Saturday, November 27, 2010

Server Hosting Information By Amy Miller

What is server hosting? By definition, this is a Web server that can be rented or even bought and therefore owned outright. It is not something that is only for rent, or for lease. It can be owned by a person or an organization as well. Server hosting or dedicated servers give you unlimited and exclusive use of various web server tools that you can use for your business whatever that business maybe. It could be for money making or your business could simply be writing blogs and reviews.



Often you will have total control over your server; this includes administration and root access. Some server plans that are available give you consoles for use in administration duties so that you can manage the server better. Several companies will ask you to set up a help desk complete with employees to help manage the Web server. It is good to know that access plan that your server provides before you make any sort of deals. You could be saving yourself a lot of time and grief by finding out all the details. Besides, reading everything and finding out everything being offered to you is natural; you are doing business. Choosing a place to set host your website is nearly as vital as deciding on an HTML editor to use for the building of your website. There is a vast number of various website types that it is very easy to get overwhelmed when trying to make a decision. However, it might be easier to make a choice if you know the different kinds of web server hosting options available.

Free web hosting for instance is, as it states, free. All you need is to put up advertisers and you will not have to pay a cent; these advertisements will range from pop-ups, to scripts and also frames. Free web hosting though is more limited than the paid sort. Then there is standard web hosting which is more common and usually involves payment. These usually have a shared system where people a lot of space and you share the hosting services with other people.


Friday, November 12, 2010

How to Get Started in the Web Design World By Aaron Gillespie

It is very easy to get lost in the sea of information about starting your own web site. If you have tried to build one in the past or are looking to try it for the very first time it's not as bad as it looks.

FIRST:
You will need to get a domain name. If you are not sure what a domain even means, that's fine. Your domain name will be your address. It's what you will give people to get to your site.

Example: If you wanted to have a site about rocks and you wanted to name it art rocks. Then your domain name would end up being World Wide Web.artrocks better known as www with either a.net/.com at the end or whatever you choose to go with.

There are many places to get a domain name but it will cost you. Prices depend on where you go but can be in the ballpark of $7 -$12 a year. It's really not that much money no matter where you go. If you are not sure what you want your name to be, it's fine. No matter where you go, once you start putting in names it will let you know if it's available. If not, it will give you a list of options with that name, that are available.

SECOND:
Now that you have a domain name you need to have it hosted. Many places will host your name for you but it will cost you. Prices depend on where you have it hosted but it will be in the ballpark of $10-$15 a month. Every place that I know of will offer you a discount of some kind if you pay the entire year up front. By hosting your name people will be able to search for it on the internet and find your site.

THIRD:
The easy part is done. Now begins trying to figure out what kind of site you want and how you want it to look. Some people who really know what they are doing can build a site from scratch. If you are reading this, then chances are you are not one of them.

Don't worry though, you can find templates all over the place. A template is a basic layout of a web site. There are thousands to choose from so you can find the look you are going for. When you have your name hosted it will be attached to a basic template to begin with. You can go into your admin where you will find the tools you need to change your site around. From there you can make changes to the template you have or download the new one you just found.

If you have never done anything like this before it can take some time to figure out. If you are not sure about something or how to make a change, you can find forums at almost any template. There you can find the answers you are looking for or ask questions. Even if it takes days to get things figured out, you will be so proud of yourself when you do.

FOURTH:
Now that you have a web site up and running start putting your own touches on it to make it stand out. This is something you should always be doing. Start looking for traffic and ways to make the traffic want to come back. There are many other things you will learn along the way but those will come in time. Just focus on the first parts listed here and get your site online.

Managing Your Website Administration And IP Address By Justin Knights

A website may look wonderful when it appears on your computer screen but a lot of work needs to be done in order to have the end product. Creating as well as operating a website requires a lot of work and it is tedious for those who have limited knowledge in this area. Some even go to the extent of hiring other professionals to have things done for them but this usually will cost you a bomb. However, this will mean that you are not in control and it is not an ideal situation because you will always have to depend on other people. So, to be successful, you need to take the responsibility and be the master of your website.

In the beginning, you won't have many problems because building the website is an easy task. The challenge comes when your website expands and you need to make sure that it is sustainable to the amount of traffic that you are receiving. There will always be some sort of problem that might occur from time to time. So, you must be prepared for the worst. One thing that you can be preparing for it is to have more than enough of resources to support your website. Therefore, no matter what sort of problems that come, you won't have any problems if it is resource related. So, a way to accomplish his is to get the ideal hosting plan for yourself. You don't have to get the most expensive but get one that can meet your requirement and usage and have extra resources to handle emergencies.

If you are into this industry, you will come to know about IP address. This address is a set of numbers given to a computer or a device that represents its location. It is like an address for the computer or even a server. So, every time people come to your website, they are actually coming to that address which is assigned to your by your internet service provider.

So, if you signed up for a hosting account, you will have an IP address given to your. With dedicated hosting, you IP address will be unique meaning that it is only used by you. This is unlike in shared hosting condition where numerous websites share one address. So, if any one of the website is in trouble, it jeopardizes the whole server causing all website in it to suffer the same fate. So, using a dedicated server plus a dedicated IP address will be the ideal choice because it will provide you with better security and more effective web hosting. However, they will cost more than shared servers.

But when it comes to running an online business, we cannot neglect this small detail as a wrong step that we take may punish us in the long run. Therefore, it is always better to start in the right way to have a better journey ahead.

