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7 Simple Steps For Choosing A Great Web Host

There are thousands of web hosts around today with thousands of plans to choose from making what was once a simple procedure seems like a daunting task for both newbie and pro alike.

Whether you’re looking for your first host or looking to move on to a better one there are 7 simple steps you must follow to succeed in choosing a great host.

1. Platform
The first and most crucial step in choosing a web host is determining the platform the web server should run, usually a choice between Unix/Linux and Windows.

Your choice is largely determined by your website and the technologies used to create it, generally a website created with Microsoft technologies (ASP, VB) will run on Windows servers while most other sites using open source technologies (PHP, Perl, Python etc) will run on Linux based systems.

2. Features
Once you’ve chosen your platform the next step is determining the features you’ll need from your web host. Take your time with this step as the feature lists of web hosts are getting longer and longer every day and while some plans may look similar on the surface, a good look at the feature lists may tell another story.

Only you can determine the specific features you’ll need, but some key things to keep an eye on are:

Disk Space
Bandwidth
Backups
Uptime
Money Back Guarantee
Domains Allowed
Databases (Number & type)
CGI, PHP, Perl, Python, SSI
Croon
Email accounts

The list goes on and on, just remember to take your time and make sure your new web host is going to provide you with everything you need.

3. Cost
Often this is the only thing people consider when choosing their first web host, funds are usually tight and on the surface most hosts look very similar. Sometimes you get lucky and choose a good host, but more often than not it turns out to be a horror story.

I can’t stress enough that choosing a web host based on price alone is asking for trouble, remember that the cost of your web Hosting is more than just the monthly fee, think about the total cost of ownership. TCO includes lost sales due to downtime & slow speeds, downtime rebates, extra bandwidth charges, setup costs, extra feature costs, and your monthly fee.

Many hosts will require you to pay yearly to get the best price available though there are some that allow you to pay by the month and still get the best price; it’s really a matter of personal choice as to what payment method works best for you.

4. Customer Service
Customer service is another aspect that is often forgotten about until it is too late, something breaks and you need it fixed and those wonderfully handy sales people who were more than helpful in taking your money are now nowhere to be seen, all the while you’re losing out on sales every minute.

5. Support
An extensive knowledge base or faq can be a real time saver as well as being an indication of the level of customer service support and expertise you can expect to receive. Spend some time browsing the support sections of the website and see for yourself the level of support provided.

6. Longevity
Do a whose on the web host’s domain name and find out the creation date, anything less than a year ago and the risk that they won’t be around next year increases. They could be a great host, but considering more then 95% of new hosts go out of business within a year that really isn’t something you should be taking a chance on.

7. Uptime
It’s a fact of life that a web host cannot be online 100% of the time, servers need to be rebooted for security and software updates and any web host that doesn’t get updated faces the increased risk of being successfully hacked.

There you go, 7 simple steps for choosing a great web host. It’s not rocket science, just a little research and investigating that can save a lot of heartache in the future.

7 Simple Steps For Choosing A Great Web Host

Advantages of Linux Server and Windows Server Hosting .

Dreamz Hosting Services

Linux Server Hosting – Windows Server Hosting

When you are going to hire a Hosting service to build your website for your small business then you need to know the basic things of web Hosting. You are the best person to judge that what required features are and what about your budget.

Commonly, this choice to host your website depends upon the scripting language that is used in your website. If languages like PHP, MySQL, or Perl are used in your website, Linux Hosting Server is preferable. But if you are thinking for ASP Dot Net scripting language then your finest choice would the windows hosting.

If you need some interactive facilities like chat or searchable database, Linux may not be the best choice. Also, a Linux-based web server is not fully acquiescent with Windows technologies. If you are using any Windows-centric technologies like Visual Basic, then Windows-based servers would be the required choice for you.

Advantages of Linux server Hosting

1. Linux is an open source software product and thus it does not need the high licensing fees that other operating systems do; you can freely download and use it at no cost.

2. A Linux website can easily be converted to a Windows website without much hassle. Also, the website can easily be changed as the requirement of the user grows.

3. Linux web Hosting is very economical as Linux is a free operating system. Usually, only the cost of distribution is borne by the host or owner.

4. When the scripting language like PHP, MySQL, or Perl etc. are required for your website then Linux server Hosting is the most reliable and cost effective solution for you. Unless heavy load of scripting language, this will not be traceable.

5. There are many kinds of databases that run on Linux Hosting, but the most widespread most likely among web host providers are mSQL, MySQL and PostgreSQL. These databases are relational by nature, and permit vastly optimized communication with your website for rapid reclamation of data.

6. By lots of circles Linux Hosting is supposed to be much securing than Windows Hosting, and for that reason only Linux server Hosting is also the more popular choice for web designers and programmers.

Advantages of windows server Hosting

1. .NET technologies like ASP dot net VB dot net are available on this platform. If you have a website built with Microsoft .NET technologies then you will have to choose a Windows server Hosting plan.

2. If you need an enterprise class database there are some different features that run on a Linux platform but if you need Microsoft’s MSSQL database, a Windows Hosting plan will be your best choice.

3. Access Databases are only obtainable with a Windows server Hosting plan. Access can only run on a Microsoft Windows platform and thus it is unavailable on a Linux Hosting. If your site needs particularly this feature then you will have to accept Windows Server Hosting.

4. If you are using some of the Microsoft’s Share point services a Windows Hosting plan is only reliable choice for you.

5. Windows plans typically much costly because of the license costs compulsory by Microsoft.

Normally, Linux server Hosting plans are at least 20% economical than windows server Hosting plans. If you need not to have any unique features for your website, like cart, searchable database etc, Linux server Hosting is a finest alternative for your needs.

When you are required for specific Microsoft technologies, Windows Hosting plans generally will be your favorable think. But for all small business owner needs Linux Hosting plans will generally perform quite well for its cost effective features.

Advantages of Linux Server and Windows Server Hosting .

Best Server Operating  System Of UNIX or Windows

UNIX OR WINDOWS SERVER

Anybody who decides to get a Web hosting service or facility for their Website will also soon be faced with the tough question of what server they will need. Will their Website be run by a Windows server operating system or will they prefer to go for a UNIX system?

Typical Windows servers will run on Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP, while UNIX servers could be Linux or Open BSD to name just two. The truth is that both systems have there pros and cons.

If site stability and uptime are critical for you and your new Website, then UNIX should be your choice because they are generally thought to be superior in stability. Windows have the disadvantage that they usually require rebooting much more often. Still Windows are miles ahead when it comes to ease of use. A Windows server operating system will generally be much easier to operate and administer than its’ UNIX counterpart.

On the other hand, UNIX, even with it’s’ stability may not end up being so user-friendly, especially for non-techies. There is also a price to pay for the extra stability which is evident in UNIX systems. Usually UNIX machines will require their software to be updated on a very regular basis. All in all, UNIX server operating systems are favored over windows as they are widely considered to be more stable.

Still if truth be told, when systems are correctly installed, there is really very little difference and they will give you basically the same results. In effect this does not make this an easy decision to reach. In fact this is the main factor that complicates the issue, causing even more confusion and making it very difficult for the Webmaster to make a decision either way. However for many, the final answer to the question of which server operating system is preferable, is quite often made by analyzing and comparing the costs of both and going with the more affordable option.

Best Server Operating  System Of UNIX or Windows