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Web hosting Concepts

Web hosting Concepts

Web Hosting Concepts

Web hosting deals with putting the contents of your website on a Web server. Hosting your website on your own server could be an option. But this will become very much expensive unless you are hosting a site like yahoo.com or google.com. So this tutorials does not cover how to set up your own hosting server.

Buying a server space or renting a complete server from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the most widely used option. This section guides you to choose a hosting type and makes you aware of other related concepts.

Hosting Platforms

You can go for any of the following two most widely used hosting platforms −

  • Windows Hosting Servers − If you are a Windows lover then you will find many hosting servers running different flavors of Windows and you can buy space from these servers. Normally Windows hosting servers are more expensive because of lot of software licensing costs are involved with these servers.
  • Linux Hosting Servers − If you want to go for Linux then opportunities are unlimited and they will have to pay less then what you will pay for Windows Hosting Server. There are many ISP who provides Hosting Servers with different flavors of Unix.

Hosting Types

There are many options available and you can select any hosting type based on your requirement and budget. Following are most widely used hosting types −

Free Hosting

Yes, this is true there are many service providers who will give you free space on their web server with a condition that you will allow them to run their advertisement at your web pages. So if you are OK with this option, then you have nothing to pay for a space. There are some websites like geocities.com, lycos.com, myspace.com, etc. that give you space to build your web pages.

Shared HOSTING

With shared hosting, your website is hosted on a powerful server along with other websites. On a shared host, you will have your own user ID and password to login to the shared host and you will be allowed to work in your work area. You would not be able to touch any file or directory belonging to other host partner. Even you would not know how many sites are hosted on your shared host. This type of hosting is very cost effective and good for small websites where your space and speed are not very important. Here traffic on one site will affect the speed of all other hosted sites.

Virtual Dedicated Hosting

This type of hosting is better for medium size business. With virtual dedicated hosting, you will have a dedicated bandwidth and dedicated RAM for your site. You will be given a root ID and password to maintain your Web server. You will be the complete owner of your virtual dedicated server and will be able to install or de-install any software. This type of hosting is created on a single server, but it is managed in such a way that every user will have dedicated speed and bandwidth. This is bit more expensive but really good one for medium size business.

Dedicated Hosting

This type of hosting is very similar to virtual dedicated hosting, but here, a complete machine will be allotted for you. They are more expensive than virtual dedicated hosting and should be considered when you have a very high traffic requirement.

Collocated Hosting

It is very difficult to set dedicated resources such as high-security against fire and vandalism, regulated backup power, dedicated Internet connections and more. Collocation is the option which allows you to put your machine in a service provider’s premises to avail all the available facilities. This is also a very expensive option and should be opted when you have very high traffic requirement.

Hosting Components

When you buy a Web server space, then you should be clear about the follows. You should do a price comparison between different service providers based on the following components −

Disc Space

A small or medium website will require between 10 and 100MB of disk space. If you plan to keep a lot of audio and video on your website, then you need plan to buy more space. Before buying server space, you should check the options available to expand your disc space if you need it in future.

Monthly Traffic

A small or medium website will need between 1GB and 10GB of data transfer on a monthly basis. If you plan to keep a lot of audio and video on your website, then you need a plan with more data transfer capacity. Check different options based on your requirements. What are the other options available in case you cross the given data transfer limit. Your site should not be stopped in case you exceed given limit.

Processing Speed

If you are buying space on a shared machine, then you cannot guess how much speed will be given to you. In that case, only way is to see other hosted sites with the same service provider to know about their hosting quality. But if you are buying virtual dedicated server or dedicated server, then you should consider how much RAM is being allocated to you. Your pricing will depend on the given processing power to you.

Connection Speed

Nowadays, most service providers allow very fast connection speed. So choose a service provider who is giving better connection speed in terms of bits per second. You can have a connection speed ranging from 64Kb per second to 2.488Gb per second.

Email Accounts

Make sure you are going to get sufficient number of e-mail accounts. There are many other options available which come along with your e-mail account. Like, will you get IMAP, POP and E-mail Forwarding options available along with your e-mail facilities.

Emailing Support

Apart form having email accounts, it is also very important that your web server should have a facility to send emails from back-end. In case your site visitors want to contact to you using a form, then you will be able to use that emailing facility to send emails to your designated account. In simple terms, you should make sure that the SMTP Server is setup and working on your Web server.

Latest Technologies

You should make sure that your web server is equipped with all the latest technologies. It should have the latest version support for PHP, PERL, ASP and JAVA, etc.

