Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » branding http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:48:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Customizing Control Panels to Boost Reseller Incomehttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/02/14/customizing-control-panels-to-boost-reseller-income/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/02/14/customizing-control-panels-to-boost-reseller-income/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:13:14 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1410 Reseller web hosting plans include all of the necessary tools and resources to build, maintain, and market a successful web hosting business. This unique type of hosting provides server resources at wholesale cost, which can be split up and allocated to clients by the reseller in various sized plans for maximum profits. A crucial aspect of soliciting new customers is setting yourself apart from your provider and other competition within the web hosting industry. Most people do not want to purchase web hosting from a reseller knowingly, as they feel that they are purchasing a service of less value for the price because the sale is being mediated by a party that is basically collecting a commission. Thus, it is imperative to set yourself apart from your provider and other web hosting companies in the industry by utilizing branding, unique web hosting plans, a professional web hosting site, and customized control panels that accommodate the specific needs of your clients.

Control Panel Branding

The control panel is the main interface that your clients will interact with when they log in to their web hosting account. Thus, it is important to make sure they are satisfied with the overall appearance and functionality of this administrative tool. Fortunately, you can enhance the professionalism of your web hosting business by branding your control panel with a custom logo. When your web hosting customers log into the control panel, they’ll see your company logo in the top corner, giving them even more confidence to continue using your hosting service, and conduct other business with you in the future as well. Something as simple as this logo can significantly heighten client morale, and may be all that is needed to separate your business from the rest.

Choosing the Best Control Panel

Although the majority of web hosting providers include a specific control panel with each of their reseller hosting plans, some plans give you the freedom to install any control panel you’d like for your clients. Plus, you have the option of either adding additional functionality to the existing control panel offered by the reseller hosting provider, or you can install a new control panel that is a more enterprise-level solution than the conventional control panels such as cPanel. Since most control panels are open source applications, they can be expanded upon and improved by developers to create a custom solution for your clients based on an industry-standard platform.

Customizing and Improving the Control Panel

Providing your customers with detailed video tutorials and instructions on how to utilize all of the modules within their control panel is also an important step in setting your web hosting business apart from the competition. Make sure the control panel includes a simple installation utility such as SimpleScripts, in order to facilitate the process of installing scripts such as content management systems and site builders on your clients’ websites. As a reseller you have the ability to allocate a specific amount of server resources to each control panel interface, so it is important to ensure that every client is given all of the basic necessities to accommodate their level of online business.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/02/14/customizing-control-panels-to-boost-reseller-income/feed/ 1 How to Pick the Right Domain Name Extensionhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/09/07/how-to-pick-the-right-domain-name-extension/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/09/07/how-to-pick-the-right-domain-name-extension/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:02:03 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1094 Choosing the right domain name extension is usually a very simple task for most people, as many webmasters tend to stick to .com domains, as they are the most popular. However, this may not always be the best decision, especially if you want your domain name to represent your web site as best as possible. Choosing a domain name extension requires knowledge on the purpose of each domain name extension and how they’re meant to be used. Granted, most people do not adhere to the true meaning of a domain extension, it is still best to have the right domain extension for your site, especially if you want it to represent your business or organization properly.

The Meaning of Domain Extensions

There are currently over 200 different domain extensions available, most of which are country or region specific domain TLDs. A .com domain is to be used to represent a commercial web site, which mean that you will be profiting from the site, although most sites have the .com extension for no apparent reason. .CO stands for company or corporation, .Biz stands for business, .org stands for organization, .net stands for network, .me is usually used for personal web sites, and .info is used for informational sites.

These are the main types of domain extensions, and most people tend to choose one of these for no other reason than personal preference. It is important to note that you are not required to have a specific type of web site for any domain extension, which is why so many sites use the wrong type of domain extension. Ultimately, the type of domain extension you use will be left up to your personal preference and needs. If you’re particular about doing things the right way then you may want to consider the following information about purchasing more than one domain name to ensure the safety of your site’s traffic.

Purchasing More Than One Extension

A lot of people decide to purchase more than one domain extension for their site or online business. This allows them to own multiple web sites that have the same branding or recognition. It also keeps competitors from purchasing web sites that are extremely similar to yours, in an attempt to steal some of your popularity and web traffic. For example, if you own a web site entitled “examplesite.org” then it may be wise to purchase the .com version of this domain as well. Fortunately, most domain registrars sell packages of domain names that include several domain extensions for a discount price. For example, it is possible to purchase the .com, .org, .net and .info version of a domain in a single low cost package.

