Web Hosting

An Overview VPS Hosting Restrictions

VPS(Virtual private Server) hosting is perhaps one of the most popular types of hosting available, aside from shared hosting. Most webmasters start out with a shared hosting plan, only to progress to a VPS hosting plan, and finally (if they’re successful enough) they may opt for a dedicated hosting plan. VPS hosting is capable of being just as powerful as dedicated hosting, however the cloud hosting environment would be needed for this.

Cloud VPS Hosting vs Conventional VPS Hosting

Cloud VPS hosting is more advanced than conventional VPS hosting and many dedicated hosting plans, primarily because the cloud hosting structure allows for a completely custom billing system that only charges the customer for the resources they use, yet provides access to seemingly limitless. Indeed, cloud VPS hosting is perhaps the best on the market right now, however many people are getting cloud hosting confused with standard VPS hosting. A conventional VPS hosting plan still has some significant restrictions that are seldom mentioned. It is important to note that the following limitations are only associated with conventional VPS hosting plans and do not apply to cloud VPS hosting.

IP Addresses and Software Configuration

Dedicated hosting plans tend to come with more IP addresses, which may be a factor for some webmasters that need access to several IP addresses for their sites. Although it is possible to purchase additional IP addresses for a VPS hosting plan in some cases, dedicated hosting provides a better value when it comes to an all-inclusive package that includes IP addresses. However, VPS hosting does carry an advantage over shared hosting in this area because shared hosting requires you to share an IP address with other webmasters, whereas VPS hosting gives you at least one IP address. Unfortunately, some VPS hosting providers will not let you install new software on the server partition, or modify software that is currently installed. It is important to inquire about your capabilities as a webmaster before deciding on any VPS hosting plan.

Upgrades and Cost

The cost of a VPS hosting plan can vary from under $20 to more than $200, depending on the type and the hosting provider, Each hosting provider can offer up to 7 or more VPS plans, all of which vary greatly in their capabilities and the amount of allocated server resources provided. Unfortunately, this large selection only serves to confuse many novice webmasters that are uncertain of their sites’ needs. Most of the time the webmaster pays too much and does not use enough of the plan to warrant an upgrade, or pays too little and has to upgrade again in the near future. Cloud hosting gets rid of this problem by providing instant expandability that is billed on a per usage basis. Although it is easy to upgrade to a new VPS hosting plan, you’ll have to do so when your next hosting bill arrives in some cases, which can be a problem for site owners that are experiencing a constant rise in web traffic.

How to Transfer a Domain to Another Hosting Account

Making the transition to a new web hosting provider can be somewhat complicated if you’ve never done it before and you don’t educate yourself on the process before hand. There are a lot of aspects to consider when transferring your files and domains to a new web host, most of which are not familiar to a novice webmaster. Transferring your domain to a new web server is actually a simple process that will only take a few minutes of your time. The following information will help you understand domain transfers and how they’re performed.

What is a Domain Transfer?

A domain transfer is the process of transferring the storage and demonstration of a domain from one web hosting provider to another. In essence, you’re actually transferring the domain from one web server to another, which may require several additional actions such as transferring files and assigning the appropriate name servers. This process is not to be confused with domain forwarding, which simply redirects traffic form one domain to another.  When you purchase a new web hosting plan you will need to transfer all of the files from your old web server to the new one. Doing this can cause problems such as data loss and site down time if done improperly, so it is important that you consider the following information before beginning the domain transferring process.

How is a Domain Transfer Done?

The first step in performing a domain transfer is backing up all of the data for your web site. There is usually a backup utility within the control panel of your hosting account. Make sure you have a fully functional backup on external media that is separate from your hard drive and your web hosting server before proceeding with the domain transfer process. After the information is secured you can transfer it in one of two ways – you can upload the backup directly to the server or you can transfer the files from server to server via FTP using the “transfer Domains” option within your hosting control panel. Most people find both techniques to be just as simple, however the first one is usually a bit faster.

