Web Hosting FAQ

General

Web hosting is, more or less, an agreement between you and a web hosting service provider that you will pay a monthly lease to own and operate a portion of their massive web servers. These are computers that will house all of your data and will allow others to get a good look at the content you so painstakingly create. Think of it as a storage unit with windows that other Internet users will drive by and take a peep through.

In order to operate a website you absolutely need a web hosting account, as no site can just live on the Internet without a web server. Since a web server usually costs thousands of dollars it is much more affordable to simply lease one from a web hosting provider. Web hosting services give you the opportunity to reach the world wide web without making a significant investment.

Before you begin your comparison journey, you have to decide what type of web hosting will fit your needs as a webmaster. Your basic choices are shared, reseller, VPS, and dedicated hosting.

If you are just starting out online and you don’t have a lot of websites, then you may want to begin comparing cheap shared hosting plans. If you want more freedom over your hosting account, then you may want to choose a more powerful VPS hosting plan instead. Finally, if you’re extremely serious about being successful online and you want the best of the best, then you should be comparing dedicated hosting plans.

The web hosting industry is extremely competitive, with almost 25 thousand web hosting providers competing for your business at any given point in time. To grab your attention, many of them will offer extremely low prices, while some will simply add more features and benefits to the plans. While price comparisons are generally simple to conduct in other industries, in web hosting, it can be quite confusing, considering all of the plan features that must be compared as well. Many people also fail to realize the differences in payment structure, as well as other pricing factors, such as fees and startup costs.

Web hosting pricing has become very confusing over the last several years, with many web hosting companies changing the way they advertise their plan pricing. It can be discouraging after purchasing a web hosting plan, only to find out that the monthly cost is much higher than was expected. Many web hosting companies are using deceptive marketing tactics to attract new customers without actually lowering the price. It is important to know the various aspects of web hosting pricing before comparing plans. When comparing plans it is best to consider the cost of all the features and the number of features offered.

Before you pick a web hosting plan based on price, make sure you have a solid understanding of the pricing structure. Try to compare plans of equal value in order to conduct the most accurate and useful comparison possible.

The first thing you need to consider when comparing two similarly priced plans is the payment structure. Some plans require you to pay a year in advance, while others will let you pay on a monthly basis. This can be the biggest difference in regards to startup cost. Plan A may cost $7 per month; however, you may be required to pay one year in advance, which would make the startup cost about $84 (plus applicable fees).

On the other hand, Plan B may cost $15 per month, but without annual payments. In this example, even though Plan B costs twice as much per month, it would be possible to get started for a fraction of the cost without the obligation of a yearly contract.

It is important to note that the more you pay in advance, the lower your monthly rate will be. In other words, you may be able to get Plan A for $3/month instead of $7/month if you pay for it three years in advance. The type of plan you purchase should depend entirely upon your preferences and your budget. If you are operating on a strict budget and you need to save money now, then you may want to consider a plan that does not require yearly payments. However, if you have a more liberal budget and you need to save money in the long term, then you may want to consider a plan with lower monthly payments under an annual contract.

In the web hosting industry, pricing is not always what it seems, especially for the novice webmaster. Make sure you investigate the true cost of prospective hosting plans before making any commitments.

Unexpected or hidden fees is another pricing factor to consider when purchasing a hosting plan. The first fee to look for is the setup fee. Many hosting plans charge around $50 for a setup fee when you first purchase the plan. In some cases, the hosting company may offer a rebate on this setup fee; however, you should know that you will receive the money at a later date, and you will still need to pay the fee when purchasing the plan.

Another fee to look for is excessive usage fees. This is especially important when shopping for plans that claim to offer unlimited features. In reality, every web hosting plan has its limitations, so it is important to note what the monetary repercussions are for exceeding those limits. In some cases, you may be able to find a hosting plan that will only charge you for the number of server resources you used over the limit, instead of charging you a set fee. In other cases, you may be required to upgrade or pay a fee for exceeding your limitations.

Domain transferring fees are also often overlooked. If you already have websites that you will be transferred to your new web hosting account, make sure you don’t have to pay any fees to do so.

If you need a cheap web hosting plan to get started with your online endeavor, then you may want to consider a shared hosting plan. Shared web hosting is the cheapest form of web hosting, with plans starting at less than ten dollars per month. In fact, it is possible to find a shared web hosting plan for only $3 per month in some cases.

Many shared web hosting plans offer unlimited features, such as unlimited bandwidth, unlimited disk space, and even the ability to host unlimited domains. Plans that have contracts for more than a year are usually cheaper on a monthly basis. If you are in need of a quick start in the hosting industry then you should purchase a cheap VPS or shared hosting account that allows monthly payments. Using shared hosting has its advantages and disadvantages, however, it is always the most affordable solution, regardless of the situation.

However, it is important to note that many of these unlimited features are not exactly infinite. As in other industries, you’ll generally receive what you pay for.

Web servers are critical elements of the internet, as every website needs one in order to function. Essentially, web servers are computers that are responsible for transmitting data from a website to the site visitor’s computer. Without a web server, your web site could not exist, because there would not be anywhere to store the data and send it to a visitor’s computer.

There is a variety of web servers available on the market, with each one designed to accommodate a different range of client needs. If you want your site to perform optimally, then you will need a capable web server. Make sure you become familiar with web servers and their uses before you proceed with your online endeavors.

Server uptime is a term used to describe the amount of time that a web server is fully functional and online. When a server crashes or goes offline, all of the websites hosted on it are also rendered useless until it the problem is repaired. Thus, server uptime is a direct indicator of the reliability and consistency of a web hosting provider.

