|
|
|
Building Customer Trust with Secure E-Commerce by VIP PowerNet Web Hosting
Whether your e-commerce operation involves selling an entire catalogue of items, a small collection of goods, or even just one product, the simple reality is that unless people buy the items for sale on your Web site, you won't make any money. And...
Coldfusion Web Hosting
What is ColdFusion and ColdFusion Web Hosting? ColdFusion is a server scripting environment for creating powerful Internet applications. ColdFusion combines intuitive scripting, effortless connectivity to database information, and effective...
Domain names and webhosting explained
Domain Names and Webhosting Explained
By Ted Prodromou
www.valiss.com
When you launch a new website you must register a unique domain name with an authorized registrar. When the internet was first starting, all domain names were registered...
Ecommerce Web Hosting: All you need to know
Gone are the days when the Internet was only for the geek labs and university libraries. With the emergence of accessible connectivity and affordable technology, ecommerce and online business are not futuristic concepts. Websites like Amazon and...
Web hosting Basics
So you're about to embark on your first web project and you're wondering where on earth to start? Well, one of the first things you'll need is a web hosting package. There are so many out there it can seem daunting to try and choose one. In this...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to Select a Webhost that Fits Your Needs
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.
About the Author
Marc Goldman, Goldbar Enterprises
subscribe to The Marketers Resource Weekly:
The Free Internet Marketing Resource for the New
Millennium. Subscribe at http://www.goldbar.net
Discover the exclusive members only website that
will propel your business to dizzying heights.
http://www.marketersresource.com
|
|
|
|
|
|