie) could have the option of buying.

Currently, .com is the most popular domain extension worldwide with .org and .net following close behind. This has been the case for years but with this new domain extension, ICANN expects at least 500 new suffixes to be created over the next year.

If you’ve seen the Joomla add-on on the side of your web hosting control but aren’t quite sure what it is, you’ve come to the right place.  Joomla is an award-winning content management system (CMS) that enables users to manage content, photos, videos and any other type of web content imaginable.  Joomla may sound a bit less serious than WordPress but the word is actually derived from the Swahili ‘Jumla’, meaning ‘all together’.  A quick look into Joomla’s offerings, and you’ll see that this phrase truly encompasses exactly what Joomla is.

The advantages of Joomla may not be obvious to new users, but they are worth reviewing.

• Joomla is free and works well with shared web hosting packages, and this combination makes it possible to build powerhouse websites with an extremely reasonable operating budget.
• Joomla is ideal for businesses, non-profits and multi-media sites.  This content management system is especially suited to sites hosting forums, newsrooms and other user-generated content.
• With over 6,000 extensions to choose from, Joomla makes it possible for websites to perform nearly any web-based action.
• Joomla is an open design platform that can be used by any design company, so if you use Joomla you won’t be obligated to stay with your web designer if the relationship sours or your budget changes over time.
• URLs created using Joomla don’t have any query strings, which makes them SEO friendly.
• Once installed, Joomla is relatively easy to maintain.
• It is easy to modify Joomla’s core system to reflect your specific needs and preferences.

On the other hand, the disadvantages of Joomla are often touted by nay-sayers are reasons to choose an alternate CMS.  If you’re considering Joomla, you should be aware of the disadvantages so that you can make an informed decision on your own.

• Joomla is slightly more difficult to install and setup than other content management systems (such as WordPress), and may require professional assistance.
• Users looking for a straightforward blog site may still prefer the simplicity of WordPress over the more complex offerings of Joomla.
• Many users complain that Joomla has difficulty accommodating sites that receive more than 50,000 users per day.
• Users often complain that Joomla sites run more slowly than sites built with other content management systems.

Although it may be impossible to find a CMS that is entirely perfect, Joomla seems to come pretty close.  If you’re starting a blog, you may still be better off with WordPress, but if you have your sites set on popular site or a multimedia presentation, Joomla may very well be a good option for you.  Just make sure that you’re familiar enough with the technical aspects of building a website so that you’ll be able to maximize the building process.  If not, you may want to hire someone to help and to teach you how to proceed independently.  With a bit of technical know-how, you should have no trouble maintaining a successful Joomla website.

Are you a web designer or webmaster looking for a bit of extra revenue?  Actually…aren’t we all looking for a bit of extra income?  If you’re a web designer or webmaster, reseller hosting may be just what you’re looking for.  Reseller hosting is an arrangement in which you purchase a large web hosting package from the web host of your choice, and you break down the storage, bandwidth and disk space into smaller chunks which can be sold to your clients.  And, while reseller hosting may sound like a get-rich quick scheme, it isn’t – you’ll need a bit of technical knowledge and the ability to convince your clients that hosting through your company is a savvy decision.  Read on to determine if reseller hosting is the logical next step for your small business.

Reseller Hosting for Webmasters

If you’re in the business of building websites, you’ve probably found that after the initial building of the site, a client becomes merely a sporadic source of income instead of a constant source of work.  Reseller hosting will keep you connected to each client on a regular basis and will provide you with residual income long after the initial project is complete.  Although your income from reseller hosting client won’t be significant, the combination of a few sales of hosting packages will provide noticeable results on your overall income.

In addition, if you’re a savvy businessperson, you’ll be able to sell parts of the web hosting account separately to your clients.  Many of your clients, especially those who aren’t specifically web savvy, will be willing to pay you for reports that come standard with most web hosting packages, because it will prevent them from having to access the reports and analyze the data independently.  Likewise, you can make even more money by selling additional site security packages, domain names or other add-ons with each web hosting package.

Reseller Hosting for Web Designers

As a web designer, you probably know about the basics of building a website, even if you’re not an expert webmaster.  By taking your knowledge of what it takes to build a website, you’ll be able to explain to your clients why they need hosting services, and why buying them from you will be easier than buying a web hosting package directly from the hosting company.  While you probably won’t be using the host directly, you can take advantage of this arrangement by having reselling hosting services that can directly benefit you, such as those with a site builder that you can use to easily edit your pages.

Choosing a Web Host for Resale

Many web hosts offer reseller programs that can enable you to make money easily while providing your clients with quality web hosting.  Before you make a deal with a specific host, consider the pricing and packages that they offer as well as your projected needs.  If for any reason you’re not able to sell part of the package, you’ll want to minimize your loss.  On the other hand, if you’re able to sell more than you’d originally planned, you’ll want to be working with a web host that will be flexible enough to meet your needs.

Good luck with this new part of your business!

If you’re researching different web hosting plans, you’ve probably noticed that many web hosting packages come with free advertising credits.  But if you’ve never had a website before you probably don’t know how or when to use these advertising credits.  And if you’re not familiar with social media, these advertising credits may not hold that much appeal.  But with a bit of understanding and explanation you may begin to realize just how valuable these credits can be.

