The 10 Best Hosts

Many people often confuse the similarities and differences surrounding both web hosting and cloud computing. In a tech savvy society, most people have familiarized themselves with the concept of web hosting companies and how they assist budding webmasters in making their websites available over the Internet. The web hosting company will permit the webmaster to store their web site files and data on their server, when a specific code is requested online the server will then forward the data over the World Wide Web.

There are several distinct differences between web hosting and cloud computing. In a clouded environment the hosting provider maintains greater control, but given the elasticity of a virtualized environment the server is much more capable of meeting rapid influxes in traffic than it would be in a regular hosting scenario. That elasticity amounts for one of the most advantageous benefits of a clustered hosting environment. Previously a rapid influx in traffic had the potential to crowd a server to the point of failure, making it a distinct possibility that the website would crash.

Cloud computing, or cluster hosting as it is more commonly being referred to enables a single server to be virtually divided into a multitude of individual virtual servers. Data or information stored on each clouded server can be backed up with greater CPU power than would have been available by conventional means.

It is a common misconception that in order for a web based business site to survive it must be hosted on the most expensive platform. On the Internet there is an abundance of free or cheap web hosting companies offering the service capable enough of supporting the most basic HTML websites. Cheap web hosting companies claim to be able to provide far more than the most rudimentary features; tools often requiring expensive infrastructure and a large amount of capital – for as little as $1.99 per month. Webmasters lured by the attractive rates and promises of certain cheap web hosting companies often find that if something sounds too good to be true – it normally is. Continue reading for an analysis of three common advertising ploys of cheap web hosting companies. 1. 24/7 Toll-Free customer support: Most cheap web hosting companies will provide a toll-free number in their advertisements. They will claim that this number is staffed around the clock; leaving the webmaster to find that it either never works or is only available Monday – Friday during normal business hours. It is important to contract a web hosting company that provides high quality support. 2. Email or Web support: Webmasters thinking they can have their questions and concerns addressed via the web hosting companies email contact form all too often find that they receive an automated response asking them to be patient as their concern is being addressed. The concern is never address, as subsequent emails result in more automated responses. 3. Free swag: A common tactic amongst most cheap web hosting companies is the promise of free tools and services such as database support, site builders, and templates and so on. In actuality the products provided by cheap web hosting companies are very limited, and in some cases only trial versions. It is best to contract a web hosting company that will provide the necessary tools and essentials for website success from the very beginning.

One of the most daunting elements of any website is the need to source out a reliable web hosting company to assist them not only in establishing a sound web presence but also in driving maximum revenue potential. Locating the most appropriate web host is a highly intricate task given the overload of incorrect information and surplus of hosting companies that can be found online.  Advertising tactics are prevalent in any industry and webmasters are unlikely to locate a web hosting company claiming to be the worst available. For that purpose it is essential that novice webmasters understand the principles of effectively selecting the web hosting company most likely to satisfy their needs.

Performing a strategic needs analysis will provide a stable starting point in the quest for web host selection. It is highly important that webmasters clearly define their needs and requirements as the needs of different websites will vary greatly. Smaller websites are unlikely to maintain the same needs and requirements as larger websites of a more complex nature. When undergoing a needs analysis it is important to consider the elements and details that will be required in the immediate future and look past those that may be nice to have but won’t be needed for a large duration of time.

The web hosting industry is a highly competitive market and therefore it will experience fluctuations and changes at a rapid pace. An established web hosting company will always act on opportunities to further advance their services, but the right web hosting company will always be ready to mitigate risks and problems whenever the need arises.

The most costly web hosting service is not always the most appropriate. The competitive nature of the web hosting market means that it is possible for webmasters to locate high quality web services at a cost efficient rate. It is important for webmasters, however, to compare the services provided with the rate being offered. Web hosting companies offering the most luxurious services at the lowest rate need to generate revenue in other areas; ensure that the website will not fall victim to random ad placement or experience large amounts of downtime before entering a service agreement.

That being said, it is important to seek out a web hosting company that will guarantee that the website will be available online for the longest possible time. While it is common to find web hosting companies promising 100% uptime, know that this is a completely unrealistic promise as networks and servers do require maintenance. Instead look for a host with a more obtainable uptime guarantee in or around the 99% mark.

There is something to be said about webmasters who view their chosen web hosting company as a limited business partner. For the majority of webmasters a website is, after all, a business. Every successful business begins with a business plan. Creating a solid business plan for a website should be viewed as an essential element to serve as a guideline for the project in its entirety. A successful website business plan will include the following criteria; the objective of the web hosting company; the websites targeted audience; the business methodology; and lastly the company’s profile and financial statement.

