The Basics Of Web Server Security

Web server security is an ever evolving issue.  Everyday new and improved attacks are being leveraged against major web servers causing it managers to scramble and find a solution. As new technologies emerge, the internet hacker will always find a way to break through anything thrown at them. If time has shown us anything, it’s that web developers will always need to be very aware of security issues on their servers.

Extra Services

One area of major concern to a web developer is unnecessary services. Running extra and unnecessary services on a server creates a possible security problem. Default operating system installations are not very secure and typically these operating system will turn on a large variety of services that aren’t really needed. The more services that are left open, the more likely a hacker will find a hole in the server’s security.

Remote Access

Remote access is becoming more and more popular for web administrators, as it allows virtual constant access to the server machine. However, this does increase the risk for security threats to the server. Whenever possible a web administrator should log on to the machine locally. Remote access should be limited in use as well as in depth. Whenever possible, if using remote access, limit the number of IP addresses that are allowed to use it. This will help to harden some of the security for the server.

Patches

All updates to security should be installed immediately. Often web administrators put this off because it requires some time and effort to get the server patched, restarted and back online.  Generally speaking patches come out because a security hole has been identified. When the patch is released that hole becomes public knowledge. You are putting yourself at an unnecessary risk by putting of installing patches to the operating system. These patches should be installed at the first available opportunity.

Monitor the Server

Its good practice to take a regular look at the server access logs. If you’re running a database program you should look at those two. These logs will help to identify any possible malicious attempt to access the system. With this information you can block ports or IP addresses that seem problematic. This helps to further harden the security of the web server.

User Accounts

Never under any circumstance use the default accounts. Quickly change the passwords for all the default accounts on the server. Leaving the default accounts can increase the servers chances of an attack. Be sure you rename the built in administrator accounts too.

Server security is a major issue on the internet these days. Take caution and spend a bit of time hardening the security for your web server. Monitor the traffic and logs on a regular basis and quickly identify and take care of any possible threats.  By doing so, you will greatly reduce the likely hood of attack.

Reseller Hosting – Building a Hosting Site vs. Building a Client Base

Reseller hosting is essentially the wholesale/drop shipping sector of the web hosting industry, giving you the ability to purchase server resources at low prices, rebrand them, and then resell them for a generous monthly profit. These plans include all of the tools needed to create your own hosting web site, market it, brand your customer’s control panels and establish your own successful hosting business.

Unfortunately, most resellers are using a set formula to build their sites with templates and are having a hard time standing out from the crowd. The main issue resellers have is trying to compete with larger hosting companies in terms of price. Without a bit of creativity and marketing savvy, this roadblock often proves to be the stumbling block of many novice resellers. Fortunately, there is a way to compete in the web hosting market, however first you must decide whether you are going to focus on building a site and marketing it, or personally soliciting a client base via online communication.

Complacency vs Aggressive Marketing

So, you’ve decided to begin marketing your hosting business, but you are not sure which route to take. Most novices start by taking their free advertising coupons and starting a PPC campaign with little to no success, while other begin trying to compete with massive web hosting companies in the search engines. Obviously, both of these paths will take a lot of hard work, and maybe even a miracle. However, if you think outside the box and are not complacent about the growth of your hosting business you’ll have a lot more success.

Rather than waiting for the clients to come to you, consider joining a web hosting forum. Become an active member and offer other members discounts while using the forums to advertise your services as a new hosting provider. Try brokering other services and combining your hosting plans with these services to broaden your client bas into other internet -based industries. Using this mindset you can begin building a client base rather than just building a web site.

Build The Site First

Some people would misconstrue the above advice as to say that a web site is not needed for a successful hosting business. While it is possible for you to build a large client base without a site if you offer other web-based services, the fact is you cannot maximize your profits without your own web site. If you want to increase your visibility and professionalism, you need to design a web site that you can link prospective clients to when they are curious about what you have to offer. The majority of webmasters simply will not purchase a hosting plan form you if you do not have a professional site set up. Thu, your first step should always be creating a useful web site before beginning your marketing endeavors, regardless of your marketing approach or strategy.

Offering Referrals

The main advantage that the larger hosting companies have over you is that they do not really need to try to solicit new clients – whereas you have to put forth a concerted effort to do so. Thus, you must personalize your services and create relationships with your client  base. Offer them discounts on their monthly hosting costs if they refer people to using your hosting services, and consider setting up a multi-tiered referral system that will encourage your clients to promote your hosting business for you.

