Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Guidelines to Choose the Right Web Host

The article provides some valuable info on selecting the reliable web host to avoid downtime leads and boost traffic. It important to consider factors like user-friendliness, bandwidth, disk space, speed, security, traffic and cost effectiveness while choosing a web hosting services.

Nowadays, there is no dearth of web hosting providers but, it is important to select a reliable web host company to avoid downtime problems. You may be lured by lucrative packages with tall claims like unlimited disk space or unlimited bandwidth but, it advisable not to fall prey for such temptations. It is important to do thorough research while selecting a web host in order to make an informed decision.

To find reliable services that are worth your dollars, go through the websites of all the top-notch web hosting providers and compare their packages. After the comparison, check out their reviews to know the customer satisfaction rate. Online reviews give a fair idea about the services offered by particular web hosting company.

Once you are convinced with website hosting packages offered by the company, it is time to evaluate your particular needs. The first and foremost thing that you must take into consideration is the type of your website. If is it is just a personal website that you have made for posting your own ideas and, it is just meant for family and friends then it is good to go for Free Hosting Services but if it is e-commerce website selling goods or services then server response time is highly important and you must choose reputed commercial web host.

The second thing that you need to look at is the types of services available. Web hosting services are generally categorized under the following heads –shared hosting, collocated hosting, unmanaged dedicated hosting and managed dedicated hosting. It is recommended to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each before making the final decision and, choose the one that that is best suitable for your website hosting.

The third thing that you need to consider is the amount of space required. The amount of disk space required depends on size of the website and the technology and features used in designing it like graphics, audio/video files, flash, frames, etc. You should also consider your future expansion needs before deciding a figure. Although, most of the sites require a few megabytes of space therefore it is recommended not to go for schemes like unlimited disk space which are only a catch to impress the clients and leverage the prices.

The fourth thing on your checklist should be the technical support. Check out the outlines of technical support list provided by the web host and their authenticity by cross examining the details specified, like if the service provider claims to provide customer care for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days of the year then you should check their stuff is working on public holidays and at all hours of the day as things often go wrong at odd hours. Also, check the speed of the response time and the technical knowledge of the stuff who fix the problems. It is advisable to go for a service provider who offers prompt 24/7 toll-free technical support.

The last but not the least is the price or cost. These days, there are many cost effective website hosting packages available with monthly, quarterly and annual payment plans. It is good to go for a monthly plan when you hire a new web host to ensure the reliability and efficiency before you sign up for a long term deal.



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

E-commerce Web Hosting - A Must for Ecommerce Websites

Ecommerce websites are ruling the roost on the web today. And why not? Almost every business wants to cash in on the buyer’s desire of having products available anytime, anywhere. An ecommerce website facilitates all kinds of monetary transactions and is expected to be highly safe and secure for users to buy things online. This is why it is important for businesses to choose the right web hosting service for their website. If you do not already have a dedicated e-commerce server, it is indeed time you thought about it seriously.

A dedicated server (used for e-commerce hosting) is the most advanced type of website hosting service available. Clients can lease an entire server and get complete control of the site’s administration and functioning. E-commerce hosting systems are not only highly flexible, but also let clients choose operating system, hardware, etc.

E-commerce web hosting comes with several advantages, including the following:

* The security of your website is enhanced drastically when you use an E-commerce hosting service. For ecommerce businesses, security happens to be the biggest concern, and this kind of hosting service addresses this issue. Since there are no other webmasters using the same workspace, the possibility of errors automatically gets reduced.

* Ecommerce websites usually run hi-tech applications to induce exceptional user experiences. As the entire dedicated web hosting server is meant for a single customer, you can avail excess storage space for your web pages, graphics and applications, thereby making room for enhanced usability.

* Dedicated servers are saved from slow server response time due to the fact that they do not have to compete with other websites hosted on the same server. You not only get more storage space, but also a great deal more bandwidth available for data transfer.

* Since you get greater control over server features and functions, you are in a better position to control your operations and make the right choices for your business needs.

The sole disadvantage of E-commerce hosting is its cost. If you have been on a shared web hosting for a long time, you might find the cost pretty exorbitant. However, think about it from the point of security and control, and you will surely consider E-commerce hosting as a much more viable option.

