Web Hosting

Leveraging the Press Release as an SEO Tool

A large number of webmasters and site promoters neglect to implement press releases into their SEO campaigns.  This is primarily because most associate them with some sort of news related publishing piece.  While that holds true from a traditional aspect, press releases are quiet effective in print media and the world of online marketing as well.  If you have not considered using them to promote your website, this article will give you all the reason to leverage the old press release for SEO purposes.

Generating Traffic with Press Releases

Press releases are not limited to introducing a new product or service.  However, link popularity and all the most popular keywords on the web will not aid your efforts if traffic is not coming to your site.  With a good press release, you can reel in traffic from the following sources:

Direct Traffic – In the ideal environment, your published press release will be syndicated across a network of related sites.  If you are able to snag readers with an intriguing headline, people will check out the piece and follow up by paying your site a visit.

Subscribers - By signing up with a reputable press release service, you can have your publication submitted to leading news wire sites like, EIN News, Google News, Topix and several more.  These sites maintain an existing database of subscribers so when publishing a press release, they will be able to view your piece in their news readers.  If they like what you have to say, they will visit your site to find out what else you have to offer.  This is certainly an avenue you want to consider because these sites combine to offer the potential of millions of visitors every month.

Search Engines – The most valuable traffic source that can be obtained is generated directly from the search engines.  This could turn out to be a long term source because your press release will remain online for as long as your site is up and running.  Should the traffic from the news wire sites start to diminish, you can always rely on the search engines for that consistent stream needed to keep up your exposure.

Organic Search Engine Rankings - Since publishing a press release is merely another aspect of SEO, your search engine rankings will naturally improve, thus resulting in more organic traffic.  When following this up with quality backlinks, you can boost your traffic numbers considerably very fast.

Tips for Press Release Writing

If you want to write a press release to improve your SEO efforts, keep the following tips in mind:

- Right your press release in the third person.

- Compose an intriguing headline to entice readers.

- Emphasis facts and benefits; avoid fluff.

- Make sure your press release is not too short or too long.  500 or so words should do the trick.

- Remember to insert your primary keywords into the press release.  Do not go overboard with keywords as you want your piece to flow as naturally as possible.

Ensim Aids in North America’s Largest Single OCS Deployment

Ensim Corporation, a provider of web hosting automation, user provisioning and access control software solutions, announced that it recently provided provisioning and management services for Microsoft OCS (Office Communications Server), speeding up deployment to accommodate customers of more than 150,000 seats.  The move is being described as North America’s largest single OCS deployment in less than 90 days.  Though once delayed, the deployment is on course and Ensim is happy to get things back on track.

Scott Young, Ensim Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, revealed that the deployment of OSC 2007 is often a burden for regulated organizations due the complexities involved with user entitlement policies.  He stated that by deploying the Ensim Unify product, a particular customer was able to solve its provisioning and management problems in under 90 days all while enforcing the security and compliance policies demanded by its user base.  According to Young, the scalability and efficiency of Ensim Unfiy speaks volume when considering the tremendous size of the deployment it supported.

Ensim Unify Enterprise Edition is a fully integrated, role-based access management tool with the ability to be deployed merely for the OCS platform, or across an organization’s entire unified communications infrastructure.  This includes email, instant messaging, collaboration and conferencing.  Its built-in OCS Manager enables companies to reap the benefits of a complete unified communications system without the burden of manual provisioning and tedious management.  The feature integrates with existing ID management solutions to help organizations leverage the new functionality of OCS without straining their IT resources.

Some of the key features Ensim Unify’s OCS Manager offers include:

- The ability to seamlessly integrate complex provisioning polices

- The ability to support multiple provisioning workflows

- Complete Help Desk support on multiple levels

- Comprehensive logging of system activity and transactions

- The ability to automatically manage manual updates on a daily basis.

David J. Wippich, Ensim Corporation CEO and chairman, noted how the Ensim Unify product can be both a productive and cost effective solution.  He stressed that while the ROI which can result from deploying unified communications is substantial, many companies are lost at the deployment stage or find themselves dealing with complicated tasks following deployment.  He explained that the Ensim Unify solves the problem by enabling a fast deployment, automating daily management processes and unrivaled interoperability that makes the most of existing policies and investments that can be extended to unified communications applications such as Microsoft Office Communications Server.