A business plan relies heavily upon its key objectives to measure its success.  Clearly outlining these objectives will enable both the web hosting company and the webmaster to perceive a detailed analysis of the market strategies needed in order to remain competitive and successful in the business market. In addition, a solid understanding of the web hosting company’s main objectives allows potential webmasters to realize the differences between an established host and those that may be utilizing advertising tactics just to sway their business.

A distinct advantage of web hosting companies with a clearly outlined list of objectives comes from the complacency afforded to potential clients; they know from the beginning what to expect and what not to.

It is the responsibility of the webmaster to determine which target market group they wish to advertise their products or services to. The largest corporations have spent a great deal of time and money to conduct various market research studies, in hopes of determining what market areas will exhibit the greatest deal of interest.

The majority of the overall strategy and planning phase of a successful business plan will be outlined in the business methodology. The breadth and depth of a business methodology pertains mostly to the strategic plans to promote the products or services being offered by the web hosting company. It should be noted that web hosting business plans may vary greatly depending upon the nature of the website that the webmaster intends to produce.

Webmasters will also find information on how to correctly execute many significant factors pertaining to the actual web hosting service in the business methodology. These factors may include topics such as disk transfer speed, domain availability, FTP accounts, security and resiliency and so on. A common strategy amongst web hosting companies is to provide new consumers with a free trial of some of their most common features and services.

New webmasters must pay special attention to the company profile and financial statement of any web hosting company that they are considering service from. The company profile will provide information surrounding the location, reliability and experience of the web host. It will also provide a solid understanding of the fiscal capabilities and responsibilities of the web hosting company.

Every new website begins with an idea – an idea that can potentially become a challenge to construct without a little basic knowledge and understanding of how web hosting and web hosting companies actually work.  The most essential element of any successful website is a reliable web hosting company, one of the most practices methods of sourcing for a reliable host is by frequenting web hosting review sites.

Webmaster must, however, be able to look past the bells and whistles of the most established web hosting companies and select a host that provides access to the quality tools and features that are actually needed for the website creation and maintenance.  The most favorable web hosting tools that a reliable hosting company will offer include:

PHP web script

The majority of web hosting companies on the market offer PHP since it is the most popular website creation script.

SQL Database

Since every database needs access to unique script, it is essential that webmasters elect service from a web hosting company that provides SQL script hosting.

Additional Domain Names

It is ideal to contract services from a web hosting company that provides multiple domain names to web hosting accounts so that extra websites can be added as the site grows and expands. Experts recommended choosing a web host that will provide no less than 5 extra domain names on the same account to provide room for growth potential.

A Site Builder

Novice webmasters will find the peace of mind that comes with using a fully functional website creation tool. Site builder applications provide a great place to start while webmasters a familiarizing themselves with the world of web creation and site hosting.

CGI

CGI scripting is the PHP of the past. However, it is still a functional necessity in successful web hosting. Most web hosting companies offer CGI as their default script, and it is best to select as host that offers both CGI and PHP until CGI become obsolete.

Many web hosting companies are now providing what is known as SQL web hosting, but what exactly is SQL?  SQL stands for Structure Query Language, which can be broadly defined to mean “a computer language used for the manipulation of data in a database.” The most common databases, such as Access and Oracle are all compatible with SQL technology since it is one of the most widely accepted forms of query language and is becoming more prevalent in web hosting environments.

As many people now know, web hosting companies rent space on their servers to companies or individuals who wish to host websites on the Internet. Most web hosts will provide bandwidth and other technologies enabling webmaster to receive the most out of their hosting experience.

Taking advantage of web hosting companies that provide SQL web hosting allows webmasters to host SQL based databases in an online format. IT also enables accessibility and administration offline. Most enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management applications are dependent upon SQL to function correctly.

There are many advantageous benefits associated with SQL web hosting. Any webmaster requiring online databases will surely prefer this type of hosting over a traditional web hosting service.

Some of the most noticeable benefits of web hosting include:

• A greater RAM and bandwidth quotient. Since databases typically consume more server space and Ram than most other applications, SQL web hosting ensures that there will be enough available server space for the database to expand and grow as the occasion permits.
• Higher quality administration potential. SQL web hosting is similar to dedicated server hosting in the sense that it provides a dedicated space designed for database applications.  Operating on a dedicated SQL platform ensures that webmasters maintain the ability to undertake advanced administrative duties to guarantee that the database is operating to its maximum potential.

Since there are many web hosting companies available online, it is important that webmasters needing SQL hosting look for a host that is experience in database applications. The most common elements of a qualified SQL host include:

• A reliable and resilient server
• SQL control panel applications
• Knowledgeable customer support
• Experience technical staff
• A multitude of hosting plans

Thousands of web hosting companies enter the market place each year, and large portion of them leave the industry just as quickly as they arrived.

