Archive for the ‘Web hosting’ category

Links for 2010-07-20 [del.icio.us]

July 21st, 2010
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An Overview of Hybrid Hosting

July 20th, 2010

Hybrid hosting is a combination of collocation, dedicated and cloud servers through a private dedicated network. This form of hosting allows for standalone components to be run independently or a segment of an overall network. The result of this configuration is greatly increased computing power as well as an improvement in data management due to 100% availability and high-levels of security.

A Comparison with Off the Rack Hosts

Companies across the globe encounter issues that cannot always be solved by traditional hosting methods. For instance, legacy applications that needs their own servers; collecting, storing and managing confidential Government-client data or major spikes in bandwidth, resources, computing and storage. To solve these issues with conventional methods, the network infrastructure would be scattered across many self-managed data centers or a hosting provider for only data or web needs was used.

The biggest problem with this situation is that there’s no connection between these solutions. On the other hand hybrid hosting allows clients to connect a colocated or dedicated server to a public or private cloud computing environment. Clients have the ability to customize and build the specific solution to fit their needs in an economical manner.

The Power of Flexibility

Since business and information technology needs are constantly changing, the infrastructure will also change. Unfortunately large changeovers can lower company growth and lead to lost productivity. Luckily hybrid hosting has an easy, streamlined data migration process that delivers quality in a timely fashion.

Examples of Hybrid Hosting

When a company is working on a new project, they can utilize a cloud VPS on the same platform to test and develop. This can be launched on a private cloud or on a dedicated server. The flexibility eases the testing and development process. Most companies experience seasonal spikes; by utilizing a cloud enterprise system for additional computing resources, the client can scale up or down with the simple click of a button.

Additionally when regulatory concerns arise; a dedicated server, private cloud or colocation environment can be created to store the data and communicate with a cloud enterprise system. Finally, when disaster strikes the system infrastructure can be duplicated to a secondary data center to guarantee the security of critical applications and programs.

Hybrid hosting is the best of all three worlds. It offers excellent flexibility, security, scalability and speed compared to the traditional hosting channels. As this technology improves, hybrid-type hosting will become the norm thus surpassing the older methods.

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The cPanel Advanced Menu

July 19th, 2010

The cPanel software offers so many options that users have complete control and full customization over their website. The advanced menu within the interface provides a few important features that all website owners should learn and utilize in their website development.

The features in the advanced menu include

  • Apache Handlers
  • Image Manager
  • Index Manager
  • Error Pages
  • Cron Jobs
  • FrontPage Extensions
  • Network Tools
  • Support Requests
  • MIME Types

This option allows you to add and run Apache handlers which control the way the website is managing the Apache web server software’s file types and extensions. The Image Manager provides three tools that help with the management of images on your website. The Index Manager is important as it permits the configuration of the directory index. This is the appearance of the directory to the users while viewing.

Error Pages are some of the most important functions to add to a website. When users receive an error, if your customized page is not displayed, it defaults to the web hosting provider. In turn this confuses the user and may drive them away. This Advanced Menu option allows you to create those customized error pages.

The Cron Jobs option allows you to schedule tasks for a specific time on the server of which cPanel offers two different interfaces for editing. The FrontPage Extension selection is simply to enable or disable this feature. Although Microsoft FrontPage has been phased out, it’s still widely used in the development community.

Network tools are for retrieving network information from the server. The Support Request choice is an easy way to submit support requests as well as change your email address. Finally MIME types allow you to create specific MIME’s which relay information as to how to handle certain file extensions.

The popularity of cPanel is directly attributed to the numerous options and feature-packed nature of their software releases. With so many different options, the user has complete control over the creation and management of every aspect of their website.

As cPanel continues to offer industry-leading software to web hosting providers, their popularity and wide-spread use will continue to increase. Although there are other options available, they don’t offer the same functionality as cPanel software. The advanced menu is not one to be overlooked as it offers many vital options to the success of the website.

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Improving Ecommerce with eBay

July 16th, 2010

eCommerce is quickly becoming one of the primary contributors to the global economy, with countless people purchasing and selling items online every day. One of the biggest and most famous eCommerce companies around is eBay, which has experienced phenomenal fiscal growth since its inception more than one decade ago.

The thriving online marketplace provides a venue in which private vendors and retailers can sell virtually any item they’d like, whether it be used, brand new or refurbished. The auction sales environment is perfect for bringing in consistently high profits, because bidding wars often result in items being bought at prices that are above retail cost! However, aside form the benefits of eBay itself, there are many advantages to using eBay as a traffic supplement for your own eCommerce site.

