How Do I Find the Best Web Hosting ?

The first question that comes to mind look when looking through the best blog hosting sites is what is this going to cost? Cheap or free may not be the best way to go if you can’t get your website to perform the things that you want it, or need it, to do. You are better off to narrow down some of the best web hosting options for blogs and then compare by price. Here are some other features that the best blog hosts have to offer:

Speed-web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less. Any longer than that, you’re likely to lose them. Online shoppers want to find their merchandise fast. 79% of buyers will not return to your site if it’s too slow and 52% of shoppers said that fast loading pages keep them loyal to a site.

Features-beginner bloggers want the site to do most of the work for them. Beginners should look for easy and uncompleted installs, drag and drop website builders, free domain names, and stat trackers.

Security – there are two big reasons to consider a secure website—server shutdown and virus prevention. You’ll usually pay a bit more for them, but you won’t want the server crashing during the holiday shopping season. You’ll also want to avoid nasty viruses that steal your personal information and shut down your computer.

Support-how quickly do you expect an answer to a technical problem? If you want the availability of a 24/7 tech or customer service representative, you’ll want to look for a web host provider that will respond quickly. Filing a trouble ticket and waiting for an answer will cost you downtime, especially if your question isn’t answered fully on the first try.

Strong Track Record – the best web hosting services for blogs dovetail nicely with WordPress programs and plugins.

Type of Server – there are four types of servers. Shared servers are cheaper, but they go down more because the server is shared with many other subscribers. VPS costs a bit more, and while it shares space on the server, your space is cut off from other subscribers, so if there’s a problem, it wasn’t caused by another subscriber. Dedicated space is expensive enough that it doesn’t make sense for most people, but it’s less likely to crash. The fourth type of server is a cloud system. It works much like the VPS system. It uses multiple servers in a network and is more secure than traditional VPS and shared servers.

How Do I Find the Best Web Hosting ?

The first question that comes to mind look when looking through the best blog hosting sites is what is this going to cost? Cheap or free may not be the best way to go if you can’t get your website to perform the things that you want it, or need it, to do. You are better off to narrow down some of the best web hosting options for blogs and then compare by price. Here are some other features that the best blog hosts have to offer:

Speed-web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less. Any longer than that, you’re likely to lose them. Online shoppers want to find their merchandise fast. 79% of buyers will not return to your site if it’s too slow and 52% of shoppers said that fast loading pages keep them loyal to a site.

Features-beginner bloggers want the site to do most of the work for them. Beginners should look for easy and uncompleted installs, drag and drop website builders, free domain names, and stat trackers.

Security – there are two big reasons to consider a secure website—server shutdown and virus prevention. You’ll usually pay a bit more for them, but you won’t want the server crashing during the holiday shopping season. You’ll also want to avoid nasty viruses that steal your personal information and shut down your computer.

Support-how quickly do you expect an answer to a technical problem? If you want the availability of a 24/7 tech or customer service representative, you’ll want to look for a web host provider that will respond quickly. Filing a trouble ticket and waiting for an answer will cost you downtime, especially if your question isn’t answered fully on the first try.

Strong Track Record – the best web hosting services for blogs dovetail nicely with WordPress programs and plugins.

Type of Server – there are four types of servers. Shared servers are cheaper, but they go down more because the server is shared with many other subscribers. VPS costs a bit more, and while it shares space on the server, your space is cut off from other subscribers, so if there’s a problem, it wasn’t caused by another subscriber. Dedicated space is expensive enough that it doesn’t make sense for most people, but it’s less likely to crash. The fourth type of server is a cloud system. It works much like the VPS system. It uses multiple servers in a network and is more secure than traditional VPS and shared servers.

The Difference Between A Domain Name And Web Hosting

It is very common for newbies to get confused between a domain name with a web hosting. However, it is very important to be crystal clear on the differences between the two before you move on to your first website.

Domain name And Web Hosting Explained
To simplify: A domain name, is like the address of your home; web hosting on the other hand, is the space of your house where you place your furniture.

Instead of street name and area code, set of words or/and numbers are used for the website’s naming’. The same goes with hosting, computer hard disk and computer memory are used instead of instead of wood and steel for storing and processing data files. The idea is presented clearer with the diagram below.