Most web hosting providers have a seal posted on their website that guarantees more than 99 percent uptime. While this may seem appealing, the truth is, most companies do not live up to this promise. If you have been experiencing frequent downtime then you may want to switch web hosting providers. Every time your site crashes you are potentially losing money. This is especially true if you are operating an eCommerce website.

Most major web hosting providers have their own private data centers, in which all of their web servers are stored. Datacenters are specially designed to accommodate the environmental needs of a web server. The temperature, humidity, dust content, lighting, cleanliness, and security of the data center is meticulously upheld by on-site staff that is responsible for keeping all of the web servers in perfect condition. The floors are air-cooled, all rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art fire extinguishing systems, and there is a 24-hour maintenance staff on duty 7 days out of every week.

Shared Hosting

Shared web hosting services are amongst the most popular types of web hosting, primarily because they are extremely affordable. Shared web hosting provides the plan holder with access to a small part of a web server that is used by hundreds of other websites. These powerful web servers are split into partitions that are allocated to the web hosting customers. As a shared web hosting plan holder, you have access to a set amount of server resources. However, if you need to exceed these limitations then resources are pulled from other partitions on the network to accommodate your needs. Although this process may sacrifices performance and page loading times, it gives you the ability to have unlimited plan features such as bandwidth and disk space.

Shared hosting is a very unique web hosting type that usually costs less than any other kind of web hosting plan. Many webmasters get their first bit of web hosting experience by purchasing and using a shared web shoring plan. Shared hosting is essentially a type of hosting configuration in which a single web server is used to power hundreds of websites that are owned by different webmasters, hence the term “shared” hosting.

Web server configurations can have a great impact on the way websites perform, especially when the site beings to grow and experience high levels of traffic. Even though shared web hosting is a less comprehensive service, it is enough to run a basic website and receive internet training. In fact, most experts recommend starting out with shared web hosting in order to learn in a comfortable and affordable hosting environment, before moving on to more advanced solutions. If you are planning on getting started as a webmaster then you may want to consider shared web hosting as your first web hosting plan.

Shared web servers are unique because they are split up into partitions that are assigned to each hosting account. A server partition is a section of a web server that is completely separate from the rest of the web server. Even though the partitions are completely separate, the server software configuration is the same across the entire web server. Server resources are distributed evenly amongst the server in the event of a partition overload. For example, if your website is stressing the network’s resources and pushing its limitations, then another server partition may aid in the operation of your website by providing extra server resources.

If you are consistently overstepping the boundaries of your shared server partition then you will most likely be warned by the web hosting provider via email. Too much excessive use can result in the suspension of service or a hosting upgrade. Many shared web hosting plans offer unlimited features, however, there are very real limitations, especially when the server limitations are consistently overused.

The most apparent benefit of shared hosting is the strikingly low cost associated with most shared hosting accounts. In fact, some shared hosting plans cost as little as $3 per month, which is incredibly affordable, especially considering the number of server resources that are allocated to each hosting account.

As hundreds of sites can be hosted on a shared web server simultaneously, it becomes an incredibly profitable situation for the hosting company and the hosting account holder. If you are trying to maintain a strict monthly budget then you may want to consider shared web hosting for your next internet endeavor.

Aside from the lower cost shared hosting plans often come with unlimited features such as unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space. These “unlimited” features are made possible because the size of the server partition can quickly be increased or amended to suit the needs of the webmaster. Shared web servers distribute the server load evenly to keep sites performing optimally. If you do exceed your plan usage with shared hosting, you’ll usually receive a warning rather than a bill, and in most cases, the company will help you upgrade to a new plan.

Many shared web hosting plans will also let you host unlimited domains. Some people refer to this kind of hosting as multiple-domain hosting. If you own many websites and you’d like to operate them from within a single interface, then you may want to consider shared hosting.

If you are unsure about your needs as a webmaster then you may want to consider a shared hosting plan, as they are very expandable and the risk is low since the plans are affordable.

Shared hosting also has many disadvantages. In fact, shared hosting has more disadvantages than any other kind of web hosting, simply because there are not as many server resources available to the webmaster. When web servers are shared by hundreds of websites at the same time they begin to slow down. To uphold customer satisfaction web hosting providers have to keep strict restrictions in order to ensure optimal server functionality. In the process, many webmasters are limited in their ability to build comprehensive websites.

Even though unexpected site crashes are a rare occurrence in the hosting industry, site downtime occurs regularly with shared hosting due to server maintenance. In order to keep hundreds of sites operating smoothly on a single web server, the hosting company has to perform administrative tasks to keep the servers clean and operating smoothly. When this happens, the servers are reset, and sites temporarily go offline for about 15 minutes to an hour. Such server resets only happen once every couple of weeks during the middle of the night; however, it can be a nuisance to site owners that have a lot of daily traffic at various times of the day, considering the global nature of the Internet.

If you need a comprehensive hosting plan that allows for expansion and fats site performance then you may want to consider another hosting type. Shared web hosting is ideal for new webmasters that need access to hosting for a minimal cost. If you have no experience and would like to start your own online business then shared web hosting may be perfect for you. If you are serious about the long-term success of your online internet endeavors then you may want to examine other hosting options before selecting shared web hosting.

In general, shared web hosting is perfect for new webmasters that are just getting started with web hosting. If you need a cheap way to get your sites up and running, then shared web hosting may be perfect for you. However, if you plan on operating many websites, or one very busy website, then you may want to consider a more comprehensive hosting plan, such as a VPS or dedicated hosting plan.

Reseller Hosting

The basic concept is simple: you purchase web hosting services in bulk and receive a hefty discount. You can then resell these services for an even heftier profit.