About Ensim Corporation

Founded in 1998, Ensim Corporation is Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and the global leading provider of user provisioning and access management software solutions.  Its products are leveraged by enterprise companies and service providers around the world to enable and accelerate the deployment of various integrated solutions, simplifying the management of complex environments through automated functionality while ensuring security and increasing productivity amongst IT teams and users.  Ensim currently has more than two million users under management and that number seems to be growing considerably every quarter.

How to Reduce the Cost of Web Hosting

There are many ways a customer can go about reducing the overall cost of a web hosting plan.  While some require you to do a little work, others are simply a matter of being smart and knowing what to look for.  The hosting market is very competitive and honestly, most companies are offering many of the same features.  This means that you simply need to discover how to get the most out of your dollars.

Shop the Market

One of the best ways to minimize how much you pay for web hosting service is to shop around.  Regardless of what you plan to buy, comparison shopping is always a sound approach that will help you save money.  You can find a lot of great deals online but do not be tempted by the first low priced package you run across.  Instead, take the time out to compare and evaluate services, looking at not only the cost, but reputation of the company providing it.  Keep in mind that the host that can give you the best price, may not be the one that can help you save the most money.

Look for Free Setups

Another simple way to lower the cost of a web hosting package is to sign up with a firm that offers a free setup and activation of your account.  This is actually a common perk on the market, but not all hosts will provide you with this luxury.  In fact, the setup charges for a dedicated server can cost upwards of $100 if you are not careful.  Should you find a provider that advertises an attractive bottom line price, but forces you to pay exuberant fees upfront to even get started, it could possibly take you quite a while for that money to reflect in your monthly savings.

Identify Hidden Charges

Even when they exist, set up fees are pretty straightforward.  What you need to keep your eyes peeled for are other fees the hosts charges that may or may not be obvious.  For example, there may be services and features that you expected to be included in the package but are instead tacked onto your monthly bill.  When it comes to shopping for something as important as a website hosting provider, you simply cannot be too careful.  If you require additional services and features, look for a host that combines everything you need in a single package.  This will definitely help you keep some money in your pocket.

Know Who You’re Dealing With

Last but not least, the best way to save on your hosting plan is to simply know more about the company you intend on signing up with.  There is nothing wrong with going after a low price, but you must also take critical factors such as support and reliability into account as well.  A bargain deal will only end up costing you more money when your site is unavailable and customers cannot conduct business.  Therefore, you should know that saving a couple of dollars is probably not worth risking your credibility.

Top Five Reasons In-House SEM Programs Fail

With the growing prevalence of search engine marketing, several organizations are electing to run their SEM programs in-house instead of outsourcing to a professional firm.  While there are numerous tools and resources available to help companies incorporate these programs internally, most are rather basic and overlook many of the vital aspects that make up a truly effective SEM campaign.  Before you go to set up shop, get to know the five main reasons in-house SEM programs falter.

1.) SEM is Time Intensive – Unlike traditional media, SEM is not something you can simply do once and forget about.  These campaigns often consists of thousands of keywords that must be thoroughly researched as well as landing pages that must be carefully crafted in a way that appeals to search engines and visitors alike.  All of this needs to be done regularly to make sure you are getting the most out of your marketing dollars.  Although some possess the skills, most in-house teams simply do not have the time to commit to an SEM program that will give them the best results.

2.) SEM is all About Dedication – Google Ad Words and other paid advertising campaigns demand maintenance on a daily basis in order to maintain the company budget and ensure the best results.  If other projects takes away the team’s ability to dedicate to the SEM campaign, you will have trouble identifying your most fierce competitors and ultimately, making your campaign more effective.

3.) SEM Can be Competitive and Expensive – Reputable SEM firms have a knack for analyzing a budget and preventing their clients from overspending.  At the same time, many in-house teams fail because they are not able to maintain the budgets they sat aside for the campaign.  A skilled professional can implement measures and polices to help maintain costs while ensuring that the budget is well managed and evenly allocated across the campaign.