It is important to note that, although you cannot transfer a domain that is less than 60 days old to another domain registrar, it is possible to transfer the domain to a new hosting company. Many people get confused when discovering this restriction and decide not to change hosting providers because of it. After you’ve purchase a domain you are free to host it with whatever hosting provider you’d like.

How Long Does it Usually Take?

The entire domain transfer process can be completed and active within your hosting control panel within a single day, however it can take longer if your site contains a lot of files. The larger your site is, the longer it will take to create the backup and upload the files via FTP afterward. Small to medium size web sites can usually be transferred in their entirety within about 1-3 hours in most cases, If you encounter difficulty when transferring domains your web hosting provider should be able to provide adequate assistance.

Ecommerce Site Building Checklist

Building an eCommerce web site involves many aspects, most of which are overlooked by the novice webmaster. Building a checklist before you build a web site can help you create a site that is enjoyable for your visitors, and profitable for your business. Gradually understanding the construction of a successful eCommerce site is the best way to educate yourself on the most important aspects of eCommerce and customer satisfaction. The following checklist can help you avoid some of the many trivial mistakes that novice webmasters often make when trying to build an eCommerce site. Simply ask yourself the following questions, and if the answer is no to any of them, then you still have some work to do.

Does My Site Look Professional?

Before you begin uploading item descriptions and pictures, or trying to source suppliers for your massive catalog of products, you’ll first need to make sure that your site looks professional. The two biggest factors that online shoppers consider are convenience and trustworthiness. If your site does not appear to be professional, most of your potential customers will leave before ever viewing your products or their prices.

Does My Site Have  a Good Shopping Cart?

The shopping cart is literally the focal point of the shopping experience, primarily because it is the main interface that customers will use to checkout. If the shopping cart has glitches or is outdated and inconvenient, most of your prospective customers will become frustrated and look for another site. Thus, before proceeding with the construction of your eCommerce site it is absolutely necessary to “test drive” your shopping cart to view your site form the perspective of a site visitor.

Is My Site Secure?

Security falls under the second aforementioned important aspect of eCommerce – trustworthiness. If your site is not secured you’ll have a hard time closing any sales online. Regular internet shoppers have been educated to look for sites that begin with HTTPS before providing any credit card details, so it will be fairly difficult to have a successful online business without an SSL certificate. Fortunately, most eCommerce hosting plans come with SSL certificates.

Does My Site Have Convenient Navigation?

If it is difficult to navigate your site and find a particular product then it will be nearly impossible to have a high sales volume. Most people shop online because they are looking for a good price on a particular item. If your site does not have a properly organized product catalog and a good on site search engine, then finding the right product will be inconvenient for your customers.

Can I Accept All Major Payments?

The concept is simple – the more payment methods you can accept, the more potential customers you have. Only accepting credit cards can greatly limit your sales volume, especially in modern times as online payment processors are becoming increasingly popular. It is important to ensure that your site can accept money orders, credit cards, debit cards, and payments through online payment processors like PayPal, MoneyBookers, and AlertPay.

Dedicated Vs Cloud Hosting for File Sharing Web Sites

File sharing web sites are becoming increasingly popular, as they provide a suitable medium through which people can transfer large amounts of data easily and free of cost. Instead of sending files through email, which significantly limits the size of files that can be sent, people are now uploading files to third party web sites and then sharing the link to the download page of the file. Instead of sending out hundreds or thousands of emails containing a particular file, it is now possible to host the file on a web page for free.

As a web site owner it can be both profitable and expensive to create and operate a file hosting web site. However, with the right hosting environment you can minimize web hosting costs and maximize the profits received through advertisements. If you are not sure about what kind of hosting plan you need then you may want to consider the following information about dedicated hosting and cloud hosting.

Pros and Cons of Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting gives you access to a powerful private web server that you can lease for about $100-$400 per month. Dedicated hosting is considered to be one of the best types of hosting that money can buy, simply because most other hosting plans use a shared hosting environment in which you cannot access the full power of the server. With dedicated hosting your file sharing web site will thrive because it will be able to accommodate the needs of your site visitors, for a certain period of time.