The purpose of a reseller hosting plan is to provide the tools and resources needed for you to create your own web hosting business from scratch. As a reseller plan holder, you will receive access to server resources that can be controlled and delegated by you to your clients. You have complete control over the software configuration of the server, as well as the allocation of server resources and the structure of hosting plans. You can create custom hosting plans using the reseller tools included in your hosting account. You have the ability to brand your hosting company and offer a custom control panel with your company’s logo within your client’s web hosting control panel. You can even rename the plans, customizing them according to any specifications you wish. You may also bundle the server resources with other web-based services.

If you want to profit from the incredibly lucrative web hosting industry then you may want to consider a reseller hosting plan. You can even sell your hosting company after you have made a decent profit with it!

The process of profiting from reseller hosting is rather simple. Once you have purchased the plan and you have access to the server resources you can then begin creating hosting plans. The key is to sell the server resources for a competitive price while also creating a substantial markup.

As an example, if you are given 1200 GB of bandwidth and 120 GB of disk space you could easily keep 20 GB of disk space for your own hosting needs, and then create 10 hosting accounts that contain 100 GB of bandwidth and 10 GB of disk space each. If you are paying $49.95 per month for such a plan, and you sell the hosting plans for $10 per month each, you would be making a profit of $50 per month, and you would also have access to 20 free GB of disk space for your own use. With such benefits, it is easy to see why reseller hosting is becoming so popular.

Unlike other hosting plans, reseller hosting gives you the tools needed to create a hosting company with minimal effort. Most reseller plans come with comprehensive site building tools that allow you to set up a professional site that will solicit clients on autopilot. Every one of your clients gets their own control panel, and you can even brand the control panel and offer custom content management systems as well.

You also get an automated internal billing system that will let you invoice your clients automatically each month, making it extremely simple to keep track of business finances. To add to the authenticity of your hosting company, you’ll even receive private nameservers that make it appear as if you own your client’s web server. In fact, most reseller hosting providers will work with you to create the most authentic-looking hosting company from scratch. You can even service clients from around the world, as most reseller hosting plans come with multilingual support that lets your clients choose which language they’d prefer for their control panel.

If you want to venture into the extremely profitable industry of web hosting then you should definitely consider one of the many comprehensive resellers hosting plans available. Surprisingly, some web hosting companies started as small hosting resellers, and after a few years of building a client base, gradually made enough money to invest in a private data center for their customers. As a hosting reseller, you have the unique opportunity to build a professional web hosting company from the ground up with as little as $20 per month.

The key to being successful as a web hosting company is branding and plan packaging. You have to set yourself apart from the other web hosting providers by offering unique plans. Every advertising and marketing campaign needs to be unique in order to catch the attention of a market that is being inundated with advertising on a daily basis. It is extremely important to make sure your hosting company does not look like a reseller hosting business.

You want to appear as if you are a professional hosting company because most online business owners do not want to deal with middlemen. Fortunately, most reseller hosting providers give you all of the tools needed to create custom control panels and websites that add authenticity and professionalism to your web hosting business. As your hosting business gradually expands you’ll be able to receive cheaper prices on server resources, which will give you the opportunity to make even more profit.

VPS Hosting

VPS web hosting is one of the most popular kinds of hosting available, most likely because it offers a perfect balance between affordability and professional functionality. VPS is an abbreviation for Virtual Private Server, which describes the web server configuration.

Web servers are powerful computers that serve information to web pages so that they can be accessed by visitors around the world. When a visitor views one of your web pages they are actually downloading content directly from your web server. A virtual private server is simply a section of a web server that is devoted solely to your website. VPS hosting is a mixture of shared hosting (the most affordable kind of hosting) and dedicated hosting (the most powerful kind of web hosting).

Many people confuse shared hosting with VPS hosting because both types involve splitting a server into partitions for use amongst multiple hosting plans. However, unlike shared web hosting, VPS hosting does not place any restrictions or limitations on the kinds of software that can be used on the web server partition.

VPS hosting is perfect for small to medium sized businesses that need the functionality of a dedicated server without the additional cost or server maintenance responsibilities. If you have been using a shared hosting plan and you’re noticing decreased site performance and site downtime, then you may need to upgrade to a VPS hosting plan.

VPS hosting is perfect for people that need complete control over their server’s software configuration and control panel. With a shared hosting plan, you are forced to use the software configuration mandated by the hosting company. In contrast, VPS is comparable to having a private web server, except without the exuberant setup and maintenance costs.

VPS hosting is perfect for websites that are expanding and are in need of something more powerful than a shared hosting plan. Most webmasters begin by using a shared web hosting plan due to its affordability and simplicity. However, after a few months, sites begin to receive daily traffic, and eventually the server burden is too much for a single shared hosting account. VPS hosting is the most flexible hosting type in the world, with a massive variety of plans currently on offer.

Some hosting companies have up to 10 VPS hosting plans available, ranging in price from $10 to $300! Thus, it is easy to see why sites of all sizes are using VPS hosting accounts to accommodate their web hosting needs.

The main benefit of VPS hosting is the expandability of the hosting plans. Instead of being confined to a particular set of server resources, you can expand your plan at any time in most cases. If you are not sure how many server resources you need to keep your sites operating optimally, then you may want to consider a powerful VPS plan or a cloud VPS hosting plan.

VPS web hosting is surprisingly affordable in most cases, with prices starting just above the cost of shared web hosting. This affordability and expandability make VPS web hosting perfect for novice webmasters and professionals alike. Upgrading a VPS hosting plan is extremely simple, especially if you choose to stay with the same hosting provider.

In general, most VPS hosting providers offer a plethora of VPS plans that are scalable in size. Since a VPS is simply a designated partition from a web server, it is possible to adjust the size of that partition depending on the needs of the web server. Thus, it is not uncommon to see several VPS hosting plans being offered by one hosting provider.

For example, some large hosting companies offer up to nine different levels of VPS hosting. Needless to say, with such a diverse plan selection, the prices can differ greatly. However, most companies offer plans ranging anywhere from $20 per month to $200 per month.