Driving Traffic From eBay

As an eBay seller you have access to tens of thousands of eBay buyers at any given point in time. In fact, there are many cases in which a single item receives dozens of bids, and hundreds of page views in just a few hours. Fortunately, it is possible to use this traffic to your advantage as an independent retailer with your own web site. A service known as Auctiva lets you integrate your online shop with eBay, which means you can drive traffic from your auctions to your actual store. By bringing clients from eBay  to your web site you are creating a client base that will continue to purchase items from you in the near future. However, it is also possible to have store within eBay itself, using eBay’s comprehensive eCommerce hosting solution.

eBay eCommerce Hosting

it was only a matter of time before such a successful eCommerce web site began offering eCommerce hosting plans of their own. eBay founded eBay Stores, their eCommerce hosting branch, a few years back and since then it has experienced exponential growth and great success. With eBay stores you can create you own store within the eBay marketplace, or you can host it on your own we  site. eBay Stores provides unique tools and resources that will help you integrate your store with eBay and your currently active auctions. For example, you can display a button next to your items for sale that reads “view other items likes this.” This button will then bring your site visitor to the eBay auction, letting them buy one of your items from your eBay account if they so please. By funneling traffic to and from eBay you will see a gradual increase in the total amount of daily visitors to your site.

Using Auctiva to Manage eBay Stores

Auctiva is an incredible solution that lets you manage eBay stores within  a centralized interface. There are many advantages to using Auctiva, however the most notable one is the convenience it offers for busy eBay sellers and eBay store owners. Auctiva provides a plethora of store templates, organizational tools, and resources that will make your job as an online store owner much easier.

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Foundations For Your Powerful Online Presence

July 16th, 2010


Lunarpages, through our strategic partner, LocalDirective, is dedicated to helping you build a powerful online presence that accelerates your business growth. Your most important goal is to establish a firm foundation from which to grow your online presence. Even though it may seem overwhelming with all of the apparent choices, there are only three things you must focus on to achieve online success:

1) A Comprehensive Website that supports pre-defined objectives. This means your first step in developing a new site is to determine what it is you want to accomplish. For many businesses, it is to grow sales online through e-commerce, drive traffic to physical locations, or for phone or form lead generation. But other purposes might be to build deeper brand loyalty or even to help people self-serve customer service functions. Once you have your objective, then you can proceed to methodically follow best-practice guidelines for site development. If you already have a website, you may want to consider a ‘Revitalization’ effort if your site is not delivering the results it should.

2) Once you have established your online destination, the next step is to drive traffic to it. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in the major national and (potentially local or vertical) search engines enables you to choose to whom your advertising will show, presents a message you want to share, and delivers visitors to the website or landing page destination of your choosing. SEM marketing is immediate, and you can expect results to begin within days from starting your program. It is the ultimate form of directional advertising, boldly replacing the Yellow Pages in that function. Search engine marketing is sometimes called Pay-Per-Click, Sponsored Search or Paid Search. Google says that up to thousands can be earned for each dollar spent in search. Many advertisers report a high ROI as compared to most (if not all) other forms of advertising. What is great about SEM is that it is very controllable – everything from where and when your ads show to how much is spent each day.

3) The third element of your powerful online foundation is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that builds a strong organic presence for a handful of your most important and highly trafficked keywords. Since the search engines determine your placement for keyword searches, a solid program will attend to both ‘On-Page’ factors (how your website is designed and the content) and ‘Off-Page’ factors that increase your ‘popularity’ for the best placement on search results pages. SEO is a longer process than SEM, and Google suggests expecting up to a year for full optimization. Note that many Social Media Marketing (SMM) opportunities serve as SEO techniques, including use of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, as well as on-site and off-site blog posting. A good approach is to begin developing your SEO strategy a bit after the start of your SEM program, so you can use what you’ve learned to develop the most effective SEO approach.

Be sure to check out our website for information about our search engine marketing programs and learn more about how to build your powerful online presence.

We have a special offer for those with VPS, Dedicated or Business Hosting Plans. You can get either our SEO Kick-Start Program ($249 value) with any custom Search Engine Marketing (SEM) package or $100 off your SEM strategy development cost. If you are not a VPS, Dedicated or Business Hosting customer, but would like to participate in this special offer, contact LocalDirective at 1.888.613.7174 or CustomLP@LocalDirective.com today!



