20-Point Checklist on Web Hosting

When we begin our journey in the ecommerce world, it is easy to fall into traps by simply overlooking most important checklists in our decision making in regards to web hosting. It is easy just to consider the disk space provided when selecting hosting company and other less important features which we do not need in the beginning. All plans look impressive but do we really need those features on offer? It is best to consider the following factors when deciding on your web hosting packages:
1. Established Host
You would not want to get involve with someone not long enough in the business to host your ecommerce or simple personal website. What is more if you are running a full fledge ecommerce with lots of data to back up your operation. Time is of the essence in selecting your host. The longer a host has been around, the more likely the better it would be. You would not want to go down along with the host that also goes down. To sort things out will get real messy.
2. Reliability
This is an important checklist you ought to consider. Reliability is one the most important checklist as one would not want to engage a fly-by-night hosting company. Check the length of time on their response to your email enquiry. It is important to enjoy both after sales and technical services. Some big names with substantial customer base and length of operation may get complacent and not able to provide reliable services while small new companies will try their best to impress. You need to make your own judgment.
3. Space
You need to decide on your disk space requirement. However, a better planning for future expansion is also important so that you need not come back to the hosting company and being charge unreasonably. There is a saying, once hooked, forever hooked even if you do not like it.
4. After-Sales and Technical Supports
You never know what you need after the sales or even after the web is up and running. You like to feel comfortable that after sales and technical support are there, when needed. Time take in responding to email enquiry is a simple indication of the level of services the hosting companies are providing.
5. Up-Time
Most hosting companies offer a 99% uptime. You should select the one offers nothing lees than 99% uptime.
6. Recovery Time
Determine how fast the hosting company recovers from a downtime. Do they have back up procedures? What kind of UPS they use? Where are they located? Are they near any disaster prone area? These are the questions you need answers.
7. Bandwidth
Do not overlook bandwidth limit. Excess bandwidth uses accompanied by excess bill. Do not go over the allocated bandwidth; plan what you want to put in your site. Higher pixel images definitely utilize higher bandwidth.
8. CGI Bin
CGI is used to install scripts and programs; CGI comes standard with any hosting packages.
9. Perl
You must have Perl to run Perl Programs. Paid or free scripts are mostly written in Perl. Make sure you get the latest version or get to upgrade from time to time.
10. SSL
This is the most important criteria to consider especially when you are planning for a ecommerce. Make sure the SSL is included in your hosting packages. You may use third party credit card processor but the provider may not operate in some countries. It is also limited to electronic products only, not physical products.
11. SSI
Server Side Includes is used to minimize time in updating your site. You can edit you page or link section you want to amend without amending all the pages.
12. MySQL
Some scripts and programs require a MySQL database to run. Make sure the charges are not exorbitant and it normally comes with the hosting packages.
13. PHP
Many new scripts and programs require PHP support, and this feature is almost standard for all hosting packages.
14. Domain
You should be able to point your own domain name to the site. Other feature is to make sure you can control you domain because you may not stick with the same hosting companies but your domain remains yours.
15. FTP
Definitely you need a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to transfer file or make change to your web pages and uploading. You must be given unlimited and unrestricted FTP access to your site.
16. Control Panel
Main feature of hosting is availability of control panel. The level of use ranges from friendly to difficult. Choose the one that suit your technical capability and budget.
17. Statistics
For adjustments on your marketing programs you need a good statistic program. Excellent statistical program enables you to monitor visitors, collect email, and so on so forth to fine tune your marketing programs. Get advanced statistical program from third party if the hosting is not able to provide one, provided the program can be installed.
18. Site Development Software
If you are not a webmaster, or a programmer it is best you consider package with software offered to build you site. Some hosting companies provided this free while other charge a fee.
19. Slow down and take time
Some hosting packages may look excellent but if one feature that is required according to your needs is not offered, then the package may not meet your requirements. Take your time to compare all the features that are on offer. What is good for someone may not be acceptable for you. The important thing is what is your criteria and can the hosting company meets your needs?
20. Last big Step
The following table lists some of the criteria that are normally offered by web hosting company. Do not be alarmed by the long list. As it was mentioned, some features may not be required when you start and it is good to know that those features are offered. You are always ready when the time is up for expansion. At the end of the day, what is important is the hosting that meets your budget and your expectations.
Pricing & Setup (Choose your billing cycle) Setup Fee N/A Option 1: Pay Monthly 34.95 USD (e.g) Unconditional Money Back Guarantee 30 Days Setup Time 30 Seconds Quota Allotment Summary Disk Usage 5000 MB Summary Traffic 150 GB Default Disk Space Quota (Adjustable to suit your requirements at no cost) 5000 MB Domain Resources Multiple Domain Hosting 10 Domain Sub Domain 100 Sub Domain Third Level Domain 100 Third Level Domain Stopgap Domain 100 Stopgap Domain Domain Alias 100 Domain Alias Parked Domain (DNS Hosting) 10 Domain Parked Mail Domain Alias 10 Mail Domain Alias Web Services & Tools CGI with Custom Mapping Free Own CGI-Bin Directory Free MS Front Page Support Free ASP Free ASP Secured N/A NET Framework Free ASP.NET Free Server Side Includes (w/ custom file extension) N/A PHP with GD (Latest stable version) N/A Perl with GD (Latest stable version) Free Cold Fusion MX 6.1 Free Redirect URL 100 URL Custom Directory Indexes Free Pre-installed Commonly Used Components / DLL Free Custom DLL Components Free Server Side Image Map N/A PhpMyAdmin / PhpPgAdmin Free Web Shell (Advanced File Management Interface) N/A Password Protected Directories Free Site Studio Software (Best Selling Website Creation Tool, WYSIWYG plus tons of templates and features!) Free PHP BB 2 Forum Software Free Custom Error Document Free MS SQL Server Manager Free Transfer Log (Access Log) Free Referrer Log N/A Agent Log N/A Error Log N/A Webalizer Site Statistics Free Mail Services & Tools Web Mail Free Mailbox 1000 Mailbox Default Mailbox Quota (Adjustable to suit your requirements at no cost) 10 MB Email Auto Responder 100 Auto Responder Catch All Email Address Free Mailbox Alias 100 Mailbox Alias Mail Forward 100 Mail Forward Mailing List 10 Mailing List Own SMTP Server Free IMAP Support Free Ecommerce Dedicated SSL Module Free Shared SSL Free OS Commerce Shopping Cart Free Databases MySql User 3 User MySql Database 3 Database Default MySql Database Quota (Adjustable to suit your requirements at no cost) 50 MB MS SQL User 3 User MS SQL Database 3 Database Default MS SQL Database Quota (Adjustable to suit your requirements at no cost) 100 MB PgSql User 3 User PgSql Database 3 Database Default PgSql Database Quota (Adjustable to suit your requirements at no cost) 50 MB Advance Features & Others Anonymous FTP Server 3 Server FTP Sub Account N/A Virtual FTP Server N/A ODBC Service Free Custom DNS Records Free Shell Access N/A Crontab N/A Dedicated IP Address 3 unit Daily Backup Free
The author, Abdul R Mohamad is the webmaster at http://www.webhostingplanners.com and http://www.alt88.com. He has many interests ranging from internet to software devlopment and entrepreneurial development both in the virtual and real world. This includes food and hardware retailing. A veteren of 22 years in oil and gas industry, he is now retired from the industry and concentrates on building his base on the net and off the net.
You may re-print this article or re-publish on the web site or ezine.