Maintaining Redundancy at a Colocation Facility

Colocation facilities are buildings that house the networking equipment of a business that can choose to have the facility manage the servers or they can monitor it themselves. Unfortunately if the facilities are inadequate, the result is damaged equipment and downtime which leads to lost business. The best features of a colocation facility are redundancy and capacity.

An Overview of Redundancy

Redundancy is the ability of a system to distribute the load from a failed system across the remaining pieces of equipment without any performance issues or overload. One major issue with colocation facilities is there is no industry standard, regulations or rankings. As a result, it is often difficult to detect the quality of the redundancy systems.

Redundancy Calculation

Redundancy can be calculated with the formula n+1 which indicates that a system is meeting its optimal capacity plus one unit. For instance, if two UPSs are in the overall power system, each should be running at 50 percent to balance the load. If one fails, the other system can maintain the load. If there are three UPSs then each manages 33 percent of the load and if one fails, they each handle half of the third.

In an ideal situation at a colocation facility, systems will be paralyzing redundant with many units running at the n+1 setting with each unit being able to manage the remaining load if all other systems fail.

Powering Redundant Servers

The most important aspect of redundant servers is power. Without it, the equipment will not work thus creating downtime. Power outages can stop the cooling systems (potentially resulting in equipment damage), fire suppressant systems and Internet connections which can be disastrous for the customer.

How to Maintain Redundancy

To maintain redundancy at the server level it is important to keep the colocation facility powered with generators in case of an outage, ensure the generators can handle a large power load and inspect circuit breakers and switches regularly. Switches tend to be the most common point of failure.

The basic premise is that colocation facilities should have backups of everything; backup and redundant servers, backup generators, backup of the backup generators, backup cooling and backup Internet connections. Although it may seem excessive, the clients that rely on these facilities to operate their business expect the best and close to 100 percent uptime. Maintain redundancy at a colocation facility takes a great deal of work to be secure.

Electronic Payment Processing: The Key to a Successful Business

Electronic payment processing is a must for any up and coming small business owner. Today’s ecommerce business’s viability is directly related to its ability to stay on top of technological trends. Almost every business accepts online payments. Because of this, any new small business that wants to be successful needs to as well.

Do the Research

To accept electronic payments, a business must have a merchant account as well as a payment gateway.  When looking for a company to do business with, it is important to spend some quality time doing the research.  Every company has a different set of fees associated with service. Don’t be fooled into thinking the lowest fee is the best. Often times, these budget merchant accounts give out budget service. Look for reputable companies with good track records.

Encrypt the Transmission

An added cost associated with electronic payment processing is encryption. Almost all credit card companies, as well as the merchant account companies, require the transmission of sensitive financial information to be encrypted.  This is an added expense that requires a business owner to purchase a security certificate, which has to be installed on the web hosting server to encrypt and protect the transmission of credit card information during the payment process. These fees can range from 50-300 dollars annually depending on the business owner’s needs.

The Dangers of Reoccurring Billing

A lot of small business owners may need to establish reoccurring, or monthly, billing for their customers. This can make the electronic payment processing system a bit more complicated, and it can narrow down the field of available merchant account vendors that can be used.  The business owner must decide if they are going to store the sensitive data themselves, or if a third party will. Often times, storing financial data can be so technical and expensive, that it is much cheaper to have a third party do it. A lot of merchant account and payment gateway companies can and do store financial information for reoccurring billing for a small fee.

Summary

Regardless of the reason, electronic payment processing is a necessary step for an up and coming small business. Just be sure to pay close attention to all the details of any agreements you accept.  It’s also a good idea to look for and ask for any and all documentation, governing fees and rates to include penalties and charge backs.

Considerations for Your Company before Hiring an Experienced SEO Professional

Search engine optimization (or optimizers), more commonly known as SEO, is a unique way to promote a website through web search results.  Most websites are concerned about their visibility to potential clients and strive to maximize their exposure through whatever marketing means available.

To some, hiring an SEO may seem like the ideal situation.  The main function of SEO is to increase all aspects of visibility for your company’s website through various search methods such as local, video and image searches.  However, there are a few items to keep in mind before hiring a SEO for your website.

Reputable SEOs

One of the biggest concerns any website owner should have when hiring an SEO is the reputation of said SEO.  A website has to allow a SEO access to their HTML and server to allow them to complete their work.  It’s essential that the SEO is forthcoming with all information regarding website changes to their client.