Before I end this article...
Without doubt, web hosting is a must-learn topic for every modern business owner nowadays. Since you are reading this article, there is a high possibility that you are actually looking for the right web host.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

How To Choose A Domain Name

Your domain name is your address on the internet. In order to have a successful website, you're going to have to pick the right domain name to suit your needs. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when picking your domain name, but taking the time to pick the right name for your site will pay off in the long run.

If you know anything about SEO, you probably know what keywords are. Keywords are words, or strings of words that people use to search for things online. Think about the type of content your site is going to have, and figure out which keywords might apply to that content. Once you know your keywords, you should try to include at least one of them in your domain name if you can.

Your domain name also needs to be easy to remember. One of the easiest ways to ensure your domain name is easy to remember is to make sure it doesn't include more than three words. For example, awesomewebsite.com is much easier to remember than thiswebsiteisreallyawesome.com. It's also important to make sure the name of your website and the domain name you're using are more or less the same.

If your domain name is awesomewebsite.com, then your site's name should be Awesome Website. If you named it something different, let's say, Cool Website, your readers would start typing coolwebsite.com into their browser when they wanted to find your site. If your domain name, and title aren't consistent, you run the risk of losing traffic.

It's also important to use an effective domain suffix. If your website isn't a.com,.net, or.org, your visitors are less likely to remember your address. In fact, if you stray away from.com, you're running the risk of losing traffic. There are a lot of domain suffixes, but unless you intend to get the bulk of your traffic from search results, you shouldn't stray away from the most popular ones.
Your domain name is part of your website's identity. If you don't take the time to pick a strong domain name, you might not get as much traffic as you would like. Take the time to pick a good domain name, and your website will do well over time.

Did you know that 95% of Network Marketing businesses fail because of lack of personal coaching, being taught the wrong way to market their business, and not using the right system?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlo_Leon_Guerrero
Carlo Leon Guerrero - EzineArticles Expert Author

Tips On How To Increase Your Website Traffic

Making a website involves a lot of process from designing the site, maintaining it, choosing a good web hosting company to increasing its traffic. Increasing your website's traffic is very important in the success of your website. It helps your website have a higher ranking over others and it also helps your website earn more. But many website owners these days do not know how to increase their website's traffic. This article is intended to help those people who are seeking for a higher traffic for their website.

1. Content - The most important and effective way for you to achieve a high traffic for your website is for you to have a website with a great content. Your site's content should be unique because search engines these days are very smart in detecting websites that have a copy and pasted content on them. If your website is selling something then it is advisable that you provide information about the product through making articles. Provide links in those articles to your website. This helps increase your website's traffic.

2. Newsletter - Making and sending newsletters regularly will help keep your visitors visiting you regularly. They will give your visitors the thought and idea that your site is alive and will keep them visiting your website. And since it is an e-mail, there is a great possibility that your readers will send it to their friends, increasing your traffic.

3. Forums - These are another important tool in increasing your site's traffic. There are many forums all over the internet today with different topics; surely there should be one that greatly relates to your website. Choose these forums that relates to your website's content and post ads there, and most of all, the URL signature for your site.

4. Contests - These are a great activity for your site and your visitors. Contests make people interested to your website and will make them try to win if you have a good prize.

5. Speaker - Inviting a speaker for your site will help you increase the trust and relationship between your website and your visitors. Invite a famous or well-known person that is involved in the field where your website is at to chat with your visitors in a chat room in your site.

The more traffic your site has the more the chances of you earning more. Increasing the traffic of your website will also help you increase your rank in search engines, plus, certain companies might post advertisements to your website which will help you earn extra cash.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Pierce

Making A Website Tip: Get The Host With The Most

You're making a website. You've thought of an awesome domain name and you're ready to build that site - but where are you going to put it?

The folders and files that comprise your website need a place to live, and that is your host. You need a host that provides your visitors with fast reliable access to your website 24/7.

People who are making their own websites often ask about self hosting.
Self hosting is where you put your site on one of your own computers and set it up to be a web server.

It must have fast, reliable access to the Internet, excellent security and probably a battery backup.

If you have a spare ultra fast computer sitting around unused, and a T1 line access to the Internet, then you might want to consider self hosting. If not, go ahead and pay $8 USD per month and you'll get all the hosting you'll need.

When you're making a website with WordPress you won't need to get involved with your host too often, but when you do, you want a host that has excellent customer service.

Most of your server work will be done through your WordPress dashboard and through an FTP (file transfer protocol) program like FileZilla.

You need a host that provides a user friendly interface such as C-Panel, the industry standard. This makes setting up email addresses, installing WordPress, etc a breeze.
It's nice to have chat as well as phone support available. A lot of issues can be solved with a few minutes of Internet chat.

Stick with hosts such as HostGator, BlueHost, HostMonster or DreamHost and you'll not be disappointed.

They may not be the cheapest, but they're extremely reasonable and let's face facts here: Cheap hosting will likely come with a price you don't want to pay - such as poor customer service, downtime, or functionality issues.

You really don't want to be forced to switch hosts later just because you were trying to save a buck at the beginning.

At $8-12 USD per month you'll have all you need and likely more.
Select one and purchase a hosting plan - typically you can get unlimited domains and emails for about $8/month - can't beat that! When making a website you really don't want to have to worry about hosting - you'll have enough other stuff to take care of.

Choosing a reliable host will make your life as a webmaster so much easier, you'll never regret the minimal investment!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Pedersen
Robert Pedersen - EzineArticles Expert Author

Web Hosting For Blogs

You love to blog and have been doing just fine until you get the itch--you want your own website and blog! But then many potential website owners stop dead in their tracks, inundated with a host of seemingly insurmountable obstacles: What does it take to own a website of my own? How much does it cost? Do I even have the skills to pull this off? If not where can I get training?