4.) SEM Demands Accurate Tracking and Analysis of Performance - Try as they may, but a large number of in-house programs suffer from insufficient reporting.  The beauty of SEM itself is that it is a results-driven marketing tactic so therefore, the best way to gauge the performance of your campaign is through detailed reporting.  An expert firm can help you understand what part of your program is doing good as well as what areas need improvement.  This is done by analyzing critical data, setting benchmarks and optimizing the campaign itself.

5.) SEM Requires an Awareness of Search Engine Polices

Many organizations find themselves in undesirable predicaments once they are banned or penalized for engaging in SEM practices that do not fall in line with search engine policies.  These practices can bring forth damaging results as your site could end up banned by Google, Yahoo and other major search engines.  By outsourcing to a reputable SEM firm, you can get the assurance of a trained and certified team that knows the search engine policies and uses them to measure the overall effectiveness of your campaign.

34SP Makes Improvements to Customer Support System

Last week, 34SP.com, a UK-based web hosting provider, announced the deployment of the SmarterTrack customer support software.  The firm will be using the application to deliver service via ticketing and live chat to its fast growing base of customers.   SmarterTrack offers many great qualities but one of the main reasons 34SP.com elected to use the product was because of its superior flexibility.  Unlike many other solutions, this product can deployed in traditional fashion or hosted in an SaaS cloud model.

Stuart Melling, 34SP.com co-founder, said that since adopting the SmarterTrack software, its customer service levels have boosted significantly.  Thanks to the live chat feature, the company can ensure super-fast response times and literally solve issues in a matter of seconds compared to what could have taken hours with its former systems.  Now able to get a clear view of exactly what the customer is experiencing, Melling is amazed at the level of satisfaction the SmarterTrack support software has prompted.

The SmarterTrack software is loaded with features.  Some of the most notable highlights include the following:

• Ticketing solution – SmarterTrack’s state of the art ticketing facility takes sales, service and support messages and converts them into a powerful, streamlined information distribution system.
• Live chat – A feature that is increasing in demand, live chat empowers companies to dramatically reduce the number of phone calls, collect important information from prospects and provide quality assistance to more customers.
• WhosOn – This feature is very useful as it gives online businesses the ability to track customers in real time as they navigate the site.  When used effectively, Whoson can accelerate customer service, gather information on visitors and lead to an increase in sales.
• Portal Interface – The SmartTrack portal interface is designed to be search engine-friendly and acts as the centralized station for all of your communications channels.
• Web-based Interface – An intuitive web interface provides organizations with accessibility from any computer with an internet connection.
• Self-help Resources – With self-help tools such as a knowledge base and other forms of documentation, businesses can give customers the ability to find and resolve their own issues.
• Multi-brand Functionality – The SmarterTools customer support software is designed to support multiple brands within a single company.

Jeff Hardy, VP of Business Operations for SmarterTrack explained that the company is thrilled to see international firms such as 34SP leveraging SmarterTrack as their customer support solution.  He commended 34SP for its high level of commitment to customer satisfaction and mentioned how the decision to improve its service department shows what a great solution SmarterTrack makes for the web hosting market.

About SmarterTrack Inc.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, SmarterTools is a company that specializes in management software for the IT Field.  Its mail servers, web analytics reporting tools and customer service software products simplify daily IT operations in more than 100 countries.

About 34SP.com

34SP offers affordable web hosting solutions geared towards web designers and developers, specializing in both shared and reseller hosting, and domain names.  The firm provides industry leading support on top of a money back guarantee to ensure the utmost in satisfaction.

How Search Engine-Friendly is Your Domain Name?

A search engine-friendly domain name can put you on a path to achieve the rankings and traffic you need to be successful online.  It can aid in helping target your audience, increase conversions and open the door to multiple streams of revenue.  If these benefits are desirable to you, the following tips should come in handy when going to the registrar to acquire the name.

Think SEO and User-friendly Domain - In order to be considered search engine-friendly, your domain name must be preferably short and easy to remember.  This way, users can recall it much faster and the probability of generating quality traffic becomes much greater.  In most cases, a long, complicated name will only work against you and hinder your success.

Focus on Keywords - Keywords add to the success of a domain name because they play such a critical role in the SEO process.  When implementing keywords into your URL, search engines like Google will index it faster, thus increasing the possibility of higher click-through rates and most importantly, more exposure.