© Lunarpages Web Hosting – Also, don’t forget to follow @lunarpages on Twitter!

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Easy Business Management with Multiple Domain Hosting

July 15th, 2010

Building and managing many web sites at one point in time can be a hassle, especially without the right management tools and resources. Web hosting should provide complete solutions for webmasters, including web servers, site building tools, and even payment processing capabilities. However, many people do not know how to choose the right web hosting plan for them; one that is suitable for their business model and can accommodate all of their site needs. This is especially true for business owners that are managing dozens of web site simultaneously. The following information may help you discover whether or not multiple domain hosting is right for you online business.

Simplified Site Management

One of the most appealing aspects of multiple domain hosting is the simplified site management that results form the centralized interface through which all domains can be accessed. Most multiple domain hosting plans include a comprehensive user-friendly control panel that makes it easy to check site emails, assign new domains to the account, and handle a variety of administrative task that would need to be handled under separate hosting accounts in most cases. Multiple domain hosting is not actually a specific hosting type per se. Instead it is simply a feature of different kinds of web hosting types. For example, it is possible to find shared hosting plans that allow for unlimited domain hosting, as it is also possible to find such plans that have a set limit on the amount of domains that can be hosted.

Saves Money

Multiple domain hosting also saves a great deal of money on hosting expenses for the average webmaster. This is especially true for people that are using more than three hosting accounts to host multiple domains. If you want to be successful with your online business then you will need the ability to diversify your internet outreach through several web sites, without the overbearing cost and responsibility of additional web hosting accounts. With the amount of money saved on hosting plans each year a business could easily make several prime investments. In fact, it is safe to say that multiple domain hosting pas for itself when you consider the amount of money that is saved by each webmaster that abandons several hosting accounts at once.

Widely Available

Most new web hosting plans actually allow for unlimited domains, as the industry is becoming more competitive, more companies are offering extensive features that will help solicit new hosting customers. Thus, it is very easy to find multiple domain web hosting in a plethora of forms, from dedicated hosting to shared and everything in between. Since multiple domain web hosting is so accessible  you can be sure that you will find a reasonable multiple domain hosting plan that accommodates all of your needs as a webmaster. As a business owner you need the ability to manage all of your businesses under one roof. The more administrative work you have to do, the less time you’ll have to focus on more important facets of business growth like investments and important decisions.

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AT&T Adds New Ohio Data Center

July 14th, 2010

AT&T recently announced it will be opening its ninth data center in Akron, Ohio. The old Ohio Bell Data Center will hold the equipment. AT&T is planning on investing $120 million into this new mobility data center.

The Effect on Northeast Ohio

This will greatly improve the Akron economy by adding jobs and thus making the city a hub for technology. In turn other companies will begin to invest in this location resulting in the creation of a high technology job hub.

The Data Center’s Functions

Upon opening in September, the data center will handle text messages as well as other data services for wireless phones along the East Coast and in Ohio. Currently this data is being handled by an AT&T mobility data center in Schaumburg, Illinois. This will greatly improve the speed of mobile transactions due to its new proximity to the East Coast and throughout Ohio. Those located in and around Akron will see vastly improved text messaging and data speeds.

Why Did AT&T Select This Location?

Ohio offers AT&T a strong business climate mixed with a simple tax structure. This allows companies like AT&T to conduct different types of business and essentially grow, which is the primary goal of all businesses. Also the state recently implemented a regulatory reform through the Ohio Telecom Bill. This was put in place to attract and accommodate investors of the future for projects such as this.

Reasons for the New Datacenter

With AT&T transferring from a 3G to 4G network (especially with the iPhone 4G release); there has been a major growth in demand for wireless data services, especially across the East Coast. Also since the media is completely focused on the issues of the iPhone 4G, this is AT&T’s opportunity to greatly improve their network and become more competitive with other carriers.

When a major corporation moves into an economically struggling community, it may lead to a major turnaround for the area. For AT&T, they’re able to get a cheaper workforce to complete the same tasks; whereas in a bigger city, workers cost much more. This also benefits the whole East Coast with improve data transfer and text messaging speeds.

With the addition of these data centers, this could redefine AT&T’s image as offering a robust, secure network where users can place and receive calls, text message and use data services anywhere in the country.