Web Hosting and Domain Name Explained

What’s A Domain Name

When you register a domain, it gives you sole ownership and rights to the name of your site. No one else in the market has the access to the actual name of that particular domain besides you.

However, just because you have a domain does not mean that you are ready to serve your website to the world. To put up and operate a website, you will need a domain name, and a proper-configured web server (hosting). Details on domain name and DNS system were explained in Web Hosting 101 Guide so we are not digging any deeper on this here – just be clear that (1) a domain name is like your house address; and, (2) a domain name can be registered only with a domain registrar.

What’s A Web Hosting

A web hosting normally refers to the web server (big computer) that stores lots of data files).

A web hosting providers normally rent out web servers and network connection to the end-users or the resellers. For most cases, the hosting providers will be the parties handling most server maintenance work (such as backup, root configuration, maintenance, disaster recoveries, etc); but for certain cases, the end users will need to get everything cover by themselves.

The Difference Between A Domain Name And Web Hosting

It is very common for newbies to get confused between a domain name with a web hosting. However, it is very important to be crystal clear on the differences between the two before you move on to your first website.

Domain name And Web Hosting Explained
To simplify: A domain name, is like the address of your home; web hosting on the other hand, is the space of your house where you place your furniture.

Instead of street name and area code, set of words or/and numbers are used for the website’s naming’. The same goes with hosting, computer hard disk and computer memory are used instead of instead of wood and steel for storing and processing data files. The idea is presented clearer with the diagram below.

Web Hosting and Domain Name Explained

What’s A Domain Name

When you register a domain, it gives you sole ownership and rights to the name of your site. No one else in the market has the access to the actual name of that particular domain besides you.

However, just because you have a domain does not mean that you are ready to serve your website to the world. To put up and operate a website, you will need a domain name, and a proper-configured web server (hosting). Details on domain name and DNS system were explained in Web Hosting 101 Guide so we are not digging any deeper on this here – just be clear that (1) a domain name is like your house address; and, (2) a domain name can be registered only with a domain registrar.

What’s A Web Hosting

A web hosting normally refers to the web server (big computer) that stores lots of data files).

A web hosting providers normally rent out web servers and network connection to the end-users or the resellers. For most cases, the hosting providers will be the parties handling most server maintenance work (such as backup, root configuration, maintenance, disaster recoveries, etc); but for certain cases, the end users will need to get everything cover by themselves.

Beginner Guide to Vps Hosting for Business

First of all, VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. While at first glance it would appear like a VPS is kind of the same as shared hosting, a VPS is actually often very similar to dedicated hosting (if you aren’t sure what dedicated hosting is, please have a look at this explanation of different types of hosting). For VPS hosting you’re simply given a dedicated portion of a server. Each portion is segmented off and dedicated to a particular user. In this case, dedicated to your business.

Outsourcing Your Web Hosting Makes Sense Usually

Unless you’re very well-versed with computers or have a healthy budget set aside, you probably won’t even consider having your own on-site server room set up to host your site and IT needs. Don’t worry, most businesses don’t do it and don’t really have a viable reason to do so. It’s expensive to set up. On top of that, you have to constantly update machines, hardware and software. That means you need to find a competent hosting company to outsource your hosting management to.

Traditionally, this meant choosing between dedicated hosting or shared hosting. Shared hosting would normally be the choice for small start-ups or very small businesses with not a lot of visitors coming to their site. Dedicated hosting would be the choice for larger businesses and those with sites that receive a lot of traffic. But as technology continues to grow, there are quite a few more options available for you today.

What to Expect with VPS Hosting

When you use a VPS for your hosting, it’s almost like you are on dedicated hosting but what makes it great is that you can use it even if you aren’t tech-savvy. Running your site on a dedicated server requires a bit more know-how.

Easily Tweak and Scale Your Hosting

As your business grows, you can easily adjust your VPS to fit. Some hosting providers will even give you a self-service feature which gives you the ability to go in and make the adjustments in real-time as needed. If you need more disk space, less space, new apps, etc… it can be done in the blink of an eye. Even if you don’t have a self-service feature, it normally only takes a moment or two for them to tweak it to your liking.