By : Abddul R Mohamad

7 Websites to Make you Think

We are constantly told to reflect on the changing nature of the web; as a web content creator I feel I should be updating my view of what makes a 'good website' about, say, ....hmmmm, every month. In reality, it's rare that I get a chance to do this, but I've had a recent excuse to do so and would like to share the results with you.
I was lucky enough to get hold of a transcript of a talk by Lauren Parker (curator of contemporary programmes at the V&A). Coupling this with thoughts raised by the recent D&AD awards and Alexa Web Search's list of most visited websites, here is my idea of seven websites to make you think.
1) Myspace seems a good place to start. In the vanguard of 'Web 2.0', it's a website that has massive awareness with a core demographic and a fanatical fanbase - but also many critics for its often lurid design and lack of accessibility.
The thing to really make you think is: What if all of the web was like this? Surely, however, it won't ever be, AS the ConStanT jumping between page styles is just toO Bruising. Myspace is the best possible raison d'etre for web developers, and (like most innovators) myspace will find the market tough over the next few years.
2) On the subject of huge customer loyalty (which myspace certainly has) it's worth mentioning 'avatar' websites - by which I mean gaming sites where players adopt online characters which interact in an online world. World of Warcraft is the most popular and an interesting concept: It immerses users in a virtual world and reminds me of the early predictions (like William Gibson and 'The Lawnmower Man') of how the web would turn out.
3) I won't dwell on the networking side of the web, but will now look at a contrasting emerging trend: online magazines. It's worth having a look at thisisamagazine.com. Although the page style is almost as 'in your face' as in myspace, this is a feature of deliberate design and there is at least a constancy of function and design through the website.
Magazine type sites (see also F magazine) are an emerging trend due to the penetration of broadband and the increasing sophistication of Macromedia Flash (which is making great strides in accessibility). They are challenging the notion that quality, thought provoking content and great design are only the realm of the printed press. In my opinion the sites I've seen don't quite do it. They still feel cramped and clunky in comparison to an actual magazine.
4) Despite the confines of the computer screen some websites are taking an innovative approach to use of space. Leo Burnett Canada recently won a D&AD design award ("the black pencil") for their website. Once immersed in this insteractive space, perceptions of how a website works (and should work) are altered: the pointer is now a pencil, the site reveals itself by zooming in and around giant cursive letters playfully, rather than through conventional navigation. It's an unfettered and delightful vision.
5) Sites such as Leo Burnett are made possible through Macromedia's Flash technology, yet there are enough clunky flash sites out there to convince that this it should be used sparingly. The Design Museum website is a confusing mishmash of HTML and Flash. Users are expected to express which rendering they prefer when first entering the site, but the options bear little relation to the journey that follows. If even this venerable institution can get it so wrong, perhaps it???s safer and better with HTML , XML and php (at least for the moment).
6) Speaking of simplicity, a visit to craigslist.org is a real step back in time. It's the web as first perceived by geeky scientists, a graphics-free information exchange portal.
7) I'd like to end with my personal favourite website: The Arts Council website. Wholly accessible, packed full of useful information and unassuming with its branding. It would be a mistake to think this website is simply offering information. It's actually selling an idea and a brand throughout, but doing it a respectfully low level. I for one would love to see an Amazon or an eBay realised in this style.
This article is by Rishi Coupland. Please leave any comments on www.humblemasterpiece.com
Rishi Coupland develops content for websites in the UK. Read more at http://www.humblemasterpiece.com