Conclusion

Although it is possible to choose any domain extension you’d like for your web sites, ideally it is more professional to use the proper domain extension. A .com extension used to represent a site that is promoting a non-profit organization would not make much sense, and it would send the wrong message to more knowledgeable visitors.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/09/07/how-to-pick-the-right-domain-name-extension/feed/ 1 Best Methods for Generating YouTube Traffichttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/04/27/best-methods-for-generating-youtube-traffic/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/04/27/best-methods-for-generating-youtube-traffic/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:21:31 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=869 Social media has become one of the best advertising mediums. With millions of users on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and YouTube, this is prime advertising real estate. YouTube is an entertaining site that now offers more than just interesting videos.

Utilizing YouTube’s power to generate traffic to your site and potentially convert that traffic into sales is becoming a mainstream idea. The following are a few tips to acquire additional traffic and promote products utilizing YouTube. These pointers include:

  • Posting viral videos
  • Posting quality videos
  • Including your website logo in the videos
  • Video promotion
  • Make videos search-friendly
  • Create an intriguing profile

Viral videos are useful videos that appeal to large groups of people. If you create a video that becomes viral, others will promote the video for you by word of mouth. This allows anything in the video to be seen and accessed by potentially millions of users.

Unfortunately there are many low quality videos available on YouTube. By posting videos of high quality, you are separating yourself from the pack. Viewers don’t like lower quality videos so they will skip over those not conforming to their viewing taste.

Including your website logo or actual web address in the videos is the best promotional tip to generate traffic because it creates branding. Its best to place the logo and URL throughout the video for extended exposure.

Once this is all achieved, promoting the video to gain viewership is the next step. Its unrealistic to just assume that any video created will become viral. Step up and start promoting in blogs, forums, content mills, email links, or other high trafficked web sites.

Furthermore, allow viewers to be able to easily find your video on both YouTube and search engines. To make the video search-friendly, simply include major keywords in both the title and descriptions and pay close attention to tags.

The final tip is while you’re creating and promoting the video, craft an interesting and intriguing profile. This allows viewers to learn more about you. If they read a boring profile, they won’t want to view your content any further.

YouTube and other forms of social media are a gold mine for advertising and generating free traffic. Although there are many videos displaying websites and many advertisements on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace, this is still an untapped, highly resourceful market.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/04/27/best-methods-for-generating-youtube-traffic/feed/ 0 The Power of Branding: What’s in a Name?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/28/the-power-of-branding-whats-in-a-name/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/28/the-power-of-branding-whats-in-a-name/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:52:17 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=727 Acquiring a good domain name nowadays can be very difficult, as it seems like all of the good names have been taken. In the beginning of the domain name game, you could acquire any name you wanted without failure, now as corporations buy domains by the thousands it has become nearly impossible to find a name that will suit your business perfectly. However, it is important not to give up on your search for the perfect domain name. The name of your website will be your online brand. Having a memorable and authoritative brand is very important because it will give you a presence in your niche.

Building an Online Reputation Through Branding

You may think that the name of your website does not matter, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. Even the best search engine optimization experts on the planet cannot give you what a good domain name can. The first thing people will mention when they talk about your website is the domain name. With countless millions of websites online, it is very important to have a name that is simple to remember.

Every domain name is completely unique, therefore it can be seen as your online fingerprint. The entire identity of your online business will be decided primarily by your domain name. Simply having a good domain name will make your site appear to be more credible, and it can even make the search engines favor your site more, depending upon what keywords your domain names contain.

Finding The Right Domain Name

Thousands of domains are purchased each day, and every moment you let pass without purchasing your dream domain, is another opportunity for your competition to purchase it first. Some individuals and companies purchase domain names by the hundreds just to turn around and sell them for ridiculous prices to people that need them in the future. If these companies can make a living off of finding good domain names, then surely you can find just one to represent your online business!

Finding the right name can be a very difficult process, but before you resort to paying an exuberant amount of cash to retrieve your desired domain name, you should consider your options. If you lack in the creativity department you could use a domain name generator software that will automatically generate concepts for you. You could also enlist the help of freelancers. There are many creative minds online in forum communities that would be willing to lend a helping hand for just a few extra dollars You could hold a contest in one of these forums and specify what you are looking for in a domain name. This is a good way to brainstorm with other people from all walks of life.