Don't Give Up!
If this is you, don't be discouraged. First of all, you already have what it takes to setup a website for your own blog. I know this because I've been managing websites for over 15 years and have seen the huge progress made to automate all the technical tasks. This opens the doors for anyone to have their own website for blogging.

It's Affordable
The cost of running your own website for blogs is quite affordable, less than $10 per month, and cheaper than that if you pay for multiple months in advance. So if this is within your budget, then cost really isn't an issue.

It's Non-Technical
Although you will find books on HTML, CSS, web page design, programming and such, this knowledge just isn't necessary anymore. The technical tasks required for setting up a website to host your blog are highly automated. You can literally setup a blog website in minutes, because the code, templates and installation wizards are very well developed and supported by web hosting providers. This leaves only one task for you to do to setup your own website for your blog--creating original content!

Get Your Own Website Today
If you want to take the first action step to own your own website and blog, then you need to sign up to what is called a web hosting provider. This is a company that allows you to use their computers to store your website, and they provide all the services you will need to allow you to focus on publishing your quality blogs.

There are tons of web hosting providers for you to choose from, so don't let the sheer volume of choices hinder your progress either. I have worked with four web hosting providers over the years and in my opinion you couldn't go wrong with any of them. See me review below for more details.

You've got the desire to own a website and control your own blog. Go for it! Don't let excuses get in your way. Today, web hosting for blogs is highly automated and easy to setup for anyone. The costs are quite affordable too. Why not pursue your dreams of owning a blog?


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Sponsler
Ed Sponsler - EzineArticles Expert Author

Web Hosting - Things To Avoid

Web Hosting is a type of online hosting service that allows individuals and businesses to compose their own website accessible via the World Wide Web.

There are a number of web hosting services available at very less costs. The reason for such low prices is that they benefit by working on large quantity of volume. Another issue to consider is that hard-line spammers also opt with the cheapest service. This is because they plan to stay in business for a very little period of time. Amongst the thousands of businesses with which exchange of content like IP addresses are made, one could be a spammer, thus successfully banning the IP address by the search engines. Above all, a low-priced web hosting business or service will normally consist of extremely slow servers and common services will be deprived of as there will not be provision for sufficient bandwidth. This would be a disservice to a business by fixing up with an inexpensive service.

In order to expand online business, it is very vital to choose the right web hosting services that will assist. These services should have a strong and informational website. Most of these services allege to deliver all of the above whereas a very few provide assurance in the type of reimbursement or other similar ways so as to ensure customer satisfaction, and also give alternatives in case of failure in delivery.

A good service will boast a register of happy and pleased customers, and will also allow the new businesses to refer to their feedback. In any case, a web hosting service refuses an appeal to test out references it becomes clear that these services are not genuine.

If the web hosting company limits the number of emails that can be received or sent out then the business will be gifted to serve the customers promptly and efficiently. Only for the reason that the web hosting service is very large will not imply that it is the best. Only if there is an option of personalized service the business deserves it otherwise a business will just be a number.

Lastly, a web hosting service's approach to consumer service is a sign that shows the reliability of the company with whom the business is being entrusted. Every service should provide a business with all of their connections. As a matter of fact, this is very essential for every business. Nowadays, impersonal web hosting service cannot be put up with. There should be someone to answer all questions and queries.

The main factor is that, every service genuinely has to sell its services 24/7. If this is not met then there is no other reason or endeavour for them to stay in business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_M_Dawson

Monday, October 25, 2010

Selling My Website - What You Should Know If You're Selling a Website to Get the Best Price for It!

Are you a person thinking "I'm selling my website" and I haven't a clue what to do?
Are you worried it might now sell, or that you might not get as much as it's worth?
If so then this might be the most important article you've read in a long time.
 
Things I Do When Selling My Website So I Can Get the Best Price for It...

When you're selling a website you of course want to make sure that you're getting top dollar for that right?

Afterall, the reason you're selling your website in the first place is to make a nice profit. Sometimes it's to put that money toward a new project, sometimes it's to get money to pay a bill, or other times it's just because you're tired of having to upkeep the site yourself.
Either way, it's often the things that you do ahead of time that will make the most difference.

Proof is the Key When I'm Selling My Website, It Should Be When You're Selling a Website Too...

When people are buying a website they generally want to make sure that the site is making money. Most people buy sites because they're looking to get a return on investment.
It's up to you to make prove to them, giving them as little doubt as possible that your website is making money. Or if it's not making money that it's getting traffic. Many people will buy a website that's not making money, but is getting visitors simply because they know how to monetize a website. This means that they're willing to pay money if you're willing to prove that the site is getting traffic.
When I'm selling my website, I make sure that I provide as much proof as possible.

Where You'll Find Me and Other Web Site Flippers Selling My Website, and Where to Go When You're Selling a Website...

There are tons of places to sell a website. Some people will use eBay. But frankly while you can have some luck at eBay, it's not the place where you can continuously get top dollar for your sites.

Other places that people go is Craigslist! While I've never tried selling my website there, I've seen where people do sell them. I've even heard of people having good luck. But again, it's not the best place...and it's probably the easiest place to get ripped off.

So where do I go when I'm selling my website, and where should you go for selling a website.
The best place is definitely a place called Flippa! This is because it's a very well known place for people to sell a website, which means that there are a lot of buyers hanging out there.

Flippa also has set their site up with a lot of precautions so that way you're more likely NOT to get taken for a ride by unscrupulous buyers. Flippa has been the best place for selling my websites, and most of the people I know who are professional website flippers go there to do it as well.

