Why there are different web hosting prices for the same package?

Web host reseller is a business that buys server space at a discounted price from a higher-tier Web host and then resells it to its own clients.

Usually a reseller is an independent contractor who buys Web space from a “reseller hosting service provider” in order to sell that same space, sometimes in smaller increments, to businesses and individuals for a substantial profit. The reseller often enhances the value of Web hosting services by offering special expertise on top of raw Internet presence provision.

Typically, the reseller adds continuity to the Web host industry’s supply chain by servicing end-users, who are usually small business consumers. Resellers therefore fulfill the role of “middle men” by extending the revenues and reach of higher-tier Web hosts.

Higher-tier Web hosts benefit from resellers because they essentially mass and niche market their products and services. The reseller can then mark-up the cost of these products and service to make considerable profit.

Most resellers are second-tier hosting companies, Internet service providers, Web designers, publishers, domain registrars, or individuals who wish to capitalize on the expanding market for enterprise-class Internet services.

Resellers such as these prove that physically maintaining a rack of Internet servers is not required to be successful at providing Web hosting services. Indeed, the fact that they do not maintain infrastructure means that resellers can provide additional value-added services to their clients due to cost-efficiencies. For this reason, the majority of Web host resellers are either Web developers or system integrators who provide e-business solutions to their customers. Typically, their customers want “integrated solutions,” which include Internet connectivity as a central component. Since their customers contract them for their expertise, Web developers and system integrators are usually granted the responsibility to provide hosting to ensure compatibility with the solutions that are deploying.

Consumers also select resellers because most specialize in customer relationship management. Indeed, the emergence of many second-tier Web hosts in the late 1990s can be attributed to the growing need amongst consumers to locate a hosting provider that can provide them with enhanced customer care. While many higher-tier hosts do provide technical support, the volume of their client base prohibits them from offering extremely personalized care, especially if the consumer is new to the purchase of Web hosting services. It is here where Web hosting resellers add value, by offering their customers a higher level of technical support.

Resellers are able to enhance customer care through offering more personable service and by leveraging their human resources to create more in-depth, customized documentation for their clientele. By so doing, resellers have endeared themselves to a large number of small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) who purchase Web hosting services.

Many industry participants estimate that approximately 65 per cent of the client base of a typical higher-tier SME Web host is provided through resellers. Resellers therefore are a tightly integrated component of the overall SME segment of the Web host industry. And with the Web hosting industry still projecting rapid growth within the next three years, it is widely expected that the reseller Web hosting segment will continue to grow with enormous magnitude. For this reason, many in the industry perceive reselling as a continuing opportunity to build solid business partnerships that can provide substantial levels of incoming revenue.

Free Hosting

Free hosting – is it charity?

“Free hosting” is most of the time offered in exchange for placing advertisements on your website, meaning that the host will automatically place an advertisement at the top and sometimes at the bottom of every page of your website. Sometimes they don’t use banners they use pop-ups.

No matter what they ask you to do in exchange for free hosting, you have to do something in exchange, so you’re not being offered free hosting! They give you hosting in exchange for placing ads on your website. They call it free because you don’t give them any money, but you do pay for it.

They claim and even convince you that they’re doing you a favor: they give you free hosting. They know that if you think the service is free you’ll not complain for downtime, unresponsive support teams. But you’re not getting it for free! Now, even if they would offer it for free, the service should be at least acceptable. But it usually isn’t.

Now, even if they would offer it for free, the service should be at least acceptable. But it usually isn’t. If one offers free lunch for the poor, that food must not be rotten. It’s just common sense!

What these free hosting services always seem to forget to mention is the fact that they’re not charities. They’re businesses and they’re always looking for ways to make a profit.

I find it deceiving that they use the word “free” when the right name for it should be “barter hosting” or “trade hosting” or “ad-funded hosting”. But, as strange as it might sound, the world doesn’t revolve around me , so the so called free hosting will remain “free hosting”. Too many people in the hosting industry use this term and too many regular people look for “free hosting” for it to go away.

Common problems with free hosting

It should not be a surprise that free hosting is not as good as paid hosting. The problems that are common in the paid hosting section of the hosting industry are almost a rule in the world of free hosting. Timely is almost out of the question with most free hosts. Excessive downtime and slow servers are almost the norm rather than just common problems.