Even though dedicated hosting is one of the most powerful types of web hosting, there are limitations involved with every web server. As your file sharing site’s traffic begins to rise, the server will undoubtedly become overburdened sooner or later. Once this happen, a more powerful server is needed, or a network of servers is needed.

Pros and Cons of Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a term used to describe web hosting that utilizes a network of servers to transfer data through a network of sites simultaneously without noticeable limits. With cloud hosting you do not have to worry about the limitations of one web sever, as the hosting company has programmed a network of servers to work in unison, providing server resources to your sites with ease. If you have access to the software configuration of several dedicated servers then you can set up your own cloud computing network, however this is only recommended for more advanced users.

Cloud hosting is billed on a per-usage basis, which means you are allocated a certain amount of server resources, and any additional resources that are used are charged based on how much was used. This unique billing structure means you only have to pay for what you use, and you do not have to worry about running out of server resources, or having too many unnecessarily.

Conclusion

Dedicated web hosting is ideal for file sharing sites initially, and in time, with enough experience it is possible to create a cloud computing server environment of your own by leasing several dedicated servers. However, this would require a much higher hosting bill, and there is no guarantee that all of those server resources will be needed at all times. With a cloud hosting plan you only have to pay for what you use, and you have a seemingly unlimited amount of server resources at your disposal.

cPanel Announces Sponsor for Conference

cPanel recently announced that Riazul Premium Tequila will be their primary sponsor at the 5^th annual cPanel conference in 2010. cPanel is an industry leader in control panel and web hosting automation software. This will be an interesting and exciting conference due to the differences in companies.

Adding a Twist

cPanel was looking to add a twist to their conference this year and it looks as if they have found it. Riazul Premium Tequila is a fairly new beverage company based out of Jalisco, Mexico and imported through a company in Houston, Texas. Riazul makes flavorful tequila but the company culture is what cause cPanel’s eye. The buzz around town about their alcoholic beverage has caused a great deal of excitement.

The Conference

One of the aspects Riazul Tequila will be focusing on is their amazing story of success in a competitive industry. This will create a conference full of surprises with each company bringing something different and unique for the viewing pleasure of the attendees. The collaborators are looking to bring the elements of fun while educating the audience.

Riazul will feature an exhibit where the guests can learn about the taste of the tequila, the history of the company, their product line and a few surprises that can’t be revealed. cPanel has always tried to defy reality at these conferences. For instance, cPanel created, “Unleash Your Inner Geek,” at one conference and it was rated the best event ever in HostingCon history.

Another aspect of the conference will be the cPanel/SoftLayer Mystery Event. Nobody outside these companies is aware of what this is, but the cPanel organizes will unveil the official name at the conference.

The cPanel Guarantee

Like their software, this conference will be nothing short of amazing; the team guarantees it. The educational experience to attendees mixed with some over-the-top, ridiculous events will not only create a great deal of fun and excitement, but will also create some excellent networking opportunities. Riazul’s motto is “flow freely” which is exactly their plan at this conference.

The mix of a software development company and a tequila production company is an ingenious idea. Two opposites working side-by-side to create one of the most exciting conferences ever. Those in attendance will be razzled and dazzled by the numerous exhibitors while still being educated on various topics. This conference will surely be one for the record books.

Introducing MODx CMS – The Ultimate in Flexibility and Compatibility

MODx is becoming incredibly popular as more webmasters are learning of its extensive capabilities as a robust content management system. In fact, to call it a “content” management system would be an understatement, seeing as it is more of a complete site management utility. Many of its regular users praise MODx as being the future of content management systems, ushering in an age of open source PHP based CMS that are compatible with nearly all third-party programming platforms. In other words, this CMS is perfect for any developer and any site owner, regardless of your experience level or skill set. If you;re interested in learning more about MODx, you may want consider the following information.