8 Important Elements for Small Business Web Sites Design

Key visitors to your commercial pages include web robots that crawl the internet and catalog your content. Having proper HTML source code, plus the right combination of text and graphic presentation, is just one secret to success. Proper code may mean higher robot ratings, and the "look" is equally important. Once a new prospect finds your web site, you have 5 seconds to get them to stay.
As a small business web site owner, you may have asked "Why don't we get any hits?". Did you know web pages can load and appear correct with improper or deprecated HTML code? A browser may ignore your mistakes, and display what it thinks you meant, and it may look great. Web robots may not be as forgiving.
Following is a list of 8 basic elements for good search engine placement that need to be considered in your design and web site promotion. For details on code issues from the worldwide authority, visit the World Wide Web Consortium to view DOCTYPE and other quality standards.
1. DOCTYPE Statement2. Page Title3. Proper HTML Code4. META Description5. META Key Words6. First Paragraph of the Home Page7. An Extra Page of Just LINKS8. Backlinks (Links to your pages)
These 8 key items are either missing or poorly designed in 85% of all web sites. Some search engines may only list the other 15% in their directories. In other words, as few as 15% of the 6 billion web pages online ever make it into some search engines. Even worse, there are mistakes that may result in your page being blacklisted, and the search engine web crawlers may never come back to see if it's corrected. This could explain why you "never get any hits".
Web sites can be simple and professional without using fancy software to create your pages. Veteran programmers hand code and many create the HTML in NotePad. Web authors who choose to use flash, frames, or the latest software may be losing a significant portion of new visitors (customers) because the visitor may lack the technology or newest version of browsers. If they are turned off and leave without giving your site a fair viewing, it could mean lost profits.
Most designers use prepackaged software to create web pages. If the software leaves out any of the key elements, the code is hidden, and you'll never know your site was not optimized for search engines. The designer may not know, or care, about these items as long as the page looks attractive. Note: Search engine algorithms vary by company, so some elements such as "an extra page of links" may not be as important today with some search robots. Backlinks refer to marketing your site and getting other web sites to link to yours.
Finally, business visitors want information. They do not visit your home page to be entertained. Most have a need (problem) and want a fast answer (solution), so designs should be created to minimize the use of music or video unless that's your core business. Anything that distracts from a positive first impression may violate my "5 Second Rule".
Jim Degerstrom offers custom web site design at http://www.jimdegerstrom.com with 100+ examples of custom artwork for marketing in print or online, plus a 5-star directory of 200,000 truly free stock photos.

By : Jim Degerstrom

8 Tips for Designing a Great Website

Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons ?? will they match my shoes, my handbag or my tie? Are you stuck in a maze of buttons, headings, bullets, sub-headings and colour schemes?
STOP!!!!
Take a deep breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites.
1. Select a colour scheme and stick to it.
If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that??s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them ?? don??t change colours on every page.
The most common colour schemes include:
Red, yellow and white
Blue and white
Red, grey and white
Blue, orange and white
Yellow, grey and white.
If you??re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists.
2. Use templates.
Can??t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.
Visit:
www.web4business.com.au/templates1.htm
www.newtemps.com
www.website-templates-resale-rights.com
www.123webtemplatesandmore.com
3. Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it??s best to stick with it.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
4. Don??t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
5. Backgrounds
Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
6. External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link
7. Site Map & Search Feature
If you website is more than 15 pages, it is useful to have a site map or a ??Search?? feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they??re looking for.
8. Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:
Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes
Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
Hit counters of the free variety, which say ??you are 27th visitor??
Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
Busy backgrounds.
Don??t sweat the small stuff and get yourself focussed on what to include on the website and the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles.
Copyright 2004 Ivana Katz
About The Author
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au

By : Ivana Katz

Canadian Web Hosting Resellers

Intermediaries or middlemen exist in every business; they act as liaisons between the manufacturer or service provider and the final customer. In most cases, they might not even own many assets that they handle. Middlemen make a profit in the transaction.
The Internet has the potential to eliminate intermediation by offering services directly to the customer; at the same time, it has spawned new types of intermediation services. Web hosting is one such service that has given rise to intermediaries called resellers. Resellers are third parties who buy space from web hosting companies and then resell the space to individuals and small and medium enterprises for a profit.
Generally, large web hosting companies sell multiple accounts. The buyers of multiple accounts may then sell the unutilized accounts to others. The resellers are usually website developers. Since the resellers operate from a parent host, it would be very difficult to identify a reseller. The reseller buys space at a discount and then marks it up, which makes a win-win situation for both reseller and the buyer.
In order to be a reseller, one needs to have multiple domains. As a third party, it is essential that, in addition to the domain account, the reseller needs to have full control over the administrative panel of the client??s websites. It enables the reseller to hide his or her identity as a reseller. The terms and conditions should be executed by the reseller and the buyer.
The advantages of dealing with a reseller is that they provide extra services like web and graphic design, search engine promotion, and managed services. As the resellers are familiar with the configurations, they may be able to provide more support for the client.
The reseller is ideally suited for those businesses operating from homes or individuals because the reseller has fewer clients than the parent; as such, the reseller may be able to provide better services. The businesses must take care to know the features available, and to be familiar with the maintenance and technical support before signing the terms and conditions. For instance, if the reseller doesn??t pay the fees to the parent, the websites will be shut down.
Canadian Web Hosting provides detailed information on Canadian Web Hosting, Cheap Canadian Web Hosting, Canadian E Commerce Web Hosting, Canadian Web Hosting Resellers and more. Canadian Web Hosting is affiliated with Dedicated Internet Hosting.

By : Jason Gluckman

Care For Some Cheap Web Hosting?