Don’t Hesitate

If you have an idea for a domain name now, then I would strongly suggest that you purchase it now before someone else does. You never know when the domain name will no longer be available.

Your domain name is a very important part of your online business, in fact without a memorable name your entire business could fail based on this factor alone! Remember this the next time someone asks you “What’s in a name?” Give them this answer: “Success!”

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/28/the-power-of-branding-whats-in-a-name/feed/ 2 Incorporating SEM and SMM into Your Marketing Campaignhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/21/incorporating-sem-and-smm-into-your-marketing-campaign/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/21/incorporating-sem-and-smm-into-your-marketing-campaign/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:36:43 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=485 Webmasters are increasingly integrating SMM (social media marketing) right alongside their SEM campaigns.  This has become a very feasible practice due to the prevalence of next generation web technologies and social networking.  Let’s take a closer look to find out how an SMM campaign can be effectively incorporated into your search engine marketing strategy.

SEO Outside of the Box

Search engine optimization has long been viewed as the most affordable way to boost rankings, increase traffic and sales.  However, this crucial SEM technique has been heavily underrated in its ability to aid in traditional public relations efforts.  This method can be used to harness the power of press releases, online news rooms and article syndication to encourage organic search engine rankings.  For example, by incorporating URLs or tracking codes into a press release, an SEO campaign can be easily transferred into a vehicle that prompts direct responses while optimizing at the same time.

SMM Avenues

Though SMM is still coming into its own, it is quickly evolving into a popular method and effective component worthy of SEM.  With MySpace and Facebook pages now showing up frequently in search engine results, SEM experts can no longer deny the impact of social media and social networking platforms.  SMM can deliver a wealth of benefits when integrated correctly, including branding.  In addition, popular content syndication sites such as YouTube and Flickr provide opportunities for distributing an organization’s media assets to a larger and much more diverse audience.  The same can be done with traditional content through blog and micro-blogging platforms such as Plurk and Twitter. SMM extends its benefits in so many ways as social networking sites are quite effective for ORM (online reputation management) at the very least.

A Measure of Success

Choosing the right metrics tool is key for measuring the overall efficiency of integrating SMM into your marketing scheme.  The vehicle you choose will help you more precisely gauge your audience and set benchmarks as well.  Traditional media often depends on surveys and focus groups to gather insight on the effectiveness of an add or campaign.  For online marketing, web analytics tools and services have proven to be far more accurate and affordable.  The market for online measurement solutions is growing rapidly, now offering common services that include comprehensive details of search engine visibility, PPC impressions, and most importantly, conversions.  In this model, conversions may consist of sign ups, downloads, lead generation and sales.  It may also include offline activities such as leads tracked via toll-free phone, website address or promotional code.

Marketing Wrap-up

As it relates to SEM and SMM, integrated marketing calls for a company to take advantage of its existing assets and enhance its web presence through increased exposure, leads and sales.   There are many benefits to be reaped when grabbing hold of the two methods and utilizing them effectively.  In the end, this could be the one merger your business needs to climb to the top of the pile and stay there.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/21/incorporating-sem-and-smm-into-your-marketing-campaign/feed/ 0 Control Panel Customization with RVSkinhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/21/control-panel-customization-with-rvskin/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/21/control-panel-customization-with-rvskin/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 15:48:02 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=342 The highly customizable nature of cPanel gives it many advantages over other control panels.  Boasting ease of use and a rich set of features, cPanel offers benefits that can be extended to hosting providers, resellers and end-users alike.  One of its most underrated features is RVSkin, a unique third-party program that adds new meaning to customization.

What is RVSkin?

RVSkin is a popular add-on made to function with the cPanel and WHM software.  This multi-theme, multi-language tool comes packed with some amazing features and a user-friendliness that coincides perfectly with  the leading web hosting control panel.  RVSkin currently supports over 20 languages including English, Dutch, French, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Italian to name a few.  What many like about the software is that it allows you to easily brand your cPanel skin in a matter of minutes.  As a reseller, you can incorporate logos, links to your company website and more.

RVSkin Key Features

RVSkin is integrated with numerous features.  Some of the most noteworthy  include:

Themes: RVSkin gives you a selection of 14 themes for customizing your control panel. Furthermore, these themes can be modified by the reseller and end-user within their version of the control panel.