Databases

There are many databases available MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, etc. You should choose your server based on your database requirement. If you are buying space on a shared server, then you need to verify how much space will be allocated for your database. Many ISPs do not give more than a limited space for databases. If your site needs a lot of database size, then you should go for a virtual dedicated server.

Server Uptime

It is important that you buy a web server from a reliable and reputed ISP. You should make sure your ISP is giving you 99.99% server uptime. If the is server down, then there are many service providers who gives you compensation in case your sites goes down more than a limited number of time.

Backup & FTP

Make sure your Service Provider is giving you more ways of taking regular backup of your website. If your site is changing everyday, then it becomes very important that you should take regular backup of your website. Many service providers do it on your behalf by charging a small cost for this service.

Control Panel

Just make sure what type of facilities you will get to maintain your hosting account. Check if your service provider is providing you an easy-to-use Control Panel or some other similar tool. Using a Control Panel, you should be able to maintain basic operations related to your website such as logging your service request, your reboot request, or any other problem.

Customer Support

Before finalizing a deal with your service provider, you should make sure they provide you the required support. You can get this information using Internet forums or from your friends. There are many service providers who give you 24×7 support for any technical or non-technical problem.

What is SSL certificate

What is SSL certificate?

SSL Certificate are fundamental to internet security. They are used to establish an encrypted connection and allow data to be transmitted securely between a browser or user’s computer and a server or website.

Establishes a secure connection between a browser and a server
Encrypts communication to protect sensitive information your customers provide to you
Places a padlock next to your web address in the browser
Authenticates an organization’s identity

Standard SSL (Domain Validated) Certificates are the easiest and most common type of SSL certificate. OV and EV Certificates also authenticate the identity of the company or organization that holds the certificate providing more trust to end users.
Improve Your Search Engine Ranking
Establish trust and online security for your website visitors and business.

Google wants to make the web safer and a big part of that involves making sure that the sites people access via Google are secure. That’s why websites using SSL have been shown to benefit from higher ranking in search results.

There’s also a lot more reasons why you should consider adding SSL to your website:
Encrypt sensitive data
Protect user privacy
Secure online transactions
Activate HTTPS and the lock icon
Prove legitimacy
Increase SEO rank
Browsers have changed, don’t get left behind
Web pages not served via HTTPS are now being displayed as ‘not secure’ in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Don’t let your website be one of them. Add SSL today.
Upgrade with us and get up to an additional 12 months free. Learn more »
Upgrade to Extended Validation SSL

While all SSL certificates use similar methods to protect and validate your data, the level of trust and assertion they provide varies.

Extended Validation Certificates offer the highest level of validation and trust. They validate and display the name of the company or organisation along with the green address bar which is one of the most highly recognizable trust indicators on the web.

Standard SSL

Extended Validation SSL

Learn more about Extended Validation SSL Certificates

What is Web hosting

What is Web hosting

Web Hosting

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is a service that allows organizations and individuals to post a website or web page onto the Internet. A web host, or web hosting service provider, is a business that provides the technologies and services needed for the website or webpage to be viewed in the Internet. Websites are hosted, or stored, on special computers called servers. When Internet users want to view your website, all they need to do is type your website address or domain into their browser. Their computer will then connect to your server and your web pages will be delivered to them through the browser. 

Most hosting companies require that you own your domain in order to host with them. If you do not have a domain, the hosting companies will help you purchase one. 
What is Web Hosting

Here are some features you should be expecting from your hosting provider:
Email Accounts As mentioned earlier, most hosting providers require users to have their own domain name. With a domain name (e.g. www.yourwebsite.com) and email account features provided by your hosting company, you can create domain email accounts (e.g. yourname@yourwebsite.com). 
FTP Access The use of FTP lets you upload files from your local computer to your web server. If you build your website using your own HTML files, you can transfer the files from your computer to the web server through FTP, allowing your website to be accessed through the internet. 
WordPress Support WordPress is an online website creation tool. It is a powerful blogging and website content management system, which is a convenient way to create and manage website. WordPress powers over 25% of websites on the internet. Most hosting providers will tell you right away if their plans are WordPress-compatible or not. The simple requirements for hosting your WordPress websites include: PHP version 7 or greater; MySQL version 5.6 or greater.



If you decide to create and host your website with Website.com, in addition to access to the drag and drop site builder, you can get a custom domain, email addresses, and web hosting all bundled into one subscription. 