It is important to note that VPS hosting is very broad in its offerings – and the price is usually not the primary factor when choosing a plan. Instead, try to focus on your needs as a webmaster.

Conventional VPS hosting is used to describe any VPS plan that does not operate in the cloud hosting environment. The capabilities and limitations of VPS cloud hosting and conventional VPS hosting are very different. Conventional VPS hosting has strict limitations that cannot be exceeded. These restrictions must be enforced by the web hosting provider in order to ensure quality web server performance.

Fortunately, the aforementioned limitations do not apply to VPS cloud hosting because the network is connected to various servers simultaneously. Instead, cloud hosting plans charge on a per-usage basis. In other words, you have access to unlimited server resources, and when you exceed the preset limits of your plan, you are billed for whatever additional resources your websites use. If you are unsure about the kind of traffic levels your site will receive and/or you are expecting serious traffic surges, you may want to consider VPS cloud hosting.

Cloud VPS hosting is much different than regular web hosting because it utilizes a network of web servers that work in unison to provide server resources to hundreds of websites simultaneously. Although this sounds similar to VPS hosting it is very different because there are no limits to the number of resources that can be allocated to a particular website at any given point in time. Some of the most powerful websites on the internet use cloud hosting to transmit data, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Amazon, and other massive corporate sites. If you want the fastest possible web hosting for your site then you should consider cloud VPS hosting.

Dedicated Hosting

As the name implies, a dedicated server is a private web server that is dedicated to a single person or company. Unlike shared or VPS hosting plans, the web server that is servicing your websites is not being used by anyone else.

Dedicated web servers are the envy of the web hosting industry, being the most powerful solution available for small to medium size online business owners. Many webmasters decide to purchase the cheapest web hosting plan available rather than shop around for the most suitable solution for their web site. Unfortunately, doing this will almost always result in an unnecessary upgrade later on, often at a time that is very inopportune for both the site owner and the site visitors.

Dedicated web hosting is the most powerful hosting type currently available to the public, other than cloud hosting which is generally a corporate solution. Dedicated hosting accounts are capable of hosting hundreds of websites simultaneously without the need for additional features or services. If you are planning on building an online empire then you will definitely need a dedicated server.

With a dedicated server, you never have to worry about slow-loading pages, site downtime, or unnecessary limitations caused by a shared hosting environment.

If you own a large business or dozens of successful websites, then you may want to consider upgrading to a dedicated hosting plan eventually. This is especially true if you are experiencing site downtime or other performance issues with your current hosting plans.

If you are just getting involved in web hosting, using a dedicated hosting plan as your first web hosting experience is not recommended. Instead, you may want to start with a shared or VPS hosting plan, both of which are suitable solutions for small to medium-sized businesses.

Dedicated web servers are servers that are devoted to a specific hosting account holder. This exclusivity, combined with the overall power of the web servers, makes dedicated web servers the most powerful hosting solution available.

When you purchase a dedicated hosting plan you are actually leasing your own dedicated server at a remote location. Dedicated web servers offer the webmaster complete control over server resources, which includes software configuration, resource allocation, and even server performance tuning. In fact, you practically own the dedicated server while renting your dedicated web hosting plan.

Dedicated web hosting is used by professional site owners that need the best kind of web hosting available. Dedicated servers are known in the web hosting industry as the most powerful and comprehensive web hosting on the market. If you demand the best for your online business then you may want to consider the incredible benefits of a dedicated server.

Privacy, power and control.

Aside from the incredible capabilities of a dedicated server, there are plenty of other advantages associated with having a dedicated hosting plan. Most dedicated hosting plans come with multiple IP addresses, allowing you to place different websites on their own IP addresses, rather than sharing an IP address with hundreds of other website owners.

You also have complete control over the server’s software configuration, which means you have the freedom to use any server-side application you’d like. In comparison to shared hosting plans that have unchangeable software configurations, the freedom of a dedicated hosting plan is far more desirable.

With a dedicated web server, you can push your site to the limits, adding thousands of pages of content and experiencing unlimited traffic levels with fast-loading pages and almost no site downtime.

If you were to purchase a dedicated web server it could cost you several thousand dollars, and you would have to find a place to store it, which would be an additional monthly fee for colocation services. Fortunately, there are dedicated hosting plans that let you lease a dedicated server without any commitment to purchase.

Dedicated hosting plans start at about $100 per month and go all the way up. As in every other industry, you’ll undoubtedly get what you pay for. Most dedicated hosting plans cost about $300-$400 per month for a fully managed dedicated server.

It is important to decide whether or not it is necessary to purchase a dedicated hosting plan for your websites. Surprisingly, many people purchase dedicated hosting and never use more than half of their server resources. Instead of spending a lot of money on dedicated hosting, you may be able to save money by purchasing a less powerful plan that is more suitable for your online business.

Of course, unmanaged plans cost significantly less because the hosting company does not have to pay for the technical support associated with server maintenance. It is possible to find unmanaged hosting accounts for about $100-$120 in some cases. The cost usually depends upon the capabilities of the dedicated server being leased.

While all of the benefits of a dedicated server may sound great, it should be noted that there are two different kinds of dedicated server plans, and they are completely different in terms of ease of use. Which is better – managed or unmanaged dedicated hosting? The answer to this question depends entirely upon your experience with web servers and your needs as a webmaster.

If you have no experience with server management then you will definitely need a fully managed dedicated web hosting account. Fully managed dedicated hosting plans cost a bit more than unmanaged hosting plans, simply because there is on-site technical support and server administration included. with a managed dedicated hosting plan, you can relax and leave all of the complicated issues up to the hosting company.

