web hosting

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.

Practicing FTP Security

One of the most highly sought after features on the web hosting market is FTP.   Short for File Transfer Protocol, FTP provides a means for transferring data from your computer to the web host’s server.  While the protocol is quite useful, FTP also presents many security risks and making yourself aware of them is crucial.

Beware of FTP Attacks

FTP is ideal for transferring files to a remote location.  However, you should know that in its purest form, this protocol is far from secure.  FTP transmits your data over a network in plain text.  If the transmission is intercepted, the contents of those files can be viewed by unauthorized parties.  Furthermore, a knowledgeable hacker can use the FTP server as an entrance into your website.  This is done by repeatedly trying to logon with an incorrect user password.  In most cases, the profile is disabled after reaching the maximum threshold of three sign in attempts, thus giving the hacker all the ammunition they need to launch the attack.

The most effective way to protect yourself from an FTP password attack is through the use of an FTP server logon exit program.  This mechanism can provide security in the following ways:

Rejecting logon requests by any user profiles that you have not granted FTP access to.  With the use of an FTP server logon exit program, the logon attempts from the profiles you decide to block are not counted towards the maximum sign in count.

Limiting the number of clients from which a user profile is able to access the FTP server.  For instance, if someone from accounting is granted access, you can make configurations where only users with an IP address from the accounting department have FTP access.

Recording the credentials and IP addresses of all FTP logon attempts.  This allows you to regularly view the activity of each FTP logon attempt.  If a profile is ever disabled for reaching the maximum count, you can use their IP address, identify the perpetrator and handle the matter accordingly.

FTP Security Recommendations

Because FTP is naturally insecure, you may want to strongly consider backing it up with a reliable security mechanism.  The most highly recommended is Secure Sockets Layer, or simply SSL.  SSL is an encryption protocol that enables secure communications between the FTP server and client.  It ensures that transmissions are encrypted, maintaining confidentiality and integrity for all data that passes through.  This includes files as well as usernames and passwords.  Most FTP severs support SSL through the use of a digital certificate which also provides additional security with client authentication.

Though some recommend the use of anonymous FTP for the sharing of non-confidential data, this can be an even greater security risk.  With anonymous FTP, anyone can upload to your server without a username or password.   They could be transferring pirated software or malicious files.  Before taking such a gamble, be sure to weigh all the risks and take the appropriate measures to ensure that your FTP communications are secure.

Changing Hosts Without Losing Rankings

Ever wonder why so many people stress the importance of choosing a good web hosting company the first time?  Well, there are actually several reasons, but one relates to the fact that switching to a new host is such a headache.  Let’s face it, changing servers without suffering considerable downtime is almost impossible.  If your website is down for too long, you stand the chance of losing visitors, customers and eventually sales.  While you can make arrangements to inform your customers about the move, the same can’t be said for your search engine rankings.

Though it is something you never look forward to, moving to a new web host should be a straightforward process that results in little to no time.  When done correctly, your position in the search engine will not be impacted in the least.  In order to enjoy a seamless transition, you need to follow these critical points:

Check the IP Address of the New Web Host

Though it rarely occurs, there are a few IP addresses that have either been banned or experience major issues.  The worst thing you can do is move from a host that can no longer meet your needs to another one sitting on an unfavorable IP rage.  If your web pages are associated with a troubled IP address, your search engine rankings will suffer greatly.

Perform a Full Backup of Your Website

Having a full backup of your website files makes it much easier to move to a new provider.  Besides, if anything goes wrong with the new service, you can run back to your old host and set up almost instantly.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Test Your Website

When changing web hosts, you will probably hurry to set everything up quickly and get back to business.  Even if the site looks fine on the surface, it is still wise to test all of your forms, applications and databases to ensure that everything is working properly.

Change Your DNS

After all of your files have been transferred to the new server and everything appears to be working correctly, it’s time to flip the switch and make it official.  All you have to do here is change your domain name servers from the old service to the new host.  This can be done easily through the control panel provided by your domain name registrar.   Simply switch out the old nameservers for the new ones and you are ready to go.  Just remember that you must wait for the domain to propagate which lets the internet know that your site has been moved.  This process generally takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.

Conclusion

The tips in this article should actually help you kill more than birds with one stone.  Now you know what it takes to move your website to a new server and endure the smallest amount of downtime possible.  Most importantly, you know how to keep your visitors and customers around and your search engine rankings intact.