The benefits of online advertising credits:

Things to Know about Facebook Credits:

• You will need a Facebook account to use Facebook credits.
• Facebook credits received from most web hosts can be used for both new and existing accounts.
• You can use Facebook credits to promote your company’s Facebook page or to promote your website directly.
• With Facebook advertising you can target people who have interests in line with your product or service.
• When creating ads with Facebook credits you can schedule them to run at certain times or on certain days.
• Facebook offers comprehensive tracking and analytical tools to help you understand the successes and failures of your ads.

Things to Know about Google AdWords Credits:

• Google AdWords credits are most often valid only for new AdWords accounts. 
• If you have an existing AdWords account that is currently pointing to your website you’ll need to use your free advertising credits for a different account point to a different website or for a new account that uses a completely different set of keywords to point to the same website.
• You will need to enter billing information when setting up your AdWords account.  Even though you are using free advertising credits you’ll be required to pay a small activation fee.

Things to Know about Yahoo! Credits:

• Yahoo! Credits work similarly to Google advertising credits. 
• You will need a new account to use Yahoo! advertising credits.
• Fewer people use Yahoo!’s search engine than Google, but some studies indicate that those who use Yahoo!’s search engine may be more likely to convert. 
• A planned merger between Bing and Yahoo! will likely change the face of this type of advertising, so it’s worthwhile to proceed cautiously when planning your ads, in the hope that in the future this search engine will see a boost in traffic.

Good luck with your new web host and your free advertising credits!

In these days of tight budgets and constant expenses, it’s normal to want to find free alternatives to paid services.  Web hosting is one area in which there are several respectable free options – if you’re willing to compromise on certain aspects of your website.  The question becomes, however, when it is necessary to pay for web hosting services and when is free hosting a viable option?  Here are some things to consider when making this important decision.

1. Do you want a custom domain? Many free hosting services require you to take their domain name onto yours.  In other words, instead of having mysite.com, you’d have mysite.yolasite.com if you’re using Yola’s free hosting service and a similar extension if you’re using the free services offered by Wix, Network Solutions or one of the other dozens of free hosting providers available.
2. Do you want an ad-free website? Many free websites impose placement of advertising on websites built through their platform.  This may not bother you if you’re starting a family blog (or even a personal blog) or are just using the website to test out the features of the web host before committing.  If you’re looking to create a professional web presence, however, you may not want irrelevant ads cluttering the design of your site.
3. Do you need significant storage space or bandwidth? If you’re planning on hosting a site that contains video or audio files, you may need more storage space or bandwidth than most free web hosting service offer.  Likewise, if you’re planning on having heavy traffic to your site or hosting a database for your site, you’ll need a significant amount of storage.  Many free web hosting providers offer only 5-10 MB of storage, which is insufficient for sites that are more than just a few pages of text.  If you’re looking to post your artistic portfolio, to sell items through a product database or to stream videos directly from your site, you may want to pay for a web hosting service such as FatCow which offers unlimited storage for a very reasonable monthly fee.
4. Do you want a completely custom design? If you’re choosing free hosting services through a web design company that offers a free package you’ll likely be limited to specific design options instead of having the flexibility to choose from the full array of options.  If you’re choosing a free hosting option through a hosting provider such as i6Networks you’ll probably have full customization abilities – if you have the technical prowess to design and build your own site (and if you don’t, you’ll need to pay a significant sum for this service).
5. Do you plan to expand the scope of your site in the near future? If so, you’ll need to consider whether you’ll eventually outgrow your free hosting plan, and the expense that will be involved in transferring it to another web host, domain name or design.  These fees can add up – so if you think you’ll need to pay them soon, you may end up saving more money by paying for web hosting straight from the outset.
6. Do you want a search-engine-friendly site? Many free websites are not particularly search-engine-friendly and will not assist you in achieving natural web traffic.  If you’re looking to expand your audience through search engines, you may want to consider a paid web hosting service that is located in your country so that you can better target the audience you’re looking for.

Although free stuff always sounds appealing, when it comes to free hosting it’s important to remember that saving money now may not actually save you money in the long run.  However, the true benefit of using a free hosting package is because it allows you to test out the hosting service (and web design service when relevant) to see if you like it and whether you want to continue using this service in the long run.

There are so many web hosting services out there that it’s hard to choose the best hosting for your and your site.

A lot of site owners shop their hosting by price. Budget is an important thing to consider, but since the differences in hosting prices are negligible, there are other features and more important factors to consider when choosing the perfect hosting for you.

1. Uptime and Reliability

No matter how much fancy features the hosting offers you, they are no good if the site is down in many parts of the day. Look for hosting services that guarantee uptime, and tell you exactly how they implement this promise.

2. Customer and Technical Support

Customer support in a web hosting service should be efficient and effective, as well as polite and responsive. If you are quickly answered when contacting your hosting service, that’s a good sign. However, prompt responses aren’t enough – the hosting’s support should also be able to actually solve your problems. So – look for a combination of efficiency and responsiveness.

3. Control

If the hosting service offering you a full, user-friendly control panel? Do you have all the access you need? Is it easy to find all the functions you require for running your website? Is there proper documentation and help articles? If the answer is YES to all of these questions – than you are in the right place. The situation is ideal if you have full control of your site and can manage it on your own – most of the time.

4. Backups

A good hosting will not only enable you to back up your files, but will also do it for you, periodically. Choose a hosting service that backs up regularly.

5. Server Features

Whether you require a Linux or Windows server will depend on what you plan to do with your site. Linux servers are often cheaper, ideal for CMS like WordPress and Drupal and are more stable. However, if you need to host ASP scripts then you have no choice but to look for a Windows web host. A good hosting service will offer both kinds of servers, and enable you to move between plans when necessary.