Benefits Of Using A Web Hosting Directory

Creating an attractive website and registering a domain name is not enough to start your online business. If you want to have a smooth running business which can serve customer demands, you will need the support of a good web hosting company.

For beginners, it may be difficult to find a reliable and affordable web host. The best way to find a web hosting company is to use a Web hosting Provider directory. Through online search engines, you can find web hosting directories which provide information about various web hosts and the packages offered by them.

The best feature of these directories is that these are neutral websites which give unbiased review of different web hosting providers. This enables you to make an informed decision after comparing various hosts’ services and prices. Web hosting directories are advantageous for both purchasers as well as suppliers.

For customers or purchasers, the benefits of using web hosting directories to locate a good web host include:

1. One stop shopping
2. Faster decisions
3. No technical know-how or specialization required
4. Comparison shopping
5. Competitive prices
6. Advice for purchasing web host packages.

Web hosting companies can also gain from these directories in the following aspects:

1. Targeted marketing and sales
2. Equal opportunity for all web hosting service providers
3. Greater savings through sales cost reduction
4. Wider audience/ maximized exposure 

Many Web hosting directories provide free services to customers while others may charge a fee from web hosts for listing their packages in the directory. As the meeting ground for hosting companies and website owners, web hosting directories act as effective intermediaries.

This is one of the best ways to find the right web hosting plan for your website. Once you have checked the package features, technical support, applications, terms of contract and price, you can select the web hosting package which best suit your needs and budget. Moreover, you can do advanced search by using different filters like Host Company’s name, price, bandwidth, etc. this makes your task easier, faster and provides more accurate results. Now you can get exactly what you wanted without wasting any time, money or efforts.

What Email Web Hosting Means for Your Website

Ever wondered why there is such a buzz about email web hosting? After a long time, online businesses have realized the power of email to enhance their customer-base. In general, email is the single most popular method of conducting customer communication; both backward and forward.

So, you may have to give some attention to email web hosting. It’s better if you do that sooner, rather than later. It is important to use a professional web hosting provider’s service for email hosting rather than having a free email account.

There are many benefits of email hosting, some of which include:

1.    Email hosting offers more options and flexibility as compared to free email services.

2.    As your domain name will be a part of the email address, it appears to be much more
professional as compared to a free email address like yourdomainname@yahoo.com

3.    Make sure that past logs and records are accessible, the web host is reliable and security systems are well-equipped to protect your website’s and client’s information.

4.    Good email web hosting will include at least 99% uptime.

5.    In addition to the standard email features included in your web hosting package, there should be complete email services available to you.

6.    Confirm that there are no restrictions on the size of files which can be sent via email or you may face problems later.

7.    24X7 technical support is a must for instant solutions for your website problems.

8.    Prefer an email hosting package using IMAP technology, which is a new, advanced system for managing email instead of the traditional POP. With IMAP, you can view your messages later on as they are stored in IMAP servers unlike POP mail system which deletes the messages when they are transferred to your PC.

Email is the best way to communicate across the internet with your clients as well as other business websites. So a good email web host is important to keep your website above the competition while keeping your customers happy.

Visit different web hosting site, forums and chat sessions to make an informed decision regarding the email web host you want your website. Remember that in the virtual world of marketing and advertising, your choice can make or break your website.

How to avoid downtime while switching web hosting providers

Downtime, or the time when your website becomes inaccessible by users, can spell doom for your website. It is essential that you minimize downtime at all times. Even if you aren’t satisfied with your current web host’s services, a hasty shift to another web hosting company may result in downtime. If your site doesn’t remain active, your customers are bound to look elsewhere for fulfillment of their needs.

So, it is very important that you don’t close your existing account before the new web hosting package is bought, installed and running.

Here are 8 steps to prevent downtime while shifting from one web host to another.

1.    Select A New Package
You need to find a new web hosting company which offers a better package than the one you’re currently using. Set up your account with the chosen web hosting provider.

