Web Hosting blog from Just Host

Many people often confuse the similarities and differences surrounding both web hosting and cloud computing. In a tech savvy society, most people have familiarized themselves with the concept of web hosting companies and how they assist budding webmasters in making their websites available over the Internet. The web hosting company will permit the webmaster to store their web site files and data on their server, when a specific code is requested online the server will then forward the data over the World Wide Web.

There are several distinct differences between web hosting and cloud computing. In a clouded environment the hosting provider maintains greater control, but given the elasticity of a virtualized environment the server is much more capable of meeting rapid influxes in traffic than it would be in a regular hosting scenario. That elasticity amounts for one of the most advantageous benefits of a clustered hosting environment. Previously a rapid influx in traffic had the potential to crowd a server to the point of failure, making it a distinct possibility that the website would crash.

Cloud computing, or cluster hosting as it is more commonly being referred to enables a single server to be virtually divided into a multitude of individual virtual servers. Data or information stored on each clouded server can be backed up with greater CPU power than would have been available by conventional means.

Cluster hosting works by taking advantage of the virtually connected servers to meet the fluctuating demands of the websites housed on the server.  Overcrowding is unlikely to become a problem in a clouded environment, since there is little chance that each website on the server will experience high traffic simultaneously.

Some of the most common problems associated with web hosting can be mitigated by electing to deploy a cluster hosting solution. Not only does it provide the confidence that comes with knowing that a website will receive optimal uptime and resiliency it also enables webmasters to take advantage of the power, space and security of the websites of their peers since everyone shares the process and features virtually – while still having their own personal server allocation.

For webmasters electing to host an e-commerce based website, selecting the most appropriate web hosting company is bound to prove daunting without a well thought out road map and some basic understanding of the complex requirements in the e-commerce hosting world.

Simply put, e-commerce web hosting refers to the ‘technology of storing and maintaining file for one or more websites dedicated to selling products or services online.; the webmasters of e-commerce websites often procure services from a web hosting company so that they may upload their website content to the hosts server. It is the responsibility of the chosen web hosting company to ensure that the server is in optimal condition and provides fast and continuous connectivity. In an e-commerce environment, webmasters demand security, flexibility and high quality of service from their chosen providers. Since e-commerce websites not only contain but also store sensitive and often confidential information security is of utmost concern.

The principle of e-commerce hosting can be broken down into two main elements; the site and the web hosting company. Web hosting companies provide servers that house storage space and aid in Internet connectivity. In the case of online businesses it is essential that the website receives optimum uptime availability in order for potential consumers to be able to purchase goods or services from the webmasters website.

Any web hosting company chosen to host an e-commerce website must be capable of supporting the tools and features necessary in business environments. The most notable web hosting companies will provide webmasters with software and tools necessary for supporting online transactions and payment processing.  It is important to remember, however, that there are situations where the webmaster may be responsible for purchasing their own e-commerce software and the licenses required to use the product. The most common e-commerce hosting tools are items like shopping carts, business services, secure socket layers, transaction tools and marketing tools.

Prior to selecting a web hosting company to support a business based website, it is recommended that webmasters first determine how much storage they will require along with their estimate data transfer rate. Since the web hosting company will provide the physical location for the website, the webmaster must be entirely confident in the security measures provided on the server. Paying attention to reviews and case studies will provide a stable estimate into the capabilities of the web hosting company. It is essential that the web host provides a backup system so that the website’s information can be rapidly rerouted in the event of a critical failure.  A solid disaster recovery plan should also be drafted and tested.

Disaster recovery and security measures are essential components of e-commerce hosting. Private information and financial records must be protected from unauthorized viewing. Secure socket layer encryption is beneficial and therefore web hosting companies providing this technology should be examined further.  When selecting a web hosting company for an e-commerce website it is

There is something to be said about webmasters who view their chosen web hosting company as a limited business partner. For the majority of webmasters a website is, after all, a business. Every successful business begins with a business plan. Creating a solid business plan for a website should be viewed as an essential element to serve as a guideline for the project in its entirety. A successful website business plan will include the following criteria; the objective of the web hosting company; the websites targeted audience; the business methodology; and lastly the company’s profile and financial statement.