No, ??cheap?? is not necessarily a bad thing (well, not always), but when it comes to a services industry as competitive and with as thin margins as the web hosting industry, customers better watch out. Hosts offering ??low-cost?? services tend to offer the world for Rs. 900 per year but, usually fail to deliver even the most basic of services. Surprised? I??m not. Let me explain some basics for the benefit of the vast majority who would still be unsure as to what I??m rambling about.
A ??web host?? is a company (well, most like to think of themselves as such but that??s a whole new article) that is in the business of procuring bandwidth (internet connectivity) and servers (glorified computers) with the intent to re-sell the same, in smaller bits, to people who need storage space for their e-mails and websites. This is usually (read always) accomplished by renting out dedicated servers with a decent hard drive and bandwidth quota and then using a hosting automation suite (control panel) to divide the server resources up into smaller chunks called ??hosting plans??. The goal is to price these plans in a way that they remain affordable for the client while helping the host maximize profit from the resources it has.
Now comes the fun part??
Since there are almost no barriers to entry in this particular industry, new web hosts keep popping up every day. This helps keep the price for hosting services sane and should also mean better service for the customers since there are many hosts competing for their business. What really happens is that one Johnny-come-lately decides that the only way he can grab some market-share is by offering the lowest prices. Once customers start quoting his price to the host struggling for their business, the host decides to match it. Before you know it, everyone has slashed their prices by half! This, in Pakistan, can be seen every 10 ?? 12 months.
??Good??, you say? Read on??
What does this mean for the web host? Suddenly, all their existing clients are paying them half of what they used to. This means that in the coming year, they would have to generate twice as much new business just to make the same amount as last year! Is this considered growth? I think not!
Sadly, the number of clients does not magically increase with every price shave. So, the web hosts are left with little choice other than to cut costs just to make ends meet. Where there were 3 support people, they decide to make do with just one. Where there were 2 servers earlier, they decide that they can load all of the clients onto just one server resulting in lower operating costs. These measures, needless to say, do have a positive impact on the host??s bottom-line but deteriorate the services resulting in un-answered support queries and long periods of downtime (website/email inaccessibility) or extremely slow server response due to excessive loads on the server.
Now, if the host were to put their existing clients first, they would price their service fairly so that every client not only feels good in his wallet, but can also rely on the service being offered. I guess, all it boils down to is; whether a web host is in this business to provide a top-notch service with a long-term business goal or is just there to make a quick while competing with all the fly-by-night hosts who happen to come along.
Recently, I have come across at least three such hosting companies that are now in financial peril because they could not resist the urge to slash prices in order to try and capture some new business. Sadly enough, these are not people who are ??new?? to the industry. Such an impact on the market is magnified 10 fold when an older host decides they would be better off by just slashing prices rather than improving on service. As a result, the younger companies follow suit and create a mess for themselves and more importantly their clients. The ultimate outcome is that frustrated clients decide to switch to foreign web hosts that provide a better service at a saner price.
From experience, I have learnt that providing a good service is what really matters. The rest falls into place when clients realise that they can only run their online business if the service they get is of good quality. After all, you get what you pay for. What good is a cheap service when you will eventually stop getting any?
Zahid N. Sindhu is an editor at the Article Street. For quality content to place on your website and ezine, visit http://www.ArticleStreet.com.

By : Zahid Sindhu

CGI Web Hosting - 3 Essential Scripts for Your Business

If there??s one thing that people love it is a web site that has plenty of automated features. Sites that are highly interactive tend to get the most traffic and generate the most business for the companies that run them. Automated features can also play a ??behind the scenes?? role, making your site easier to use, run smoothly and allow for things like online sales and password protection.
There are many ways to get this type of automation into your site, but all involve either client side or server side scripting. Scripts are written in programming languages specially designed for the web, and there are several languages that are commonly used. Most client side scripts are written in Java which is still one of the best web programming languages around. Some functions of a web site must be completed via server side scripting, however, and the most commonly used languages for server side scripting are PHP, PERL, and CGI. PHP and PERL are newer languages and are gaining a lot of popularity, but there are still plenty of features that can be scripted in the granddaddy of web scripting languages, CGI.
Shopping Carts
No online sales site would be complete without a functioning shopping cart and most of the best ones have been written in CGI script. CGI web hosting is great for shopping cart scripts because it interfaces well with most databases, including the popular MYSQL and MS Access databases, it can be utilized on Windows, UNIX, LINUX, and MACOS servers with equal ease, and can be easily configured for sales tax and shipping cost calculations. Some newer shopping cart scripts are being written in PHP and PERL, but most of the functioning carts on the web are in good old CGI web hosting scripts.
Password Protection
Many web sites require some sort of registration and entry of a password for the user to access the site??s features. This is done for a number of reasons from simply a desire to track visitors for marketing purposes to allowing postings on message boards and ensuring that users have paid any required fees associated with use of the site. The automated registration process and user name/password issuance can be written with CGI scripts and many of them have been.
Form Managers
Have you ever wondered how the forms you fill out online are handled? In most cases, they??re handled by CGI web hosting. When a user fills in that form and hits the ??submit?? button, a CGI script takes over and sends the data in email or writes it to a database where it can be accessed later by the site??s administrators.
These are just a few of the uses for CGI scripts on today??s web sites. There are literally hundreds of others and if there??s something that can be done on a web site, it is something that can be done with CGI. PHP and PERL may be gaining a lot of popularity for various reasons, but CGI was with us first and it isn??t going anywhere. As long as there are web sites, CGI web hosting will remain king.
John Michaels is a freelance author for WebHostPacks.com where he regularly publishes articles on how to find a cheap web host and reviews of low cost web hosting services.