2.    Data Backup
Create backup for all your files and databases. You can download these through FTP but cannot close the old account even after making backup of your website’s information.

3.    Uploading
After creating backup of files from your account, you must upload the same to your new web hosting account.

4.    Mail Accounts
Create mail accounts in your new web hosting account to avoid losing of any emails from your old web hosting account while shifting to a new account.

5.    Temporary URL
Make sure that all the links of your website are working properly. Create a temporary URL to test your new website, once you have shifted to a new web hosting provider.

6.    DNS (Domain Name Server)
Choose a domain name server once your new account has been updated with the old account’s files and website links. The new host should provide you with DNS settings and you will also need to change the DNS server settings through the old account’s control panel.

7.    Let the Word Spread
Wait for 1-2 days for the DNS change to circulate across the web. Till then, your old account will continue to serve your website. When the DNS changes have spread completely, your new host will start serving all requests to your domain.

8.    Close the Old Account
Once your new account is fully activated and the server starts handling user queries, you can safely close your old web hosting account.

There are many reasons to shift from one web host to another but you need to be careful about the effects it has or may have on your website and business customers.

Why reseller web hosting is good for business

If you’re ready to step onto the web hosting bandwagon, reseller web hosting may prove to be a lucrative business opportunity. Simply stated, it is a form of splitting the hard drive space and bandwidth available with an account holder, who has hired such space from a web hosting service provider.

A reseller host is like a linking pin between the web hosting company and website owners. However, you may need a reasonable level of technical knowledge of web hosting before you decide to enter this industry. To have an edge over the competition, you should be able to fulfill your client’s expectations of quality technical and customer service.

Still, reseller web hosting is an excellent way of earning financial rewards through superior web hosting. Here are some of the benefits of this kind of hosting:

Easier setup
Reseller web hosting is highly suitable for companies that don’t want to setup their own servers and elaborate infrastructure. You can earn considerable returns as well as save a lot of time, money and efforts through this route while you provide web hosting service to your clients.

Take you pick
The reseller has the option of choosing the server which suits his customer’s needs in terms of bandwidth, server space and website administration. Selecting a reliable, stable and good quality web hosting server is a very important decision. Compare various packages available to you and pick the best priced, value-adding one.

Focus on customer service
As a reseller web host, you can concentrate on customer service and dedicate time towards their satisfaction. Usually, the technical support and troubleshooting aspect is handled by the web hosting server provider.

Durability
One of the biggest advantages of reseller web hosting is durability, meaning that you can host a large number of websites at one time. This may also be quite reasonable as compared to other forms of web hosting.

Additional income
If you want to keep reseller hosting as a parallel line of business along with other ventures, it can be an excellent source of additional income. You may also offer other related services such as domain name registration, SSL certification, search engine optimization, etc.

Flexibility
A reseller account will provide much more flexibility than a shared hosting plan. This means that you can get more disk space, better inventory management, technical support, authority to price client’s plans at an unbelievably low cost.

There are many ways in which you can enter the web hosting business but if you are just a beginner and not really equipped with the necessary technical knowledge, reseller web hosting is the best way to get started. But first, research the market, the competition and your own business goals in order to make a wise decision.

What web hosting uptime means for your online business?

Simply stated, web hosting uptime refers to the regularity of a site’s responsiveness. This has a direct impact on the website’s reputation and service capability. No online business wants to lose customers to competitors just a click away. Hence, uptime is critical for web hosting companies and websites alike.  Many web hosting endeavor for 99.9 % uptime, which allows for minor downtime each day.

You can monitor and maintain web host uptime in many ways like:

1.    An established web hosting company having good uptime will provide history of their uptime performance. These are usually appraised by third party associations.

2.    Larger web hosting sites or companies have separate departments for server monitoring. They react faster to server downtime or uptime errors as compared to small web hosts.