If a SEO seems reluctant to discuss specific changes or doesn’t want to answer questions directly, this can be a clear indication that the SEO is not reputable.  In fact, some disreputable SEOs have caused websites to fail by redirecting ‘surfers’ to competitor’s websites through ‘bad’ links.  In addition to potentially sabotaging your website, you’re responsible for any actions committed by a company working for you.  This means you could be held liable for a disreputable SEO’s actions.  This is definitely a buyer beware market.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Ask yourself: Are you trying to increase web presence?  Do you want to branch out from traditional search engine hits?  It’s imperative that the SEO match (or as closely as possible) your vision and the SEO will work with you to make the vision a reality.

You should interview any potential SEOs for your company and have questions prepared for potential candidates.  These can range from questions about experience to asking for client testimonials or recommendations.  Beware of any company that approaches you about becoming your SEO because these are normally scammers.

Timing is Essential

If you are considering hiring a SEO, you should also consider the timing of the hire.  A SEO can help you create a website from the beginning by adding key phrases, tags, and links upon creation of your site.  This is the perfect time to have a SEO onboard.

Another optimum time to hire a SEO is at the beginning of a ‘remodel’ of an existing site or when launching a new site that is a spin-off of the main site.  Even if your company isn’t at either time, a SEO can still benefit your website.

You alone should make the decision to hire a SEO or do it on your own. If you choose to hire a SEO, now you know a few of the items to consider before hiring.

Linux Hosting – From Corporation to Consumer

Every web site on the internet is hosted on a web server that is managed through the use of an operating system, similar to how you control your computer through the operating system. This aspect of web hosting is quite often overlooked, and a lot of novice webmasters don’t even know what kind of operating system their hosting plan uses. Nowadays, if you don’t know what operating system your hosting plan uses, there is a very good chance that it runs on Linux. This is because the Linux operating system is the default choice for nearly every web hosting provider.

The cheapest and most reliable web hosting plans usually have Linux as their operating system because it is a free open source software that is easy to service and install. However, Linux wasn’t always so convenient or popular, and at one point it was only used by corporations with IT departments and in-house residents. Over the years, Linux developed into many flavors that are friendly to even the most novice user. The following are some of the most cited reasons for using Linux hosting instead of Windows.

Open Source Compatibility

As an open source software, Linux is compatible with virtually any programming platform other than those that are native to Windows or Microsoft technology. Some of the programming languages that Linux is compatible with that are incredibly popular are the three Ps -  PHP, Perl and Python. Since the operating system is open source, new programming languages can be developed around the Linux base to ensure future compatibility, and existing languages can be amended to accommodate the Linux software. This allows hosting companies to provide instant support and continue expanding their technological capabilities within an open source platform. With a Windows server, hosting companies have to wait on updates from Microsoft, and they cannot add custom developments to the operating system.

Stability and Security

Surprisingly, even though the operating system is free, it is generally much more reliable than the Windows operating system because anyone can perform maintenance on the software without waiting for the operating systems manufacturer. This makes Linux a stable solution that can be maintained by anyone with the knowledge and willpower to do so. Linux is also one of the most secure operating systems, which is another reason why so many people use it for web hosting in an industry which security is of the utmost concern. The Linux operating system effectively keeps your web site free from worms, intrusion and third party viruses that can compromise the safety of your online business. This reliable protection minimizes downtime and keeps your site up and running without any problems more than 99.9 percent of the time.

Limited Limitations

The Linux operating system is not without its limitations however, as it is not compatible with some Microsoft based software that are commonly used by bigger businesses. For example, Microsoft Sharepoint could not be installed on a Linux server without virtualization software. Fortunately, if you’re experienced enough, you can install a visualization software and urn Windows within the Linux operating system, completely eliminating such limitations. Thus, there are very few limitations within the Linux operating system, and it is easy to see why it has progressed from a private to a public solution in the past two decades.

How Content Management Systems affect Web Designers

Content Management Systems (CMS) are growing extensively around the internet. They allow a vast amount of storage with the addition of tremendous functionality and customization. CMS is the next step in separating design from structure. The system began with cascading style sheets (CSS) and advanced further as a result of XML. In the years ahead billions of dollars are expected to be spent on the implementation of CMS into businesses.

Excellent Customization

A CMS are available in small or large and simple or complicated depending on business need. The price runs from very expensive (in the millions) to free with open-source CMS. Regardless, they are all based on the idea that content management allows web designers to focus on design. In the meantime, subject professionals built in a completely separate environment. The server then acquires the content, inserts it into a template and transfers it to the user.