A business plan relies heavily upon its key objectives to measure its success.  Clearly outlining these objectives will enable both the web hosting company and the webmaster to perceive a detailed analysis of the market strategies needed in order to remain competitive and successful in the business market. In addition, a solid understanding of the web hosting company’s main objectives allows potential webmasters to realize the differences between an established host and those that may be utilizing advertising tactics just to sway their business.

A distinct advantage of web hosting companies with a clearly outlined list of objectives comes from the complacency afforded to potential clients; they know from the beginning what to expect and what not to.

It is the responsibility of the webmaster to determine which target market group they wish to advertise their products or services to. The largest corporations have spent a great deal of time and money to conduct various market research studies, in hopes of determining what market areas will exhibit the greatest deal of interest.

The majority of the overall strategy and planning phase of a successful business plan will be outlined in the business methodology. The breadth and depth of a business methodology pertains mostly to the strategic plans to promote the products or services being offered by the web hosting company. It should be noted that web hosting business plans may vary greatly depending upon the nature of the website that the webmaster intends to produce.

Webmasters will also find information on how to correctly execute many significant factors pertaining to the actual web hosting service in the business methodology. These factors may include topics such as disk transfer speed, domain availability, FTP accounts, security and resiliency and so on. A common strategy amongst web hosting companies is to provide new consumers with a free trial of some of their most common features and services.

New webmasters must pay special attention to the company profile and financial statement of any web hosting company that they are considering service from. The company profile will provide information surrounding the location, reliability and experience of the web host. It will also provide a solid understanding of the fiscal capabilities and responsibilities of the web hosting company.

Every new website begins with an idea – an idea that can potentially become a challenge to construct without a little basic knowledge and understanding of how web hosting and web hosting companies actually work.  The most essential element of any successful website is a reliable web hosting company, one of the most practices methods of sourcing for a reliable host is by frequenting web hosting review sites.

Webmaster must, however, be able to look past the bells and whistles of the most established web hosting companies and select a host that provides access to the quality tools and features that are actually needed for the website creation and maintenance.  The most favorable web hosting tools that a reliable hosting company will offer include:

PHP web script

The majority of web hosting companies on the market offer PHP since it is the most popular website creation script.

SQL Database

Since every database needs access to unique script, it is essential that webmasters elect service from a web hosting company that provides SQL script hosting.

Additional Domain Names

It is ideal to contract services from a web hosting company that provides multiple domain names to web hosting accounts so that extra websites can be added as the site grows and expands. Experts recommended choosing a web host that will provide no less than 5 extra domain names on the same account to provide room for growth potential.

A Site Builder

Novice webmasters will find the peace of mind that comes with using a fully functional website creation tool. Site builder applications provide a great place to start while webmasters a familiarizing themselves with the world of web creation and site hosting.

CGI

CGI scripting is the PHP of the past. However, it is still a functional necessity in successful web hosting. Most web hosting companies offer CGI as their default script, and it is best to select as host that offers both CGI and PHP until CGI become obsolete.

Statistics and Monitoring Tools

Most well established web hosting companies will provide their client base with some form of metric and statistic monitoring tool. This will allow webmasters to track what viewers are accessing on their websites and where they are visiting from. Stat and metric monitoring tools are essential in website growth and retention as they allows webmasters to quickly identify elements that need improvement.

It may be surprising to some to learn that more often than not people will continue to do business with a web hosting company that provides excessively horrible service. Simply because they do not fully understand how to mitigate risks and efficiently transition from one hosted provider to another. There are several unattractive hazards associated with web site relocation, such as: Loss of consumer base due to lengthy downtime; Loss of improperly backed up content, and; A decreased professional image.

All of these pitfalls can easily be avoided by taking the time to research the availability of reputable web hosting companies and carefully implementing a strategic migration plan.

Before selecting an alternative hosting provider, it is important to make note of all of the features that are essential to the web sites operation. Cross reference the necessary features with the web hosts that are capable (and well known) for providing those features. Carefully research reviews about the providers that make your short list, and ask questions about each provider on web hosting forums. Once you are satisfied, and have narrowed your selection down to one or two web hosting companies, send each provider two emails; one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Note the response time of each provider, as this will provide a good insight in to their customer service abilities.

