Web Hosting

Review of Volusion – Professional eCommerce Shopping Cart Solution

Volusion is a company that has been developing revolutionary eCommerce technology and solutions since their inception in 1999. Over time Volusion has managed to amass a customer base of more than one hundred thousand, which consists of small business owners and corporations alike. In fact, in 2009 alone, the amount of online transactions that were conducted using the Volusion shopping cart exceeded $2 billion!

After releasing several successful versions of their shopping cart solution, Volusion now has more than 150 employees stationed in Austin, Texas and Simi Valley, California. The following review outlines some of the key features that have made Volusion so popular during the past few years.

Customer Features

Volusion is an all-in-one shopping cart solution that provides a comprehensive payment processing solution for virtually any online business. Volusion lets your customers zoom in on products that are of interest to them by automatically generating dynamic thumbnails. It also lets you create multi-tier pricing for certain site visitors such as members of a discount club.

As a merchant that utilizes Volusion you can offer your customers coupon codes that can be used at checkout, and they can even leave product reviews about your items. You can also categorize your items into various groups that simplify your site visitor’s navigation and shopping experience. All product description fields are completely customizable, and your customers are given the option to view a ‘view all’ screen that displays all of the items currently in the shopping cart.

Administrative Features

The administrative panel of Volusion is perhaps its greatest strength, giving you complete control over the checkout process that your customers experience. One feature that is particularly interesting is the ‘Return on Investment’ (ROI) feature that lets you monitor your profits in real time. You can also print documents, shipping labels and receipts from directly within the administrative panel.

Volusion also automatically generates confirmation emails that are then sent to your customers whenever a purchase is made. Having automated confirmation emails sent to your customers is a huge time saver and is incredibly convenient for the busy online business owner.

Support

Volusion also provides robust support solutions through their user-friendly web site, amongst which are the ‘Build my Store’, ‘Manage My Store’, and ‘Expand My Store’ services. Aside from these innovative and unique services, Volusion also provides 24 hour support via instant chat, or email support tickets.  If you’re the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ type then you may prefer the extensive library of support documentation provided in the site’ support section, which includes helpful videos and informative articles.

If you’re not confident in Volusion’s ability to provide excellent support, or you’re just curious as to how the software looks and feels, you can take advantage of their free 14 day trial which gives you full access to the software for a full two weeks, completely risk-free.

The Diversity and Flexibility of Virtual Hosting

Virtual web hosting is becoming the most popular type of hosting available, primarily because it provides the most flexible and diverse hosting environment on existence. Whether you’re a professional online business owner, or a novice webmaster that is in search of a small hosting plan, virtual hosting can provide a solution for you.

The most popular form of virtual hosting is standard VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting, however new concepts like the cloud computing environment are bringing virtual hosting plans to the next level. If you’re struggling to choose a type of web hosting for your web sites, then you may want to consider the following benefits of virtual hosting.

How Does Virtual Hosting Work?

The concept of virtual hosting is similar to the concept of an apartment building in some ways. The apartment building contains several apartments within the same structure, and people inhabit these apartments independently. If one of the apartments is not inhabitable for whatever reason, then the apartment building manager will move the tenant to another apartment.

With virtual hosting, you’re given a small partition (apartment) of a web server (apartment building), and you’re web sites are able to draw resources form this partition. However, if you need more resources, or your apartment is not big enough, you can easily upgrade to a larger virtual hosting plan by expanding the size of your partition. This expandability and flexibility is what has made virtual hosting so popular over the past 5 years.

What is Cloud Computing?

For webmasters that need an extremely powerful hosting solution, cloud computing offers a limitless hosting plan that can be expanded on the spur of the moment. This is possible because, rather than operating within a single web server, your hosting account is a virtual partition spread out over a network of web servers. As such, cloud VPS hosting could be compared to an apartment complex, rather than just a single building.

