Web Hosting Blog

There are few basic steps that needs to be followed for hosting one’s own website and generate traffic on the same.

Before hosting a website on a Windows website hosting server, it is necessary to choose and register a domain name for the website. The name of the domain must be such that it is easily recognized by the visitors to the website, also they must get a quick understanding about the website. It is very important for the websites promotion that user creates a name which can be easily marketed. Once the domain name gets registered, now it is the time to start working on the website building.

For hosting a website on a Windows Web hosting server, the web pages needs to be designed using the .NET technology such as Microsoft’s ASP.net. An investigation can be helpful about the products/services that the website is going to offer. The best guide can be other websites that offer the same products and services.

A web designer can be a better option for designing the website. Web site owners must give a list of products or services that you want to focus more, to the web designer. Keeping the navigational tool as simple and easy as possible can attract visitors to the website as they would find the required information with minimum efforts.

Now comes the crucial task of choosing a Windows Web Hosting firm to host your website. Click to get tips of choosing the best web hosting service provider. This task is little complicated but very crucial. Choose the one that best suites the requirements of the website.

Once the perfect Windows Web Hosting service provider is chosen, user can upload the website. All the pages, images and text need to be uploaded on the Windows Server. The uploading is mostly done by using an FTP(File Transfer Protocol) program. It is not very difficult to do the uploading. The website is ready for web users to access the information once the website gets successfully uploaded.

Now to make the website successful, its promotion and marketing is necessary to generate traffic on the website. CLICK to learn ways of driving traffic to your website.

The most important rule to gain success is PATIENCE.

Why it is termed as Windows Web Hosting service?

The Web Hosting service providers provide Microsoft’s Windows software on the server for the website to be hosted, hence the Web Hosting service is called as Windows Web Hosting service.

There are basically two types of operating systems namely Windows and Linux, that are provided by the Web Hosting service providers. Windows website hosting is more user friendly interface than Linux web hosting. Windows hosting is more popular and preferred because it provides support for all the popular windows web services that is used in development. One more added advantage is that Windows has its own products and services.

Windows web hosting has more benefits which is also one of the major reasons for its worldwide popularity. Both the operating systems have its individual features and have their own advantages and disadvantages. One major advantage is the .NET such as ASP.net technologies are supported in Windows Web Hosting services. If a website is already built using Microsoft’s .NET technology then the benefits of using this service can be experienced better. Windows web hosting can be the best possible solution if a website is designed with Microsoft Frontpage or web application with the use of Active Server Page (ASP).

Windows website hosting is considered to be slower than Unix web hosting solution in terms of performance, but in terms of hardware efficiency Windows hosting solution is considered to be much more cost effective option. There is no denial to the fact that Linux website hosting is extremely efficient and offers cheap web hosting but it does not support applications like ASP or ASP.net applications that use windows platform.

Plesk control panel was developed by specialized and experienced web hosting company and IT professionals for Windows Web Hosting. It contains almost every essential tool to manage the Internet activity.

Plesk is a control panel which is used only with Windows Web Hosting solutions, it comes with a capability to allow users to easily control the various tasks of a Web site. It enables the management of every necessary tool for the Windows web hosting. Its major usage can be seen in the Windows Dedicated server hosting solutions.

Plesk control panel provides users with web interface for databases such as My SQL and MS SQL. Users have the privilege to choose between SmarterStats, AWstats and Webalizer which are the traffic statistics tools, it also helps in viewing the traffic history. Users get SSL and non-SSL content served from the same physical directory. Users can automatically create new web-sites based on templates or as per the users requirements. Creation of DNS with Apache or FTP tool is simple with Plesk. The bandwidth used by websites, FTP can be monitored using Plesk control panel.

Auto-responders, E-mails and E-mail groups can be easily managed and created with the help of Plesk. Plesk also comes with a feature of Log Rotation Management. Users can manage and upload web pages with File Manager or FrontPage Web-Admin.

In Windows Web Hosting, Plesk enables users to create sub domains, manage site dynamic content. It comes with a new site Builder. Plesk helps in the management of dedicated IP’s, shared-IP and virtual IP domains, create standard/ frame forwarding domains and manage SSL certificate for domains.

Most of the Web Hosting companies offer Plesk with Windows Web Hosting packages. Plesk has gained reputation for its reliability and stability as a control panel.

There is a misconception in the web hosting industry about the selection of an operating system for hosting a website on a particular web-hosting account. Users think that if they use particular operating system on the personal computer, the same OS is necessary on the hosting account/servers, which isn’t true.

There isn’t any compulsion of using the same operating system as that of the desktop. The hosted server can have different operating system.

Both the technologies i.e. Windows Web Hosting and Linux Web Hosting are suitable for beginners, web developer professionals etc. Every technology amongst the two have distinct advantages for the users.