MODx’s Unique Advantages

The main advantage of MODx is its compatibility with various programming platforms, which makes it an ideal solution for all developers, both novice and professional. MODx is one of the few CMS that is compatible with the AJAX programming language, which gives site owners the ability to design incredibly interactive pages that return information and adapt instantly based on the visitor’s actions. MODx also has native SEO features that give you an instant edge on the competition when trying to rank highly for keywords in your niche. MODx bares its name because it can be modified very easily by anyone with a basic programming background and the willingness to learn the simple syntax of the software. In fact, there are no notable limitations or restrictions to beware of when using MODx as a development platform.

The Rising Popularity of MODx

Aside from its aforementioned flexibility and capabilities, the rising popularity of MODx is largely attributed to the size and dedicated of the pre-existing user community. This forum of developers and webmasters are devoted to teaching each other how to get the most out of the MODx CMS, and are constantly contributing new developments that improve the functionality of the software. Having a thriving user community to provide support is extremely important when using an open source software for the first time., especially if you’re not technically experienced. As more people become interested in MODx, the effect will compound exponentially, and within the next couple of years the software is expected to cross boundaries that no other CMS has done before.

The Future of MODx

The future looks bright for MODx, especially considering the developments of the latest releases, which have yielded promising results. The next release is expected to significantly enhance the API and bring even more features and overall flexibility to an already robust CMS. At the moment, WordPress is the only CMS spoken of by a large majority of webmasters. However, that is destined to change judging by the determination and persistence of the MODx development group and its experienced users. MODx has the advantages of building upon everything WordPress has done so far, and the only thing left to accomplish in order to compete with WordPress is the building of an extensive plugin library (although some would argue that the software does not need many plugins and that is why it is better than WordPress for advanced developers and webmasters).

VeriSign Releases Another New Safety Measure

VeriSign and RatePoint have teamed up to develop the SafeSender Email Program. This allows RatePoint customers to improve click-through rates, build better relationships with customers and ultimately increase profits by adding the VeriSign Trust Logo to all customer correspondence. The seal verifies that customers can buy, trade, browse and now communicate under a secure umbrella.

To add the VeriSign seal to communications, customers can subscribe to the VeriSign SSL Certificate. For users, the logo can appear in emails, social networks like Twitter and Facebook, and on website signup tools. This is a huge advantage for those currently using RatePoint.

During the pilot program, five participants displayed the VeriSign logo within their email campaigns. The presence of the trust seal resulted in a greater number of visits to the customers’ sites. This, in turn, produces much higher revenues.

Customer concern of scams and fraud groups that steal pertinent information is growing. Therefore online trust of vendors is diminishing. Those that display the VeriSign Trust Seal are improving customer’s trust in that online business. This is reassuring to those worried about clicking on the wrong link and losing important information.

This new collaboration gives RatePoint’s customer campaigns and their business a much more measurable edge. The goal of this partnership is to improve email list signups, strengthen overall trust and increase open rates.

The new VeriSign Trust Seal within the SafeSender Email Program will further boost profits within both business entities integrity. Organizations displaying the logo will be recognized as willing to stand up for independent verification by daily scans to ensure no spyware, malware or viruses encompass the email. In today’s shaky economy, this is a major reassurance to customers.

The VeriSign Trust Seal is a breath of fresh air for many companies looking to hold a competitive edge in their respective market. Although VeriSign has been a leader in internet trust and has held a seal of authority in the market, they are continuing to expand their coverage and grab a hold of their industry.

As more businesses continue to subscribe to their features, customers will slowly gain trust for internet vendors. This is an excellent method for stimulating the global internet buying community to shop online as opposed to a land-based store. All businesses should register to display the VeriSign logo on their page as it will help them attract and retain customers which equates to profit.

Optimizing Joomla Websites

Joomla is one of the most popular content management systems available on the internet. It is a vast system with a large amount of information such as, content, images, audio and video clips. As a result, it is important to optimize websites created in and for Joomla. There are five specific tips for optimizing a Joomla website including:

• Joomla sh404SEF
• Enable Joomla Search Engine Friendly URL’s
• Duplicate content issue
• Practice proper content writing
• Insert H1 tags

The first tip is to download and install the Joomla sh404SEF plug-in. This allows you to create your own URL’s and set meta tags and title tags. Additionally, the plug-in adds enhanced security features to protect each page. This is widely considered the best plug-in available for Joomla because it makes website extremely search engine optimized.