If you live in an apartment complex, you can easily upgrade to a larger apartment, and you have more freedom and space than a single apartment building. When you run out of space in your server partition, resources are pulled from other servers if needed, to provide a limitless amount of bandwidth and disk space (similar to relocating tenants in an apartment complex). This unlimited hosting structure works because at the end of each month you’re only billed for the resources you’ve used.

The Cost Of Virtual Hosting

Because virtual hosting is so diverse and flexible, the cost of VPS plans differs greatly, with small plans starting at about $10-$15 per month, and more comprehensive cloud VPS plan costing up to $300 per month or more, depending on your total monthly usage. If you own a lot of web sites, then you may want to consider starting with a cloud VPS plan, whereas novice webmasters with only one or a few sites could easily get by with a conventional VPS hosting package. Regardless of which virtual plan you choose, VPS hosting certainly carries many advantages over the conventional shared hosting environment.

The Difference Between Private and Business Domain Registrations

Registering a domain is the first step in building and managing a web site, and it plays a pivotal role in the site’s success. Some mistakes made during registration cannot be fixed, so it is important to make sure you get everything right the first time. For example, if you change your mind about the name of your web site after you’ve already built the site on the domain, there is little you can do other than domain forwarding, unless you’d like to hurt the search engine ranking of the new domain name.

There are many factors to consider during he registration process, leaving many people confused about the simplest options. Business and private domain registration are two prominent features offered by registrars during the checkout process. The following information can help you understand the difference between private domain registration and business domain registration.

What is Private Registration?

Private registration is a service offered by registrars, which keeps all of the information that you provide to the registrar private. If you do not purchase private registration, all of the information you give the registrar (except for payment details) will be available in a publicly viewable free database known as the WHOis database.  Private registration protects you from annoying and aggressive marketers that can find your phone number, address and email address within the WHOis database.

Private registration also protects you from lawyers, competitors and predators that could use your information for nefarious purposes. Considering the low cost of private registration,  (anywhere from $8-$10, depending on the registrar and whether or not an applicable coupon code can be found) it is easy to see why many people choose the option when registering their domain.

What is Business Registration?

In a sense, business registration is the complete opposite of private registration. Whereas private registration is meant to conceal your registration details, business registration is meant to to promote them. When you opt for business registration during checkout with your domain registrar, you’ll be placing your domain and the DNS records (registration information) into a business WHOis database that is picked up by various business directories online.

Business registration is another way to promote your business and build immediate exposure by putting yourself in an openly viewable database that can be viewed by your clients and competitors alike. Having your registration information available in the business database automatically instills trust in many people that want to know more about your company and your online business. Ideally, you should provide all business information when opting for business registration. For example, you would want your support line phone number to be the default phone number in the database, and you would want the address of your office to be the registration address.

Static HTML Pages vs CMS Generated Sites

Web development is an essential aspect of the internet industry, being directly responsible for the origin of user-friendly interfaces that we enjoy on a daily basis. There are many ways to design a site, from advanced programming platforms to simple site builders that are included with eCommerce hosting plans, each one accommodating the needs of various webmaster skill levels. A type of web development that has become incredibly popular in the last few years has been CMS site creation.

A CMS (Content Management System) is essentially a web based application included with most hosting plans that let you design, organize, and manage your web sites with ease. In essence, webmasters that use CMS to create their sites are considered new school, while those that still utilize static HTML pages are considered to be old school. In this articles we’ll discuss some of the differences between the two so that you can make an informed decision for your own web sites.

Simplicity

As a developer, using static HTML pages gives you limited functionality unless you’re highly proficient with various programming languages that can be utilized within certain frameworks. Basically, it is much more difficult to express yourself as a developer using static HTML pages because it requires a great amount of skill to match the quality of a CMS generated page. With a CMS you can utilize templates that give you a head start in the development process, and you can also add, delete, or edit content on your pages through the convenient user interface. Creating a web site consisting of HTML pages requires you to create each page individually, whereas CMS templates apply to the entire web site.

