Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » FrontPage 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 Choosing the Best FrontPage Hosting Serviceshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/04/best-frontpage-hosting-services/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/04/best-frontpage-hosting-services/#comments Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:55:31 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=2127 With the access to Internet becoming a global phenomenon, most businesses have taken the online route. In order to popularize their goods and services, business owners are putting their best foot forward. There are many factors that play a significant part in the success of your online business. Search engine rankings play an important role in deciding the fate of your internet marketing, and thus the overall success of your business. Most potential customers do not bother to visit the fourth page of a search engine to find the desired company. This is quite logical, considering that they do not have to walk past the first three results without the answers to their queries. Hence, it becomes critical to mark your presence on the very first page. If you are new to online business, it is advisable to consider FrontPage hosting services. Good FrontPage hosting services are capable of increasing the online visibility of your website.

If you decide to proceed with FrontPage Hosting services, you should not just take the first web host to appear in your search. Rather,  the following factors will help you choose and decide upon the best FrontPage Hosting Services:

Reliability Factor and Experience

You need to find a reliable and well-experienced company that meets or exceeds your expectation. The experience and expertise of your FrontPage hosting services web hosting company is quite valuable. Search web hosting forums, and web host reviews sites to read about existing and prior customers. Listen carefully to their reviews about the company and its services. You may then be able to make a decision based on your choice and requirements.

Extensive Research

Contact a company that precisely understands your needs. In fact, FrontPage refers to a program from Microsoft, which offers simplified navigation and easy to manage features. Make sure that your hosting company provides you with all the necessary tools, supports the FrontPage extensions, which would help you in making any modifications in the future.

Making an Apt Choice Suiting Your Budget

As a website owner, you need to keep in mind the budget factor as well. Some companies out there seek to trap you through their overwhelming claims. They may demand a large upfront fee, with no assurance of quality. However, you should set a budget and try not to exceed it.

The above factors, if kept in mind, would pay high dividends. Pinpoint the best FrontPage web hosting provider by taking the time to research and make your decisions patiently.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/04/best-frontpage-hosting-services/feed/ 0 Web Hosting for Small Companieshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-small-companies/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-small-companies/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:41:16 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3700 A small business needs will be very different from those of larger businesses. They may need less space than that of a larger business and may also not need some of the features that web hosting companies sometimes offer to businesses. By looking at the different features that are available, a small business owner will be able to determine which features they need and what ones they consider unnecessary.

Technical support is something that needs to be considered when the business owner is looking at web hosting companies. Companies lose money when something goes wrong on their website and this can be devastating to small businesses. It’s important to know that web hosts are available and will respond to any concerns quickly. A lot of web hosting companies have a twenty-four hour support line that can be reached if troubles arise. It’s also important to make sure that the technical support that is received is very helpful and useful.

Bundled software should also be considered when deciding on a web hosting company. Deciding on the type of specialized software the small business needs should be decided on before entering into a commitment with any web hosting company. These packages can include things such as a content management system or shopping cart software. Some web hosts provide control panel software and this software contains a component that is called Fantastico. This allows for the user to easily install many different types of software that can be used on the website.

Editing tool and script support can be very important for a small business’ website. Many web hosting companies offer easy to use design and editing tools. For companies that are using FrontPage for their website, it is important to make sure that the web hosting company they decide on supports FrontPage extensions. It’s also important to make sure that the web hosting company is also compatible with other script languages such as PHP, ASP, and Perl, to name just a few.

Small businesses should also consider uptime and speed when researching different web hosting companies. A good web hosting company should guarantee uptimes of ninety-nine percent. Small business owners should also check the information about their data centre. This is because it’s important to know that they have high-speed connections to the Internet backbone.