If you're someone saying I'm selling my website, and you want to make sure you're going to get the best place then you should make Flippa at least the first place that you stop and check out.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Levi_Thomas

How to Make an Email Address - Remember Your Password

If you're new to the world of the internet, one of the first things you'll need to do is to figure out how to create an email address. An email address is just like a street address - it helps people figure out where to send mail addressed to you. If you have an email address, you can receive messages from friends and family members. They can also send you pictures or videos. You can also receive coupons and advertisements.

If you're wondering how to make email address, the first thing you'll need to do is pick a company to get your address from. Gmail, Yahoo mail, and Hotmail are common companies - you can look for them online. Another easy way how to make email address is to get it through your ISP (the company that provides your email). You can call them and they will walk you through how to get an email address.

Should you choose to receive email through an online company such as Yahoo, you must first log into their web page by typing the name of the online company into a search browser. Once you are on their web page you will see a choice such as "set up new account" or "sign up" or "get email." In order to proceed, you must select one of those options.

You will then be asked for some basic information about yourself. If you are worried about your privacy, just give as little information as possible. You can also make up a fake name if you want, but that will make it harder for people to find you. Usually, you only have to give them a little bit of information - they mark the required boxes with a star or another symbol. The rest of the information boxes are optional.

You'll also get to pick your own email address. This works just like your street address and allows people to contact you online, or even to send you pictures. Choose an address that is easy for you to remember and that other people will recognize as being you. One possible option would be to use some combination of your names. If your name is John A. Smith, for example, you might pick jsmith, jasmith, or johns to be your email address.

Often times, because there are so many people out there with email addresses, somebody has already taken the address you want! How to make email address if this happens is to put a number after the address you want - for example, you could use jsmith905 or jsmith215. Once again, try to make it a number that is easy to remember. You should do the same with the password you select - pick one that is easy to remember!

The author has been writing online articles since 2006 as well as publishing websites on a number of topics since 2004.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sveinung_Skoglund

Set Up An Email Address With Gmail

You may think that there are not many folks out there who have not set up email address yet, but there are still those who have resisted the temptation of this online communication tool. This article is for those who have not yet succumbed to email and also to those who have yet been exposed to the wonders of Gmail.

There are many free email services available now, so choosing which one to set up an email address with can be confusing. I am a recent convert to Gmail myself (June 2008), but I have joined many others including professional bloggers who use Gmail with great success and much happiness.

What Do The Experts Say?
Leo Babauta is the author of the popular lifestyle blog, Zen Habits. Babauta wrote all the way back in January 2007 about how using Gmail allowed him to keep his in box empty and in control of a number of different email addresses.

Bernard Lunn who writes for ReadWriteWeb has just set up a Gmail address this August, after he has "lived in Outlook" for years. ReadWriteWeb is ranked the 9th most popular blog by Technorati and provides Web Technology news, reviews and analysis.

For Lunn, his great satisfaction with Gmail is the excellent spam filter; it reduces the spam arriving in his in box to almost zero and the fact that he can access his email anywhere that he has internet access, gives him immense flexibility.

Problogger, or Darren Rowse, as is his real name converted to Gmail in April 2008 and in doing so managed to tame his out of control in box from 10,000 emails to zero. Rowse used techniques including the label, filter and archive functions in Gmail to achieve this amazing feat.

What Is The Gmail Offer?

Gmail offers a completely free email service to anyone who wishes to set up email address with them. Once signed up for your email address, you have also set up a Google account which will allow you to easily access their extended range of free on line services.
With your Gmail address you get:
  • 7000MB storage space. Storage on Gmail is continually increasing, so you are incredibly unlikely to ever run out of space.
  • Sophisticated spam filters. Moving from my old account over to Gmail, saw spam almost disappear.
  • Intelligent search function. Being a Google product you would expect this function in your email to be good and it is excellent. You will always be able to track down emails, whether you only remember the first name of the person who sent it or a key word from the email text.
  • Comprehensive Label and Filtering Systems. You can set up filters so particular emails can bypass your in box altogether if you wish.
  • A Central In Box For All Your Email Addresses. Using the mail fetcher feature in Google, you can have all email from any of your other email addresses arrive in the one in box. This means that you can use Gmail without having to even change your email address!
Have I convinced you yet? If you have not set up email address yet, go ahead and set up a free email address with Google. If you have an existing email address, go ahead take the plunge and set up email address with Gmail and start managing your email more efficiently.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nic_Avery

9 Reasons For Switching to Gmail

Gmail is a free, search-based webmail service from Google that combine the best features of traditional email with its patented search technology. Gmail innovative features include faster retrieval of email through the search interface. Emails are treated as conversation which enhances user reading and writing experience. Gmail also offer users over 5 GB of email storage capacity.

Gmail Features:

1. Innovative Spam Technology
Google provide Gmail users the best spam fighting methods. One approach is the data gathered from users. Gmail users can vote and report an email for spam in which Google will find similar email message that fall in the spam category and block the message before it reach the users.

2. Search Technology
With 5 Gigabytes of information, Gmail users can search and retrieve over 500,000 pages of emails by using keywords and advanced search features so user can find their email easily. Using this feature make it easy for Gmail users to find emails by simply typing certain words and the corresponding results will be displayed the same way as you are using Google Search.

3. Organize replies into conversations
Gmail handle message into thread or conversion thus eliminates the need to file messages into folders. Email messages are group into conversion thread or view so users can easily follow up with replies to the senders by referring to the thread. Newer messages are stack up on the top lack deck of cards.