Reseller Tool: The reseller features in RVSkin gives server administrators the ability to decide what features are available in their clients’ control panels.  If you don’t want your resellers providing features such as shopping carts and databases, they can be easily disabled and made invisible to the user.  You can also control what level of RVSkin access resellers enjoy.

Skin Editor: Branding your skin is made easy with the Skin Editor.  Server administrators and resellers can control the look of client control panels with customization that drives the brand name home.  Aside from inserting links to your site, you can also customize the skin with links to your support department or any other areas who want customers to have direct access to.

Page Editor: The Page Editor feature allows you to easily create pages in many different languages within RVSkin.  It offers full support for HTML programming as well PHP and Python.  Once your pages have been created, they can then be added to the skin using the Add Body Links function, which lets you exclude pages from the certain packages or allocate them to different language settings.

Marketing Tools: RVSkin is integrated with a number of tools that can help hosting providers and resellers increase their revenue.  In a few easy clicks, you can make configurations that provide your customers with the content they need to view certain information or place orders all from their control panel.

Third-Party Integration – One of the best things about RVSkin is that works seamlessly with various add-ons.  The software can be fully integrated with popular third-party applications such as Modernbill, CPSkins Auto Installer and Fantastico.

RVSkin Availability

Not every company provides RVSkin to their customers.  However, every host and reseller that utilizes cPanel has the ability to do so.   This powerful customization tool is admired for its ease of use and often preferred over similar applications such as X Skins and others that come standard with cPanel.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/21/control-panel-customization-with-rvskin/feed/ 0 E-commerce Hosting and Web 2.0http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/30/e-commerce-hosting-and-web-20/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/30/e-commerce-hosting-and-web-20/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:39:29 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=311 The phenomenon that is Web 2.0 has made its mark, originating in social networking platforms and evolving through traditional business applications.  Because it has become more widespread, web hosting providers are increasingly customizing their offerings to meet the demands of this trend.  This allows customers to benefit from a dynamic set of features that enable websites to thrive in the world of Web 2.0.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 can be described as a trend that revolves around using interactive, community-driven sites to promote the sharing of information, networking and other forms of collaboration among users.  Some of the most common examples of this activity are blogs and wikis along with social bookmarking sites like Digg and Reddit.  Thanks to Web 2.0, the customers are now able to interact with the business and actually play a significant role in the company’s successes.  This new wave of web interaction is quickly replacing the dull, static website of past times.  These days, users can interact with the website content and get involved in ways that were not possible before.  By allowing the customers to play an active role, your business will gain trust, popularity and most importantly, credibility in the eyes of your audience.  The web has changed and this is now one of the essential keys to succeeding.

You may be familiar with Web 2.0 and not even realize it.  In fact, popular sites like eBay and Facebook are perfect examples.  Ebay has its detailed feedback report while Facebook offers many web-based applications that allow profile users to get hands-on with the site.   These large, dynamic websites are powered by e-commerce hosting services, thriving off the same features and administrative tools that can be used to bridge the gap between you and your customers.

The Role of E-commerce Hosting

Here are some of the Web 2.0 features you will find in an e-commerce hosting solution:

Free Blogging Applications – Blogs can be considered as some of the Web 2.0 pioneers and many web hosting providers offer these applications free of charge.  WordPress is one of several blogging programs that functions well in the business environment.  These platforms are generally easy to use and very friendly in the eyes of the search engines.

Multimedia Support – Internet gurus are raving about how effective video marketing has become.  With support for multimedia technologies such as Flash and Silverlight, you can incorporate rich features that enhance the experience for your visitors.

Social Networking Tools – Social networking is the core of Web 2.0.  E-commerce hosting features such as chat scripts and bulletin boards will give you the power to create a community environment that makes your site the place to be.

Why Jump on the Bandwagon?

The internet is driven by Web 2.0 and if you don’t catch on, your business could get left behind.  Many have found that this is the most effective way to establish and strengthen brand recognition and keep existing customers around as well.  There are many ways to approach this trend and as long as you stick with the program, you can make your business a success.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/30/e-commerce-hosting-and-web-20/feed/ 1 Six Important Considerations for Domain Name Registrationhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/02/09/six-important-considerations-for-domain-name-registration/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/02/09/six-important-considerations-for-domain-name-registration/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:06:24 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=190

So,  you have finally decided that you want to make a name for yourself online.  Before you even create the website, it is best to register a domain name first.  As simple as it all sounds, registering a domain is something that calls for careful planning.  Without a strategy, you could end up regretting the chosen name and actually hinder your ability to succeed online.  To avoid those issues, we present you with six critical factors to consider.