Providing a high quality web hosting service takes experience, industry know-how and a significant amount of hard work. For this purpose many new web hosting companies seldom survive their first year of business.  If a new web hosting company lacks the proper expertise to effectively operate and maintain a server, keep current with the latest hosting software or industry standards they are unlikely to be in business for a long duration. As a novice webmaster, how do you weed out the established web hosts from the ones who are likely to take your money and disappear?

Perhaps the easiest way to spot a web hosting company that lacks industry experience is in the hosting services that they offer. A common mistake made by new hosting companies is offering both Proxy hosting and web hosting on the same platform.

The term Proxy hosting refers to websites that permit the viewership of outside websites using a different IP address. Proxies consume a massive amount of CPU usage and most novice web hosting companies are inexperienced at managing sites that utilize more than 25% of their CPU server usage.

While it is an honest mistake, often made by inexperienced hosts, running both Proxy hosting and regular web hosting on the same server will result in massive downtime for all of the companies hosted web sites.  Any webmaster considering deploying services from a web hosting company that offers both forms of hosting services should make certain that the host uses separate servers for each platform.

Other ways to gauge the potential longevity of a new host include how many new account spaces they have available. Most new hosts are eager to attract business and will offer unlimited spaces for new web sites. If a host offers unlimited memberships or web spaces, it is a good indicator that they are unfamiliar with server technology and the dangers of overcrowding.

It is unlikely that a web hosting company offering unlimited spaces on a server that houses both Proxy hosting and Web hosting will be in business for more than a year. There will be significant down time, service interruptions and eventually permanent failure of the web sites they host.  Adopt a best practice methodology of only doing business will well established, industry leading web hosts – regardless of how attractive the claims of a new hosting provider might be.

It has been said time and time again that webmasters must view web hosting companies as their silent business partners. Yet some webmasters neglect to take advantage of business class web hosting and instead elect to operate on a cheap, inefficient platform – simply to save a few dollars.  When speaking in terms of quality and functionality there are several differences between free hosting providers and those who offer a professional, business oriented web hosting service.  It is essential for business success that the webmaster clearly understands the pitfalls associated with doing business over a free server.

A well established web hosting company will provide e-commerce and business oriented webmasters with several key elements to ensure consistent uptime and ongoing success; bandwidth, resiliency and scalability for instance. Another crucial element of required to bolster business success is the availability of email boxes and reply forms. It is uncommon for low-key or free web hosting companies to provide such tools and elements; in order to achieve success online it is imperative that a business minded webmasters enlists the service of a web hosting company that is capable and experienced in the world of online business hosting.

While it is not uncommon to see a business website hosted on a free server, it is highly unadvisable. Web hosts providing free service often lack the tools and expertise necessary to compete in the corporate world. Using a free host to house a business web site only makes the business appear unreliable and incompetent.

There are many compelling reasons for a webmaster to navigate away from free hosting platforms; unreliable service, shared IP addresses, increased Spam, jammed ad placements and the inability to operate on a unique domain name. Contracting hosting service from a web hosting company experienced in enterprise domains enables webmasters to mitigate these risks. E-commerce hosting provides access to efficient and reliable servers, adequate disk space and an array of business essential tools and features designed to enhance business success.

Business class web hosting companies are able to provide webmasters with dedicated IP addresses, a huge advantage in the business world. In a competitive environment a dedicated IP address only helps to set a web site apart from the millions that already exist on the World Wide Web.  While it may be tempting to select a free web hosting platform it will only end up costing money, time and effort in the long run.

Web Hosting Packages Explained: Part One

The features and options provided by web hosting companies are so extensive that for a novice webmaster selecting the right service can be both unnerving and confusing – especially when the features are presented online in a condensed or over drawn format.  The majority of features provided by web hosting companies can easily be broken down into 9 major categories; Operating System, Web Server, Bandwidth, Disk Space, Domains, Email, FTP, Database, Control Panel.

1. Operating System: The operating system can be defined as the software on a computer that manages the way different programs use its hardware, and regulates the ways that a user controls the computer.  The operating system controls the physical infrastructure of the server and helps to enhance the use of RAM, disk space and CPU usage. When it comes to web hosting, the operating system supported by the web hosting company does not need to be the same as the operating system used to create the website since most managerial functions are driven through a web GUI.

The most common operating systems supported by web hosting companies are Windows and Unix, and correctly choosing between the two is essential to overall success.  It is recommended that webmasters carefully research the applications that they wish to operate on their websites and confirm that they are compatible with the hosts’ operating system. For example: If the webmaster intends to run MSSQL database or ASP then they will require a Windows based operating system in order to support Microsoft technologies.

Other areas of consideration revolving around host operating systems include server selection. If a webmaster requires a virtual private server they will be given access to a dedicated virtual operating system. While VPS are certainly more expensive than shared packages, they provide webmasters will greater configuration and control.