If you would rather build your website through coding or a CMS tool like WordPress, we’ve handpicked a few hosting providers based on their features and price:

 

How can my online business benefit from a web hosting service?
In order to publish your website online, your business website requires a web hosting service. However, a web host gives business owners more than just web hosting services! For example, web hosting firms typically employ in-house technicians to make sure their clients’ websites are up and running 24/7. Plus, when website owners are in need of help or troubleshooting (e.g. script debutting, email not able to send/receive, domain name renewal, and more), the web host’s in-house support are the go-to people. A professional web hosting service ensures a hassle-free experience for business owners, so they can efficiently focus their time and effort on their businesses.
Domains and web hosting explained

Domains and web hosting explained

 

Domains and web hosting explained

We are often asked by our readers to explain what is the difference between a domain name and web hosting? Many beginners don’t know that these are two separate things. In this beginner’s guide, we will explain the difference between a domain name and web hosting.

Difference between domain name and web hosting

What is a Domain Name?

Domain name is the address of your website that people type in the browser’s URL bar to visit your website.

In other words, if your website was a house, then your domain name will be its address.

Now let’s get into the detailed explanation.

Internet is basically a giant network of computers connected to each other through cables. To easily identify them, each computer is assigned a series of numbers called IP Address.

This IP address is a combination of numbers separated with dots. Typically, IP addresses look like this:

66.249.66.1

Computers have no problem identifying and remembering these numbers. However, it is impossible for humans to remember and use these numbers to connect to websites on the internet.

To solve this problem, domain names were invented.

A domain name can have words which makes it easy to remember website addresses.

Now if you wanted to visit a website on the internet, you don’t need to type a string of numbers. Instead, you can type in an easy to remember domain name, for example, philzytech.co.za

To learn more about domain names, take a look at our beginner’s guide on domain names and how do they work.

What is Web Hosting?

What is web hosting?

Web hosting is the place where all the files of your website live. It is like the home of your website where it actually lives.

A good way to think about this is if the domain name was the address of your house, then web hosting is the actual house that address points to. All websites on the internet, need web hosting.

When someone enters your domain name in a browser, the domain name is translated into the IP address of your web hosting company’s computer. This computer contains your website’s files, and it sends those files back to the users’ browsers.

Web hosting companies specialize in storing and serving websites. They offer different types of hosting plans to their customers. See our article on WordPress hosting to learn more about choosing the right hosting for your website.

How Domain Names and Web Hosting are Related?

Domain names and web hosting are two different services. However, they work together to make websites possible.

Basically a domain name system is like a massive address book that is constantly updated. Behind each domain name, there is an address of the web hosting service storing the website’s files.

Without domain names, it will not be possible for people to find your website and without web hosting you cannot build a website.

What do I need to Build a Website? Domain Name or Web Hosting?

What you need to build a website?

To build a website you will need both a domain name and web hosting account.

Buying a domain name alone only gives you right to use that particular domain name for a specific period (usually 1 year).

You need web hosting to store your website’s files. After you get hosting, you need to update your domain name settings and point it to your web hosting service provider.

You can also buy both the domain and hosting from the same company. Typically a domain name costs R120 / year, and web hosting normally costs R50/ month.

If you are starting your first website, then this may sound like a lot.

Thankfully, Philzy Webhosting Technology is an official WordPress recommended hosting provider, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name and over 60% off on web hosting.

 

Once you have purchased hosting and registered your domain name, you can start building your website. For complete step by step instructions, see our guide on how to make a website.

Do I have to buy them together? Or can I buy them separately?

You can buy domain name and web hosting from two different companies. However, in that case you will have to point your domain name to your web hosting company by editing its DNS settings.

On the other hand, if you purchase your domain name and web hosting from the same company, then you will not have to change domain name settings.

It is also much easier to manage and renew both services under the same dashboard.

If you want to buy domain names separately, then you can do so from top providers like us and Hetzner

Can I Move My Domain Name to a Different Company?

Moving domain name

Yes, you can. Normally when you register the domain name, you own the right to use it and transfer it anywhere you want.

For example, let’s say you purchased your domain name from Godaddy and bought your hosting from Hetzner. Now you want to move your domain name to Bluehost, so that it is easier to manage and renew.

You can easily do that. Both companies have detailed step by step instructions that you can follow to transfer your domain name.

Note: We recommend you to wait at least 45 days after the registration or renewal to initiate the transfer. ICANN, the international organization that oversees domain names, requires one year renewal whenever a transfer is initiated. By transferring your domain name before that period you could lose that year’s renewal fee.