By : John Michaels

Changing to a New Host? No More Worries!

John's online business is expanding. His customers are increasing day by day. However, he feels very frustrated at the moment as he finds his website is 'down' about every 4th day. Whenever he calls up the support team of his web host, he gets the same old answer that his problem will be rectified soon. If the problems do persist it will surely hamper his business. He has been with his present hosting provider for the last year but now he feels he has to find a new web host as soon as possible because his present hosting package is also not able to meet up with his growing demands. This is not a one-off occurrence that has happened only to John, it happens with many people like him. Changing the web host might become a cumbersome task if John and other people like him don't know the correct procedure of doing it. So, let's have a look at the following easy and simple steps:
First of all, it's very important to have a backup of your website and everything related to it, like databases, scripts etc. It will be very helpful in case there is data loss because of any unforseen reason. Save at least 2 copies of everything and store them separately, so that you can work with one and the other one will function as a backup. You can take backup in various ways. One is by using software programs like a FTP program (e.g. Smart FTP http://www.smartftp.com/) for downloading data.
Now, the time is to look for a new web host that meets all your requirements and provides better technical services than your previous host. Since you have already been through the search procedure it won't take you much time to come across a reliable hosting company.
Once you have taken a new web-hosting plan and you are ready to upload your web pages, databases etc., check that you have received an IP number, FTP or FrontPage login, and password from your new hosting company. Now, upload all your files to the new server; you are just repeating the same procedure that you've done in the past when you uploaded your files for the very first time.
Only a few more steps more and you will be completely done. Before transferring your DNS servers over from your previous host to your new one, debug and test the new site from an individual IP number. Check that all the web pages exist, the links point to the right pages and that all your scripts are running. One important point which people always forget is their domain name expiration date. If you plan to move near the expiration date, it could cause you lots of problems. To be on the safe side, make sure that you have at least 3-4 weeks in hand before the domain name expires, or just renew it for another year.
To transfer domain name service to a new host identify registrar using "WHOis" lookup http://domreg-m6.net/domains/WHois.asp, verify registration of your domain name, identify the name server information for the host your are transferring to, and make changes in the DNS information at the registrar. During this DNS transition period new DNS information has to be propagated throughout the world's DNS servers. This propagation might take 2-4 days as an International root name server will firstly have to check all the various Domain registrars for updates, and then every ISP provider will update their DNS setting to show the new changes. Not only this, even Internet, i.e. Internet routers and caching engines have to update/clear its DNS cache as well. During this propagation period, you keep your old site running so that the visitors whose ISP provider haven't updated can still visit your website.
It's advisable that you don't cancel your old hosting service during the transition period, as you will need to check your mail from both the hosting providers, as some will direct e-mail to your old server whereas other Internet regions will send mail to your new server. After one or two weeks you can annul the account with your old host.
On the very first notion it sounds like a painful task to find a new web host and make all the necessary changes, but with the steps known, people like John will not find this procedure problematic. With so many automation software packages available, it has now become easier to switch over your web site from old host to new host. If both hosting providers have the same operation system platform, the procedure will become even simpler. But remember, the most important task in the whole host-changing scenario is to find a host that meets your requirements so that you don't have to go through this entire procedure again in the future.
Priyanka AgarwalHosting evangelist

By : Priyanka Agarwal

Cheap and Good Quality Web Host

If you plan to own a new website, you will need to host your website on a web server. When your website goes live on the web server, online users can then browse your website on the Internet. Company that provides the web servers to host your website is called web hosting providers.
There are thousands of web hosting providers on the internet and how do you decide which one you should use? Sites like www.webhostingspotter.com can help you by comparing all best hosting providers.
The features that web hosting companies are offering are getting quite standard nowadays. There are basic features that you'll need in a web host. You can find out more here.
To give a web host a competitive edge over others, more attractive features are very necessary. You'll find that many hosts are willing to give away free stuff that used to cost over $10 per month.
These are some of the advanced features that our top hosts are offering.
* Web Buider
Many of our top 10 hosts offer powerful web builder program called SiteStudio. SiteStudio allows you to make sites without any html, FTP and HTTP knowledge. You can also build site on the fly while at home, school or even at work. Hostgator's SiteStudio has over 500 ready-made templates for you to choose from.
* Ecommerce Enabled
If you are selling products on your site, you need a merchant account. A shopping cart is a useful tool if you have more than 1 product in different categories. SSL(Secured Sockets Layer) is a must-have if you need to receive valuable information such as your customers' credit card information. PowWeb, Hostgator and Lunarpages provide osCommerce shopping cart and shared SSL for your ecommerce needs.
* Marketing Package
Most marketing package including search engine submission software, keyword generator and link checker. Some hosting companies like iPower have established partnership with Yahoo! Search (previously known as Overture) and Google Adwords to offer you pay-per-click credit to jump start your business.
Popularity
The best marketing method is by far from word of mouth. If you sign up for a web host and are satisfied with the performance, most likely you'll recommend to anyone who is looking for a good host. Big web hosting companies know about this concept so well that they would go all out to retain their existing customer. The more satisfied customers they have, the more popularity they'll get. We take this as an important indicator of how good a host is.
There are a few factors that we judge the popularity of a particular web hosting provider.Number of existing customers.
The satisfaction level of their existing customers: We manage to get hold of their existing customers from the positive reviews they submitted through our host comment form, their comment in the 3rd party web hosting and inhouse forums and the customers' comment found on other hosting directories.
The amount of pretigious hosting awards they won
Their sites Alexa traffic ranking
Netfirms top the popularity among our top 10 hosts. Network Reliability, Speed and Uptime Guarantee
In terms of reliability, we are looking at how redundant is the server, how often the companies backup the server and how well they handle emergency. "Redundant" means that if any of the Internet connections get interrupted, the alternate Internet connection will take over. PowWeb Load Balancing Technology is one of the best that we found to ensure your site is up 99.9% all the time.
Author is running Web hosting reviews site that compares web hosting providers.