If you are on a budget and have experience with web servers then you may be able to get by with unmanaged hosting. Unmanaged hosting is much cheaper, mainly because there are no added support costs associated with the service. An unmanaged dedicated hosting plan requires you to take care of the administrative tasks by yourself. This means you have to take care of all server maintenance responsibilities, such as resetting the server and making sure everything is operating smoothly. If you do not have the money to invest in a fully managed dedicated web hosting plan and you need plenty of server resources then you may want to consider the advantages of a VPS hosting plan instead. Cloud hosting is also another alternative for those in need of comprehensive web servers without the cost or maintenance issues of a dedicated server.

Domain Names

Domain names are much like VIN number of a vehicle, there are no two that are exactly the same.

Domain names are the identity cards of the Internet, representing the face of each website. In basic terms, a domain name is simply the name of your web site. However, behind each domain name is a process that turns a local web address into a word or phrase that anyone can use to access your site from around the world. A domain name is a phrase or even just a word that people input in their browsers to be pointed directly to a specific website.

Domain names actually originate as the IP address of your website, which is a number that appears in the following syntax – xx.xx.xxx.xx or 77.77.777.77. A domain name is perhaps one of the most important parts of any website because it is ultimately what the visitor will remember when they try to return to the site.

The ideal domain name is short, memorable, and contains no dashes and/or numbers.

Domain names end with extensions called TLDs. The TLD is the letters that appear after the last dot in the domain name. For example, .com is a TLD. Fortunately there are a wide variety of TLDs available, and there are even geographically specific TLDs that specify the location of a website. The cost of a domain name will usually depend upon the TLD.

Dot com domains are the most common, with .org, .net, and .info following closely behind in terms of popularity.

Subdomains are actually extensions of a website that are primarily used to separate and categorize website content. The address of the subdomain appears before the main domain name. For example – subdomain.example.com. It does not cost money to add a subdomain to your website, and many web hosting providers allow the use of unlimited subdomains.

By creating a subdomain you are actually creating a separate website within your site, which can be used as its own independent directory. When content is uploaded to the subdomain via FTP, a new FTP account should be created for the subdomain to facilitate quick access to the site’s directories and files.

Parked domains are web sites that are not currently being utilized by the site owner. Parked domains often have advertisements on them that are related to the subject of the domain. For example, if you have a domain by the name of “carinsurance.com” then you could park it with advertisements on the page related to that niche or industry.

There are two ways a domain name is parked – either by a domain owner through a domain name registrar or by default. When you first purchase a domain name it is parked by the domain name registrar automatically. For example, if you were to purchase a domain name from GoDaddy, the domain would be parked by GoDaddy automatically, until you place content on the site.

IP addresses are used to uniquely identify a website or computer. Any device that is connected to the internet is automatically assigned an IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol, which is simply the practice through which data is transmitted over the internet. When a computer or web server is connected to a network it is given an IP address that separates it from all other devices on the network. An IP address is a string of numbers separated by dots that appear in the following format – 161.28.31.91. If you are connected to the internet right now then you have an IP address assigned to you.

IP addresses are crucial to internet communication because they dictate where a request for information is sent to. For example, if a website visitors your site and clicks on a button, information is sent from their IP address to your web server. In order to return the proper information the web server will need to know the IP address of your computer.

Domain Name System is responsible for the allocation of domain names and traffic direction based on URLs in the address bar of the web browser. The Domain Name System is the largest database in the world, containing information about every website in existence. There are currently more than 350 million unique active domains on the Internet.

Web sites are identified by the IP address of their server and/or server partition. However, an IP address is a number, which is far more difficult to remember than a simple phrase. In order to convert the IP address of a website into a memorable phrase that is the domain name, a DNS server is needed.

A name server is a web server assigned with the sole task of sending and receiving request pertaining to domain names and IP addresses. The job of the domain name server is to take a number like an IP address and turn it into a readable term that can be typed into a browser’s address bar, or vice versa.

Computers read Internet addresses much differently than humans. All computer language is in numbers and not letters. Therefore, in order for information to be transmitted from the nameserver to a user’s computer, the DNS has to transmit information pertaining to the address and meaning of the domain name. The domain name system is basically the largest database in the world, receiving more requests than any other database.

The first thing you should do when you are ready is to select a domain registrar and then open an account with them. Once you have registered you will need to choose your domain name and make sure it is available. The registrar will be able to provide you with your login information so that you may use their interface to edit the name servers and other domain properties.

Your name servers will dictate what website or server your domain name represents. Your hosting account contains the names of the name servers that you need to point your domain to. Simply log into the control panel of your web hosting account, and you can find your name server information, or just call your hosting company and ask them for it.

Domain name registrars are companies that have direct access to the registry of domain names. When you buy a domain name, you are actually purchasing it from a domain name registrar. A very well known domain registrar is GoDaddy, which has registered more domain names than any other company.

Domain name registrars host your domains by default until the domain is pointed toward another Name Server. Most domain name registrars sell domains for relatively the same price, with .com, .net and .org domains being sold for about ten dollars, and cheaper domains such as .info domains being sold for about one dollar. Most domain name registrars will offer a considerable discount for domain bundles.

Disk Space

Disk space is the amount of storage space allocated to your website, server or server partition, which can be used by your website. Having adequate disk space is very important because it directly affects the total size limits of your site or network of sites. If you want to continuously update your web sites with new content and steadily build your online empire, then you will definitely need a plethora of bandwidth.

For example, if you have 20 GB of disk space allocated to your web hosting plan, then the number of files on your website cannot exceed this amount of data. When you run out of disk space you will be unable to update your site with new content, which means the progression of your online endeavors will come to a complete halt. Since updating your site is a very important part of building traffic levels and keeping your visitors returning you will need to make sure you have an adequate amount of bandwidth available at all times.