Be Cautious of Hyphens - Many SEO experts speak strongly against inserting hyphens in a domain name.  This is because they can lead to complications such as users forgetting where the hyphen is to be positioned within the domain.  Because there could be many similar websites that contain domain names without hyphens, you want to be very careful that you do not direct visitors to your competition.

Optimize for Type-in Traffic – Some internet users have a habit of typing keywords directly into their browser bar instead of a search box.  To leverage this type of traffic, you may want to register a domain that contains your targeted domain in its entirety to increase your traffic through this prevalent market.

Choose a Fitting TLD – There are many top level domain to choose from, but you will likely have more success from SEO standpoint by choosing a .com.

Establish Inbound Links – Inbound links are another part of the SEO process. You certainly want to establish quality links that include your domain.  If your site is devoid of such links, the search engines will conclude that it lacks relative content.  Keep in mind that poor links will negatively effective your optimization efforts.  For this reason, you want to avoid link farms and questionable practices employed by questionable SEO firms.

Choose a Good Domain Name Registrar – The key to obtaining an search engine-friendly domain name is to register the name with a respectable registrar.  There are many registrars on the market but not all can be relied upon.  We recommend sticking with known and trusted brands like GoDaddy and Yahoo or opting for one with your web hosting provider.

Registering a search engine-friendly domain will not guarantee you increased traffic or visibility.  Even SEO itself calls for you to promote your site in traditional ways and most importantly, make sure it contains quality content web surfers will be interested in.   Once you come to realize this, we are confident that these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve the visibility and success you desire online.

Server Options for E-commerce Hosting

There is a lot that must be taken into account when evaluating e-commerce web hosting solutions for your small business.  Among several key factors, reliability needs to be considered as well as security to make sure you web transactions and customer data are protected from hackers and criminals looking to commit identify theft.  It is important to know that there are many options available to you in regard to the type of service.  Two of the most common approaches involve running your small business on a shared or dedicated server.  Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss in this article.

Reasons to Opt for Shared Hosting

Shared hosting offers numerous benefits and several of them extend into the e-commerce sector.  For one, it is very affordable as you can easily find a feature-loaded plan for under $10 per month.  In addition to that, you typically receive all the tools and services you need to get your online storefront up and running.  This includes shopping cart programs, web analytic tools and support for SSL certificates to secure your business transactions.  However, while shared hosting can provide you with a relatively secure platform, it can never assure the level of protection and reliability that can be obtained from a dedicated server.

The Dedicated Advantage

Though an advanced and often more complex hosting solution, a dedicated server is not exclusively geared towards larger companies.  In fact, it can deliver the same benefits to small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to establish and grow their presence on the web.  Leasing a dedicated server will cost you more than a shared hosting plan, but it can also guarantee you better overall security and reliability, both of which are vital for anyone who wants to be make sure there business is always available.  For many companies, their website serves as the revenue generator that keeps the business going.  If these are your plans, you need to make it a priority to invest in a solution that ensures your site can be accessed at all times and provides the secure environment your customers need to feel safe.

Capacity and Complexity

When leasing a dedicated server for your small business, you are assured a guaranteed allotment of essential resources such as disk space, RAM and bandwidth.  These features alone can give you a website that performs exceptionally better than it would in the shared hosting environment.  However, you should keep in mind that dedicated hosting is one of the most complex types of web hosting you can sign on for.  Unless you opt for a managed service, you will be responsible ensuring and monitoring security, performing configurations and backups, installing software and general maintenance of the server.

There are quite a few small businesses that can thrive with a shared hosting platform and several others that cannot.  Making a choice is difficult and the final decision will depend on various factors, including your budget, level of expertise and the requirements of your business.  Most importantly, it will boil down to the overall quality of the host providing you with service.

Obtaining a Reliable and Secure E-commerce Solution

The initial reaction to your e-commerce solution may be a positive one, but that could all change depending on the perception of your customers.  Believe it or not, the company you sign up with and the service they provide can either make or break your business.  If your solution does not possess the following qualities, achieving success online will be very difficult and maybe even impossible.

Critical Security Features

There are a number of components associated with your hosting platform that can affect how customers perceive your business.  One of the important of all is security.  This is one aspect that cannot be overlooked because it will help you establish trusting relationships and the confidence customers need to feel safe when sharing their sensitive information with you.  Proven and visible security mechanisms such as SSL certificates will help to create the trust and confidence you need to be successful with an online business.  By neglecting to use them, you stand the risk of losing many customers because the consumer is growing increasingly aware of the potential dangers that come along with shopping online.