After you have determined which host is the least likely to cause you any problems, initiate a service agreement. Upload your files and then test the site. Once all of the necessary coding has been adjusted you can then test each link, page and image file and begin to create your email accounts.

Once the above steps have been completed, you must next transfer the domain. Altering DNS server details is far less complicated than it sounds. After receiving both the Primary and Secondary name server details from the new web hosting company, simply go to the domain registrar’s web site and access your personal control panel. Once logged in, locate the DNS option and alter the name server details to match the new information. Domain transfer can take up to 24 hours, during this time leave access to your old site open to ensure that there is no loss of emails or other pertinent information.

Ever thought about starting a website, but decided not to just because the thought of web hosting seemed too scary? Justhost has got you covered! Our huge library of instructional videos and articles helps you get set up right away. We’ve even got one-click WordPress installs with tons of free templates. See why we’re one of the fastest growing web hosts by trying us out today.

We know how quick some web hosts are to make claims about certain aspects of their service, free domain, free setup, free this, free that, but how many of them actually follow through with their claims? From the start, Just Host have been committed to providing a service that stands above all others and we have always gone that extra mile with our hosting plan’s features to ensure that our customers get the most for their money.

We are one of the very few top hosts to offer a true anytime money back guarantee which really is as good as it sounds. Like with most web hosts we offer great discounted prices on our longer term plans such as 36 and 48 months. Understandably, some people aren’t sure of the lifespan of their website so signing up for say a 36 month plan could seem daunting. That’s where our anytime money back guarantee comes to the rescue, because if after 24 months you decide to close your website you can receive a pro-rata refund on the remaining term on your hosting plan so you’ve had the benefit of the great price and haven’t ended up paying for anything you aren’t using.

The majority of hosts only offer a 30 day money back guarantee which will leave most people having to choose between the best price and the possibility that they may not need to host their site for x amount of months. By hosting you site with Just Host this dilemma is completely eliminated as we allow you to take advantage of the best price available and still get your money back at any time if you plans change.

Sophy / Marketing Manager

Just Host has won its fair share of shared hosting awards over the last few years, but the first reseller award is a very really special one. WebHostingGeeks.com are one of the most respected and long standing web hosting review sites on the web today and to be named their Best Reseller Web Hosting Provider 2010 is a real honor.

WebHostingGeeks.com explains, “The Best Reseller Host award was given to Just Host because with Just Host you can now setup your own web hosting company without the hassle of managing your servers. With Just Host’s new reseller hosting plans you receive everything you need to be your own web host, so you can make money reselling hosting.”

We’ve worked very hard to perfect our reseller service so it is the best on the market and an award like this is a real encouragement. We’ve obviously chosen the right features, price plans and systems to suit our customers. We’ve also had very positive feedback from existing shared clients who have moved from our shared hosting plans to reseller which is also great to hear.

Sophy / Marketing Manager

Here at Just Host we often receive reviews from our customers and respected web hosting review sites alike. Unfortunately it would be impossible to blog about all of them but when certain ones stand out we always try and share them with you in the blog!

This week TopTenReviews.com have been busy compiling a video review of Just Host, it’s a great video and is only 2 and half minutes long – whether you are thinking of signing up or are already a Just Host customer, it’s well worth watching.

I am over the moon to be able to write this blog post announcing that Just Host has reached the amazing milestone of hosting websites for over 200,000 customers. The speed at which we have reached this figure has really blown us away and has propelled us into the official top 50 web hosting companies in the world (webhosting.info).

As always Just Host’s achievements all come back to our amazing team which is ever growing and special thanks go out to the following departments: technical support, developers, order processing, billing support, renewals, web designers, marketing, sales and accounts. Every single person on these teams plays their part in keeping our clients happy in every aspect of their Just Host experience and without this dedication we would not have reached this figure.

I’m sure when we achieve such targets it confirms further to our customers that they are with the right host as so many other people have chosen us as their hosts and are staying with us for the long run. We are definitely feeling more and more like a big happy family as our numbers grow and we’d like to thank all of our customers and as always welcome any feedback from them that will help us further improve our service.

Sophy / Marketing Manager