Disk space is often displayed on all hosting plan sales pages. Disk space is extremely important because it directly affects how much data can be stored on your web server at any point in time.

To find out how much disk space you need, you’ll need to learn a little bit about file sizes. If you don’t feel like reading a book about various file types and how much space they consume on a web server, then you can simply use your computer’s hard drive as a reference.

For example, download a web page from the internet, and then take note of the file size of that web page. Now simply multiply that file size to realize the amount of disk space consumed to host thousands of similar pages. You should also consider multimedia content as well, such as videos and movies. Videos can range in size greatly depending upon whether they are a clip or an entire movie.

It is best to assess your disk space needs before you purchase your web hosting plan by estimating how big your site will be within the foreseeable future. If needed, you can upgrade your hosting plan; however, your goal is to make the site creation process simple and hassle-free. By having a plan with adequate disk space, you remove the need to upgrade unnecessarily.

Disk space limitations are extremely important because they affect how much content your sites can host. For example, if you have a large website with thousands of files, you may be consuming a lot of disk space. If you were to run out of disk space, you would be unable to update your site, and your site performance would decrease.

Now, of course, at this point, you could update to another hosting plan; however, the time wasted and the amount of dissatisfied visitors will have already taken its toll. It is very important to choose a web hosting plan that will be able to accommodate your site’s disk space needs.

When a web server runs out of disk space all sites being hosted on that server begin to suffer. No new content can be added to the sites until some new disk space is available. In order to facilitate this process the webmaster either has to begin deleting old posts on the site in an attempt to make room for new content, (similar to housekeeping an old storage shed), or the entire hosting plan needs to be upgraded (like buying a new storage shed). It is important to note that nothing can be added to your sites when there is no disk space available, including user comments and any other data. Fortunately, most web hosting companies send out warnings via email when disk space limitations are being approached.

Professional webmasters understand the importance of adequate disk space, which is why most professional web sites have access to hundreds of gigabytes of data storage. With so many hosting plans to choose from, it can be difficult to compare each plan based on disk space alone. Instead, make sure you consider a variety of features, including bandwidth, when comparing several web hosting plans. Comprehensive hosting plans include about 100-350 GB of disk space, which is enough to hold several hundred full-length movies or hundreds of thousands of web pages.

With websites being updated on a regular basis, it can be easy to overwhelm the disk space allocated to your server rather quickly. To avoid the pesky limitations associated with disk space restrictions it is best to follow the actions of professional and successful sites by purchasing a comprehensive web hosting plan.

If you plan on owning multiple websites, it is important to note that the resources of your web server will be spread amongst all of your sites. A powerful VPS hosting plan will offer about 200-250 GB of disk space, which is more than enough to host thousands of videos, songs, and web pages.

The primary difference in most hosting plans has to do with disk space and bandwidth. Those two factors are enough to heavily influence the capabilities of a web site or network of sites. If you want your site to perform ideally then you should consider using a web hosting plan with plenty of both of the aforementioned features.

The effects of disk space limitations differ depending upon the kind of web hosting plan. For example, some hosting accounts will give you access to more disk space if it is needed, like VPS hosting. Shared web hosting, while cheap, also offers unlimited bandwidth. Shared web servers split up serer resources amongst hundreds of sites to give each site the unique advantage of being part of a network of servers.

While it may seem as if you can simply look at the amount of disk space offered and make a quick judgment, this is not an accurate assessment. Some hosting plans claim to offer unlimited disk space, yet cost a fraction of a plan that places a limit on the disk space. Which one is best?

In general, you don’t want to compare unlimited plans with limited plans, simply because unlimited plans do not accurately depict your limitations. Simply put, unlimited hosting plans are actually quite limited in reality, especially when you read the fine print, but the vast majority of webmasters never reach those limits.

Anyways, be sure you are not purchasing an exuberant amount of disk space.

Bandwidth

Web hosting bandwidth is the measurement of data being transmitted through your web server at a given period of time.

Having adequate bandwidth is very crucial to the success of your site because it will affect your site visitor’s experience, especially when there are high traffic levels. Every visitor that views a page on your site is consuming bandwidth because they are downloading and uploading information to the web server. Thus, in order to accommodate high daily traffic levels you will need ample bandwidth. This is the primary reason why bandwidth is one of the two most important web hosting features to consider when shopping for a new plan.

Bandwidth is perhaps the most important because it dictates how many visitors your website can handle during a single time period.

Many web hosting plans do not come with unlimited bandwidth, which means there is a set limit that determines how much data can be downloaded and uploaded from the web server at any one time. Once this limitation is exceeded, pages will begin to freeze while loading, and the site may even crash for hours at a time. Many people don’t understand how easy it is to exceed the amount of bandwidth allocated to you, especially if you own a rapidly growing site.

In other words, the amount of traffic that can visit your website at one point in time without decreased site performance is directly related to your bandwidth limitations. Bandwidth restrictions can have a great impact on the progression of a website, so it is important to make sure you have adequate amounts of bandwidth available to your site before driving web traffic.

Bandwidth is simply a measurement of the amount of data being transferred at any particular period of time. To understand the limitations of bandwidth and how it is measured, you have to understand how data transfer works. If a file that consumes about 5MB of data is transferred from the web server to the visitor’s computer at one point in time, then 5MB of bandwidth is being used at that time. However, if three people download that 5MB file at the same time, then 15MB of data is transferred. Thus, if your hosting account only allows for 10MB bandwidth, in the above example, one of the visitors would have to wait because the bandwidth limitations would be exceeded at that moment in time.

Web hosting plans usually start with bandwidth limits of about 100 MB. To put that into perspective, it would take just 40 people to download a large file at a speed of 2.5 Mb/s at the exact same moment in time to exhaust the resources of that hosting plan.