The second tip is to enable Joomla search engine friendly URL’s. Joomla allows its users to have advanced customization to create the website of your dreams. When using the system, keep in mind that search engine friendly URL’s are not enabled by default. You must turn them on to optimize properly. This is important for those that generate pages automatically. These usually contain a ‘?’ which is overlooked by search engine indexes.

The third tip is the duplicate content issue which is automatically generated by Joomla .PDF pages. The sh404SEF plug-in alleviates some this issue but not all. Duplicate content occurs due to print icons on every .PDF webpage. Search engines index these and recognize they are the same across many sites. The best method is to not publish these in the Joomla.

The fourth tip is to utilize proper content writing when creating a Joomla site. After enabling the search engine friendly URL’s, Joomla will create clean URL names that humans and machines can easily find. The final tip is to insert H1 tags throughout the website. This will improve the searchability, especially in Google.

Once you get these tips down pat, creating a searchable Joomla website will be a breeze. Fully implementing these tactics does take a bit of practice and finesse however. Joomla continues to be one of the top content management systems available due to the customization, functionality and scalability of the features and thus each website. Hopefully in the future they will be able to fix some of the minor issues that plague content creators.

Conventional VPS Hosting vs Cloud VPS Hosting

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is commonly used by a wide range of webmasters, from novice blog owners, to professional eCommerce site owners. The wide range of capabilities and plan pricing make VPS hosting perfect for just about any situation. VPS hosting can be expanded and each web hosting company offers a large selection of VPS hosting plans. In the past VPS hosting utilized the server resources of one server, and these resources were allocated to webmasters depending upon their particular plan size and features. However, a new type of VPS hosting has arisen in the past few years known as cloud hosting.. Cloud hosting utilizes a network of servers that work in unison to provide a seemingly unlimited amount of server resources to plan holders. The following comparison should help you decide which type of hosting would be most suitable for you.

Affordability and Billing

Conventional VPS hosting and cloud hosting have two very different billing structures. Conventional VPS hosting can be purchased in plans tat limit the amount of resources you can use and charge you a specific amount each month. This can be beneficial for people that want to formulate a predicable hosting budget each month, however it can also be limiting because there is no way to instantly expand. With cloud VPS hosting you can also purchase plans, however you are allowed to exceed you plan limits and pay for the additional server resources on a pay-per-usage basis. In other words, you have access to infinite expandability, and you only have to pay for the resources you use during the billing cycle.

Server Capabilities and Site Performance

VPS hosting plans differ greatly in their capabilities, with some plans costing only $10 per month and others costing $200 per month. As in every other industry you will get what you pay for, but with cloud VPS hosting you can get what you pay for and more, as long as you pay for the extra usage. This unlimited expandability and provides site performance that is unparalleled by other hosting plans. While a regular VPS hosting plan may run out of server resources leaving your site performing poorly, a cloud VPS hosting plan cannot run out of space and therefore provides much better site performance.

Reasons to Use Cloud VPS Hosting

Surprisingly, cloud VPS hosting is utilized by many of the larger web sites on the internet such as Google and other search engines. This is because a network of servers being used in unison is often needed by larger corporations. Cloud hosting should only be used by site owners that are in need of a robust and unlimited hosting solution for their site or network of sites. If you do not have more than 50,000 daily visitors to your web sites then you probably would not benefit much from a cloud hosting plan. Conventional VPS hosting plans have the capability to be extremely powerful, and the vast majority of webmasters can get by just fine with a basic VPS hosting plan.

.CO Domains – Frequently Asked Questions

The new .co domains are rapidly becoming popular due to their similarity to the dominant .com TLD. In fact, .CO domains just announced that they have surpasses 500,000 domains!