4. Built-in chat feature
Gmail built-in chat features provide added experience to users which allow instant messaging without having to log on to a separate application. Now user can talk to a friend in anywhere in the world without logging out to your email account. Gmail Chat offers also voice call as an added service.

5. Labels, filters, and stars.
Gmail provide these handy features for better email management. First of all Gmail don't use folder for grouping email but offer the filter service to every email by providing labels to every message. Email will be group together through this labeling in a breeze like a virtual folder. The stars feature on the other hand will rank your email according to importance for easy retrieval.

6. Mobile Access
Gmail can access their Gmail through their mobile phone. This feature is optimize to read your email through phone web browser and allows attachment to open including photos and pdf files. It let users to call people in Gmail Contacts List.

7. Ads in place
Gmail provide relevant ads through its Google Adsense program. Only relevant and related information are display besides your email message. Gmail Ads does not occupy your reading space unlike any other ads system because it is in text format so you can ignore if you are not interested.

8. Save Time
Gmail advantages are the Quick Contact and Keyboard Shortcuts in which it is a time saver. The Quick Contacts helps the user to find relevant contact in which you can send email or chat to another person in a faster way and bundle with the keyboard shortcuts will further speed up the whole process.

9. Gmail is Free
The cost is completely free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerard_Gilok_Espinas

The Benefits of Gmail

Google's e-mail service, Gmail, provides a sufficient amount of space for the average internet user. As of now, Gmail offers about 7462 megabytes of free storage and contains a unique security that keeps unwanted messages out of a person's inbox.

However, this service is not limited to such generic products, but also displays a e-mail search bar for the user to use. This search bar helps the user to find any type of old messages or key words that the user wants to use. Not only does the search bar improve the user friendliness, but contacts also help the user recognize other personal references. The development of contact settings are currently under production for Gmail, but a user can put a picture of the person next to each contact to make it more user friendly.

The interface is also another important key for Google, because many people can change the white plain "backround" to themes. These themes can be obtained by going to the settings, and then there is a option to choose whether or not a person wants to keep the same them. A Another thing that helps people get used to the service is that when a person does not have enough time to finish an e-mail message, they can save as their drafts. The draft section contains all the messages that haven't been completed. This helps immensely if somebody does not have all the information they need. The other components to this awesome service is that it has a chat system implemented, so that a person can chat whoever is online.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Levis

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Leverage Affiliate Marketing to Grow Your Web Hosting Business

If you're like many small, growing web hosting companies, you have a finite and relatively small budget for promoting your company. It should go without saying, however if you're not setting aside some money for marketing already, you need to be investing money in the promotion of your brand every month.

Even if you have a small budget, you can leverage the few marketing dollars you have to garner BIG results by using affiliate marketing. In all the years I've promoted web hosting companies, I've rarely seen an activity that generates as high an ROI as affiliate marketing, simply because you only pay for results. There are some exceptions to that, which we'll discuss, however this is a high leverage activity that can and will help you grow your company.

Affiliate marketing is very simple in principle. Find internet marketers that have web hosting traffic and convince them to promote your brand in exchange for a commission. There are three keys to running a successful affiliate program as a web hosting company: Traffic, Tracking and Transparency.

Traffic
The entire point of your affiliate program is to drive more, targeted traffic to your offers and converting that traffic into new customers. So, your affiliates need to be active and they need to be pushing serious traffic to your site. While you can and should promote your affiliate program online (i.e. in directories, on forums, etc), a great way to find affiliates with a lot of traffic is to search for the same terms that you are targeting in your search marketing campaigns. Find the sites that have top 10 rankings or are using PPC for those terms and ask them to join your program. This approach ensures that the affiliates you are hand selecting for your program have good traffic going to their sites.

This is half the battle; the other half is getting your affiliates to give you prominent placement on their sites. You need to give them a good reason to promote your brand over the dozens of other hosting affiliate programs out there. Offering higher commissions for better placement, more compelling offers and higher conversions are sure fire ways to do this. Keep in mind that the bigger the affiliate is, the better the offer must be. So, be sure to keep a little something extra available for those big affiliates, to entice them to run your offer above others.

Tracking
To pay your affiliates, you need to have a tracking engine tied into your order system, which will accurately credit each affiliate with the sales that they have made. There are many out there, however my favorite is iDev Affiliate. iDev has been around for years, offers a stable backend and a stable of features that can help you manage your affiliates.

Transparency
While your affiliates can see how much traffic they send you and can compare your conversion rates with other affiliate programs they are promoting, the only way they know when they've made a sale on your website is when you tell them. This puts them at a disadvantage, so particular care needs to be taken with running an honest and transparent program. Fraud and cancellations are a part of this industry and your commission payments will need to be adjusted for sales that are later cancelled or determined to be fraud. When this happens, you need to tell your affiliates. Be open with them; tell them how their traffic is performing and why a particular commission might have been rescinded. This kind of open communication will not only keep your affiliates happy, but it will likely drive more sales in the end.

Getting Started
If you're just getting started, go checkout the competition. See what other hosting companies in your niche (i.e. shared, VPS, dedicated) are offering to their affiliates. Run your numbers and put together a thrilling offer for prospective affiliates. Setup your tracking system and determine how you will pay your affiliates and when. When your program is ready to sign up new affiliates, remember the strategies mentioned above and find some heavy hitters to promote your brand.

Josh Ewin is an analyst for the web hosting industry and manages a well known hosting affiliate program. Mr. Ewin leads the marketing efforts of several premier web hosting destinations and is a regular columnist for webhostingmadness.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Ewin

The Importance Of Good Hosting

If you are the owner of a domain you might been in the same situation as me. I remember when I registered my first domain online, I checked every hosting I could find to compare prices and their service. I was all new to this and did not know too much about what was important to get started.