Speed and High Availability

The performance of your e-commerce site is critical, especially in today’s fast paced on-demand world.  If your hosting provider is utilizing slow servers, potential customers will more than likely click their way to the competition.  A degraded performance will undoubtedly impact your bottom line and possibly cause your company to go out of business.  This can all be avoided by choosing a host that uses the best server hardware and redundant connections to the internet.  It is the overall reliability of their infrastructure that will determine the success of your business.

Adequate Server and Network Capacity

Selecting an e-commerce hosting package with limited storage and bandwidth capacity is like intentionally placing restrictions on the potential of your business.  It is highly recommended to choose a plan that provides enough of both resources to compensate for expansion.  Although many hosts offer solutions with unlimited resources, this marketing ploy can actually work to your disadvantage once your files and traffic start bursting through the seams of the server.  When you are no longer able to update your site due to the lack of disk space and visitors cannot access your site because the bandwidth has been exceeded, your audience will view you in a negative light and this will definitely serve as a crucial blow to your credibility.

Having a secure and reliable hosting solution is critical to any online business.  While some of your more loyal customers may give you a second shot in the midst of slow loading pages and unavailability, most new prospects will never return and seek out someone who is more capable of meeting their needs.  When starting your journey with an online business, always remember that excessive downtime results in lost customers and lost sales.  It is simple as that.  A host that can assure you a reliable and secure environment gives you the best opportunity to keep your customers happy and your bottom line on the profitable side of the spectrum.

Acquiring the Domain You Want Through Back-Ordering

Commonly, domain names are registered on a first come, first served basis.  Thus, whoever is able to identify an unregistered name first can visit a registrar, pay the required registration fee, and acquire the name for themselves.  Once you register it, the domain is no longer available to anyone.  However, it can be placed back on the market should you not pay the annual renewal fee or decide to sell it to someone else.  While good domain names are certainly hard to come by these days, there are other ways you can obtain them, including the back-ordering route.

Common Back-Ordering Options

There are essentially three ways you can take advantage of back-ordered domains.

1.) You can pay close attention the status of the domain you want and register the name when it goes back on the market.  This is a manual process that requires a lot of patience and plain old luck to be successful.

2.) You can utilize a software application such as the Expired Domain Express program to automate the process for you.  This type of software will automatically monitor the status of the desired domain and also register it as soon as it becomes available.

3.)  The last option you have is to sign up with a back-order service.  This approach calls for you to pay a third-party company to monitor the domain and register it on your behalf as soon as it becomes available.

Essential Factors to Keep in Mind

A large majority of people looking to obtain a domain name through the back-ordering process rely on the third option, which is signing up with a service provider.  The advantage here is that the company usually has more reliable resources available than you have access to yourself, thus increasing your probability of acquiring the domain.  While there are numerous benefits, you should also beware of three important factors before investing in a back-ordering service.

1.) Regardless of what the firm might tell you, no back-ordering service can guarantee the domain name you want.  You may then ask, what happens to the money you paid?  Unless you have inquired within the service provider before signing up, you may not know at all.  The good thing is that most firms allow you to apply those fees to other domain related purchases, but it is still a good idea to find out.

2.) Domain name back-ordering services are infamous for inflating prices.  For example, if two people desire the same domain, the company might set up an auction for them to bid on the name.  Therefore, you want to make sure you know what to expect before entering into an agreement with a service provider.

3.) Lastly, it is worth mentioning that one of the best ways to acquire the domain name you want is to combine a few of the approaches mentioned above.  For instance, you can sign up for a back-ordering service and purchase a software solution while manually monitoring the status of the name yourself.  If you have the budget to work with, this combined approach will help you maximize the possibility of finally landing the domain name you have been after.

Microsoft Dynamics RMS and Your E-commerce System

Many companies are moving their businesses online because of the potential the internet offers to move far beyond the traditional brick and mortar offerings and explore new markets.  Apart from the internet itself, there are many tools available to help effectively market your products or services and send your business soaring to new heights.  An e-commerce website is the key to your success, and a powerful retail management system like Microsoft Dynamics RMS can be that tool needed to propel your online store ahead of the competition.