That isn’t to say that free web hosting can’t be acceptable in terms of quality. There are some companies that offer reliable free web hosting. Don’t get it wrong, reliable here doesn’t mean paid-hosting-reliable, it means reliable according to the free hosting standards (whatever that means).
Free hosting without the ads

Yes, you can find free hosting that doesn’t require the placement of ads on your pages. That doesn’t mean the company isn’t there to make a profit! The free account will give you only a small amount of bandwidth and space. What the hosting company does is give you free hosting while you’re starting your website/business and/or your needs are low.

They figure (bet) that you’ll go for their paid version (most free hosts have paid plans too), as soon as your website will outgrow its account in terms of bandwidth and/or space.

Some free hosts allow only the use of sub-domains or directories, which means that your website’s URL will look something like this: yourwebsite.yourhost.com or www.yourhost.com/yourwebsite. That means that if you move your website you’ll lose all those hard earned links that point at it, people will send you emails that you’ll never read etc. You are stuck with that host!

What’s in it for the host in this case? Well, the host gets brand awareness because it gets to be published in the countless of free hosting directories. Also it gets its name in your URL and in the URL of lots of other websites. Branding again! Also, if the service is at least acceptable it will get a good reputation, which often is worth more than pure gold. All those ultimately mean more business for their business.

It happened and it still does, that some hosts start their business with a great “free hosting” offer. Their name soon gets published all over the Internet. After a while (usually a year or more) the company stops offering free hosting. Some of their “free” clients will agree to become paying customers, while others will decide to see their work vanish into oblivion, but not pay. By that time though, the host gains immense brand awareness. It might also get quite a few clients as soon as they turn into a paid host because of those clients that were hosted for free and decide to pay to keep their websites up and running.

Unlimited bandwidth/space?

Unlimited space/hosting are a no-no in the paid hosting arena. In the free hosting arena it’s even worse. It basically spells out that the servers will be overcrowded. Although you might like the idea of having as much space and data transfer as you need, please resist the temptation. Unlimited space/bandwidth is an illusion. It’s like when you’re seeing water in the middle of the desert. A mirage. You are promised, but you will not receive.

Secret backdoor to quality free hosting

Actually it’s not that secret, just not widely known. As I said in the beginning of this article, free hosting is most of the time nothing more than a barter.

Now here’s the idea: why settle for lousy “free hosting” when you can barter for quality hosting instead? All you need to do is find a few good paid hosting companies and then ask for hosting in exchange for placing ads on your website.

Your greatest advantage is that you’ll be able to make those ads fit your website perfectly. They will not be automatically added to your pages at the top or bottom. You’ll have complete control over your website’s design.

Sure, you’ll have to negotiate where to place those ads. It’s normal for the host to ask for the ads to be placed so that they’ll get high chances to be noticed by your website’s visitors. As long as they don’t ask for a big banner to be placed on your pages I don’t see a serious problem. I would suggest you though to go for a text ad. It’s usually much easier to make a text ad blend-in nicely so that it doesn’t scream “I’m an ad!”.

This solution for getting great hosting without giving money out of your pocket is not for all websites though. First, the hosting company will want a suited audience. Targeting the right audience will bring them the best results in terms of sales volume.

So your website’s audience should have a rather high interest in buying hosting. Web programmers, web designers, webmasters, search engine optimization specialists and web business owners are among those who might be interested in hosting offers. If your website attracts such people, you have significantly better chances to trade ads in exchange for hosting.

One thing to notice is that your chances to barter for hosting are considerably smaller if you’re just launching your website. That’s because you can’t get something for nothing. If you offer advertising and have no audience you’re basically offering potential audience and ask for hosting in exchange. The only chance you’ve got is to convince the host that your site has great potential. That you have a good plan to get visitors.

You might think that if it’s just starting your website will not consume lots of resources. After all, the activity is near zero. However there is more to hosting than just that. You will need some support, which costs the host quite a lot.

One thing to notice is that hosts will prefer to barter hosting with text based websites. Websites offering big files for download are not likely to be accepted.
Conclusions

Free hosting is not free – at least in the form in which it exists on the internet today. I have yet to find a free host that is a real charity. As strange as it might sound, look out for free hosts that seem to be completely free (charity-like). A host must have funding! Ask them how do they cover or plan to cover their costs. Is there a foundation behind that host? It’s highly unlikely, but who knows!