After a couple of days I was ready to sign up with a hosting, and so I did. That domain was just left unused for a year, and then I wanted to change my hosting. That was not easy to do, and now I am very happy that I did not register more domains there.

I registered more domains at a host that does not support WordPress, but I do not need it there so it does not matter at all.

What bothers me now is the first domain that I registered to make a blog. The first problem was a few months back when I wanted to register add on domains. They wanted to charge me for hosting them, something I can get for free most other places. That made me open a new account at another hosting company.

Now I am about to sell my first blog, and what happens then? Problems again. I have tried the live support that tells me to contact someone else, and I have submitted a ticket to reseller but they can not answer my questions. Then I tried to send my email to billing, but they have 48 hours before they respond. That means 2 days for every mail.

What I am sure of now is that I was stupid and picked the wrong company for my hosting. I have 3 buyers that are ready to negotiate price, but in the worst case it will take weeks to get the answers needed from the billing department. That really is a bad feeling. I just hope my buyers will have the patience to wait.

When I signed up for my account and the domain I never planned to sell, and because of that I never considered that the situation could occur at all. Now I am in the situation and regret that I did not plan better.

I have sold a few other domains without any trouble at all with other hosting companies. What I do know now is that it is really important to pick the right hosting to avoid situations like this in the future.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Knut_Ofstbo
Knut Ofstbo - EzineArticles Expert Author

5 Tips for Choosing a Web Hosting Service

In order to choose the best web hosting service for your business a number of factors need to be considered. You want reliable service that does not have downtime, good customer support and a reasonable price.

Warning: do not choose a web hosting service until you have answered the following questions...

Price: How much do they charge per month and is there a set up fee? Most good companies do not have any set up fees. However some do and it is important to check into any hidden costs before signing up for any hosting service. Be sure that you can afford the monthly fee.

Bandwidth: How much bandwidth do they allow before you have to upgrade? Most hosting companies allow a fair amount of bandwidth before you have to upgrade. It is usually enough to enable you to start your business and get a reasonable amount of traffic before you have to upgrade and increase your monthly fee.

Features: Are there enough features in the basic package for you to start up your business? Features vary with different hosting services. It is wise to see which package will fit your particular business. Some companies will not give very much with their basic package and force you to upgrade or you will not be able to really run your business. Be sure that the hosting you choose will not do this to you. It is always good to start with the smallest package if possible when you start with a new company.

Cancellation fee: Is there a cancellation fee or penalty? It is important before you sign up, that you make sure that there is no penalty for canceling. Sometimes the hosting company is not what you expected and you wish to cancel there should not be any fee to do this.

Customer support: Do they have good customer support? No matter how good the company is there are often tech problems or questions to be answered. You want answers to your questions to be fast and efficient. In fact this is a sign of a good company. For this reason you should always check this out before signing up with any hosting company.

Additionally you should check out the actual company. You can do this by asking about the company on various forums, when you ask around you will find people who have had direct experience with the hosting company and they will be able to give you an honest opinion. You can also check out any testimonials. You can even contact the owner before you sign up.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Catherine_Qazalbash
Catherine Qazalbash - EzineArticles Expert Author

Knowing the Best Layout for Your Website Design

When it comes to designing your website, it is not only about the website graphics, the decorations and the like. It is not only about the graphics, themes and concepts. It is not only about the backgrounds, the color, or the final website graphics you've chosen for the many things you will put in the site. The other features of the site you are making are also important pieces of your elaborate final website design. The next step other than deciding the theme is deciding about the layout. But first, what is a layout?

As you might have heard or seen in other publications like magazines, newspapers, or in presentations, the layout plays a very important role. The layout dictates what goes where and how it will all look when put together. When it comes to layout, you are to decide which part of the site goes where. In the layout you too have to decide on what items need to be place in the front page as well as subsequent pages. But how will you decide on these things?

The first step in website design is to determine what your site is all about. When you have made that decision, think of what is the purpose of the site itself. Whether it is for personal or business use, this goes a long way in making your design decisions, whether it is about website graphics, how things should be placed on the site itself and really every other design aspect of the site.

Next comes defining the most applicable layout. These days, the most common kind of layout being used has navigation bars on either side, even on top and bottom. These navigation bars have tabs and lists of the main pages on the site. This helps the visitors find their way in and out. The lists in the navigation areas are lists of the many items on the site or topics that would take the main interest of the visitors as they browse around. These lists and navigation tabs help the visitors to come in and out of the site. They help them find whatever it is that they are looking for.
Remember; good website design dictates putting all the important and relevant details right in front - put this information front and center so the visitors will be able to find them right away. Remember lay out is very important. Choose well! Don't forget to check and double check each of the important pieces of your website. Whether it is website graphics, content, or layout, you want everything to come together in your website.

Maximize your business potential by connecting through the best marketing and consulting firm and promote your business further by choosing the best graphics and printing services provider.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hamilton
Bob Hamilton - EzineArticles Expert Author

Web Designing Tips - Simplicity is Vital

Are you tired of choosing which buttons you are going to use? Will it be the square ones or the round ones? It is like being stuck in your closet asking the question "Will my shoes match my belt and my bag?" If you are in this very situation, it would be best to take a look at web designing tips online. There are lots of free tips you can find on the web but before you go ahead and pick a color scheme, breathe a little and read a few articles because we are quite sure that it will save you more time.

One of the best web designing tips I have heard in years is choosing a color scheme and sticking to it. If you prefer a certain color scheme, try not to change colors every other time because it will make your website look rather disorganized. The website should have the same color scheme in all its pages.