By measuring bandwidth, web hosting companies can accurately and effectively control their web servers and keep them operating smoothly. The way server resources are delegated after the limits are reached depends upon the type of web hosting. In VPS cloud hosting the hosting provider will pull resources from a network of servers and charge the webmaster for the excess bandwidth. If you are noticing that you are routinely exceeding your bandwidth limitations, then you may want to start comparing other web hosting plans for your next upgrade.

In general, bandwidth is one of the server resources of which you can never really have too much. In fact, most web hosting experts recommend that you have redundant bandwidth. Redundant bandwidth is bandwidth that is only used on rare occasions and is not necessarily needed on a consistent basis. However, by having a hosting plan with more bandwidth than you need at any given point in time, you’ll be able to accommodate any level of traffic – such as when your website gets mentioned on the national news or makes the front page of Digg.

Each web hosting plan differs depending on the server type, the provider, and a variety of other factors. Cloud VPS hosting plans offer the most bandwidth to their customers, however, any bandwidth that exceeds the monthly limits will be charged to that month’s billing cycle. Dedicated web hosting plans also include a lot of bandwidth, however, this bandwidth is usually readily available to the web server by default, and therefore is not billed on a per-usage basis.

Many web hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth, which is perfect for webmasters that cannot accurately predict how much traffic they will receive. If you are not sure how successful your website will be, then you may want to consider a plan that offers unlimited bandwidth, or minimally one that charges for bandwidth on a per-usage basis. Some plans will let you use as much bandwidth as you’d like and only charges you for the bandwidth you use. Always look for plans with unlimited bandwidth first, and if you ever have any questions regarding your bandwidth usage, be sure to ask your web hosting provider.

The answer to this question depends entirely upon what kind of site you have and how much daily traffic you anticipate. It is important to note that sites with an abundance of multimedia content will often consume more bandwidth. This is because more data must be transferred instantaneously to stream videos or music to the visitor’s computer.

If you have a site with plenty of streaming content, and you foresee a high amount of daily visitors, then you will want a plan with excessive bandwidth. Hosting plans like VPS, dedicated and even reseller hosting plans are perfect for such sites.

You may also need a lot of bandwidth if you have thousands of daily visitors, and/or plenty of page hits from each visitor. Every page that loads will consume bandwidth because it has to transfer data from the web server to the visitor’s computer.

Control Panels

Control panel is a graphical user interface (GUI) to manage your web hosting account. Within your control panel you can upload and organize site content, manage domain name settings, schedule duties and much more. Whether you need comprehensive traffic analysis or a simple interface to check your emails, a good web hosting control panel can do all of this and more.

Control panels give you complete control over your hosting account within a centralized user-friendly interface. There are various control panels on the market, and each one has its advantages.

The most popular control panel is cPanel, which is by far one of the simplest and most well-documented tools on the internet. With such a large user base, it is literally impossible to be confused with cPanel. Most web hosting providers offer complete video tutorials for every module within cPanel, and if your hosting provider does not, you can usually find the same tutorials on other sites like Youtube. A good control panel will give you complete control over your hosting account with very little training using visual modules and integrated instructions.

Control panels have replaced programming and other web skills that are no longer needed for site and server administration. Control panels are split into sections that simplify the process of operating web sites and controlling the features of your web hosting account. If you have ever tried to upload a web page to your sever manually without the help of a content management system, or if you have had the misfortune of setting up cron jobs manually through your server without the help of a control panel, then you probably understand the importance of the convenience offered by control panels.

Processes that take hours to complete can be reduced to minutes of work. After offering volumes of hours of support to their web hosting customers it became clear to hosting providers that a simpler solution was needed. Thus, the control panel was born.

When you log into your control panel, you will notice a set of modules arranged in rows. Each row pertains to a different section of website and server management. Some of the modules which you will be using most often include the email module (where you can check your site’s email and create new email accounts), the domain manager (which lets you assign new domains and manage your current list of domains and subdomains), redirects (which lets you assign specific redirects from one web page to another), and the FTP section (where you can set up access to your web server through an FTP client).

The aforementioned sections are just some of the many modules that you have at your convenience within the web hosting control panel. If you operate an online business with multiple business email addresses associated with your domains, then you’ll most definitely use the email account module the most. You’ll want to choose an email client that suits your needs. Most of the time, you can choose from applications such as Squirrel Mail.

In many cases, control panels are supplied with the hosting account by default, so there is not much of a choice involved after you’ve selected the hosting plan. However, in some cases, you can choose your own web hosting control panel and have it installed on your server if you’d like.

The easiest way to get the control panel of your choice is to opt for a web hosting plan that includes your preferred control panel pre-installed. It may be hard to find a web hosting provider that offers a control panel other than cPanel for basic hosting accounts. However, VPS and dedicated servers usually come with more powerful control panels like Virtuozzo and Plesk. It is important to note that even though these control panels are more powerful, they are not easier to use. If you are just starting out with web hosting, you should definitely consider learning how to use cPanel first.

If you are new to web hosting, you’ll definitely need a simple control panel. Look for hosting plans that include tutorial videos that will help you learn how to use the control panel efficiently. Once you become comfortable with your basic control panel, you can start using more advanced software that will give you complete control over more advanced server configurations.

If you have no clue what a script is, then you will definitely need a quick-installation utility such as Simple Scripts or Fantastico. These utilities let you quickly install over 50 scripts without any formal training or technical knowledge.

A script is basically a program or application that will enhance your website in some way. For example, content management systems such as WordPress can be installed using simple installation utilities. Without these one-click installation utilities, it would be nearly impossible for the average person to install all of the scripts needed to operate the site optimally.

