web hosting

Site5 and Mokugift Combined to Help Reforestation

This planet is the only one we have.  As such, it is imperative that we do all we can to minimize the overall damage caused and repair what we can.

Web hosting provider Site5 has combined with Mokugift to do its part to give back to the environment.  For each new web hosting, VPS, dedicated server or reseller hosting account created, the Site5 will plant one tree to assist in reforestation efforts.

About Site5

Since 1999, Site5 has been providing web hosting services on servers that are considered high-end and loaded with a low number of customers per server.  This hosting provider takes the time to calculate its customer to server ratio to ensure none of its equipment becomes overloaded.  This, in turn, means web hosting clients at Site5 can be assured of a consistent and high up-time.

Site5 keeps its support in-house thereby ensuring clients are speaking with actual Site5 team member should support issues arise.  Their entire staff are fully trained in the company and its services, speak fluent English and excel in interpersonal relations.

Web hosting accounts with Site5 start as low as $4.95 a month and cap out at $10.95.  All accounts come with unlimited amounts of disk space and bandwidth.  Additionally, each account owner has access to a SiteAdmin control panel and an easy web site builder program.  Site5 also offers up to $75 in Google AdWords credits.  All this is backed by a sixty day money back guarantee.

About Mokugift

Mokugift (pronounced mōe-koo gift) translates to “tree” gift in Japanese.  The mission of this company is to help a fun and meaningful way to give back to the environment.  This charity-based company allows environmentally concerned citizens to plant trees for a mere one dollar per gift purchase.

The idea was brought to fruition by co-founders Hans Chung and Krates Ng.  Both had seen the very popular online selling of virtual gifts (Facebook and various dating site).  The gentlemen took this idea one step further and incorporated it with a way to give back to the planet.  Thus, Mokugift was born.

The purchase of a mokugift tree works much like sending e-cards.  Those on the receiving end of the gift can display their trees online at several social media outlets such as MySpace, Facebook and many other popular web sites.

One large portion of Mokugift is its platform designed to inspire businesses to create reward systems.  Site5 web hosting teaming up with this eco-friendly gifting idea is one such inspired business solution.  Not only will the web hosting company garner new clients but these very same new clients will pass the word along – not only bringing in customers but also doing something fabulous for the environment.

Conclusion

Web hosting has received a reputation (rightly so) over the years of being one of the worst offenders when it comes to ecological damage.  In the past year or two, there has been an overall shift of thinking and operating that has enabled web hosting providers to be able to lessen their damaging impact.  One superb way to do this is by helping with reforestation.  Hats off to Site5 to seeing the light and giving back to the planet!

Understanding Your Community Hosting Options

You would be amazed at the amount of social networking and community software tools that are on the market today.  The immense popularity of MySpace, Facebook and YouTube has encouraged many people to create their own online community.  Community sites are expansive in topics, ranging from sites such as dating and video sharing to pets and video games.   Below are just a few of the many options that exist for online communities:

Social networking sites

Social media sites

News publishing sites

Dating sites

Blog sites

Video sharing sites

Photo sharing sites

What Type of Hosting Do You Need?

Web hosting plays a huge role in the creation of these types of community sites.  Such a website requires an added dose of power in comparison to the typical website.  However, what it requires the most is a scalable environment that supports the growth of the community.  As your site increases in popularity, it will attract more users, which means it will be populated with more pictures, videos and possibly other interactive features.   This tremendous growth means that the average shared hosting package may not suitable for the needs of your community.  You have to consider critical resources such as disk space, bandwidth, RAM and CPU, all of which impact the overall performance of your website.  While you might be able to pull this off on a shared hosting platform from a technical aspect, your community could be the one to suffer from slow loading pages and sluggish performance.