According to certain web designing tips online, the most popular color schemes are blue and white, red, white and grey and yellow, grey and white. There are other color schemes of course but if you can't design which color scheme to use, it is advised that you surf the web and look for a website you like.

Another thing you can do is use website templates especially if you no longer have the time to design your own website. There are many pre-set templates that can be accessed for free online so you will certainly not run out of choices.

Although there are lots of web templates you can use, it is still best to make y our own design because by doing this, you will be able to make sure that the navigation system of the site is user-friendly. User-friendliness is one of the web designing tips you should always keep in mind.
Simplicity is beauty but if you want to have a striking website it would be best to take a look at the best web templates you can find. Going overboard with the special effects may have bad results so be sure not to put too much graphics in your page. Apart from making the whole website look disorganized, the graphics might also distract the visitor from his very purpose of visiting your website.

Content is king they say but what if your background does not allow your visitors to actually read what you have written. There are lots of websites that have annoying backgrounds that won't let you read the articles written in the site. This can be a bit frustrating for people who are interested in reading what your website says and once you have frustrated them enough, they will just move on to another website.

Linking with high quality websites is a good way to increase the traffic in your site but to make sure that your visitor does not navigate away from your own site you should set external links to open to another tab or window. Reading about web designing tips can be very helpful especially for beginners and they can be helpful for pros as well.

This is very important. Pay Close attention!
Nearly 95% of the people reading this article will attempt to make a website for themselves. Many of those will fail to create all aspects correctly. Don't be one of them.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Meggs
Greg Meggs - EzineArticles Expert Author

Sample Website Plan

A sample website plan doesn't have to be elaborate to get the job done. It can be as simple as the list below. Keep in mind, people like don't like to read websites as much as the like to scan them. As you plan your website, do so with the visitor in mind. it is a good idea to have a plan in order to stay on track as you build your website.

My top 10 tips for making a sample website plan:

1. Brainstorm.
Come up with a website idea that suits your taste. Many website builders fail because they don't plan before hand. When you find the idea you want to do, research it by typing the subject in a search engine. Also try Amazon.com to see how many books have been written on the subject. See how various authors outline their books to get some ideas.

2. Decide on the type of website you want.
The type of website you want should come easy if you know what your subject is. Did you write a book that you want to sell from your website? You could setup your website and review books similar to yours. Your review could point out the unique things your book offers that the others don't.

3. Search for a domain name with your keywords in it.
Buy a domain name that has your main keywords in it to help search engines know the clear intentions of your website and help your site get found easier. You will be surprised to see what names are still available.

4. Decide on hosting for your website
Choose a web hosting company that will offer you free e-mail with the service. I like Go Daddy because of the service. They're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My websites rarely go down and when they do, they're back up and running in no time

5. Decide on the way you want to build your website.
Are you technical enough to build your website from scratch? You really don't have to be to get a website up and running. I recommend using Word Press if you don't have the technical skills. It's free and easy.

6. Decide on the look of your website.
Do you want it to look fun and cheery or dark and grungy? Word Press gives you a ton of open source templates to choose from.

7. Map out the Navigation buttons of your website
Sketching out where you want to place links on your website should always be included in a sample website plan. Always think of the user and how to give them a pleasant experience when visiting your website. They should not have any questions about how to find information on the website. Make it easy for them. People are in a hurry and have a tendency to scan information rather than read it.

8. Research the keywords of your website
Finding and using the right keywords for your website will be one of the most important factors as you build it. When looking for keywords, don't go for the popular keywords everyone is fighting for. Sneak through the back door with low competition keywords. It makes SEO a lot easier. Take the keywords you find and look even deeper for nuggets that you may be over looking.

9. Discover the unique point of view of your website.
Add a little of who you are so your visitors will get to know you.  Your unique point of view will come from your personality and what you want to share with them. This style of website is built on sharing your inner thoughts and ideas about a subject you know a lot about. Research a few "unique point of view style websites" to see what they look like. They are often called Infopreneur websites.

10. Start building your website
As mentioned before, if you don't have technical skills, use Word Press to learn. If you are really serious and need a professional website, check out 99Designs.com. They have amazing artists standing by waiting to compete and win your services.
That's the short and sweet way to make a sample plan for a website. You can always enhance these steps by adding a website story board but, these steps should be enough to get you started.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendell_Harvey 

How to Find an Affordable Web Hosting Service?

As the day to day life passes the competition in the market is growing rapidly. It is almost a cut throat competition for affordable web hosting as it has become the basic need for E-business. Today affordable hosting services are good for small as well as large scale businesses. Now days the affordable web companies have separated from their chain competitors as more and more companies are offering unlimited web hosting space so they compete with each other and compare what they are offering more than their competitors in the market. These services should also be able to provide 24 hours technical support to the customers.

Affordable web hosting services is the best way to start for new clients who want a way to start their own business. But before starting to use these services you must have all the basic knowledge of hosting and affordable hosting services. Hosting provides rich services so it important for the company using it to have the basic technical knowledge of the subject i.e. websites and website building.

Building a website is as simple as starting word, design a layout and add all the content on an assigned web page, but on the completion of the website you will need a space over the net to upload it, here comes the role of web hosting services.

Affordable hosting play a very significant role as it promotes or smashes a business in the dust, so it is very important to choose an appropriate web Hosting service which is affordable for all. If online money making is in your mind then you need to first consider an eligible and affordable hosting service for your business. It facilitates you to choose services, set-ups and payment options; in short all the basic needs you need to start your business online and compete with your competitors.