CMS Workflow

The typical content management workflow by a web design consists of a designer creating something in whatever environment they feel comfortable with. Once the wrinkles are ironed out, it is sent to the server. If there are issues, notes are sent back in the content management environment. Concurrently, on the content side, the same process occurs. In the end, there are strict controls to prevent issues and ensure it goes to the server.

Web Designers and Content Experts

Designers are given the freedom to specialize within the content management environment. As content professionals add websites in a WYSIWYG platform, designers do what they do best: design. Content experts can add the content in a simplified manner, not using FrontPage or other website creation programs.

The good news for designers is content management systems remove most of the non-design tasks found in the standard process. Designers spend their time building templates building templates for various parts of the website. Due to the template-based environment of a CMS, changes can be made and seen by end-users almost instantly. All changes go through the typical workflow process and end in a publishing.

Content Management Systems were built to make everyone’s lives easier. Designers and content experts now have the ability to focus on their specialization and not have to concern themselves with non-value added tasks. This increases productivity while releasing various websites in a timely fashion. As content management systems become easier to use, the result will be an improved experience by the end user.

Domain Names for Your Small Business

The Internet is the ultimate gateway to the world of available sales and marketing.  Small business owners now have the same ability to compete with their larger competitors like never before by simply maintaining a strong web presence and registering a memorable domain name.

Many online users may not realize it; however, access to the Internet is gained and controlled primarily by domain names.  As a small business owner, once you’ve developed a functioning and effective website, in order to reach the public you must use a domain name.

Domain Name Extensions

Most domain names are directly related to the company, product, service or purpose of the website. It’s intentional, as not only do you want your domain name to be recognizable to you, but also your customers.  Depending on the type of company you operate helps in determining part of the domain’s name.  Most companies will have a domain name that ends in with the .com extension.  Others may include: .gov, .net, or .org.  Regardless of the extension, the domain name should be used on all distributed company advertising material.

Before you secure a domain name for your company, you should first give it some careful thought.  You want something that’s easy to remember. Companies should consider a domain name that’s easy to spell, fresh and catchy.  If you’ll notice, most large websites have a single word domain name.  Remember you’ll be responsible for reciting it to customers, possibly over the phone, so complicated names can become tedious, and customers grow frustrated when they can’t access your website.

Domain Name Marketing

Once you have your domain name, then you must incorporate it into your marketing.  The website is only as useful as the traffic it generates to a specific site. Your website design should also include online marketing features such as tags for search engines, listed domain name(s), as well as key phrases designed by you or your SEO guru team.  To increase market saturation, you can advertise with search engines, networking sites, or any related websites.

As a small business owner, you may also opt to utilize your domain name in your existing advertising material. Business cards, letterhead, flyers, radio and television are all great marketing mediums to assist individuals with domain name recognition.  Once your domain name has a reputable and established recognition, online visitors will quickly begin trickling into your website.

A domain name is a relatively small investment, especially when compared to other marketing techniques.  Domain name’s on average cost less per year than a direct mail campaign reaching 2000 people.  The domain name will last longer, and have the greatest potential to reach more people.  As with all marketing, it’s about getting your company’s name visible.  Domain names are the quickest and easiest way to reach online customers. You can also link multiple domain names to one website, which increases name recognition, or serves multiple markets.

Domain names are the link between your small business’ website and your customers, so choose wisely and advertise competitively!

Cancel the Phone – It May be Time to Move Customer Support to Chat

If you are an online business owner you’ve, no doubt, jumped into the world of ecommerce.  Ecommerce has sparked such a revolution that four out of five businesses have online stores. The idea is that the product and the store are available all the time, unlike a traditional brick and mortar store. But how does this affect customer support?

The Old Method

A lot of individuals feel left in the dark with modern customer support. Phone trees and automated phone lines make reaching a real person seem like a fairy tale. Constant cut backs in budget have forced most companies to cut back on telephone support. This, in turn, has left a lot of customers in the dark.  Most of these efforts make customers feel like money more than people. Modern customers also don’t wait nearly as long for help as customers years ago. The world, as a whole, has grown to a “want it and want it now” mentality. However, a really good alternative is live support help chat.

Live Support Chat Advantages

Live support chat has many advantages. One of these is that the customer no longer has to play with the phone tree or deal with the automated hotline. Most customers that had to cope with these old fashioned ways would give up and end up not buying the products at all.

Online support chat is cheaper than traditional telephone systems and in most cases one person can carry on multiple chat support sessions at one time.  It can also help to promote sales. Support technicians can pitch customers on new and upcoming products from the company, while assisting them. This, coupled with almost instant problem-solver to help save time, makes most customers rate the experience very high.