.CO domains are not new in the slightest sense of the word, because they were first issued in 2001 as the region-specific code for Columbia. However, after realizing the similarities between .co and .com a Columbian University theorized that the domain type could be marketed as an alternative for .com. Nearly a decade later Internet S.A.S has made this hypothesis a realty by offering .co domains to people around the world for nay use, including commercial use. The following questions are amongst the most commonly asked pertaining to .co domains.

How Do I Get a .co Domain?

Currently, .co domains are only allowed to be registered by 10 registrars, however there are dozens of domain sellers that are mediating the sale of .co domains. In other words, almost any popular domain name registrar will have them available. The new .co domains can be acquired in the same exact fashion as a regular domain and there are no prerequisites for purchasing one.

How Much Do .co Domains Cost?

Fortunately, .co domains often only cost slightly more than a regular domain name. Most registrars will offer combo deals in which a discount is offered when more than one .co domain is purchased. It is also possible to receive a free .co domain with some new web hosting plans.

What Are .co Domains Used For?

.CO domains are and can be used for any type of web site online, including but not limited to commercial business sites, personal blogs, pictures sites, movie sites, music sites, forums, online stores, game sites and any other web site model imaginable. Before the domain type was acquired and distributed by Internet S.A.S it was intended to be used by web sites based in Columbia.

How Do Search Engines Treat .co Domains?

Fortunately, Google has recognized the recent explosion in popularity, and as such has recently announced that it will be indexing .co domains in the same manner as .com domains. This means .co domains will have international targeting enabled, allowing people from around the world to find your .co site on the internet. At the moment it is impossible to predict how well the .co sites will perform in the search engine results, but given Google’s friendly response it does look promising.

Can I Transfer a .CO Domain to Another Webmaster?

Yes, .co domains can be transferred in the same manner as any other domain name, which means you can begin buying and selling them as soon you’d like. There are no restrictions on who can register a .co domain, just as there are no restrictions to whom the domains can be transferred.

Understanding Misspelled Domain Names

The domain name industry is rapidly expanding, and every word and phrase in the English language is slowly but surely being used. Eventually, it will be nearly impossible to find a domain name that makes any kind of sense at all. Fortunately, those days are decades away, and contrary to popular belief there are still many amazing domain names available. However, for those that cannot come up with new and original domain names there is a solution – misspelled domain names.

Why Would I Want a Misspelled Domain Name?

In the domain name industry even a typographical error equals potential traffic. In essence, every term or phrase that is entered into the address bar of the a visitors web browser is an entrance to the internet, and a possible traffic gateway. If you can buy a domain name that is likely to be typed into the address bar of a user’s browser inadvertently, then you can access that traffic. In most cases,this traffic is targeted, because you know what they were looking for when they misspelled the domain name.

Stealing Traffic with Misspelled Domain Names

For example, if you buy a domain name entitled “godadfy.com” then there is a good chance that anyone visiting that site was actually looking for godaddy.com, which is a domain name registrar and hosting company. Based on this information you could drive this traffic to your own hosting web site that is similar to Go Daddy’s. Of course, Go Daddy has taken the necessary precautions to prevent such nefarious competitive action, but this is just one of example of the benefits of misspelled domain names.

How Do I Find The Best Misspellings?

It can be difficult to figure out what the most likely misspellings are when searching for a good misspelled domain name. Fortunately, there are tools available online that will give you long lists of misspelling, and you can even find traffic information about some commonly used misspellings within the Google keywords tool. In most cases, there is a large number of misspelled search engine queries issued after every major event. For example, during the Super Bowl it is not uncommon to see thousands of searches for misspelled team names and other items related to that sporting event. With the use of the aforementioned tools and a little creativity you can begin gaining traffic from misspelled phrases in no time.

Conclusion

If you are a web site owner that is trying to establish a brand and eliminate competition then it would be wise to purchase all possible misspellings of your business name, as this will prevent your competition from capitalizing on your success. However, if you act quickly and continually research possible misspellings you could see your traffic levels increase as you begin driving traffic from various misspelled domains that gain residual traffic based on simple human error. Regardless of your decision, it is best to stay on the right side of the misspelled domains controversy, and as usual that side is the one with the most web traffic!