Due diligence is also important when the small business owner is searching for a web hosting company. The first thing that should be done by the small business owner is to check out the web host’s website. Some things that should be watched for are awards and seals of approval. These are sometimes given out by magazines. It’s also important to look for the Internet Better Business Bureau seal. One can also search the Internet to find reviews of the different web hosting companies. These reviews can often be found on web hosting forums, where other individuals will give a detailed version of their experience with a certain company. One or two bad reviews are okay but one should be wary of a company that only has bad reviews, and no good reviews to balance it out.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-small-companies/feed/ 0 How Content Management Systems affect Web Designershttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/12/09/how-content-management-systems-affect-web-designers/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/12/09/how-content-management-systems-affect-web-designers/#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:15:43 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1278 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.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/12/09/how-content-management-systems-affect-web-designers/feed/ 0 Are You Paying Too Much for Web Hosting?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/12/11/are-you-paying-too-much-for-web-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/12/11/are-you-paying-too-much-for-web-hosting/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:27:27 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=661 The easiest way to enjoy a low cost on your web hosting bill is to choose the right service provider to begin with.  Unfortunately, the web hosting business is growing at a rapid pace, which means choosing a good and reputable host is not only difficult, but often consuming and very frustrating.  The good thing is that once you find the ideal host, you will agree that the journey was worth the time and effort you put into it.  If you want to make sure you are getting a bang for your buck, keep your eyes on the following areas as they directly attribute to the cost of service:

Bandwidth and Storage

Bandwidth and disk space play a major role in determining the price of web hosting.  Determining how much of each you require can be tricky, but coming up with an estimate is important.  Whatever you determine, just make sure you understand how these crucial resources are allotted.  It is imperative that you understand the rules on overages and what will happen if you use more bandwidth or disk space than you have been allocated.  Simply knowing this will spare you the surprise of a huge web hosting bill at the end of the month.  A hosting company that will spill the details on allowances and overages ahead of time allows you to take the measures needed to reduce or properly plan for extra usage.  This type of host can be a real keeper.

Website Quantity

If you require more than one website, then you might want to consider signing up with a hosting company that allows you to run multiple domains on a single account.  This will help you save a lot of money over purchasing separate accounts from different companies.  Because you are essentially putting all of your eggs in one basket, you also need to consider the dangers of multiple domain hosting.  Should disaster strike the server, all of your websites could be compromised and unavailable to visitors.  You need to give this careful thought as crippling downtime might be the greatest cost of all.

Web Applications and Technologies

You can save yourself some money on web hosting just by ensuring that all the software applications and technologies your site requires are included in the package.  This includes programs such as FrontPage and WordPress as well as technologies such as PHP or ASP.NET.

If the host does not offer what you need, paying extra for it could end up costing you dearly.  Make sure you understand what is included and try not pay for features that can be obtained somewhere else for free.

Hosting Contracts

Many web hosting companies offer substantial discounts when paying for a year or two worth of service in advance.  Signing up for something like this may appear to be a smart move, but you need to find out how long you will be locked in first.  It is recommended to avoid any long-term contracts until you can assure that you are absolutely satisfied with a particular host.  For this reason, you may want to keep your options open to month-to-month contracts where the risks are considerably lower.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/12/11/are-you-paying-too-much-for-web-hosting/feed/ 0 Database-Driven Sites with FrontPagehttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/03/database-driven-sites-with-frontpage/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/03/database-driven-sites-with-frontpage/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:59:20 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=451 Many website owners are faced with the challenge of keeping their sites fresh with updated content.  Maintaining a frequently updated site is critical these days as it keeps your visitors intrigued and also appeals to the search engines.  This means that you are likely to rank higher and therefore, generate more quality traffic.  An easy and efficient way to overcome this challenge is to create a database-driven website.

Databases and Website Content

Database-driven sites are powerful because they offer the ability to easily generate fresh, updated content.  For most developers, this is enabled by the combination of PHP and MySQL.  Unfortunately, these technologies can be very complex and will definitely take some time learning.  Thankfully, a FrontPage web hosting solution can empower you to create a database-driven and use it with virtually any database, including MS SQL, Access, Oracle or the open-source MySQL.

Making a Database Connection with FrontPage

To make a database full of information that will be displayed on the website you created with FrontPage, all you have to do is connect it to the data you want it to show.  A database connection is merely a function that allows your page to connect with a database via server-side scripting.  While this could be performed with PHP and MySQL, doing it with FrontPage is much easier.  This is because FrontPage lets you create a template that will modify the content by communicating with the database and automatically creating a new page without any additional coding.

Before getting to the template, the first thing you need to do is manually create a database in an application such as Microsoft SQL Server, Access, Excel or Oracle.  The database may contain customer messages or just about any other content you want inserted on the pages of your website.  After creating the database, set up the template where you want the information to be displayed.   The advantage of having a template in FrontPage is that it gives you the ability to change the content of your page by importing new content from a database without needing to re-code the page itself.  As long as you connect the page to the new content in the database, it will be generated on the server-side whenever your visitors view the page.