Functionality

Content management systems can be improved and expanded upon infinitely because they are open source software. As a result, there are hundreds of plugins available for popular CMS like WordPress, all of which enhance the functionality of the software allowing you to perform tasks that were previously impossible, or simplifying tasks that are currently mundane. Some content management systems even have SEO plugins that will improve your search engine ranking. Instead of designing a page from scratch you use predesigned templates, and then simply edit the CSS/Style sheet of the template to change colors, font, borders, and various other aspects of the site’s formatting.

Conclusion

If you want to continuously maintain your page without having to edit HTML coding repeatedly then you should strongly considered the superior functionality of a good content management system. On the other hand, if you want to improve your skills as a developer and create completely original pages from scratch then it may be advantageous to learn some HTML. Learning HTML is certainly beneficial for most web developers, as it enhances their ability to edit or even create new CMS themes. However, if you decide to use content management system templates then the only programming language that you really need to understand is CSS.

Effective E-Commerce Ideas

The e-commerce industry is constantly changing. In order to remain competitive it is important to be cognizant of the new ideas in this ever-changing business. Companies are inventing innovative ideas to attract new customers, retain the old and advertise their products via internet like never before. The following are five innovative ideas for the e-commerce world:

• Restructure your shopping cart
• Test location of stress-relieving content
• Utilize Clickstream tool
• Add a handwritten note to items
• Offer a prize for new subscribers

One new idea is to streamline your shopping cart to make the checkout process less time-consuming for the customer. For each additional page the consumer must load to complete the checkout process is another chance for them to change their mind. Instead, combine pages and eliminate redundant steps.

Another excellent initiative is to test stress-relieving content at locations on different web pages. This content includes points of satisfaction, security icons and the return policy. It is beneficial to separate sensitive content from pages that feature transactions. This content will help visitors and users feel much more safe and comfortable with ordering a product from your site.

The Clickstraem tool identifies which sites users originate from and where they go after. It also allows you to view where your visitors come from and go after leaving your store. This is an excellent tool to learn more about the type of individual visiting your website.

Taking a step back from technology by adding handwritten thank you notes to the packing slip in your shipment adds a personalized touch. Try to add the customer’s first name to the letter. This takes little effort and really helps your customer feel appreciated and improves their feelings about the company.

Finally, by offering a raffle for a prize to new subscribers of your email letter will greatly improve signups. Since it is simple to signup for a newsletter, customers are willing to do this in exchange for the chance to win a prize.

E-commerce methods of attracting and retaining customers are constantly evolving. With new methods being created by competitors at all times, it is in your best interest to remain ahead of the curve and keep the attention of the customer. This can be done with something as simple as a handwritten note sent with shipped items or by making the customer checkout process easier with a streamlined shopping cart.

When is PPC Advertising Ideal?

PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising is perhaps one of the most popular advertising models on the internet, currently utilized by Fortune 500 companies and small business alike. Google AdWords is the most famous and most popular PPC advertising program available, and if you’ve ever clicked on a link in sidebar of a site then you have probably clicked on an ad that was created within the AdWords program. The concept is simple – you pay the advertiser (Google in this example) every time they send someone to your site.

Using PPC advertising can give you highly targeted traffic because it simulates having a top ranked site for the keywords of your choice. Companies and website owners bid on keywords, and the more they pay, the more their link appears in the search results. While being at the top of Google for  the keyword of your choice may seem appealing, PPC advertising can quickly diminish your advertising budget if you’re not careful. The following information reveals when PPC advertising is friend or foe.