Cost Effective for Most Businesses

As mentioned above, setting up your own server room is costly. Dedicated hosting that gives you your own server solely used for you and your business can get expensive, too. VPS hosting is the perfect compromise. You get the features and most of the benefits of a dedicated server without the dedicated price tag.

As you can see, VPS hosting is usually a great option for a small business. Of course, if you don’t need the flexibility, control and features it comes with and need to stick to a strict budget then shared hosting is always an option. If your business unexpectedly grows to new heights, you can easily upgrade to dedicated, too. Here at HostWinds we will always work with you to try to find the most cost-effective and perfectly-suited hosting plan to match your needs.

Beginner Guide to Vps Hosting for Business

First of all, VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. While at first glance it would appear like a VPS is kind of the same as shared hosting, a VPS is actually often very similar to dedicated hosting (if you aren’t sure what dedicated hosting is, please have a look at this explanation of different types of hosting). For VPS hosting you’re simply given a dedicated portion of a server. Each portion is segmented off and dedicated to a particular user. In this case, dedicated to your business.

Outsourcing Your Web Hosting Makes Sense Usually

Unless you’re very well-versed with computers or have a healthy budget set aside, you probably won’t even consider having your own on-site server room set up to host your site and IT needs. Don’t worry, most businesses don’t do it and don’t really have a viable reason to do so. It’s expensive to set up. On top of that, you have to constantly update machines, hardware and software. That means you need to find a competent hosting company to outsource your hosting management to.

Traditionally, this meant choosing between dedicated hosting or shared hosting. Shared hosting would normally be the choice for small start-ups or very small businesses with not a lot of visitors coming to their site. Dedicated hosting would be the choice for larger businesses and those with sites that receive a lot of traffic. But as technology continues to grow, there are quite a few more options available for you today.

What to Expect with VPS Hosting

When you use a VPS for your hosting, it’s almost like you are on dedicated hosting but what makes it great is that you can use it even if you aren’t tech-savvy. Running your site on a dedicated server requires a bit more know-how.

Easily Tweak and Scale Your Hosting

As your business grows, you can easily adjust your VPS to fit. Some hosting providers will even give you a self-service feature which gives you the ability to go in and make the adjustments in real-time as needed. If you need more disk space, less space, new apps, etc… it can be done in the blink of an eye. Even if you don’t have a self-service feature, it normally only takes a moment or two for them to tweak it to your liking.

Cost Effective for Most Businesses

As mentioned above, setting up your own server room is costly. Dedicated hosting that gives you your own server solely used for you and your business can get expensive, too. VPS hosting is the perfect compromise. You get the features and most of the benefits of a dedicated server without the dedicated price tag.

As you can see, VPS hosting is usually a great option for a small business. Of course, if you don’t need the flexibility, control and features it comes with and need to stick to a strict budget then shared hosting is always an option. If your business unexpectedly grows to new heights, you can easily upgrade to dedicated, too. Here at HostWinds we will always work with you to try to find the most cost-effective and perfectly-suited hosting plan to match your needs.

Post Format: Video (Vimeo)

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the great education blogs out there. Chances are you may have favorites that are not included here. Also note that this list is not ranked but rather is ordered alphabetically within each topic.

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the great education blogs out there. Chances are you may have favorites that are not included here. Also note that this list is not ranked but rather is ordered alphabetically within each topic.

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.

 

Post Format: Video (Vimeo)

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the great education blogs out there. Chances are you may have favorites that are not included here. Also note that this list is not ranked but rather is ordered alphabetically within each topic.

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the great education blogs out there. Chances are you may have favorites that are not included here. Also note that this list is not ranked but rather is ordered alphabetically within each topic.

Education blogs are becoming a means for educators, students, and education administrators to interact more effectively than ever before. They are also a great resource for those searching for the best online education programs to jumpstart their teaching careers. Technorati currently tracks 63.1 million blogs. More than 5,000 of them are about education. It is likely that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more education-related blogs on the Web. Thanks James Farmer!) Here is a list of our staff’s 100 favorites.