All hosts have to pay for the servers, bandwidth and staff. If they don’t have a good plan to cover the costs, the future for them is grim and services will soon degrade due to under funding.

The best option if you don’t want to spend money for hosting is to barter for it with a respected, serious, honest web host. But don’t ever trick yourself into thinking that you’re getting something for nothing. Ads are a form of payment so you’re paying.

Bandwidth or Data Transfer – Which is Which?

Too often web hosts talk about bandwidth and data transfer in the same breath but truth is known they are different although very closely related. Bandwidth is how much data can be transferred at a time and data transfer is how much data is being transferred.

Think of it this way. If bandwidth were a bridge, then the bigger the bridge is the more vehicles can pass through it. While data transfer is the number of vehicles allowed on the bridge in say a month. In essence, data transfer is the consumption of bandwidth.
How It Affects Your Site

The less bandwidth you have, the slower your site takes to load regardless of the visitor’s connection type. If you have more visitors, some of them will have to wait their turn. The least data transfer you have, the more often you’ll find your site unavailable because you’re reached the maximum allowed until a new month rolls by or you upgrade your account.
Determining Your Requirements

Usually when a host talks about bandwidth, they are referring to your transfer. So you need to figure out what is sufficient for your site to function. You’ll need to gather some information; fairly easy if you already have a site. Most of this information is available from your traffic history. If you don’t have an existing site, provide an optimistic estimate if you intend to heavily promote the site. Then get ready for some math.
Find out the daily averages of:

Number of visitors / expected number of visitors
Page size including the graphics of the page
Page views / expected pages viewed by each visitor

Then, multiply them as follows:

Visitors x Page size x Page views x 30 days = Monthly Website Transfer

You should also throw in a small margin or error there to take into account email traffic and your own uploads to the server. If you offer downloads, then you should add the following:
Average/Expected downloads x File Size x 30 days = Monthly Download Transfer

Unlimited Plans

Bandwidth is very expensive. All hosts are limited by their own allocations. Thinking back to the bridge. What happens is each visitor to your site will be given a smaller lane to transfer the data, creating many tiny lanes therefore “unlimited”. The more visitors you have the smaller each lane will be which makes each visitor wait for the page to load.

More often than not there is little choice over your bandwidth as your host controls this. Some hosts may limit the number of simultaneous connections so in affect slowing down your site and refusing some visitors. This is called throttling. If you’re concerned about this, you should ask the host how they control bandwidth usage or purchase a package with more data transfer.
Reducing Transfers

On the other hand, you can reduce your transfer amount by building simpler, more efficient websites and optimizing your graphics. Refrain from fancy flash presentations or streaming audio. Use CSS, call JavaScript externally instead of embedding in every page. Remove unwanted tags, white space and comments. Limit your META tags to those absolutely necessary. Having too many keywords is not search engine friendly. Besides many search engines will only review the first few and ignore the rest.

Another good idea is to cache your website but you might want to set an expiry date in the HTTP headers so the browser will refresh the content after a certain time. Use mod-gzip. It could save you as much as 40% of your bandwidth. Out of control robots can also suck down your bandwidth like a black hole. So use robots.txt to keep spiders in check

Reliable Web Hosting..