Low Competition Keywords

Bidding on low competition keywords can have one of two effects – it may give you access to an untapped traffic source, or it could waste your money as their is simply not enough public interest in the keyword. Even if there if interest and you get plenty of clicks in a short amount of time, there is no telling how well this traffic will convert to sales. The goal of a PPC campaign is to gain more in sales than you spend on advertising, and in order to do this you’ll need to either perform extensive testing, or understand your conversion rates beforehand. Finding the right keyword to bid on is the name if the game in PPC advertising, and while it may be tempting to bid on a highly popular keyword that on the surface appears to be profitable, it is important to keep in mind that you’re competing with companies that have very ‘deep’ pockets.

After Conversion Rates Are Established

Perhaps the best way to get the most out of your PPC investment is to thoroughly establish what your conversion rates are for specific keywords before pouring money into a campaign. For example, if you know that for every 100 people that visit your site you get 10 sales, and your item costs $5, then you make approximately $50 for every 100 people that visit your site. Thus, you would not want to pay more than $0.25 per click ($25.00 per 100 clicks) because you would be exceeding a safe investment level. After you’ve established your conversion rates and you’re having success with a particular keyword then you can begin upscaling your PPC campaigns for even greater success.

Conclusion

If your site is relatively new and you’ve not yet established a reliable and consistent conversion rate then you should proceed with caution when attempting your first PPC campaign. Unfortunately, investing a small amount at a time will not give you a solid indication of a campaigns potential success, which is why most people wait until they’ve had conventional SEO success before moving into PPC advertising.

The Pros and Con of Linux Web Hosting

Linux web hosting is one of the most popular types of hosting because it is cheap and easy to use. However, most people don’t realize why Linux is so favored amongst web hosting companies and webmasters. Choosing an operating system for a web hosting plan is not easy, especially for those without an adequate amount of technical knowledge pertaining to web hosting.

Linux hosting offers advantages for webmasters that are interested in developing eCommerce stores, as well as amateur webmasters in search of a more personalized solution. If you’re interested about the pros and cons of Linux web hosting then you may want to consider the following summary of the advantages and disadvantages of Linux web hosting.

Operating System Reliability

This is definitely a pro for Linux web hosting, the Linux operating system is  known for being reliable and easy to work with. Being that Linux is an open source software, it can be amended or fixed by any developer with the willingness and knowledge to do so.

Most web hosting providers choose to offer Linux web hosting for this reason, because they can provide better support with an open source operating system. Linux is extremely flexible, and comes in a wide variety of distributions that are suitable for a diverse range of webmasters and hosting providers. When it comes to compatibility and reliability, the Linux operating system is definitely a pro.

The Cost Of Linux Hosting

Linux hosting is also usually cheaper than Windows hosting, because the Linux operating system does not cost as much as Windows. The cost of support for a Linux operating system is also less than Windows support, simply because the in house support staff of the web hosting company can control the operating system more efficiently.

When an error occurs in the Windows operating system there is little the web hosting company can do besides wait for an update from Microsoft. All of this ultimately contributes to the low cost and common availability of Linux web hosting, which is often favored over Windows web hosting by hosting providers.

Linux Software Compatibility

This is a pro and a con for Linux web hosting, because the Linux operating system is compatible with anything that is not a Microsoft software. Microsoft holds a monopoly for all of their software that prevents any operating system other than Windows from being compatible with Microsoft software. If you’re planning to use Microsoft software for your web server then you may want to consider Windows web hosting.

On the other hand, the Linux operating system can be used to boot virtually any other kind of operating system within itself, using virtualization software such as VMware. In fact, virtualization software could also be used within Windows web hosting to load Linux as well. However, if you don’t have enough web hosting expertise to use virtualization software, then you may want to choose the type of hosting plan that includes an ideal operating system for your preferences.

What is Server Load?

Server load isn’t just a value; it is the number of processes waiting in the queue to access the processor. It is generally in an x.xx format with values beginning with 0.00. Over time, the smaller the number, the less processes are waiting thus tying up vital resources. High numbers indicate a significant decrease in server performance.

Location of Server Load

The location of the server load function can usually be found in you web hosting account’s control panel under “Server Status.” This will display the server load value which changes with every refresh of the page. This designates a value that is calculated instantly in real time. The actual server load value is not important. However, knowing how to analyze that value is what’s vital.