By : Mark Waters

Cheap ASP Hosting

The type of ASP Hosting that you get always depends on how much you are willing to pay for the service. If anything comes for free or for a low cost, then you usually have to compromise. Cheap ASP hosting is also available, but the features that you get can be limited. You will not have the more sophisticated applications or be able to use advanced components with cheap ASP hosting.
With cheap ASP hosting, you cannot expect a separate server for you needs. You have to use shared web hosting shared by many domains. These domains may be from different companies that share common features. This is one of the main limitations when you use cheap ASP hosting.
You cannot get unlimited email accounts for your domain. The space provided for your email is limited with cheap ASP Hosting. In some of the plans, you only get one email id for a domain. If that is not enough, you are forced to spend more money for a better plan. You must also check to see whether you are provided with anti-spam filters and anti-virus protection with this inexpensive plan.
The data transfer for your domain is limited with cheap ASP Hosting. If your website gets more hits, then you may have to upgrade to other plans or buy more bandwidth. Most of the cheap ASP hosting plans start for as low as $1 per month. The higher the cost the more features you get. You can look for offers that offer discounted fees if you pay for a one year fee upfront. This could save you a lot on hosting costs.
ASP Hosting provides detailed information on ASP Hosting, Cheap ASP Hosting, Free ASP Hosting, ASP Web Hosting and more. ASP Hosting is affiliated with Web Server Hosting.

By : Kristy Annely

Cheap Canadian Web Hosting

A small business feels the need to go online as a marketing effort or to enter into e-commerce because customers have gone online to purchase their needs. But because of their sizes, small and medium businesses are constrained by tight budgets, or they simply don??t need as many of the features provided by the web hosting companies.
Similarly, an individual, such as freelance writer, may have the need to be online just to publish writings and articles with just enough space at a minimum cost. Some web hosting providers target their niche group of customers with low-cost services. The low-cost advantage is gained by providing minimum disk space on a server. A single server may be crammed by many websites because of less disk space and low cost.
The cheap website providers can be located online, and there are many providers operating from cities such as Ontario and Toronto. A typical cheap plan may have 500 MB disk space, 30 GB data transfer, and limited email accounts. The rates may be as low $1 per month. Some providers give incentives like limited free monthly hosts for referrals to friends and relatives.
The cheap rates come with many limitations. A crammed server may result in less speed, and slow data transfer and page openings. The web host firm may cut costs by providing less frequent customer support, resulting in more downtime in case of operational failure and longer complaint-handling periods. They may also lack technical support to help in developing web pages and modifications.
Other than cheap hosts, there are budget hosts and free hosts. Budget hosts provide services that are better than the cheap hosts, such as support twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and more storage space. There are free hosts who exchange domains for free storage facilities. Free hosts may be beneficial for websites in the early stages and not-for-profit organizations. But they also have the same disadvantages as cheap hosts.
Canadian Web Hosting provides detailed information on Canadian Web Hosting, Cheap Canadian Web Hosting, Canadian E Commerce Web Hosting, Canadian Web Hosting Resellers and more. Canadian Web Hosting is affiliated with Dedicated Internet Hosting.

By : Jason Gluckman

Cheap Domain Web Hosting - Success Is a Must

You must find a very good Cheap web hosting. That??s what grandma used to say. Well, maybe not grandma, but nonetheless it is very important to realize that a good service is the very foundation of what your website will be.
Speed, personalized emails that make you look professional, and great uptime are just a few things that make a difference in the foundation of your site. What other crucial things you should look for in your service? Read on to find out.
The problem is very easy to see. A web hosting company has a budget. The more that company spends on advertising, the less it spends on bringing quality service. How are you going to discover which company is a good one?
It??s impossible to test all the services for yourself, it would take you years. If this is true, the problem is finding the right company in the first time. Like a friend of mine always says ??Get it right the first time or die??.
You don??t have the time. I mean who has the time to research from first hand which companies deliver and which don??t? I did only because I was researching to build a website but not everyone has access to these things.
It??s just not so simple. It??s important however, to get the right Cheap web hosting from the start, from experience I can say that dealing with terrible service is not something you want to do, you want to have your website running smoothly.
The delight comes the moment you know you don??t have to worry about hosting anymore. You know you found a reliable hosting company when you??re satisfied with the price and you have every detail you want at your reach.
The best companies will even add great extras like blogs and unlimited email accounts. Some companies have this great service where you can add several domains without having to pay extra. I personally recommend getting this option.
The main difference in good ??Cheap web hosting?? service vrs a terrible one is the amount of time you??re going to spend stressing afterwards. With the right service, your site is up and you have no worries. Not so much on the other.
Is not having to worry about your site??s uptime ever again worth a couple of minutes of your time?
Go ahead. Take a moment and do your research before you setup your site, this way you??ll be comfortable and you??ll avoid any unnecessary trouble with dealing with ??pain in the neck?? companies.
Do you research, avoid the worst, go to the best, pay cheap and build your site successfully.
From the entire internet, we have reviewed the top cheap web hosting companies and narrowed it to the top 3. Check out which are these companies at my site (http://www.web-hosting-review-central.info). HINT: Their Web Hosting is Cheap