Either you want to set up a new web site or you have a website that is doing quite well on the Internet and so far there have been no issues, and you are happy with the way things are going. But have you ever stopped to consider how reliable your existing or potential web host is? Here are a few key questions you can ask to figure out if your web host is reliable or not: How secure is the server on which your web site is hosted? Does it feature powerful firewalls – not the free versions that are available on the Internet – and strong anti-virus software? Or, is the server chock-a-block with worms and Trojans and hackers are regularly fingering into the server ports? Of course, you cannot figure this out on your own if you aren’t a technical person, and the best way to find this out would be to read reviews about your web host and speak to his other clients. How powerful is the server hardware? If your website is hosted on a server backed by obsolete hardware, which is networked with an antiquated broadband connection, then you’ve had it. Remember, the computer today is converging with TV and video and the hardware has to be powerful enough not just to support huge multimedia files, but also to ensure that these multimedia files are easily downloaded by the website visitors. What is the server uptime? Does your web host’s server work on crutches or does it hum along perfectly? If you are getting a server downtime of 5% and over because your web host keeps rebooting his beautiful system, then it’s time to get a new web host. What’s the customer support like? Does your web host feature 24/7 customer support staff or is your host a reseller? If he’s a reseller, he will not be as dedicated as you would like him to be; or, even if he isn’t a reseller and doesn’t have 24/7 customer support, then he is not reliable. Does your web host take backups? All reliable web hosts always back up the data on their server just in case anything goes wrong. And this is a very important feature, which users do not bother to enquire when they rent the space. Does your server have SSL? If you’re planning to set up a shop then no customer will ever swipe his credit card on your site unless your website has a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Ensure that your web host provides you with this feature before you sign up with him. Is the host server easy to use? Once you upload your website, you will need to change it frequently and for that to happen you need to have access to a control panel that’s easy to use. Plus, you will also want to plug in automated scripts such as blogs, chat rooms, content management system, etc. on your website. Make sure your web host’s control panel is easy to use and that you are given many automated scripts to use. These are the basic questions every reliable web host should be able to answer favorably. Also, do not stop after asking these questions – get your technical guy to ask about telnet access, error pages and all that jazzed out jargon, which technical guys yak all the time. Once you’re sure your web host is the cat’s whiskers – go ahead and hire space from him.

Simple Step Towards Improved Customer Satisfaction for Web Hosts

Let’s face it, there isn’t a web host out there who hasn’t experienced times where the server that their company web site is on has gone down. Sometimes only for a few minutes, but sometimes those minutes can turn into hours – or even days if a major piece of hardware has gone belly up on you. And in most cases, you don’t dedicate an entire server to your domain – you have customers who also share that server. Customers who now are not only unable to gain access to THEIR domain, but can not reach yours either. They are effectively cut off from electronic communication with you. So what do they do? How can they find out what is going on with their web site, and more importantly, when it will be back online?

Some hosts, like AlphaOne Technology, have emergency support available by telephone. In that case, (if they can remember the phone number since they can not access your website to find the number), they begin calling. And calling. And calling. Usually there are over 100-200 customers hosted on a single server. Do you or your staff really have the time to be fielding that many phone calls when you are in the middle of a crisis and need to devote your time to fixing the problem and getting the server operational? Probably not. Nor do your customers want to spend time on hold or dealing with busy signals. Every minute on hold, or every call that results in a busy signal, leaves a bad impression with that customer. They want to know WHY they are down and they want to know NOW.

If you are large enough to have multiple incoming lines & an automated voice mail system, a simple solution is to immediately record a server status alert, along with an honest assessment of what has happened and, if you know it, an estimated time that the server will be operational again. This will allow customers calling about their site being down to get the information they need without having to talk to a live technician. The customer is happy to be informed, (even if they are VERY unhappy about having their site down), and you have saved yourself time and money and can focus on the important problem at hand.

In your recorded status alert, let the customer know how often the status will be updated. We recommend that if a server is down longer than 90 minutes, updated information should be made available every 30-45 minutes.

If you are a smaller host with only one incoming line, you probably don’t have enough customers that busy signals will become a major irritant, but keep the message very short and to the point.

By now many of you are saying “what about those of us who don’t HAVE a tech support number to call?” Good question since a recent survey shows that over 75% of web hosting companies do NOT publish a tech support number. Fear not, there are a couple of other ways that we will discuss in upcoming articles. Our next article will talk about using Voice Over IP service and Instant Messaging.

This article may freely be reprinted on your web site or BLOG as long as all links and author information are not altered or disabled.

Selecting Type of Server “Best for Your Business”