The choice you make should depend on the growth of your business and consequently, the requirements for online expansion. When you decide to go for E-commerce web hosting, opt for a company that gives you the best deals in terms of price and packaging. Aussie Web Host, Australia’s leading website hosting company, is one of the options you can definitely exercise.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Learn to Identify the Traits of a Good Web Hosting Company

Efficient server management, reliable security and back-up policies, and speedy service are some of the parameters you need to look for in a good web hosting company.

Web hosting is one of the most complex and essential parts of an online business. Alright, you know that! But, do you know what it takes for a company to be known as a good web host, a service provide clients can trust and rely upon when it comes to making their sites available online 24X7. Before you actually begin your search for a reliable web hosting partner, it is imperative that you understand some basic things and lay the groundwork for your research and final selection.

Your website hosting company will play the crucial role of connecting your website to the Internet marketplace. Therefore, its servers not only need to be fast, but should also be able to provide near total uptime, so that your website does not become inaccessible because the server is down.

Most web businesses opt for a shared server, wherein each clients shares server space with few other customers. Management is the key when it comes to shared web hosting. Thus, the company you choose to deal with ought to be highly professional and well organized. The company’s technical portfolio as well as a thorough review of past customer experiences will be able to give you a good insight into what lies in store if you decide to go ahead with them.

Web space and bandwidth are two very important considerations in choosing a web hosting company to do business with. In all likelihood, increased bandwidth and storage space will come at an increased price; but then, you should be sure that the company and its service are worth it.

Data back-up policy, server security, power supply, etc., are some of the other chief points that you need to remember when you scout for that perfect host. A good company will always take regular back up of your data and keep it ready for contingency situations. Not just that, it will also have a sound power back-up policy, lest your server experiences unnecessary downtimes due to no fault of yours. As far as server security is concerned, a good hosting company is the one that uses the latest and most advanced software to protect your data from virus attacks.

So, when you finalize a company for your website hosting service, make sure you check the features offered by them and the relative value of these features against the cost they are charging. In terms of reliability and trustworthiness, Aussie Web Host is one of the most renowned companies in Australia.


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Understanding Web Hosting Bandwidth and Space

Space and bandwidth are two important, decisive factors in choosing a web hosting plan. Opt for a hosting package on the basis of your specific needs.


If you happen to be a techie who knows a good deal about website hosting, you will be able to easily make the right choice between what you actually want and what is being offered to you by the hosting service provider. But, if you are a novice and are looking for basic knowledge about this domain, you should, for beginners, learn as much as possible about space and bandwidth – two of the most important and decisive elements of a hosting package.

Web space (also known as disk space) is the amount of data you can store on the hard disk of the web hosting server. Each web hosting client receives a certain amount of space, which is usually between 50 and 1000 MB. The amount of space you need primarily depends on the size of the website you wish to host. Generally, most websites are made of text pages (in HTML), images and graphics (in various formats) or Flash/scripting animation. When it comes to occupying web space, text is a very economical option as it uses very little space. On the other hand, images, heavy graphics, and flash can be more expensive and require a lot of space.

When you get your website designed, make sure you incorporate images and Flash with care, lest they end up occupying substantial disk space, leaving less space for more essential components of the site. Your aim should be to maintain the lightest possible page size, including images. Such light pages not only consume less space, but also load quickly, thereby helping retain user attention. And, if you are able to do so, you will be able to manage quite comfortably with a little hosting space However, if you want to host a website that is laden with heavy graphics or runs an exhaustive ecommerce platform, you should ideally opt for more web space.

Bandwidth is the amount of data that you're allowed to transfer per month through your web hosting server. This data is inclusive of all uploads and downloads, regardless of the protocol used (HTTP, FTP, POP, etc.). When you decide upon your bandwidth requirements, keep two essential things in mind –your average page size as well as the number of visitors your website will have and the average number of pages they visit.

For example, say your website has an average page size of 30 KB, about 20,000 visitors per month and 3 pages per visitor, you will approximately need 1800 MB of bandwidth per month. Almost all web hosting packages that you come across will offer this amount of bandwidth. Of course, your requirement will finally define what you should opt for.

Most clients may not need as much space. Make your own calculations and always keep the door open for account upgrades, in case you feel the need for increased space and/or bandwidth at a later stage.

Buy reliable web hosting packages from Aussie Web Host, the premier website hosting company in Australia. As web hosts, Aussie Web Host’s packages are tailor-made to meet your discerning needs of space and bandwidth.