What is a Safe Server Load?

It is agreed between all web hosting providers that a server load value of 0.xx is safe. The goal is to keep the value below 1.00 for servers with a single CPU. Those with dual CPU’s should stay below 2.00 and so on. Once reached, users will begin to see problems such as a slow website.

These values are the average number of processes in queue. All servers are slow at times due to backups or abuse of resources. Web hosting providers usually schedule tasks that consume a great deal of resources to run on weekends when traffic is lower. Despite the benchmark values above, there are many single CPU’s powerful enough to function well beyond the 1.00 standard.

Different Processes

The server load value is subjective because not all processes require the same resources to run. Also, some are placed in the queue at different priorities. Low priority processes will be passed by a new server request almost instantly.

The Reality of Server Load

Server load can simply be a number. In the business world, if the page is running smoothly and quickly, then the server load can be 10.00 with a single CPU, the value does not matter. The outcome is the most important aspect of this metric.

Server load is important only if users of the server are having difficulty accessing webpages. The metric is simply a visual way of comparing the current server to the industry standard. As the old saying goes, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.” This is true even in the world of servers and web hosting.

Web Hosting Security – Difference Between SSL, TLS and SSH

One of the most important aspects of web hosting security is the protocol that is used to transfer files from the web server to a visitor’s computer. This is especially true for web sites that frequently engage in eCommerce activity. Understanding the various types of web hosting security protocols can help you build discretion when selecting an FTP client or web hosting plan in the future. If you’re interested in learning more about the difference between SSL, TLS and SSH security protocols, then you may find the following information to be quite useful.

SSL Explained

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a commonly used security protocol that provides supreme privacy when transmitting data over the internet. FTP clients and web shots utilise this protocol to ensure the utmost security during sensitive site browsing activities like eCommerce shopping and online banking. SSL protocol uses symmetric cryptography to perform state-of-the-art data encryption. SSL adds extra security by automatically checking the encrypted messages for integrity before delivering them to the recipient. SSL optimizes CPU resources to facilitate expedited communication, and can be used in conjunction with the following security protocols to increase effectiveness.

TLS Explained

TLS (Transport Layer Security) utilities two main components – TLS Handshake Protocol and TLS Record Protocol. TLS protocol also uses symmetric cryptography, and like SSL checks the messages before the are sent to ensure that they are thoroughly encrypted. TLS differs from SLL because the encrypted massage can only be delivered to a third-party user after two authorized users have received the data. This adds an extra layer of security to the encryption, when used in combination with SSL, this method of encryption provides the highest level of security available to the public.

SSH Explained

SSH (Secure Shell) provides encrypted channels through which encrypted data can travel. Thus, SSH acts more as a medium for the aforementioned encryption methods than as an actual encrypting mechanism, hence the term “shell.” SSH is commonly used to send commands to a computer from a remote location. Although SSH is not the strongest encryption method, it is viable method of secure communication, and is frequently used in the web hosting industry as a standalone security precaution with some applications. Standard FTP services do not utilize Ssh technology, however SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) does utilize this technology along with the other two aforementioned security protocols.

Conclusion

Although all three of these security protocols could be used by themselves with success, most web hosting providers now utilize all three of them simultaneously in one form or another. If you’re serious about keeping your web site data safe form intruders and hackers then you’ll need to pay close attention to the technology used by your web hosting provider, especially if you’re the owner of an eCommerce business. Make sure all of your checkout pages are encrypted and have an SSL certificate. The easiest way to check if a web page is secured is to look at the first letters of the web address. If the web address begins with “HTTPS” then it is secured, however if the web page begins with “HTTP” it is not secured. Never conduct eCommerce on an unsecured web page.