If you are conducting a serious business, a web site is a necessity nowadays and this implies the use of business portal hosting. The web site can be your online store, but it also has to be stored somewhere. And that can’t be on your personal computer. Would you like people poking in into your computer every day? That’s why you will need to get in touch with a hosting company, and then you will be able to choose from the business portal hosting options they have for you. Finding a hosting company is usually the next logical step after registering a domain name for your web site. You can also find a company that provides both of these services, which could make things easier for you. Now, as far as the hosting options go, you will have plenty. The choice really depends also on the nature of the site you want to have, and the size of your business. The most important refers to deciding whether to store your site on a shared server or on a dedicated server. The dedicated server has all the advantages when compared with the shared server, except for one though, which could make all the difference: the price. Dedicated servers don’t come cheap, and the costs soar to a few hundred dollars each month. But dedicated hosting has some undeniable advantages. First of all, you don’t need to share the server’s bandwidth with anybody else. In other words, your web site will not be slowed down by other high traffic web sites which might be stored on a shared server. Secondly, you can customize a dedicated server according to your own preferences. You can install your favorite operating system, your favorite software, in short, you can personalize it any way you want. You would not be able to do all these things on a shared server. When deciding for a web hosting company, don’t make the mistake of rushing in and make sure that you take your time and search for one which offers you with the bandwidth, disk space and applications needed for your web site. Make sure that you check the background of the company and you read some reviews. After all, you don’t want to work with novices. It might be a good idea to tell the hosting assistant a little bit about your intentions with your web site. What is the purpose of the site and how are you envisioning the web site? Where is it going? How big are you planning to make it? You can also ask the company’s assistant some questions about their equipment. It is important to realize that a hosting provider, who may be ideal for one business, may not be suitable for yours. Most people make their final decision based on cost. However, I advice you better: take your time and carefully consider what is available. After all, you want stable and reliable business portal hosting included in your online marketing plans.

The Top 15 Essential Ingredients of Every WINDOWS HOSTING Plan

1. ASP Support – The clear reason why you chose a windows plan is to use Microsoft Specific Languages. Active Server Pages, Microsoft’s technology to enables HTML pages to be dynamic and interactive by embedding scripts. Check all the windows hosting plans and make sure, the host doesn’t charge for this extra.

2. .NET Support – ASP.net is the next generation of Microsoft’s Active Server Page (ASP), a feature of their Internet Information Server (IIS). ASP.net is different from ASP in two major ways: it supports code written in compiled languages like C++, Visual Basic, and Perl, and, it features server controls that can separate the code from the content, allowing WYSIWYG editing of pages. Most of the hosts give this feature free of charge while few charge extra. Go for it if you really need it.

3. CDONTS – CDONTS stands for ‘Collaboration Data Objects for Windows NT Server’ and it’s a Messaging Component comes along with Windows NT/2000. A windows hosting plan without this is Incomplete. This provides you the easiest solution for your messaging thro’ your website ASP pages, provided you have SMTP support.

4. DATABASES – Microsoft Access 2000 Database is supported by all the windows hosting plans. This will do if you are a starter. For experienced campaigners, MS-Sql is a must have. This is an advanced feature and most of the hosting companies charge extra. The control for the Databases must be provided in the Control Panel. Check that.

5. DATABASE Connection – DSN or DSNless Connections, whatever the case may be, please check if the host has provided the option in the Control Panel to create/manage DSNs. (Data Source Name). If DSNs are NOT allowed, ask for the Connection String for DSNless connections.

6. ASP Components – Apart from the default components, there are loads of third party software. Check the list of such components that the host provides. ASP Upload, ASPImage, Dundas Mailer, ASPjpeg, ASPEncrypt are few popular components. At times you may require to have your own components (DLLs) installed. This is provided by most of the hosts, but after the DLL undergoes a complete test in the server environment. This does not come free.

7. PHP & Coldfusion – ColdFusion is a server-side scripting language web development tool. It uses HTML-like tags called CFML to enable back-end ODBC database connectivity as well as data manipulation and validation within webpages.. This is again an advanced option and NOT every hosting provider provide this. But PHP, Mysql is also bundled with windows hosting plans. Keep an eye on both of these.

8. Control Panel – This is the nucleus of your website. In a Control Panel, popularly known as CP, you can literally do anything. The moment you signup for a Hosting Pack, you must be provided with a CP to manage your webspace.

9. POP3 email Ids & Aliases – yourname@yourdomain.com is an example POP3 ID. You must be provided with ample of POP3 email ids and it depends on the Package size.

10. FTP Account – This is where you upload your files, delete them, update them. This again comes along with the CP.

11. Backup – Most of the Hosts take Automated Backups. But users do not take much care on this while choosing the Hosting Pack. This feature is as essential as anyother in this list.

12. Web Statistics – Analysis of your website visitors plays a key role in the success of your website. Say, your website has been launched and you get NIL Visits or More than 100 Visits per day. Whatever the case may be, you can view the Report using Statistics Application that run in the server backend.