To import content, simply choose “File” from the “Tool” bar and open the “Import” menu.  After browsing for the file you want to import, select “Yes” when asked if you to create a connection for it.  That’s basically it.  FrontPage offers a great way to make sure your pages are frequently updated and appealing to your visitors with fresh content.

Summary

You will have to do a little more to truly customize your database-driven site, but FrontPage hosting is so user-friendly, that nearly every task you want to perform is simplified through a wizard or tutorial that goes along with it.  Because FrontPage is such a forgiving tool, even if you do make mistakes, detecting and correcting the problem will be a piece of cake.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/08/03/database-driven-sites-with-frontpage/feed/ 1 Web Hosting Features – A Necessary Foundationhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/25/web-hosting-features-%e2%80%93-a-necessary-foundation/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/25/web-hosting-features-%e2%80%93-a-necessary-foundation/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 16:09:44 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=346 For a plethora of reasons, millions of customer are motivated to start a website.  Each new hosting acount accompanies a unique set of requirements.  Although price, customer support, and reliability are key points, features also play a major role in making a decision.  Features are often the most attractive part of a web hosting package and thy act as the foundation to any hosting account.   This article will talk about some of the most common features you will encounter when looking for service.

Email Tools

Email is the preferred method of communication for millions of individuals and businesses across the world.  Realizing this, web hosting companies provide all the email features needed to keep base with contacts.  Aside from multiple accounts, you generally get complimentary features such as webmail, autoresponders and forwarders to communicate effectively no matter where you might be.  Because unsolicited mail and virus infected attachments are a tremendous problem, hosting providers help you stay protected with spam filtering applications to dramatically cut down on those potentially dangerous messages.  Often overshadowed by more luxurious offerings, but email remains to be one of the most useful features in any hosting plan.

Shopping Cart Software

E-commerce is a driving force on the web and shopping carts are a big part of what enables this thriving industry.  If you have aspirations of selling your own products or services online, this is the type of software you need to make it happen. Shopping carts often come included in business or e-commerce hosting packages, usually at no additional costs.  In many cases, these programs can be easily installed through your control panel interface.

Programming Languages

Scripting or programming languages, have become common on the web hosting market but these features are geared towards more advanced users.  Some examples are open-source languages such as PHP, Perl and Ruby on Rails and proprietary technologies such as ASP and ASP.NET.  These programming tools serve benefit to developers and webmasters who are proficient at coding and building content from scratch.  A hosting provider that has these software packages installed on their server allow you to diversify your website with dynamic content that stand outs from static HTML pages.

Site Builders

Almost all web hosting plans come equipped with utilities that provide you the ability to create your site.  With most tools, you can choose from a nice selection of pre-designed templates and basically create your website in easy drag-and-drop fashion.  These utilities typically do not call for you to have any knowledge in client-side programming languages such as HTML or even server-side variations like Python or PHP.  In addition to integrated building tools, many host also offer support for standalone web design applications such as Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage. These programs allow you to create your site offline and upload it to the server without the use of an FTP client.

Conclusion

The list of web hosting features is huge and seems to expand every year.  Others you might find interesting include support for multimedia applications, web stat applications and databases among others.  To each its own in this regard because everyone has that dynamic tool set they just can’t do without.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/05/25/web-hosting-features-%e2%80%93-a-necessary-foundation/feed/ 2 Windows Hosting with DotNetPanelhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/03/12/windows-hosting-with-dotnetpanel/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/03/12/windows-hosting-with-dotnetpanel/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:58:02 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=239 The control panel is very important in the web hosting arena as it can offer benefits to both the end-user and web hosting provider.  These programs are generally made to run on certain platforms and one of the best available for the Windows system is DotNetPanel.  Created by SMB SAAS Systems Inc., DotNetPanel is a feature-rich control panel made to simplify management tasks in the Windows hosting environment.  This control panel is robust, highly scalable and runs seamlessly without the bugs that commonly plague other applications.  Ease of use, excellent support and a great price are making DotNetPanal a first choice for many businesses.

Web Host/End-User Features

Advanced File Manager – The DotNetPanel File Browser is both powerful and comprehensive, allowing you to manage your files without the use of FTP.  This utility includes a zip/unzip function along with standard file managing options such as copying and moving files, creating files and folders and more.  Such advanced functionality gives you the power to deploy applications faster and more efficiently than FTP.  The File Browser is a wonderful feature for end-users who are behind a firewall and may not be able to use File Transfer Protocol.  It is easy to use and doesn’t require any complex network configurations.