3.    There are three types of downtime:
Planned downtime  in this case, downtime occurs due to server upgradation.
Semi-planned downtime in this case, downtime occurs due to a security breach and the time required to fix it.
Unplanned downtime in this case, downtime occurs due to excessive load on the server, overloaded server, hardware/software failure, etc.

4.    Web hosts having a redundant server will provide more reliable service. Downtime can be minimized if the additional server takes charge when the primary server isn’t functioning.

5.    If you still haven’t decided which package to use for your website, use web hosting uptime as a criteria to prevent future losses caused by an incapable host.

6.    If you have already taken up a web hosting package, find a third party to scrutinize your site’s uptime. They will also inform you if and when your website becomes inaccessible due to uptime error.

7.    Be sure to pick a web hosting company with sound technical support. When your site is down, ask them about the expected restoration time.

8.    A “100 % uptime guarantee” is, for all purposes, an unrealistic claim by any web hosting company. Don’t be fooled and select a web host which has good uptime, even if the package is more expensive. Inquire about refunds in case the host is unable to maintain uptime guarantee.

Remember that sometimes, website uptime errors may be inevitable but this does not mean that you can ignore this criterion while making a decision regarding the choice of a suitable web host for your website.

An ecommerce host can make or break your Online business

Are you perplexed by all the technical mumbo-jumbo involved in selecting an ecommerce hosting company for your website? The task is not as complicated as it seems to be. First of all, you need to understand the needs of your own website. Apart from all the details such as server space, connectivity speed, control and management systems and statistics, involved in choosing a web host company, there are a few additional ones related with ecommerce hosting.

Its all about SPACE and TRAFFIC
An ecommerce site is all about space and traffic. You are the best judge of the current and future space requirements of your online business. Initially, select an average priced web hosting package which provides you reasonable, if not large amount of space. The larger the hosting plan, more expensive it will be. Review your budget and marketability needs before deciding upon server space. Make sure that it is flexible enough for potential upgradation when your site becomes more popular.

Shopping cart software
Go for shopping cart software that you can understand and learn to operate. Usually, web hosting companies have a wide range of shopping carts and you can take your pick. Analyze the cart software carefully before making a decision. Check it for product limit, security systems and add-on features.

Multi payment options
Keep as many payment options as you can, for your customers, without complicating your management task. Options commonly available are Paypal, SecurePay, Authorizenet and credit card payment systems. It’s best to keep a reasonable number of options, neither too few nor too many.

You need backup
This is essential because you don’t want to lose any data if the system crashes. All your customer information, past order records and communications should be saved in a secure backup system provided by the ecommerce hosting company.

Keep stock check
Pick a web hosting website which provides inventory control and management tools. You should be able to access your client’s order status easily and frequently. Find an inventory software which combines inventory and billing functions for better management.

Who’s in control?
Confirm the amount of control you will have over internal content, design and various additional features. Web hosting websites such as PlanetOnline.com provide unlimited web pages, design control, customization of home page,etc.

Reliability
It is very important that the web host you choose is reliable. It should be able to provide unfailing uptime and customer support services. Look for customer reviews on the web hosting company’s website. Do not hesitate to pay more for consistent and good technical support services.

Stats report
You won’t know how your website is performing until you check the statistics like number of users visiting the site. There are good web hosting sites which provide a range of reporting packages. Pick your favorite from the control panel, usually available at professional sites.

Well-built security system
Avoid a web hosting site which does not mention the security mechanisms used for payments and transfer of information. Good sites will have SSL encryption for protecting customer and company information.

Alluring accessories
There is a wide array of web hosts which offer attractive accessories in addition to the standard package at a nominal cost or for free. Sites like PlanetOnline.com provide add-ons for sales and promotion, meta tags, targeted mailing and suggestive selling.

Basically, you need a strategic mix of observation and comparative analysis of various e-commerce hosting sites to find the right one for your e-business.