Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » e-commerce website 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 Considerations for Personal Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/06/considerations-for-personal-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/06/considerations-for-personal-web-hosting/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:45:09 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=693 If you want to create a personal website, you may not require the type of web hosting designed for mission-critical e-commerce or IT applications.  Personal hosting services tend to be far less complex and most importantly, less expensive than solutions geared towards professional users and organizations.  So if you desire to have a website merely for a hobby or other personal needs, you can opt for a low-priced plan that allows you to establish an online presence without making an expensive commitment.  In fact, a free hosting package may be perfectly suited for your requirements.

Totally Free Web Hosting

Free web hosting is abundant so you should have no trouble finding a suitor.  You may even be able to obtain free web space from your internet service provider.  These services are often made possible by third-parties that purchase advertising space to promote their products or services on the site users’ web pages.  Because there is no fee for the service, free hosting tends to be of lesser quality than the paid variation.  With free hosting, there is commonly no quality assurance or customer support due to the fact that the business model used is designed to attract a large number of users and generate revenue from advertising.   And while this business model cannot assure you the most reliable service, it does permit you to have your very own website and establish an online presence without having to come out of your pocket for any money.

Low-Cost Web Hosting

If free hosting does not sound appealing, you can find an ideal alternative in a low-cost variation known as shared hosting.  An entry-level solution of sorts, shared hosting is suitable for the needs of individuals as well as small businesses.  Upon purchasing an account, you are provided with space and resources on a server, which are shared among other website owners.  The actual server is managed by the web hosting company, making this a perfect option for webmasters who lack technical skills.  There are many advantages to this type of service, mainly the quality, reliability and independence that allows you to have your own domain name without third-party advertisements.   As far as cost, you can find an excellent deal because many web hosting companies offer feature-rich packages for $10 or less.

The Perils of Cheap Hosting

One could say that from a quality aspect, low-cost web hosting is a much better option than the free variety.  However, you should not automatically assume that you will get a quality service just because you paid for it.  There are pitfalls to cheap services, many of which can swallow you whole if you do not conduct research and compare services.  Low-priced solutions have been traditionally known to suffer from slower servers, more outages and service interruptions, factors that can be render them unreliable for users who are dependent on their internet presence.   On the other hand, you may find these drawbacks acceptable if you are only running a personal website.  In the end, it is all about your expectations and what you are looking to accomplish with your site.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/01/06/considerations-for-personal-web-hosting/feed/ 1 Microsoft Dynamics RMS and Your E-commerce Systemhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/09/17/microsoft-dynamics-rms-and-your-e-commerce-system/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/09/17/microsoft-dynamics-rms-and-your-e-commerce-system/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:09:03 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=528 Many companies are moving their businesses online because of the potential the internet offers to move far beyond the traditional brick and mortar offerings and explore new markets.  Apart from the internet itself, there are many tools available to help effectively market your products or services and send your business soaring to new heights.  An e-commerce website is the key to your success, and a powerful retail management system like Microsoft Dynamics RMS can be that tool needed to propel your online store ahead of the competition.

What is Microsoft Dynamics RMS?

Microsoft Dynamics RMS is a software product that provides a robust, yet intuitive interface for administering all the business related needs of an online retailer.  It allows you to manage everything from point-of-sale systems to the centralized controlling of the multiple storefronts that make up your business.  Offering a built-in web integration tool, the software can easily be integrated with e-commerce shopping carts scripted in ASP.  When coupled with such a shopping cart, the extensive features of Microsoft Dynamics RMS allows you to leverage real-time data from your retail system to ensure that your customers are always up to date with the most recent products and services.

Designing Your Storefront

The design of your store is critical when integrating a shopping cart with your retail management solution.  You may want to start out with a simple design and then make gradual upgrades as the demands of you and your customers increase.  Furthermore, take careful consideration to the overall presentation of your store and how it might appeal to potential customers.  For example, if you sell teens apparel or ring tones, you may want to choose a fun design targeting younger customers.  If you specialize in services and solutions geared towards IT professionals, it would probably be best to do away with all the flair and opt for something more professional.  Whatever you decide, find yourself an e-commerce system that can deliver the extensive customization options you need to support various types of stores.

After getting your shopping cart and all the associated features together, it is time to integrate your store with the Microsoft Dynamics RMS software by using the integrator tool.  Once this process has been completed, the data from your retail management system will be automatically synchronized with your online store.  From here, you can access the administrative panel of your shopping cart and then make whatever changes that need to be made in regard to products, services or features.

Market Your Store

Just having a beautiful online store integrated with a dynamic retail management system will not make you an instant success.  In order to attract new customers, you will have to take a proactive approach and promote your store as you would any other business orientated site.  Therefore, you need to make sure your shopping cart offers search engine-friendly features that help you make the most of your keywords, URLs and meta tags.  Microsoft Dynamics RMS can provide the streamlined management facility you need to make an impact, but it is up to you to make your online store a success.

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