By : Charles Cruz

Cheap Hosting - 5 Things You Should Know

You can't browse today without running into some cheap hosting reference, there are many cheap web hosting packages online being offered, but with so many options to choose from, it makes cheap Internet hosting a totally confusing topic.
This may seem confusing to you, but it is actually costing many online marketers headaches, many of which could have been avoided if they knew what to look for.
That is why I created this report to help you figure out the 5 things you should know before choosing a cheap hosting package:
1) Required Bandwidth
This is the most important aspect of your business, if you exceed bandwidth your web host will shut you down without warning. Well, that actually happened to me and I must say, I could have avoided that if I knew how to calculate my bandwidth.
Formula for bandwidth per day: Total bandwidth = page views * visits per day * page size
If your site get 100 visits per day, 2 page views per visit and site size of 35 KiloBytes:Total bandwidth = 100 * 2 * 35 = 7000 KB = 7 MB (Megabytes)Per month: 30 * 7 MB = 210 MB (2.1 GByte)
You can host this site with a 5 GBytes cheap web hosting package, you will have enough bandwidth to host a small site, with considerations for expansion a 10GByte package would be sufficient. But, why pay for only 10 GB, while you can get 250GB for the same price, with a multiple domain name hosting plan.
We are referring to transfer bandwidth, don't confuse that with storage.
2) Multiple Domain Names
Now, this is where the web hosting provider offers a cheap hosting package and adds multiple domain names to the deal, you go wow, but that's the trap, you go and divide up your hosting, and then when you least expect it, your account exceeds bandwidth.
To avoid this you need hosting packages that has over 100 GB of transfer bandwidth to be able to host a minimum of 5 domains. For more domains you will need a much bigger package.
3) Unlimited Domain Names
This is just a catchy phrase that web hosting providers use to lure you in, it makes no sense going for unlimited domains when your transfer bandwidth is just 10 GB or 50 GB, that is just a rip off.
Stay clear of those, they are not trustworthy.
4) Unlimited Bandwidth
No web hosting provider would be able to stay in business if they were to offer each client a unlimited cheap hosting package for just $7,95 per month.
They are hoping for much sign-ups, just to balance the distribution, but if your web site really uses much bandwidth, they would easily shut you down, because your costing them money.
5) Storage
I must, I have never seen anyone exceed the storage for any hosting account, but if your into video or mp3, then you will need o make sure your web hosting provider has adequate storage space available.
You know experience is the master at learning what works, and what doesn't, should you do encounter a bad deal, don't mope, go do your own research and find a better host.
This report shows you exactly what to look before choosing cheap hosting, take your time and analyze your needs, but I recommend going with cheap Internet hosting provider that has more then enough bandwidth for your future growth.
Alexander MarlinFor top recommended cheap hosting providers that has proven to be trustworthy. One of the hosting companies I personally use:http://how-to-build-website.com/anhosting.html

By : Alexander Marlin

Cheap Hosting Packages and Low Cost Web Hosting - Watch For Hidden Costs

If you're shopping around for an affordable web hosting plan, knowing what services you want and what you should pay for them can help you pick out hidden costs that could launch your cheap hosting plan into an expense you just can't afford. Here are a few things to be on the watch for when you're shopping for the best low-cost web hosting plan for your personal or business web site.
A La Carte Pricing
Don't be pulled in by impossibly low prices. While the explosion of reseller web hosting has dropped web hosting costs to bargain basement prices, you should still expect to pay for quality, dependable, professional web hosting services. A la carte prices can make a web hosting plan seem like an incredibly good deal, but be sure to know exactly what you need and what you'll be paying for it. When you add in setup fees, upgrade fees and additional monthly fees for things like scripting support, a mySQL database and php support, you can end up paying far more for your affordable plan than if you'd opted to pay a few dollars more for a more inclusive plan.
Read the Fine Print
Read through every little entry in the comparison chart to see what you're being charged for, and what fees you might incur if you go over your monthly limits. If something isn't clear, or isn't listed, email the company to ask what they charge for particular services and if there's a setup fee. It will tell you more than just how much the services cost - it will tell you how well they respond to support and help requests.
Unlimited May Not Be Unlimited
Don't put your reading glasses away yet. If a plan promises 'unlimited traffic', read the fine print to see how they define 'unlimited'. Many web hosting providers use 'typical usage patterns' to define what unlimited means. If your web site becomes popular enough to exceed what's normal for other web sites of your size, you could end up getting charged extra for bandwidth even if it says 'unlimited'.
E-Commerce Ready Sites for Cheap Prices
Check to see what's actually included in that cheap e-commerce ready site. Does it include access to their secure server, or will you have to purchase your own license? Is there a good deal on bill-collecting services and credit card access, or will you have to arrange your own? Be sure you know what you're getting for your money so you can plan your web hosting expenses wisely.
There are a lot of legitimately good web hosting deals to be had, but just like any other purchase, it pays to do your homework to make sure that you get the most affordable, most professional and best web hosting deal you can find.
To view our recommended web hosts, visit, Recommended Web Hosting Companies.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website, with articles and the latest news about various topics.