What is Microsoft Dynamics RMS?

Microsoft Dynamics RMS is a software product that provides a robust, yet intuitive interface for administering all the business related needs of an online retailer.  It allows you to manage everything from point-of-sale systems to the centralized controlling of the multiple storefronts that make up your business.  Offering a built-in web integration tool, the software can easily be integrated with e-commerce shopping carts scripted in ASP.  When coupled with such a shopping cart, the extensive features of Microsoft Dynamics RMS allows you to leverage real-time data from your retail system to ensure that your customers are always up to date with the most recent products and services.

Designing Your Storefront

The design of your store is critical when integrating a shopping cart with your retail management solution.  You may want to start out with a simple design and then make gradual upgrades as the demands of you and your customers increase.  Furthermore, take careful consideration to the overall presentation of your store and how it might appeal to potential customers.  For example, if you sell teens apparel or ring tones, you may want to choose a fun design targeting younger customers.  If you specialize in services and solutions geared towards IT professionals, it would probably be best to do away with all the flair and opt for something more professional.  Whatever you decide, find yourself an e-commerce system that can deliver the extensive customization options you need to support various types of stores.

After getting your shopping cart and all the associated features together, it is time to integrate your store with the Microsoft Dynamics RMS software by using the integrator tool.  Once this process has been completed, the data from your retail management system will be automatically synchronized with your online store.  From here, you can access the administrative panel of your shopping cart and then make whatever changes that need to be made in regard to products, services or features.

Market Your Store

Just having a beautiful online store integrated with a dynamic retail management system will not make you an instant success.  In order to attract new customers, you will have to take a proactive approach and promote your store as you would any other business orientated site.  Therefore, you need to make sure your shopping cart offers search engine-friendly features that help you make the most of your keywords, URLs and meta tags.  Microsoft Dynamics RMS can provide the streamlined management facility you need to make an impact, but it is up to you to make your online store a success.

How Control Panels Automate the Web Hosting Operation

These days, the average web hosting company has thousands of websites to maintain and even more customers to keep happy.  Manually performing all of the required tasks across multiple web servers is prohibitively costly and in many environments, impossible.  Being that web hosting is such a demanding operation, even seemingly trivial processes such as creating email accounts would be overwhelming difficult.  This is where control panels and automation come into play.  With a quality control panel application, hosting providers can get an efficient handle on server administration while their customers can manage virtually every aspect of their own websites without intervention from the host.

Control panel software is designed to automate various aspects of server administration, taking the pain out of intensive manual labor.  Some of the most notable include creating email accounts, SQL databases, access control and facilitating software installations among other administrative functions.  Most of these programs work by providing each domain and website owner with a unique access ID, which gives them access to the user interface of the control panel.  When the user logs in to their hosting account via the software, they are then able to perform a number of different server administration tasks based on the available features, resources and access permissions.  A good control panel will not only allow you to accomplish server administration with relative ease, but also monitor your resource usage, view server logs and manage your files right on the software.

Commercial vs. Custom Control Panels

When it comes to control panel applications, web hosting firms generally have two options.  They can choose to purchase an out of the box commercial solution, or build their own custom software in-house.  A large number of companies have elected to build their own software programs due to their proprietary hardware infrastructure, assured compatibility and to elude the often expensive licenses that come along with commercial products.  On the other hand, developing custom automation software in-house can prove to be both time consuming and expensive.   Most importantly, it could result in a much steeper learning curve for the hosting provider’s customers.  Therefore, most companies utilizing generic software and hardware components are better suited for out of the box commercial solutions as they typically offer the utmost in convenience for the end customer.  These type of control panels eliminate the cost and complexities of designing the application and also cut down on technical support as customers will be less likely to rely on assistance from the host.

Summary

Control panel software enables web hosting companies to drastically reduce overhead expenses through the simplistic power of automation.   This in turn, allows them to be more competitive in terms of pricing and even extend that power and control onto their customers who can perform a number of server administration tasks regardless of their technical knowledge.  From cPanel and Plesk to DirectAdmin and Helm, control panel software plays a key role in making sure web hosting is simple and affordable.