Incase users are using Active Server pages or other Microsoft applications for designing the web pages, then Windows Hosting can be useful. The Windows platform offers reduced development time and better functionality for its databases. The major advantage of choosing a Microsoft Windows platform is the ability to use ASP, ASP.net and Access database in the web pages. The ASP.net and ASP offer rapid, scalable and efficient development environment for building the web-site. Along with MS Access these tools allows users to make website dynamic and more interactive.

Windows Web Hosting platform is suitable for developing a static HTML based website that has Macro Media Flash or other scripting technologies. The Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 are suitable web hosting platforms for such usage.

A common application that can be used on both the platforms is Microsoft Frontpage.

The Linux Web Hosting solution is widely considered as the best operating system for the web hosting servers. Recently Linux has gained popularity due to its reliability, stability and its efficiency. It provides some of the best web and mail server environments.

It offers PHP, Perl and My SQL. Linux functions well for brochure-ware websites which offer interaction through enquiry forms, e-commerce functions and online purchasing.

Virtual Private Server Hosting or VPS hosting is one of the most popular types of Web Hosting Solutions. VPS hosting solutions are offered on Linux as well as Windows operating systems. VPS has secured a major role in the web hosting industry. Hence, it becomes important to know the types of VPS products to be used in a given service. Below is a brief description of control panels offered by different Web Hosting for VPS hosting.

VPS is an abbreviation of Virtual Private Server, it allows multiple Virtual Servers to run within a single physical server. Each VPS is allotted a specific portion of resources. So, regardless of what resources other VPS’s on the same server use, the amount of RAM and hard disk space allotted to a particular VPS will not get affected. One VPS on a server cannot use the data or even view other VPS’s data. Hence, each VPS has its own server load. It can be individually rebooted. It acts similar to a Dedicated server.

There are different types of control panels offered by Web Hosting firms for VPS.

Types Of VPS Control Panel

- Xen : This control panel is new as compared to the other control panels and is yet underdevelopment, yet it has become very popular and many Web Hosting companies have already adopted it with VPS. The basic reason for this popularity is its efficiency in limiting the amount of system resources that is used. Usually a VPS control panel use high resources when running on the server. But Xen has a different usage technique of resource management. The features of Xen and Virtuozzo are very similar except that it does not support Burstable RAM as of now.

Xen is yet underdevelopment so users might find some bugs.

- Virtuozzo : This is one of the most preferred and widely used control panel. Virtuozzo is developed by SwSoft. It allows users to handle their VPS very similar to a dedicated server. Virtuozzo allows users to use Burstable RAM. Burstable RAM is a technology which too is supported by SwSoft. When a users needs more RAM than the usually needed then there is an additional RAM used by users on the server, Burstable RAM allows that user to use more RAM for a limited period of time. This feature makes Virtuozzo pretty flexible and useful.

- Vmware : Vmware is one more leading control panel preferred in the Web Hosting industry. It allows users the exact opportunities as that of Virtuozzo except the Burstable RAM technology. But it supports technologies such as Multi-OS or Multi-based Operating System. With this, more than one Operating System’s can be provided to work on the same server. This helps in reducing the costs of the companies by not needing to buy another server for a different OS.

Dedicated Server hosting service, managed hosting service or Dedicated server is one of the different types of Web Hosting service. Dedicated web hosting is more flexible type of web hosting solution as compared with other types of hosting solutions. The organization who have chosen a Dedicated hosting package from a Web Hosting firm, has the complete control over the server(s). The organization(s) can choose the operating system, hardware etc. to be installed on the server. As an add-on service, server administration can be offered by the web hosting firm. The dedicated servers are housed in data centers, just like collocation facilities, with a provision of redundant power sources and HVAC systems.

The organization(s) can choose the operating system to be installed on the dedicated server. The Commercial operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server, it is offered through a special program known as the Microsoft SPLA. Different variations of Linux which is an open source operating system is usually included at zero charge for the customers. But Red Hat Enterprize is a commercial version of Linux which is offered to the hosting service providers with a monthly fee charged. The monthly charge provides updates on the OS through Red Hat Network.

The support for any operating systems depends on the level of management offered with a particular dedicated server hosting plan provided by the hosting service provider. The updates include updates to the core system in order to acquire the up-to-date security fixes, system-wide vulnerability resolutions and patches, kernel upgrades, application updates, service packs etc.

The data transfer rate or the amount of data that is carried from one point to other in a given time is known as Bandwidth. It is represented in bits per second.