By : Carrie Reeder

Cheap Internet Hosting

In this age of extreme competition, any company that wants to do well needs a strong presence on the World Wide Web. There are many Internet hosting firms all over the world, however, depending on your business and traffic you anticipate, you can find an efficient Internet service provider.
Before deciding in the Internet Hosting firm, it is important to determine the space web space you require. Most sites don??t need more than 100MB of space to carry on their day-to-day operations. Usually, you can get 1MB of space at around $0.10.
And check out your bandwidth requirements. Bandwidth is the speed at which data or graphics are transferred from your website to the user??s computer. Avoid a higher bandwidth unless you plan to transfer huge files like audio and video, or high-resolution images. The bandwidth is expressed in terms of Giga Bytes (GB) and ideally, one GB of bandwidth should not cost you more than $3 for an average website.
The server of the Internet Hosting Firm, where your website is located, should always be available. Opting for low cost hosting does not mean that you can afford your host server to be down most of the time! Visit websites on the host server for a while to check for availability. The uptime for a good Internet hosting server is at least 99%.
Apart from the technical aspects, look at the support from the Internet Hosting firm. You can estimate the level of support only after having dealt with the firm for sometime. So, avoid long-term contracts. Go for short-term contracts, say a month or so, and determine the quality of support. A short-term contract will also protect you if the host firm shuts down unexpectedly.
Keep these simple guidelines in mind so your experience with cheap Internet hosting can be effective as well as economical.
Cheap Internet Hosting provides detailed information about cheap internet hosting, dedicated internet hosting, and more. Cheap Internet Hosting is affiliated with PPC Search Advertising.

By : Jason Gluckman

Cheap Internet Hosting - Get The Most For Your Money With a Cheap Web Hosting Package

With so many web hosting companies competing for your web hosting dollar, the companies have had to stretch their imagination to come up with ways to convince you that their company is giving you the most for your money, and consequently, the most affordable web hosting package for you. The most typical way they've done this is to throw in a bunch of bells and whistles to create full 'packages' so that you get everything you need - and a lot you don't - for one low, affordable price.
To the typical new web hosting customer just putting up a web site of his own for the first time, all the options available can seem like a bowl of alphabet soup: lots of letters with very little meaning. Let's take a look at some of the most common bells and whistles that you'll find in web hosting packages typically labeled as affordable.
Storage and Traffic Allotments
These are expressed in MBs and GBs - megabytes and gigabytes. They're the basic building blocks of all hosting plans. Storage is how much room you have to store files on the web hosting company's server. Traffic is how many bytes of data you can transfer to visitors to your web site.
How much do you need? It depends on what you're planning to use your web site for. Unless you'll be running a lot of applications, doing streaming video or audio, or running a very large, database driven web site, you don't need more than 1 GB of transfer allotment. Likewise, you can estimate the amount of storage space you'll need by taking a look at how much space your files take up on your computer. Unless you're planning to store a lot of images or large files, 20 MBs is more than sufficient for your needs.
You can find web hosting packages free that offer you 10-25 MBs of storage space, and for $5.95 and less per month that will give you 300 to 1000 MBs.
Free Domain Name or Transfer
Registering your own domain name can cost anywhere from $4.95 to $35 a year, depending on where you register and what top level domain - what's after the dot - you choose. Transferring your hosting from one web host to another will usually cost about the same. Free domain name savings: 50 cents to a dollar a month.
Unlimited Sub-domains
A sub-domain is a lower level directory in your main directory - except it goes at the FRONT of your web site name instead of after the .com. Some web hosting companies charge you to set each one up, or limit the number you can host on your domain. With the number of otherwise identical plans that allow you unlimited sub-domains with no setup fees, there's no reason to pay extra for them.
To view our top recommended companies for web hosting, visit: Recommended Web Hosting Companies Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of Ezerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics, including web hosting.

By : Carrie Reeder

Cheap Internet Hosting, Business Web Hosting - Choosing The Right Web Host Package

With literally hundreds of web hosting providers competing for your business, it may be confusing to find the one that's right for your web site. A few key considerations can help you narrow down your choices to the most affordable and best options to meet your personal, professional or business web page needs.
What kind of web site are you planning?
Your personal web page has far different needs than your professional web page and that needs a different style of hosting than an eCommerce storefront. Most web hosting companies offer plans sized to fit any size of style of web site. Which plan you choose depends on what you intend to do on your web site.
Personal Web Page Hosting
There are dozens of free servers that will host your personal web pages for free, and many of them offer most of the perks that you get with a paid web hosting account. If you want a personal web page without the ads, though, you can find web page hosting for as little as $4.95 a month with no advertising, and with support for things like PHP and mySQL. Many affordable web hosting packages will even register a domain name for you for free.
Professional Web Page Hosting
If you're setting up a web site for a professional firm, you'll definitely want to opt for a web page hosting provider that offers excellent support, free or cheap domain name registration and a good web site builder with professional looking templates to make creating your web site easy. If you're planning to take orders or any sort of customer information via your web site, you'll also want a web hosting provider that offers you secure server access (SSL). Depending on the features you choose, you can pay $4.95-$29.95 a month.
Business/eCommerce Web Page Hosting
If your business web site is more than informational web pages about your business, your web hosting package should include eCommerce software like a shopping cart, a checkout, a payment system and SSL access. You'll also need more space and bandwidth allowance than a typical personal site. You'll find many affordable eCommerce web hosting packages starting at around $14.95 a month.
Enterprise Level Web Page Hosting
Do you need space for your business to collaborate on projects, store information for easy retrieval and to track orders, deliveries and work hours? You'll want to find a web hosting company that specializes in providing enterprise level web hosting solutions to large businesses. Your web hosting account should include the highest level security access to keep your important information safe, 24/7 customer support and tools to make access easy for all your employees. Affordable enterprise level packages start at around $99 a month and range upwards from there depending on the amount of customization and use your web pages will get.
To view our recommended web hosts, visit, Recommended Web Hosting Companies.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website, with articles and the latest news about various topics.

By : Carrie Reeder