Out of the Box

There are a lot of out of the box solutions for online chat support. Some of them are even free, making this an invaluable tool for the current business market.  One key feature to look for is automatic responses. Good customer support chat software will automatically respond to an incoming chat. This alleviates the need for the support technician to always type in the welcome statement.

If you find yourself struggling to make customer support work, consider online support chat. It’s cheaper than traditional phone lines and phone support. It also has a much more positive review from the customer base.  This, together with the fact that one technician can handle more than one customer at a time, makes customer support chat an invaluable tool for your business.

Hosting on a Budget: Discount Web Hosts

When looking for a web host to provide service for your website needs, it’s easy to become overwhelmed comparing plan structures and prices.  It’s even more of a challenge to get the most bang for your buck, especially on a tight budget.  In order for you to make a cost-conscious decision, yet still ensure that you get the essential services you need, assess your website needs to secure a discount web host to meet your online demands.

What is Discount Web Hosting?

For thrifty entrepreneurs in search of an affordable web hosting service, many opt for a discount web hosting service.  A discount web host is one that costs less than $10 per month.  While it’s a fact that a discount host is limited in overall control and flexibility, however, for novices testing the waters of e-commerce or other online professional endeavors operating on a limited budget, discount web hosts are often the perfect solution.  Usually, discount web hosts are between the price ranges of $4 – $10 per month, and offers Window and Linux plans.  The price increases with the demand for additional disk space and bandwidth needs.

What to Consider?

In addition to your website needs and budget, there are other factors to be taken into consideration before opting for a discount host.   Keep in mind the potential for growth of your online venture.  If you anticipate it to grow significantly within a year, then a discount host may not be the best option because there are limitations to site expansion.  Also, read the small print in the service agreement for any hidden applicable fees.  If you still have questions, contact customer support for answers to your questions.

Top Discount Hosts

Although there are numerous discount hosts, there are some that stand out from others including:

• Yahoo! Web Hosting.  Not only is Yahoo! the leading global Internet brand and leading global business service, but it’s also the leading international supplier of web hosting needs for both online ventures and professional websites.  Yahoo! Web Hosting offers large amounts of disk space and data transfer, however, the easy-to-use software allows users with no prior experience to build a professional-looking website using SiteBuilder 2.0.  In addition, packages come complete with an e-mail management function including virus and spam protection with many available e-mail addresses.

• 1&1 Web Hosting, the world’s largest web host with 8 million customer contracts tops the list at a close second.  The host’s success is due in large part to the $25 million the company recently invested in their data center.  The company also is preceded by its reputation; known for offering attractive products and prices as well as being reliable in providing “uncomplicated service.”  Packages start at $10.

Ascertaining The Value of a Domain Name

A common trend in the modern internet is something called Domain flipping.  Domain names can carry incredible worth. They convey everything from what a company represents, to a niche. This makes a good domain name invaluable. Many times, people don’t really take the time to choose a proper domain name and this works to the advantage of those who do.

Domain Worth 1: Traffic Is Key

One of the key selling points for a domain is the residual traffic it produces. A good domain has links spread out through the internet and this results in a steady flow of traffic to the site. This traffic is one of the main elements that make a domain worth money. Traffic is essentially potential leads either for advertising, promoting or even selling your product.

Domain Worth 2: SEO Rankings

If the average person can’t find your site, they can’t find your product. A domain with good worth will have respectable search engine rankings for its particular niche and keywords. Usually a first page hit for a particular group of keywords is ideal.  The exact spot isn’t as important as the actually occurrence on the 1^st page.

Domain Worth 3: Production

Domain worth is also calculated on conversions for advertisement. Just about every website on the planet is an affiliate for someone. Everyone advertises, either through Google ads or a pay-per-click network. This means worth can be determined as a ratio of traffic produced to advertisement conversions. Some sites like ESPN are known to produce thousands of dollars a day in advertisement perks alone.  While this is hard to estimate, a good rule of thumb is that about 10% convert to leads for advertisers.

How to Buy

Determining the worth of a domain can be very tricky. Of course, this causes purchasing the domain to be difficult. Make sure you review the steps above to have a better idea for its worth. To start, ask for traffic logs and look up the rankings for its keywords. Some domain flippers will even give you conversion logs so you can see just how much money the domain produces in advertisements.

If you don’t want to wait for search engines to recognize you, buying a domain might be a beneficial option. Just make sure you spend enough time researching the domain before you put in an offer.