A dedicated server makes for one of the most reliable ways to host an online community.  This type of hosting will give you the scalability you need and dramatically reduce the occurrence of performance issues you would endure on a shared server.  The problem is that maintaining a dedicated server can be very complex and expensive.  Leasing the server can run you upwards of $100 per month – and this is just for an unmanaged service.  If you choose to run your community on a dedicated server, keep in mind that you will be responsible for updating the operating system and web server software in addition to managing all the applications and security mechanisms it requires.   This is something many people simply are not equipped to deal with.  For this reason, you should strongly consider looking into a service provider that specializes in community hosting as they are more likely to have the unqiue environment you require.

Conclusion

A community site can be very beneficial, but only when choosing the right web hosting solution.  Before heading out to look for a service, take both the present and future growth into account when factoring in your requirements.   Think about the features you need, the type of content and media you plan to host, and the volume of traffic you anticipate.  If you truly want your community site to be a success, don’t hesitate to ask prospective web hosts questions and find out exactly how they can suit your needs.  This will make it much easier to find the ideal solution for your online community.

Can You Handle a Dedicated Server?

There are many advantages to purchasing a dedicated hosting plan.  This arrangement is perfect for customers who require a higher degree of flexibility, security, reliability and a website that gives out an enterprise-grade performance.  Although you are actually leasing the hardware from the hosting company, you are still provided with a great deal of flexibility and control that allows you to customize the server based on your specific needs.  So even though you do not really own the server, this can actually turn out to be a good thing, especially if your organization does not have the manpower to handle the various maintenance tasks that must be performed on a day to day basis.

The Experience Factor

While some customers have the experience needed to maintain a dedicated server, others do not.  If you have a capable in-house team, you should be able to thrive just fine in this more complex environment.  For the more technically inclined user, managing an entire web server is usually no problem at all.  For those that have no experience or knowledgeable administrator, a managed solution may be the best option for their dedicated server.  With a managed service, the hosting provider handles the bulk of the maintenance and is often responsible for making sure the server stays up and running.  This generally includes taking care of the operating system, web server, applications and the hardware itself.  While an unmanaged server is usually the cheaper route, managed hosting is often the best way to go if you lack the knowledge and experience needed to maintain the system.

Is it the Right Move for You?

Whether or not you have the resources needed to manage a dedicated server is a critical factor to determining if this type of hosting is right for you.  If you are have the budget to take on the cost associated with leasing the hardware and feel that the hosting firm can provide you with an acceptable level of support, this could be the best move.  Regardless of where you stand in terms of experience, it is critical to first determine whether your website or business demands the power of a dedicated server.  If not, you could taking on an unnecessary expense and complexity that makes it more difficult for you to succeed.  As long as you warrant the need, a dedicated server can be a viable option whether you possess the technical abilities or not.  With the market for managed hosting services growing rapidly, you do not have to let the lack of experience deter your plans because solutions are widely available.

In today’s internet driven world, the website often reflects on the credibility of the company behind it.  A dedicated server can help you a establish and maintain a credible online presence while providing your business with the best possible chance to succeed.  If you are not sure of how to proceed, reach out to a few service providers for a little guidance.  This way, you can gather the information you need and perhaps find yourself a good partner in the process.

Introducing HMS Panel

HMS Panel is an all-in-one control panel designed for Linux server platforms.  A multi-server solution, it offers a number of advantages to both the web hosting provider or the customer who needs a more efficient way to manage their dedicated or virtual private server.  HMS Panel is secure, easy to use and loaded with an arsenal of features that will surely come in handy for administrators at all levels.  Here is the rundown:

Complete Domain Management

HMS Panel provides a complete system for managing domains.  Users can add domains and sub-domains to the IP address of their choosing whether it is located on or off the server.  Wildcards can be added so that all sub-domains for a particular domain point to a specific IP address.  You can also modify domain zone files along with CNAME records, A records and MX records.

Email Management System

Web hosting customers on the client side benefit greatly from features such as HMS Panel’s robust email management system.  Users can easily create email accounts and customize their communications with forwarders, catch-all addresses and auto-responders.  While customers have access to their messages via the control panel interface with SquirrelMail, they can also integrate Microsoft Outlook Express or their preferred mail client.