1. Web Server: Microsoft IIS and Unix Apache are two of the most commonly available web servers. Neither is without their own unique set of challenges, as with operating systems web server success is dependent upon the applications being run on them.  Since Apache is a Unix product it provides greater support for open source technology and is ideal for webmasters intending to take advantage of applications such as; PHP, PERL, and Python.

Since SSL certificates are hosted by the web server and therefore depend upon the servers ability to encrypt and verify data transmission it is advisable to avoid web hosting companies the offer free SSL share certificates as there is a heighted risk of server crash.

1. Bandwidth: The term bandwidth refers to the measure of available or consumed data communication resources often expressed in bits.  Speaking of bandwidth as it relates to web hosting refers to the amount of data that is consumed by a website on a monthly basis. It is important for new webmasters to remember that even the most complex web sites seldom use the maximum bandwidth allotment provided by most web hosting companies.

It is not uncommon for web hosting companies to tempt new consumers with the promise of ‘unlimited’ bandwidth. What unlimited bandwidth actually refers to is what is considered to be unmetered bandwidth. When selecting an unlimited package, carefully review the web hosting company’s terms of service for any clauses concerning the bandwidth allotment as many hosts will require webmasters upgrade their hosting package if they routinely consume mass amounts of bandwidth.

It has been said time and time again that webmasters must view web hosting companies as their silent business partners. Yet some webmasters neglect to take advantage of business class web hosting and instead elect to operate on a cheap, inefficient platform – simply to save a few dollars.  When speaking in terms of quality and functionality there are several differences between free hosting providers and those who offer a professional, business oriented web hosting service.  It is essential for business success that the webmaster clearly understands the pitfalls associated with doing business over a free server.

A well established web hosting company will provide e-commerce and business oriented webmasters with several key elements to ensure consistent uptime and ongoing success; bandwidth, resiliency and scalability for instance. Another crucial element of required to bolster business success is the availability of email boxes and reply forms. It is uncommon for low-key or free web hosting companies to provide such tools and elements; in order to achieve success online it is imperative that a business minded webmasters enlists the service of a web hosting company that is capable and experienced in the world of online business hosting.

While it is not uncommon to see a business website hosted on a free server, it is highly unadvisable. Web hosts providing free service often lack the tools and expertise necessary to compete in the corporate world. Using a free host to house a business web site only makes the business appear unreliable and incompetent.

There are many compelling reasons for a webmaster to navigate away from free hosting platforms; unreliable service, shared IP addresses, increased Spam, jammed ad placements and the inability to operate on a unique domain name. Contracting hosting service from a web hosting company experienced in enterprise domains enables webmasters to mitigate these risks. E-commerce hosting provides access to efficient and reliable servers, adequate disk space and an array of business essential tools and features designed to enhance business success.

Business class web hosting companies are able to provide webmasters with dedicated IP addresses, a huge advantage in the business world. In a competitive environment a dedicated IP address only helps to set a web site apart from the millions that already exist on the World Wide Web.  While it may be tempting to select a free web hosting platform it will only end up costing money, time and effort in the long run.

Over the last decade the amount of businesses found online has grown so rapidly that it is becoming increasingly difficult for webmaster to remain successful simply by just having a web site alone.  In order for a web site to compete with the millions of online web sites on the World Wide Web webmasters must now fully commit themselves to ensure the success of their business by staying ahead of technology, listening to the demands of their consumers and investing in marketing tools.
Having the best web hosting company available is no longer enough to stay ahead of the Internet business world. Webmasters must now make certain that they have the best server possible; one that is capable of supporting an influx in web traffic and remains scalable should the business experience rapid growth. For this reason, shared hosting is no longer recommended for e-commerce use.  While unlimited bandwidth will most normally be far too much, it is still important to ensure that the web hosting company provides enough bandwidth, speed and disk space to accommodate the needs of the consumer.
Outside of advanced server requirements the web site must also be user friendly. If potential consumers are unable to navigate or use the web site functions they will seldom become paying clients. Search engine optimization is a growing marketing tools, used by many successful webmasters to drive traffic to their sites. New webmasters, especially those in the business world, are advised to familiarize themselves with search engine best practices to ensure that their site receive maximum viewership.
Security should always be the foremost concern for webmasters of e-commerce sites – especially if they intend to include a shopping cart or credit card payment system. Failing to effectively secure their web site leaves both the company and its consumers vulnerable to data attacks, phishing scams and other possible threats. Any reputable web hosting company will take the necessary steps to ensure that their servers are secured, but would-be hackers are becoming more advanced in their techniques. For this reason, again, many business oriented webmaster opt for dedicated or co-location hosting as it affords them greater control and enhanced security.