Understanding Server Disaster Recovery Tactics

Disasters caused by mother nature or man can be catastrophic to the surrounding area; data centers are no exception. Although many backup storage facilities are utilized to try to prevent any data loss, it may never be enough.

It’s a Scary Thought

Organizations across the globe pay extra money to ensure their data held on servers is completely protected. Let’s face it; our whole life is now online. Social security, banking and address information, you name it. The loss of this data could be devastating to both individuals and organizations.

Preventative Measures

There are numerous techniques taken by data centers to ensure server disaster recovery. These include:

• Future planning
• Backup collocation centers
• Protect the infrastructure

Future Planning

This is the most critical aspect of data recovery. In addition to all data needing to be retained, it must be done at a rapid rate. It’s important not to overlook any applications, even those that are the smallest and you think aren’t as useful. Take a top-down look at the entire infrastructure to analyze aspects that are essential and those that are not.

The most efficient plan includes speed and overall recovery. One method for quick revival is remote data replication technology. This allows anyone to backup their files from any location. Luckily it’s become affordable to small and medium sized businesses.

Backup Collocation Centers

Many major organizations, like banks, that hold vital customer information have looked to using collocation centers to further backup their data. That way if a major disaster occurs and wipes out their primary and secondary facilities, the data can be easily removed from the third center.

Protect the Infrastructure

Although protecting the servers, storage equipment and networking gear are important, when planning for disaster recovery, the entire infrastructure should be considered. This includes backup power generators, cooling systems, backbones, a mix of server software and even the staff. Standard protection of vital equipment is important, but safeguarding the whole infrastructure is the most beneficial action.

At a time when security is at an all-time high because of natural and man-made disasters, data centers are popping up across the globe. In many cases, these are second or even third-level backup locations for major corporations that deal with vital information. In the case of a disaster, they will never lose a step. If you don’t have the data, you can’t run your business so protection is imperative.

The Power of Ecommerce Customer Reviews

eCommerce is an industry that gained popularity exponentially as customers began telling their families and friends about their experiences shopping online. In fact, this concept can be seen in any major movement or industry that has gained popularity quickly. The best way to increase the amount  of  people that visit your site, and most importantly, purchase items from your store, is to increase the amount of people that share information about your products. There are many ways to create a buzz about your site, and one of the best ways to convert visitors into sales is to incorporate the capability of customer reviews on your eCommerce site.

Using Shopping Carts for Customer Reviews

One of the best ways to get your customers to leave reviews about your products and services is to use shopping cart applications that let your customers rate and leave comments about their experience with your site. If you can provide an enjoyable shopping experience consistently then there is a good chance that you will have several positive reviews within a few weeks. Shopping cart reviews may be the best kind of reviews, as your future customers will see the previous customer reviews below the product description, and this will greatly influence their buying decision.

Using Forums for Customer Reviews

Another way to build up your client base is to enroll in online forums that are related to your industry. Not only can you subtly advertise on these forums, you can also receive good feedback from the members after you have made a couple of transactions with them. Forums are a great way to build your online presence because they are commonly indexed in search engines. When someone looks for product reviews of products you are selling there is a good chance that they could stumble upon the customer reviews on the various forums you are a member of. Forums are some of the most powerful social tools on the internet because they are communities that greatly influence the opinions of their users.

Using Directories for Customer Reviews

There are also a lot of shopping and business directories online that list online stores and document the reviews of previous customers. For example, the Google Shopping directory lists the reviews of products that are searched for by search engine users. When you execute a search for a particular product in Google the results that are returned may contain shopping results form various stores on the internet. Usually the stores that appear are the ones with the lowest prices or the most customer reviews. By ensuring that your site is listed in these directories you can maximize your chances of having your customers leave reviews on these sites for other future customers to see.

Customer reviews are definitely one of the primary deciding factors for many online shoppers. The internet is a massive community, and many people are afraid to be a guinea pig for any purchase. By having customer reviews online you can increase you customer’s confidence and increase the overall amount of sales you are bale to make.