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Unlimited Web Hosting VS. Limited Web Hosting

July 13th, 2010

The web hosting industry is perhaps one of the most saturated markets in existence, as everyday hundreds of people make their way into the world of eCommerce, and even thousands more ponder upon the idea. This saturation has lead to an incredibly competitive web hosting industry that literally employs every marketing method known to man to bring their sales just a tiny bit higher than that of their competitors. The deals on offer seem almost too good to be true, as it is now possible to get your site up and running on the internet for as little as $5 plus the cost of a domain name. Some hosting companies even propose to include a free domain within the total cost!

The claims and promises made by web hosting companies when pertaining to features are nothing short of amazing. The prices continue to go down, as the market continues to become more saturated. It seems logical that the most professional and powerful web hosting companies could offer the best plans, which would include unlimited services, however there really is much more to the equation.

Unlimited Everything

It seems as if every web hosting provider is now offering plans that are completely “unlimited” for a fee of round $5 to $10 per month! How can his be? After all, web servers are physical items that have restrictions and limitations both in space and technological capabilities. The question is, how can they afford to let people have as much server resources as they’d like without going out of business?

The Buffet

The concept is very similar to that of an all-you-can-eat buffet. You see buffets offer a very wide selection of delicious food, and they allow their customers to partake in as much of this food as they’d like. Buffets operate on a very simple concept – although there is an abundance of food available, not all of the customers are going to eat enough food to cost the price of their admission. Thus the buffet makes a profit by taking advantage of the people that are not going to eat that much. Web hosting companies offer “unlimited plans” because they know that the consumers that are most likely to buy a $10 per month plan, will never consume enough server resources to outdo that $10 per month allocation of server resources.

Is Limited Better?

While this may sound odd, limited web hosting plans may actually offer more resources, than “unlimited” web hosting plans. The first term that may come to mind is “false advertising.” However the companies that offer these so-called unlimited hosting plans make sure to include fine-print in their terms of service agreements, which clearly outline a set limit that cannot be exceeded by the customer. It is indeed ironic that the companies that offer limited hosting plans are actually more honest, and more reliable than the companies which do not.

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The Pros and Cons of Hosting on a Single IP

July 12th, 2010

As multiple-domain hosting becomes a more affordable and popular option, hosting shoppers are flocking to those hosts that offer this solution.  Since most shared hosting providers offer a multiple-domain hosting choice, clients are utilizing this to their advantage.

Although there are a few forms of multiple-domain hosting, the most popular version is to host all domains on a single IP address. There are many critics that argue this is not good practice. There are many pros and cons to this method of hosting. The pros include:

  • One billing account
  • Faster access to multiple sites
  • Basic packages save money

The cons include:

  • Search engine issues
  • Adding features costs significantly more

One useful feature is that all the domains are charged onto one billing account. That way its easier to keep track of which sites had overages charges, thus allowing the client to upgrade those sites with a good deal of traffic. Having one account also allows the client to find all statistics in one place.

Also when linking from one site to the next on the same server, the connection will be faster due to less access time. This is a helpful feature for the client that has a network of sites all connected from a main page.

Finally, the basic multiple-domain hosting packages save money. Since the client doesn’t have to pay for one hosting plan per website all on different servers, they are able to save much more money by paying one bill for all, on the same server.

One disadvantage of multiple-domain hosting is the search engine issues that arise. If a website is banned from a search engine due to a violation of terms and conditions, the entire IP address will be banned, thus not indexing all websites under that account. This can cause major problems especially if the sites are posted on major search engines.

Another disadvantage is that adding various features can cost significantly more money. For instance, since most multiple-domain providers offer dynamic IP addresses. If the client needs a static IP address, they will have to spend a good portion of extra money to obtain it. This would be a requirement for the configuration of SSL on the website.

Despite the few cons associated with multiple-domain hosting, there are many pros that make this an attractive option. Since the basic packages are an economical decision, this has become one of the most popular hosting methods currently available.

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Links for 2010-07-10 [del.icio.us]

July 11th, 2010
  • Host Color Deploys Fuscan Linux Cloud To Offer High Availability cPanel Hosting
    st Color, a global provider of quality IT Hosting announced this week the launch of Host Color Cloud. Company's customers can now host websites on High Availability, load-balanced IP based cPanel accounts. The Host Color's Cloud is build on a fully redundant, scalable infrastructure based on Supermicro Datacenter Blade hardware and powered by enterprise hosting automation platform Fuscan Linux Cloud.
  • Wie Skalierbar ist der cPanel Hosting Service?
    wohl jedes System über seine physikalischen Grenzen verfügt, was die Skalierbarkeit erschwert, haben die meisten Web Hosting Anbieter den Anspruch unbegrenzte Ressourcen bereitzustellen.
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