13. Bandwidth – Choose the Hosting Plan that gives enough Bandwidth for your website. Even though you cannot judge at the beginning, as time progresses, you can easily deduct the Bandwidth required.

14. Webmail, SMTP & SPAM – Email becomes key part in your life once you launch the website. Check if the Hosts provide with WEBMAIL (mail.yourdomain.com) to check your mails thru a web based interface using Squirrelmail or Horde. Corporate Users prefer downloading mails thru Email Clients such as Eudora or Outlook Express. Only if SMTP or IMAP support is enabled you can use this option. Hence check if SMTP support is provided.No email user is free from a spam attack. Hence you need to have Spam Filters installed on the server where your website resides.

15. IP – If your website prefers SSL Support (https://) as time grows, makes ure you get a DEDICATED IP. Most of the websites are hosted on shared IPs. Ask your Hosting Provider about the extra charges involved in getting a dedicated IP and SSL Support. Note : For SSL (https://), you need to buy a Digital Certificate.

Windows vs Linux Hosting

The Basics of Linux & Windows :

Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn’t mean you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating system.

But what is important is that you know what you want your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time, been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It’s typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it’s commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed, aalphanet.com runs on the Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use – if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed “brochure-ware” then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you’ll get that back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost (or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select “Front Page Extensions” during web site design, you must enable Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions are supported:
.cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others.
Basically it means that you can host web sites that use different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, .php, and .asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.

Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

However if you are not sure then email us or call Teeyes Siva on 00 91 0 93441 05858 and we’ll help you decide by talking through the issues. However little you know about the technicalities of the internet don’t worry, you probably know more than we do about your speciality. So we will explain without jargon and we’ll get to the right answer together!

To Choose the Best Hosting Company

The best hosting company provides solutions for effective operations. Using an Internet hosting service will provide greater visibility for a website. For solutions, it is important to look for a plan that includes adequate disk space, bandwidth, and the capability to upgrade or downgrade plans whenever needed. The expense and technical issues associated with maintaining servers may not be worth the costs and time involved. Using an Internet hosting service that meets a business’s needs can be cost effective and may provide greater market reaches. Companies that offer services to host a website also provide other services that a business may find profitable. Some of these services include tools to enhance the site and marketing solutions to improve the business. It is important to complete some research before choosing a best hosting solution for a site. Directories on the Internet will supply visitors with a list of companies that offer these services. This is a good starting point. It can also be helpful to talk to some other businesses and find out if they are satisfied with the service they use. Determining the needs before selecting a package will be vital. A professional can help evaluate the needs of the business on the Internet. Even before seeking professional advice, taking the time to jot down important issues and questions will be useful. It is also possible to engage in a live chat with some of these companies online. Accessing frequently answered questions on various sites may provide answers to some of the questions that have been organized. Many companies have toll free numbers that consumers or businesses can call to get additional information. Companies should determine what they can afford to pay for service with a best hosting company by checking the budget. Packages vary in price based upon different levels of service. If requirements include large amounts of server or disk space and larger bandwidths, costs will be higher. Most companies charge a monthly fee based upon service packages and allow for add-ons depending upon your needs. This fee usually includes technical support. Taking the time to find out about set-up fees and all upfront costs will be important. Understanding what features or functions are included, such as capability, multiple URLs and additional email addresses will make it easier for the company to determine if the program that is being offered is the best option. Some Internet services require that an individual or company sign a contract at the time of service engagement. Some of these services will come with a money back guarantee. If they don’t have a guarantee, it is important to find out if the deal can start with a month-by-month agreement until the company knows that it wants to sign for a longer period of time. Sometimes longer contract periods allow for cheaper fees. This might be something to consider if the savings is substantial. The business should send a potential best web hosting company a test email to see how fast they respond before signing a contract. This will allow the business to evaluate the processes and procedures of the company. Issues with a site that go unresolved for too long could mean lost sales for the business. One of the important issues to be concerned with when searching for a web hosting solution is disk space. The business will need to determine exactly how much disk space the website needs to function adequately. This may include reviewing how much disk space the site requires on a computer. It is also important to ask about email addresses per domain name and if the account includes auto responder email that is sent back automatically when receiving customer requests. A best web hosting service provides solutions for various types of business concerns. The business should make a list of all concerns so that when they narrow down a search for a hosting company, answers are readily available. Use wisdom through research by being prepared with questions that will help to make an informed decision. Some companies offer solutions for online store sales that include shopping cart options and credit card processing. A best web hosting solution may include free set up and free domain transfer with no hidden charges or fees. Some packages include several email accounts and sub-domains. Other options might include the capability of adding new domain names, and managing database content. Some companies provide tools for clients to design, develop, and manage their website. When viewing the options and choices, a business can easily see that the best web hosting solution will offer the ability to customize a service package according to the needs of the business that is interested. Marketing tools make it easy to attract more visitors through chat rooms and the ability to initiate conversations with site visitors in real time. Additional tools allow for monitoring of web statistics and developing of newsletters to use for email correspondence with visitors. Site tools help to design a website quickly and easily. Photo galleries are included with some packages to make the information look professional and impressive. Control panels provide the ease of managing domain names and email addresses. Firewall protection will keep important data secure along with daily backups of your website. Seeking information about design software and the ability to create and update a site is necessary before making a final decision.

