Unlimited Webspace – As Great as it Seems?

When setting up your website, you are likely to have some grand ambitions as to how it will look. You will want to bring in as many viewers as possible and expand as time goes on. This is what any webmaster wants to do – or at least, the vast majority do. This is the thinking behind the “unlimited web space” offers that are made by many web hosting companies. And as attractive as that sounds, you may find that it has its drawbacks.

With limited web space, the advantage is that you can set a limit for what you pay – ensuring that your monthly bills are more than reasonable. If you get a spike in traffic, the site may experience lagging and even down time – but as long as you are on top of how much traffic you are getting, there need never be any real problem. But if, for whatever reason, hits to your site go astronomical when you have unlimited web space then you will soon find why most people choose limited.

There is a trade-off to be had between settling for less and paying more. Setting limits on the amount of web space you use is the sensible thing to do, at least until you are able to see how much traffic your site is bringing in and how well you could justify spending a little more on it. Certainly, unlimited webspace is a waste if you are not planning to make money from your website.

Colocation – What Exactly is It and How Can It Benefit You?

Small businesses will always be to some degree at the mercy of larger companies which can afford their own servers and the IT professionals who can make certain that they keep working. It is pointless to expect to be competitive with these companies, but you can adopt some of the methods they use and keep yourself in front of your direct competitors. One way to set about this is to use colocation – a system that enables you to benefit from greater bandwidth and customer support than would otherwise be feasible.

Colocation does cost more than ordinary web hosting, but delivers more for the cost. It will cost you about the same as you would spend for a business quality DSL line supplying limited bandwidth, and permits you access to far more bandwidth than the DSL line. It is also a more protected supply than most others, which means you will have less downtime, and whenever you do it will be either scheduled or resolved within moments. Due to the fact the colocation facility is dedicated to supplying so much bandwidth, it is constructed to withstand power outages.

As a colocation customer, you will have more responsibility for your server – indeed, in many cases it is recommended that you purchase a standard server in a colocation facility (this will typically cost between $150 and 200), and pay a modest extra fee to have it managed by the IT staff at the facility. However, if you have your own IT professionals, they can monitor your server and perform the necessary maintenance themselves.

The “Support Ticket” System – Just The Ticket or Looking forTrouble?

Many web hosting businesses  these days subscribe to the strategy of a “trouble ticket” method for handling customer problems. The concept of the system is straightforward – a customer who is having issues with their web hosting submits a ticket on the error page that is displaying, or on the web host’s own site, telling the host of the problem. This is then forwarded to the web host’s support center which prioritizes the concern and assigns a tech to resolve the issue.

The advantage of such a system is that it permits companies to prioritize issues, making certain that technicians can be given the especially troublesome cases first. It also means that when the customer does speak to someone at the organization, the tech is aware on what is wrong with your service.

At the same time, however, the system has its weaknesses. Not least of these is the fact that it is simply not possible to know when you will receive a call from the support staff. The process is designed in such a manner that your first contact will come after someone has been assigned to your case. This leaves you up in the air if your issue is preventing you working. How the incidents are prioritized is also a gray area.

Studies have proven that customers feel far more reassured with a company that has a dedicated technical support phone number that permits them to make immediate contact instead of  transmitting a “ticket”. It is worthwhile finding for a company that does this, and does it especially well.

Avoid Web Hosting Aggravation By Comparison Shopping

If you are publishing your own website for the first time, it is something of a rite of passage and you want more than anything  for everything to go smoothly. Yet, the usual issue exists that those who are doing something for the first time will discover they are facing a confusing situation, which can quickly result in them making the wrong decision. One area where you cannot afford a poor decision is in your choice of a web host.

Brief research on the Internet with the search term “Worst web host” and “web hosting nightmares” shows some rather enlightening information. Although the web hosts themselves must remain anonymous on this site, there are countless reports of dreadful tech support (not being able to make contact, great difficulty having your problem resolved when you ultimately do reach their help desk, and staff which are just plain irritating), of unscheduled outages, and in the case of one web hosting company porn being placed on the servers.

If you are paying for website hosting, you have the right to expect that your service will be as described. For that reason, it is important to check around for a host that provides what you need (with regard to bandwidth, rates and customer service) and then searching for independent testimonials on the Internet. Don’t be put off by one account of poor service, however if it becomes a pattern you should ask why that is. You are should expect good support, and if they can’t provide that then they are no use to you.

Protect The Environment While Managing Your Website

There is research to indicate that, with the energy demand imposed by web hosting and the growing popularity of operating your own website, the web hosting industry might become one of the larger polluters on the planet within a few years. That certainly is the claim being made by some of the newer web hosting providers in the marketplace- and their statements are supported by research. If you want your internet projects to be environmentally friendly, it could be worthwhile shopping for one of the increasing number of green web hosting companies to host your website.

The concept guiding these businesses is that they purchase green energy credits which support creating energy through renewable sources. All the power produced – from whatever source – goes into a central power grid, so even though the energy requirements of web hosting may be producing a negative environmental effect at this time, they will at a minimum be financing the increasing usage of green energy sources – with an eye on making this the most common source of power over time, and reversing some of the current unfavorable impact of web hosting.

It is especially advantageous if you are operating a site which reflects eco-friendly interests, or are working in a market with an attention on the environment, as you can demonstrate your green credentials at the foot of your website, showing that you are utilizing an environmentally friendly web hosting provider. The more people who do this, the better chance there is that the technology will improve in the future.

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