Aside from content management system scripts, these utilities help you install traffic analysis scripts, entire forums, and various blogging platforms that give you complete administrative control over your sites.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

Content management systems are comprehensive site management utilities that are becoming increasingly popular amongst webmasters. In the past, site management was a complex process that required advanced training, diligence, technical knowledge and internet experience. Now complete novices are building, organizing and maintaining large web sites with no formal training, and nothing more than a basic hosting account.

Content management systems are literally revolutionizing the way the internet is being developed, by giving webmasters convenient access to tools and resources needed for efficient site administration. While some website owners still code pages in HTML and upload files manually to their web server, it is becoming quite obvious that using a content management system is much easier and faster.

With a user-friendly interface you can control nearly every aspect of your website. If you are having difficulty updating your site one page at a time using an FTP client, or you simply need a solution that is suitable for the novice webmaster, then you may want to consider using a content management system. Most modern site owners use a CMS to maintain their websites, so if you are trying to compete on the internet you may want to consider doing the same as well. They are incredibly useful and usually included for free with nearly every web hosting plan.

One of the most advantageous aspects of content management systems is the ability to quickly create web sites with no programming or web design skills. In fact, there are plenty of webmasters that are building and operating dozens of web sites without any previous technical knowledge or web development experience. With content management systems like WordPress it has never been easier to design and manage multiple web sites.

Every day new themes and templates are created and shared online for free. These templates are actually entire site designs that can be applied to a site with a click of the mouse. One of the interesting features of every content management system is its ability to change the design of an entire website without affecting the content of the pages and posts. You can even test out new designs and create your own custom themes without having to worry about losing data or disrupting the site’s content in any way.

Choosing the right content management system can be crucial towards the success of your web site. In the world of online business productivity is everything. If you are constantly held down by the burden of administrative duties and mundane site management tasks then you will be unable to focus on the planning and progression of your business. There are many content management systems available at the moment – WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.

If you are not familiar with internet technology and you are intimidated by the prospect of managing a site, then you may want to consider starting with a simple CMS like WordPress. It is by far the simplest CMS to use. Even though WordPress was originally a blogging platform, it has quickly become the most commonly used CMS in the world. The overwhelming popularity of WordPress has also led to the development of countless plugins that enhance its capabilities. In fact, WordPress has more plugins than any other content management system by far! If you are a new webmaster and you would like to become familiar with content management systems, then you should definitely consider using WordPress first.

Drupal and Joomla are more advanced content management systems that are often used by developers with extensive administrative requirements.

Content management systems are unique management platforms that can be used to complete a variety of administrative actions. However, the main functionality of every CMS is content management. Within the centralized control interface you can write, edit, organize, categorize, schedule, and publish content within a single user-friendly platform. The first step in managing content with a content management system is content development.

Content management systems like WordPress have plugins that can be used to enhance content during the writing process. Using a WYSIWYG editor within WordPress is perhaps the easiest way to develop site content. You can even preview your posts and pages before publishing them. Once the posts are published they can be edited and organized at a later date.

Plugins are absolutely crucial toward the success of any web site that is being managed using a content management system. Plugins are basically software enhancements that improve the functionality of your CMS. WordPress is famous of having an exhaustive library of plugins available that cover virtually every facet of site management and marketing. Plugins such as the Platinum SEO pack and the WP Super Editor plugin are central to many online operation sand projects. Without the addition of such plugins many sites would fail to have the rich content they currently offer their visitors. If you want higher search engine rankings and a better looking professional web site then you will need access to the best plugins for your content management system.

Miscellaneous

SSL, or Secure Socket Layer, is a security protocol used to protect data as it is transmitted between devices on the Internet.

SSL certificates indicate the presence of this technology being used by a website. Most online shoppers will not shop at your site unless you have an SSL certificate.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client is a simple program that connects your computer’s hard drive to your web server. These programs are often used to upload or download large quantities of data to or from the web server to the user’s computer.

FTP clients like FileZilla and CuteFTP are some of the most popular FTP clients on the web.

Spam is defined as overwhelming or fraudulent web mail or web site commenting that is meant to overload a system, annoy a site owner, or ruin the content of a web site. If a web site is not properly moderated it can quickly be overrun with spam of all types. Spam affects your online efforts because it wastes time as you try to clear it from your web site or inbox.

Most spammers will post spam comments on your posts, causing your web pages to become inundated with spam, which can be difficult to get rid of. Other spammers will send you a lot of emails through the contact us form of your web site. Fortunately, there are tools within your web hosting account that can prevent spam from accumulating. If you are experiencing an influx of spam then you may want to contact your web hosting company to enquire about ways to prevent it from happening again.

SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is a very commonly used term in the web hosting industry. Search engine optimization is basically the practice of optimizing your web pages for higher search engine rankings. Being ranked highly for popular keywords in search engines is the best way to receive residual traffic with very little effort. Every web hosting account comes with tools that can help you tweak your search engine optimization efforts, such as traffic analysis tools and content management systems that simplify on-page SEO.

Search engines are perhaps the best possible sources of traffic. If you can properly optimize your site for search engines, then you will be able to enjoy a consistent flow of traffic without any additional efforts. The process of SEO involves optimizing your web pages so that the search engines will direct visitors to your site when they search for specific keywords.

The robots.txt file is a very important part of the way your site interacts with other sites and site visitors. and most importantly, search engines. The file dictates what computers can view your site. The reason why it is called the robots.txt file is that it is generally used to block robots from crawling and indexing your site.

Search engine robots crawl the web routinely, indexing every piece of data along the way. If your site is not ready for the search engines then you may want to edit your robots.txt file to block all robots. Some web hosting companies do not include a robots.txt file automatically, so it is up to you to create this basic text file. If you are having trouble creating or using your robots.txt file you should contact your web hosting support staff.