Can I Move My Website to Another Web Hosting Company Without Changing Domain?

Yes, you can do that as well. You own the domain name and can change its settings to point it to any web hosting company.

For example, you purchased your domain name and hosting from Godaddy, and now you want to move your web hosting to Bluehost. You can move your site from one host to another by simply transferring files and data. After that you need to edit your domain name settings and point them to your new web hosting provider.

Another example, you purchased your domain name from WordPress.com (See our guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org). Later you want to move to self hosted WordPress.org website.

First, you will need to sign up for a WordPress hosting account. After that you can move your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. Lastly, you will just edit your domain name settings on WordPress.com and point them to your new WordPress hosting provider.

We hope this article helped you learn the difference between a domain name and web hosting. You may also want to see our comparison of popular website builders for beginners with pros and cons.

Credits to WPBEGINNER

Business website design

Business website design

 

13 Advantages of Having a Website For Your Business

Do you have a business and don’t have a website? If you said yes, it’s almost as if your business doesn’t exist.  In this modern era, people and companies are on the internet for information. Why do you think people visit a website? It’s primarily to find information. And if you’re in the business world, information is critical. You need to have a website for your customers. It needs to contain information about what you can do for them.  Below are just a few of the advantages and benefits of having a website for your business.

Less Expensive
Have you ever advertised your business through various forms such as printed media, radio, television or by other means? It’s expensive! Investing in advertising is necessary, but it takes a lot of money. Having a website will make promoting your company less expensive. Many versions of offline advertising available on the internet are sometimes free.

Advertising
A website is more environmental friendly when it comes to advertising and marketing. There are lots of ways to advertise your products or services through the internet. One example is Facebook ads, an advertising feature offered through Facebook. Another one is called SEO.  This is a major advantage for your business. Having a good SEO service provider can boost the ranking of your website which quickly results in increased sales and higher profits.

Satisfaction
Having a website will be more convenient for your customers and leads. Make it easy for your customers to purchase from you! Many will be more likely to visit your website, rather than driving a car to your physical location and browsing for your products. From a customer’s point of view, it’s better for them if they don’t have to ask anything. They can just find what they’re looking for on your online site.

Increase Customers
Most businesses have local popularity, but what about potential customers outside their city?  A website can help you generate more customers. Not just outside your city, but worldwide. The internet offers a global community. With a website, your business will be visible around the world.

Accessibility
Have you ever experienced having to turn customers away because it’s closing time? Well, you don’t have to close the doors of your website.  An online site can be visited any time of the day or night. People will look to your site instead of going to your shop because it is more accessible. Just make sure to post enough information about your products and services.

Access to Info
Did you know that if you own a website, you can actually track everything that is happening on it? You can even look for information that will tell you how many people visited your site, or how many people messaged or emailed you. You can access the progress of your website and view all its pages. You can even make an update anytime, making it much less expensive than printed material.

Fresh
Smart business owners create a blog page for their company. Having a blog to post fresh content will keep your website attractive and fresh.

Links
Links are very important to viral marketing. If you have many sites linking to you, it is like spreading the word about your company all around the world. If you have a good website with good content related to information, products or services, people are more likely to link your website to theirs. This means they recognize your website as valuable.

Better Relationship
Having a website can build better relationships with your customers. You can send messages instantly to your customers through email. Also, your customers can review your products online and can also leave feedback for you and your business. It’s best to always send your customer a message. This is essential for building a good relationship with them. You can even give them more information about your business through messages or emails.

Increase Sales
If you are a business owner, more visitors  leads to more potential sales. That’s how your website will help you. You can drive more people to your site by consistently updating and promoting the contents of your site. The more informative your site is, the greater the possibility of increasing your sales.

Opportunity
A website gives you the opportunity to prove your credibility. You have to tell your customers why you deserve their trust through your website. This can earn positive feedback for your service and products. Also, your website serves as a place for a potential investor to explore what your business is about and what it can do in the future.

Long Term Clients
What do you think is the difference between client and a customer? Well, a customer is the one who walks in and buys something and that’s it. A client is your regular customer. He is buying your products or services daily or contractually. Having a website gives you a chance to gain more clients that can help your business grow.

Your Ideas
These are few of the advantages and benefits of creating a website for your business. Do you know of other advantages to be gained by having a website?  Feel free to let us know your thoughts by commenting on our Facebook Page.

Many web sites still in their infancy

Many web sites still in their infancy

Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years Read More »

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