.htaccess Management

HMS Panel offers a robust .htaccess management tools that can be used to apply various settings to directories within a particular domain.  This includes error handling with custom 401, 403, 404, and 505 redirects, IP and domain blocking, file and directory redirects, hotlink protection, directory browsing and much more.  The .htaccess management console utilizes AJAX technology, making it a dynamic and very flexible system.  While this system is very convenient, experienced administrators also have the ability to modify .htaccess via the standard control panel interface.

Web Application Management

Similar to most control panels on the market today, HMS Panel is integrated with a facility that enables customers to perform one-click installations of various pre-installed software applications.  The software management console makes it easy to incorporate programs such as WordPress, phpBB, phpAdsNew, Gallery, Drupal and osCommerce among several others.  These applications are mainly available due to user request, but the HMS Panel control panel offers the ability to install many more third-party scripts.

Advanced Security

HMS Panel was developed with advanced web technologies and security mechanisms.  The software utilizes sophisticated API authorization to ensure that server communications remain protected.  By leveraging an enterprise-grade authentication system, HMS Panel is able to better assure that web applications and network security features are properly configured.  The software also uses process isolation, a technology that allows administrators to isolate web applications from one another, making it so that potential issues with one application do not affect others running on the server.

A Complete Control Panel Solution

Now on version 3.5.1, HMS Panel is quickly evolving to be one of the most remarkable control panels on the market.  It has all the basic capabilities offered by other panels with a few qualities that make it stand out from rest.  If you are in search of a new control panel for your server, give HMS Panel a shot with the free 30-day trial license.

Common E-commerce Hosting Terminology

Choosing an e-commerce hosting plan can be extremely difficult for two reasons.  One is because there are so many options available to you.  The second is all the confusing terminology and technical jargon a hosting provider will throw at you.  This article will aim to clear up some of that confusion.

Affiliate Program – An affiliate program refers to a revenue sharing program where webmasters can earn commission by generating leads, traffic or sales of a web hosting service.  If you feel that have signed up with a respectable hosting provider, you may be interested in their affiliate program to earn some extra cash.

ASP - Active Server Pages is a technology that allows developers to create dynamic, database-driven websites.  The web server processes the ASP code and then translates it into HTML for your visitors to view.

Auto Responder – An auto responder is an automated program that can be configured to acknowledge the receipt of an email, and automatically sends a reply to the sender.  This is an effective tool for keeping base with clients when you’re away from the desk or on vacation.

Backbone - A backbone refers to a single high-speed line or a series of connections that enable a pathway to a network such as the internet.  The more backbones or the higher the capacity, the higher level of availability your site will enjoy.

CGI Scripts - Common Gateway Interface scripts are small programs installed into a web server.  They are designed to perform specific tasks and enable functionality that a simple HTML document cannot.

Control Panel – A control panel is a software package that allows hosting providers and customers to simplify various web server tasks.  This type of application gives you the ability to easily maintain your mailboxes, files, manage domains and more even if you have little to no experience.

Dedicated Server – Also called dedicated hosting, a dedicated server describes a situation where you lease service from a hosting provider and get the entire server to yourself.  This in contrast to shared hosting, which hence, calls for you to share the server with other customers.

IP Address – An IP address is a unique numerical code used to specify hosts (computers) and networks.  Every machine connected to the internet has its own IP address.

Reseller Hosting – Reseller hosting is a type of hosting where a customer purchases service from a provider and then sells hosting package to customers of their own.  This has become a popular and affordable way for entrepreneurs and small businesses to profit from the web hosting market.

Shared Hosting - Shared hosting refers to a hosting arrangement where multiple websites are stored on a single server.  This is the most affordable and common type of web hosting there is.

Web Host – The web host is the company who provides you with the e-commerce hosting solution.  They run computers known as severs that have dedicated lines to the internet.  The purpose of a web host is to serve your pages to internet users and assure its availability.