Methods of Bandwidth Measurement

1. Unmetered Method : In this type of measurement the web hosting providers control the top line speed of the server. This speed in unmetered bandwidth is the total Mbits/sec allocated to the server and configured on the switch level.
2. 95^th Method : The Line Speed billed on the 95^th percentile, average or peak usage, it refers to the speed in which data flows from the server or device. This measurement can be compared to the Miles Per Hour (mph) which means with what speed it travels. The Line speed is measured using bits per second, kilobits per second, megabits per second and gigabits per second.
3. Total Transfer Method : Depending on the web hosting service provider, some calculate the Total Transfer, it is the measurement of the actual data arrival and leaving. It is measured in bytes.

One of the following equations are used to measure:

1^st Method : IN TRAFFIC + OUT TRAFFIC = TOTAL TRANSFER

2^nd Method : IN TRAFFIC = TOTAL TRANSFER

3^rd Method : OUT TRAFFIC = TOTAL TRANSFER

Due to the availability of high powered networks from multiple providers people choose to outsource the dedicated servers. The server use large amounts of bandwidths. Usually the providers of dedicated servers include a service level agreement based on the network uptime.

There are no clear industry standards set that can define the role of management of dedicated server providers. Every Web Hosting provider defines the term differently but use the industries standard term.

Server Management includes the following:

• Intrusion detection
• Updates on Operating System
• Database administration
• Updates on Applications
• Performance tuning
• Server monitoring
• Software configuration and installation
• Simple Network Management Protocol hardware monitoring
• User Management
• Application monitoring
• Consultation on Programming
• Technical Support
• Backups and restoration
• Firewall Services
• Disaster Recovery
• Updates of Antivirus
• DNS Hosting Service
• Security Audits
• DDoS protection and mitigation
• Load Balancing

Depending on the services offered, Dedicated hosting server providers define their level of management.

The Dedicated hosting server providers usually provides the below mentioned types of Server management support

- Fully Managed : This includes monitoring, security patches, software updates, operating system upgrades and reboots.

- Self Managed : It includes regular monitoring and some maintenance.

- Managed : This type of support includes medium level management, updates, limited support and monitoring.

- Unmanaged : This includes little or no involvement from the web hosting service provider. Customers provide all the maintenance, patches, upgrades and security concerns.

The Dedicated Hosting provider apply extreme security measures to ensure the data safety of the stored on their servers. The Web Hosting firm often deploy various software programs for scanning systems and network for spammers, invaders, attackers and other problems like Trojans, worms etc.

A Web Hosting service provider provides the necessary web space and the preferred domain name. There are certain things that must be kept in mind while choosing a Web Hosting firm. One should look for the credibility in providing the hosting services, hardware details and services offered, existing clients feedback, the exact server uptime.

There are several things that are provided with the hosting package when hosting a website with a particular Web Hosting service provider such as control panel for website, e-mail account, Domain management tools, SSL certificate if the website offers e-commerce facility, FTP accounts, databases and security of the website. The web hosting company should be competent to support technologies used by you in developing the website.

The Web Hosting firm should allow customization of the hosting package as it may happen that you need extra web space in future. Check if the hosting firm provides static IP or shared IP address for the customers. Static IP address always acts as a boon for the website.

A perfect Web Hosting company is reputed to give best customer service, hence one must check if the service provider provides 24*7 and 365 days support. Their services should be prompt and must have a friendly customer support staff. The technical staff too should be able to solve any technical problems faced by your website. One must check the Web Hosting companies customer testimonials and their past profile.

These are some of the very basic factors that must be kept in mind while choosing a Web Hosting service provider. After finalizing on the Web Hosting service provider, one must check for the time taken for the activation of the services, the geographical location of the servers and the renewal charges for the domain name and entire hosting package

Web developers can create websites for the clients along with this they can also become Windows Reseller Web Hosts for their clients too. All that needs to be done is become a reseller by finding a Web Hosting company that offers multiple website hosting accounts, alongwith reseller services. Reseller Web Hosting is cheap and affordable, so web developers can gain a substantial clientele and also earn huge profits.

The first thing to be done is find a Web Hosting company that offers Reseller hosting package. Then you need to get a multiple domain account. The Web Hosting companies provide reseller accounts at cheap prices. But you can resell them choosing your own package offering for your clients. It is always preferable to have full administrative control over the clients website. The Web Hosting control provides you with a control panel which provides complete administrative facility for managing multiple accounts. But, the Web Host should give you the provision to hide your web host identity to avoid your clients realize that you are offering a third party service. The web host should allow you to customize your clients control panel inorder to suite your requirements.

It is necessary that your clients have a copy of the terms and conditions of your reseller business. Most web hosts either let you copy their terms and conditions or help you create it as per your requirements.

It is very essential to provide reliable, fast support service by your Web Hosting service provider. Incase your clients website has some complications, then it should get sorted with the minimum waste of time. Failing to do so might cause your client to leave your services.