Virtual Directories – DotNetPanel offers the unique ability to manage websites and virtual directories with nearly every one of their essential properties.  This includes default documents, security settings, MIME types, custom errors and FrontPage extensions among several others.  You can also change the location of the root folder or virtual directory any time after creating it.

Comprehensive Database Backups – DotNetPal has a wide range of features you will not find in other control panels.  One of them is the database backup/restore utility.  From the user-friendly interface you can easily backup and restore both MS SQL and MySQL databases.

Reseller Features

The DotNetPanel control panel is integrated with an arsenal of features designed to aid in the management of reseller hosting.  Some of the most notable features include:

Unlimited Hosting Accounts – With DotNetPanel, there is no limit to the number of standard or sub-reseller accounts you can set up.

Simple Resource Navigation - As an administrator, you can view all the websites, databases and user accounts of all the resellers and customers underneath you.  This can be done with ease from a centralized interface.

Account Activation and Suspicion - DotNetPanel gives you the ability to activate reseller, sub-reseller and user accounts in separate packages.  Once you suspend an account, all the resources of that particular hosting package are disabled entirely.

Audit Log – The audit log feature allows you to monitor and control every aspect of user accounts.  You can track user login credentials and also create, update and delete various activities.

DotNetPanel is a fully integrated control panel that covers nearly every angle of web hosting, a viable option for the shared hosting environment as well as dedicated and virtual private servers.  Although its restricted to a specific platform, DotNetPanel is quickly becoming the preferred choice for Windows hosting operations.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/03/12/windows-hosting-with-dotnetpanel/feed/ 3 Hosting Your Site with FrontPagehttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/03/10/hosting-your-site-with-frontpage/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/03/10/hosting-your-site-with-frontpage/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:46:37 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=235 If you want a website that looks professional but you are not well versed in programming technologies, FrontPage hosting could be something you’re interested in.  This type of hosting is a great option for the website owner who wants a site that looks good but are working with very few coding skills and money.  The powerful, simplistic technology behind FrontPage makes it ideal personal sites as well as small business ventures.  This article will introduce you to FrontPage hosting and explain the advantages it offers to your website.

What is FrontPage Hosting?

FrontPage hosting is a niche market hosting that offers support for the FrontPage application.  Developed by Microsoft, FrontPage is a program used to create and manage websites.  It offers flexibility that allows you to design professional websites all without knowledge of HTML or complex server-side scripting languages such as ASP or PHP.  Although programming skills are not required, the capabilities of FrontPage can be greatly enhanced as it allows you to format and edit HTML.  This can all be done through an intuitive user-friendly interface that contorts to those familiar with Microsoft Office applications.

FrontPage hosting is much like conventional web hosting services.  The major difference is the implementation of Microsoft server-based programming technologies known as FrontPage extensions.  In fact, FrontPage is only effective if the web host has FrontPage extensions installed on their server.  Though originally intended to run on Windows-based servers, FrontPage extensions can also perform seamlessly on Linux and Unix platforms as well.  For this reason, FrontPage hosting can usually be obtained at an affordable price.

FrontPage Features

The functionality of FrontPage hosting was extended greatly with the release of FrontPage 2003.  This version offered many new features such as a photo gallery, instant team websites and usage analysis reports.  Other features like the drop-down menus, radio buttons and check boxes all simplify website development and ensure a smooth ride for inexperienced developers.  FrontPage also offers a number of dynamic website templates that allow you to enhance the presentation of your site in minutes.  While there are limitations in terms of development, FrontPage can help you create a data-driven site through XML (Extensible Markup Language), a process that is made easy with the built-in WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor.  

Who Needs FrontPage Hosting?

As mentioned above, FrontPage hosting is geared towards webmasters who lack web design skills.  It is also best for users who do not require a significant amount of dynamic functions within their website.  If you can get by with features that are simple yet appealing, FrontPage hosting makes a great choice.

FrontPage hosting is a straightforward hosting solution that caters to beginner developers.  If you have a basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, you can truly excel in this environment.  The comprehensive Graphical User Interface allows for easy web page creation while the WYSIWYG editor virtually eliminates critical mistakes.  Though it is a niche offering, FrontPage hosting isn’t hard to find as a wide variety of companies offer support for the underlying technologies.

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