Determine the Purpose of Your Site

Before registering a domain name, it makes sense to determine the purpose of your website.  For example, if you are a book distributor and want to sell novels online, you may want to incorporate relative terms into your domain.  If you want to brand your site, come up with something that is unique and can be easily pronounced – Google is a perfect example.

Domain Extension

If at all possible, you want to register your domain name with the popular .com extension.  While this extension is highly recommend, keep in mind that your ideal domain may not be available exactly how you want it.  When this is the case, you should get creative and think of a few combinations that will get you as close to the desired name as possible.  Some options include adding a (-) to the name, although it is not advisable to use more than one.  If you just can’t find that .com, don’t hesitate to use .net or .biz as they make the best alternatives.

Think Keywords

If you want to generate traffic from search engines like Google and Yahoo, it wise to research a few primary keywords relative to your initiative and incorporate them into your domain.  This could possibly boost your search engine rankings and drive in more traffic as well.

Length of Registration

Good domain names are hard to come by.  For this reason, we suggest registering your name for as long possible.  If you prefer to renew each year, be sure to do so on time or you just might lose it to someone else.

Domain Registrars

A domain registrar is what you need to register your domain name.  There are a several registrars to choose from and while they basically offer the same service, you will find that the price tends to range widely.  If you want to save money, you should look into a company that offers free domain registration with the purchase of web hosting service or an inexpensive registrar like GoDaddy.   In general, you should easily be able to find a respectable registrar offering domain registration for $10 or less per year.

Domain Privacy

The last factor you need to consider is the possibility of somebody looking for you on the web.  Anyone can search for domain owners on the WHOIS website.  Depending on what you have going on, you may not want to make this information accessible.  In this case, you could opt for domain privacy which will keep your domain name private on the WHOIS database.  A registrar typically charges an additional fee for this service, but you might find it to be worth the extra costs.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/02/09/six-important-considerations-for-domain-name-registration/feed/ 4 What Makes a Good Domain?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/01/22/what-makes-a-good-domain/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/01/22/what-makes-a-good-domain/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:25:42 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=164 Many people simply do not understand the importance of a good domain name.  Those who do are struck with the harsh reality that a vast majority of the good domains have already been registered.  If you are running a website, not only will your domain be prevalent in the internet world, but in print as well.  It acts as your identity, and is an integral part of any branding strategy.  If you have made the decision to try and establish yourself online, taking the time to find a good domain is an absolute must.

What makes a good domain?  The following tips should sum it all up for you.

Memorable

A domain name isn’t serving its purpose if no one can remember it.  Sure, it would be ideal if everyone bookmarked their favorite websites, but the fact is that most people do not.  For this reason, it is best to choose a domain that resonates and makes an impact.  Avoid complexity by keeping the name straightforward and easy to remember.

Short and Sweet

While the experts say that a good domain should be no more than 20 characters long, 10 is even better.  Having a long domain name will only complicate matters.  Short and sweet is the key here because if you go over the 20 character mark, you could end up burying yourself in the deep dark corners of the web.

A Good Extension

Extensions or TLDs (Top Level Domains) represents the three letters that come after your primary name.  There are several extensions available including .com, .net, .biz, .org and the list goes on.  Keep in mind that some extensions are reserved for certain entities.  For example, .gov is reserved for government sites will .mil is for the military.  As the most popular extension, .com is what you should strive for.  If you can’t find this TLD, then .net would be the next best alternative.

Spelling

When choosing a domain, try to stay away from names that are difficult to spell.  Many people are not good at spelling, thus, if you pick something more complex, your potential visitors could end up at a competitor’s site.

Avoid the Flash

One of the worst things you can do is try to glamorize your domain with fancy symbols.  After all, most web surfers don’t pay attention to symbols anyway, so even if you do pick something that is memorable, your over zealousness could still lead them to another site.

Be Unique

A good domain name is one that is unique, very descriptive and tells a story in just a few characters.  What this means is that the name should instantly strike a cord with visitors and potential customers by giving them an idea of what to expect.  For example, if the website revolves around your business, using your business name for the domain would be a good idea.  If you are marketing yourself rather than a brand, don’t hesitate to go with your given name.  Besides, you have a much better chance of securing a domain under your own name than anything else.

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