A good affordable web hosting service provides you reliability and scalability. Another key feature of these affordable services is to provide a high performance server which is failed over the specified protection in the terms of services.

All the affordable web hosting services follow the latest patterns these days as having a website is very much essential to establish an online business. These hosting services provide you with the desired domain name even of your own choice so you can make the site available to all your users easily.

Affordable hosting for all sorts of small businesses and individuals is very important and was not available previously. But in today's modern times this facility is provided by many companies, they do this in a very user friendly environment. All their technical support is available to us almost all the time and with our basic knowledge we can extract a great deal of profit from these companies. As there is a cut throat competition these days most of the affordable web hosting services have become easily available all the users and clients.

Abdul Salam is an expert affiliate marketer and also have great knowledge of internet business and web hosting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abdul_Salam

Friday, October 22, 2010

Top Web Hosting Company - How to Identify One?

As the number of websites on the internet is growing rapidly and has already exceeded 250 millions, more and more companies are offering web hosting services. Not all of these companies can be described as reliable and worth the money they ask for. Choosing decent provider is crucial as this determines the success of your website. This article will help you evaluate web hosting companies and identify the best ones.

1. How long a particular company has been providing web space?
Hosting business is in fact extremely competitive. If a company has managed to survive for more than three years, this usually means that they're making profit. If they're making profit, they have a lot of customers. In order to have a lot of customers, one has to do better than most of competitors. It's that simple.
Just type in a hosting company name in Google or Wikipedia and try to find for how long they've been in this business. Always look for established companies and you will make a right decision.

2. What other people say about this provider?
One can never be 100% percent sure about a particular company before trying it out oneself, but still, a lot of valuable information might be gained from people who already host their sites on their servers. Read web hosting reviews, ask for opinions in discussion boards. The more information and opinions you have, the more likely is that you will have to choose only from the best of the best.

3. Does this web hosting provider have a name recognition?
Would you ever buy a car made by a company you have never heard of? Probably not. The same concept can be applied to web hosting choice. Look for companies that have a good reputation and name recognition. Nobody has earned a good name providing bad service. This is especially applicable to hosting business as unsatisfied webmasters quickly spread negative reviews all over the internet if a company fails to provide quality service.

Finding best web hosting provider requires time and knowledge. By reading this article you've gained some valuable information and will be able to evaluate providers and identify the best ones with ease.

Also, make sure you visit top web hosting reviews website and find out which hosting companies are considered to be the best nowadays.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vito_Juska

Tips For A Good Domain Name

Today in this competitive world if you are into any business then it is very important to get the facility of being online. In order to have a winning edge over your clients, it is very important that you have a website floated on the World Wide Web. This shall enable to enhance your business and give better results. So in order to avail the benefit of Internet it is essential to know the concept of domain name.

In order to have online presence it is first important to have a good domain name. For that reason it becomes important to know how is it important to have a good domain. To get a good and suitable domain, the following tips shall be beneficial for you to get the facility of fruitful online presence:

Hosting and domain providers: The first and most important thing that you need to consider is the searching of the provider that finds the appropriate provider for your business. There are end numbers of options for domain name providers. However you need to find one for you who can give you best services that are required. Select the one who has experience of few years at least so that you can have the idea of the quality of services you can expect.

Good control panel: Another aspect that you need to consider for getting the provider is that you get one who offers you a good control panel. This is very much required for effective results. So just make sure that you do not lose in this.

Hosting facilities: Today you can find various such options that can give you the option for availing the services of hosting along with that of domain. This will facilitate you for better and quality services. Along with this it will also simplify your work up to certain limit. This is how you can get advantage of offers that you will get from these providers.

Option to select the domain name: It is important that you get the domain name as per your preference. This is very much required for a better ranking at the search engines for optimization. So make sure that the domain you select should be as per your requirement. It should not be so that you get stuck with a bad option. So look forward for a good provider.

As per your service for optimization: Last but not then least, it is important that you have a domain name that is as per the kind of services or products you are dealing with. This is very much important for optimization point of view.

If you consider all the above mentioned tips then you can have the perfect domain that is essential and will make your presence online. So just get the perfect domain for you and make your presence on web world. Hope you get the best! Wish you all luck!

Anand is a webmaster for Web Hosting visit: b4uindia.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anand_Maheshwari

Read About Web Hosting and Related Services

Web hosting is a dynamic concept and an internet hosting service where a single person or an organization is allowed to create their own website which is accessible through the aid of world wild web. The company which facilitates such service by means of providing space on an owned or rented server is known as web host.

The process is carried by the host in form of providing internet connectivity to the client, mainly by means of a data center, added to this feature of the host, they also carry out collocation. Collocation, in this context refers to the aptitude of the hosts to afford data center space and an association to the internet for servers which are not possessed, to be located in their data center.
Types of hosting
Hosting is a very broad term and constitutes several sub divisions. These sub- divisions have different potentials and cater the needs of different clients. The types are as follows:
  • Free web hosting service: this offers limited services and one can find numerous providers of such service.
  • Clustered hosting: this offers hosting of identical content in multiple servers for superior resource utilization.
  • Grid hosting: this is a type of hosting where the server cluster operates like a network or grid.
  • Home server: these are used for private dwelling principle where there is only one single machine and is more like a broadband connection. There is a separate IP address for each machine.
  • Cloud hosting
  • Dedicated hosting services
  • Virtual Dedicated server (VPS)
  • Managed, shared and reseller hosting services
So whenever you choose a hosting service, select the one with dedicated servers and has a very limited downtime. You should do a thorough research and read the reviews about them before selecting a particular service.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Jenkins_Ray
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...