Unlimited Web Hosting for free and budget

There are a myriad of companies that offer a variety of free computer services. But, using a host service that does not charge for space may not be the best option for every person or business launching a new website. The unlimited web hosting that does not cost in rental space may cost in other areas. This is not necessarily a negative factor, but it does indicate that seekers should be completely informed about where the costs lie or what they will be expected to offer the server in return for the service. While there are plenty of hosting companies that do offer computer space and quality services at no charge, there are also companies that target those looking for freebies by taking advantage in a variety of ways. And, existing on a server that hosts other free websites can also put the computer neighborhood at risk. When served by a free hosting service, quality control may be minimum, meaning neighbors that may spam, slow up loading times, or post inappropriate materials. It will be crucial to investigate, thoroughly, every web host under consideration. Newcomers who are looking for inexpensive ways to get their websites posted online will need to understand the basics of web hosting. Getting the information about how the entire process works will help in making wise decisions about what route to choose when looking for unlimited web hosting. A web server is actually a computer that can receive petitions from the Internet to send and display files to the computer requesting information. When a site is hosted on a server, the files are stored on the server’s space. Most servers that offer unlimited web hosting will have many clients occupying one server computer and this is called shared hosting. Dedicated servers are computers that are committed to one specific client. With a shared service, clients share addresses and this can impact certain functions. Smaller sites generally utilize the shared server options, but knowing who the neighbors are will be important. There are many different reasons for using unlimited web hosting and utilizing services offered at no charge might be very appropriate and even beneficial in the right circumstances. Small companies just launching a page or site might find the perfect opportunity to get a “feel” for Internet protocol and business. Other site owners may wish to post their information pages on several different servers, experimenting with traffic demographics. Utilizing the services offered at no charge would definitely be beneficial in these cases. The Internet has become a major medium for not only businesses, but for family and friends communications, as well. Now, photographs are not sent via the mail, or even shared at family gatherings. By posting pictures online, anyone can enjoy them at anytime, and even print off copies of their own! Simple family sites are perfect clients for the unlimited web hosting services that do not charge a rental fee. Unlimited is not necessarily best in every situation, however. Maintaining a server computer costs money, and there has to be a way for these host services to pay for their own time and expenses. This means that there will generally be a “catch” involved with using unlimited web hosting services. The server may require that clients display advertising on their sites. Some agencies will not charge for rental space, but will charge for the use of a domain name, or website address. And, services are generally limited in technical support or speed when there is no charge. It will be important to carefully weigh all of these factors when selecting a server. Being hosted will most likely cost something, either in page space for advertising or in utilizing other services offered by the server. When looking for a server at free or discounted pricing, be sure and ask each server questions about who you will be sharing computer space with. It will be important to reside in a cyberspace location with reputable businesses. Site owners will never want to put their browsers at risk by exposing them to the inappropriate content of a neighbor’s pages. It will be a good idea to pray before choosing a host service. Ask God for His direction in finding a server that will support the integrity that brings glory to Him. “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Research and investigations will equip seekers with the information needed to make the right choices. There are websites online that give quick reviews of some of the servers offering unlimited web hosting, making it easy to investigate several choices at once. It may also be a good idea to contact clients that are currently utilizing any server under consideration. Asking the clients about speed, up time, and technical support will give you a good idea of how the company serves their customers. And remember, in most cases, you get what you pay for.