Now-a-days Windows Reseller Web hosting business is becoming popular as you are not required to purchase the costly hardware and services. This side business yields a fair amount of profit if you choose the correct Web Hosting Company. Searching for such a firm might take sometime but once you find it, can yield big profits and reputation.

Consider that a user is done with the website development and want to launch the website on the World Wide Web, then an ideal web hosting service provider is necessary. If the web pages are written in ASP.net using programming languages like JavaScript, Cold Fusion, PHP and VB Scripts, then it is necessary to search for the right Windows Web Hosting service provider.

There are various types of Windows Web Hosting types, choosing the correct package is essential. Some Web hosting providers might provide Free Web Hosting, but remember Web Hosting can never be free. Someway or the other the web hosting company would extract money for using their web space. The hosting company might run their own add campaigns on your web site and earn revenue, which hampers the websites performance. Choosing such a Web Hosting service can prove to be a nightmare. So website owners might keep themselves away from such tempting offers. The users do not have the privilege of the other features that a paid host would have.

When choosing for a good web host price is a major factor to consider. Below are few important tips for choosing the right Windows Web Hosting service provider.

UPTIME

Users must be aware of the history of the reliability of uptime that the web hosting provider offers. Users cannot choose a web hosting company whose clients web hosting accounts are always down. Choosing a reliable and stable web hosting provider is of utmost importance. An unreliable web host would mean losing many potential customers which also means losing on the revenue. Hence, plenty of uptime is necessary as website owners spend money for hosting the website with a web hosting provider.

FEATURES

Features too are always important. Some web hosts offer various features such as the number of email accounts, add-on domains and sub-domains. Before choosing a Windows Web Hosting company, thorough comparison must be done in order to get the best deal and service.

SET-UP FEES

Some Web Hosting providers charge set-up fees, in addition to the monthly of yearly hosting accounts. Whereas some might not charge any Set-up fees. Users must be aware of any such fees charged by the Web Hosts. Sometimes the setup fee is included in the hidden class category.

CONTROL PANEL

The control panel is another important feature to look for before deciding to choose a Web Hosting company. The control panel must be easy to use. Usually Web Hosting companies provide Plesk control panel for Windows Web Hosting solutions. Click to check the features of Plesk control Panel. Plesk control panel has all the necessary features a user might need for managing the hosting account.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

This is the most important feature to look for when choosing a Web Hosting service provider. Good and accurate customer service is very important. A good Web Hosting service provider provides customer service 24 * 7 365 days a year. The service must be available whenever the website owner needs it. The questions or assistance should be easily accessible and the solution should be provided in as less time as possible. A good Web Hosting company usually provides assistance through Live Chats, Phone support, Emails, Ticket Services and Forums. The host that you choose should also have good and experienced Technical support people to solve your technical queries and problems.

If a user is planning to launch a website, s/he will needs to decide on a web host and a best suited package. And with so many options available in the Web Hosting industry, both in terms of the number of hosts and the types of packages, this can be quite confusing.

An Explanation : About the difference between Linux and Windows web hosting?

Different Types Of Web Hosting Services

Web hosting generally comes in two flavors: Windows Web Hosting and Linux Web Hosting. To decide which is better for the users website, is important to know the differences between the two, as well as their relative benefits and limitations.

Windows Web Hosting

Windows hosting is a good option for people who are familiar with Microsoft technologies, as this is a Microsoft product and easily integrates with other MS products.

Windows hosting supports various popular frameworks such as ColdFusion and ASP.net., as well as SQL databases.

Linux Web Hosting

Even more widespread than Windows, Linux hosting is one of the most common web hosting options available today. The main reason for its popularity is that it is very affordable. As a result, a majority of new businesses opt for Linux hosting in order to minimize start-up costs.

Linux supports popular languages such as PHP, Perl, and Ruby on Rails, and serves MySQL databases.

The Important Factor Of Cost

The major difference between Windows web hosting and Linux web hosting is cost. Linux services are much lower-priced than Windows services. This is due to the fact that many Windows technologies are licensed, which drives up costs.

Additionally, if you opt for Windows, your added costs will not stop at hosting fees. In addition, it is likely that your will pay more to have your website developed. Why? Most open source or free programs are written in PHP and developed for a Linux platform. This means that by opting for Windows hosting, The users might not be able to use hundreds of free applications. Instead, users will have to pay the  developer to build the applications from scratch.

In the end, it is probably best if users choose Linux hosting. However, it is important to consult the professional who will be developing the web-site. Most likely, they will have a preference as to which host to select and what plan to acquire. Additionally, the web professional will have a better idea of what resources users website will need to run effectively.