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Free Web Hosting Services
When you're searching through the Internet you will find endless amounts of
information, about everything, and all at your fingertips. The Internet is the
largest source of knowledge in the world. Why is this? Because anyone can get
their information on there. All you need is a web site and a resource generous
web hosting company.
When you're searching through the Internet you will find endless
amounts of information, about everything, and all at your fingertips. The
Internet is the largest source of knowledge in the world. Why is this? Because
anyone can get their information on there. All you need is a web site and a
resource generous web hosting company.
Many people think that getting their website on the Internet is an
expensive venture, fortunately though, this need not necessarily be true; if you
find the right web host, the benefits of having a web site will definitely
outweigh the costs.
There are many different ways to benefit from having a web site,
whether it is for personal gain, or to aid your business success. Those who have
their own personal websites generally use them to further an interest or a
hobby; having a web site is a great way to share and exchange knowledge with
others. Businesses on the other hand use a website to promote and market their
goods and services, while cutting back on such expenses as postage, couriers and
advertising, etc.
These are but a few key benefits of owning a website:
Increased awareness of products and services - Businesses can now
greatly expand their markets, no need to constrain the focus to only the local
scene, but by using the Internet, businesses can venture into international and
regional markets, with greater ease. This dynamically changes the nature and the
marketing activities of some businesses, possibly encouraging the business to
expand the diversity of its products and services, to meet these new markets.
Websites, in their nature, allow hundreds and thousands of items to be on view
24/7; thus encouraging wider viewing, and extended trading hours.
Freedom - With the freedom of being able to post your information
on your website, hence on the Internet, at any time of the day; available
information of all variations is increasing at a huge rate. The freedom to
browse anywhere and interact with anyone is enough to tempt the smallest of
businesses and the most introverted of people to get on the Net; hence Net users
are increasing in numbers, at an alarming rate, approximately 50,000 per day.
Businesses are buzzing on the Net, they have found a way to compete on an even
field, with even the largest of corporations; and within a daily increasing
customer marketplace.
Cost advantage - Net businesses are extremely aware of how they can
profit by being on the Internet; they can advertise their products and services
without the huge costs, and delays of printing, publishing and distribution. The
market is a global one, which adds greater value to the costs outlaid for
promotion and marketing; compared to the limits of offline. E- commerce
facilities can be incorporated into the website, transforming 2D screen visuals
into user reactive models, for example, consumers can order their products and
services online, greatly reducing administration expenses. Reduction of
telephone calls to potential customers; follow ups by email; newsletters
digitally made, promoted by email or downloadable from the website, with
reduction of distribution costs; less promotional material sent out, printed and
wasted; extended trading hours without a human presence; are just a few ways to
cut costs.
The current opinion is that any business not on the Internet now or
in the near future is not only missing out on the rewards of this new and
vibrant industry, but is adding itself to the list of "the forgotten".Don't
waste time scratching your head wondering what the Internet can do to benefit
your business, you will be left behind; instead, think about how you can take
advantage of this new and cheap form of industry awareness. Look for a web
designer, or web developer, get a quote, and tell them what you need.
To evaluate a web host, the price is not the only important
factor, the client will need to take consideration about other
characteristics.
Host's Connection to the Internet
One of the most important features is the quality of host's connection to
the Internet. There are a bunch of variations T-1, T-3, OC-3, OC-256, etc.
(Fig 5) A company that offers a T1 connection to the Internet can only allow
1.544 Mbps (Megabits per second) a T3 can allow up to 45 Mbps. Then again an
OC-256 can allow 13,000 Mbps, giving the ability to transfer much more
information at a higher rate of speed before getting bogged down.
Speed
Customers that are seriously worried about speeds that a viewer can see
their site, need to consider how fast the servers are. Although bandwidth
and connections are major factors, server speeds are equally important. A
server that is a host to many sites that are being accessed simultaneously
may get bogged down. No matter how fast the connection is this can seriously
slow down a viewer’s speed to surf through a site. A simple way to test the
speed at which a server responds is called "pinging" a site. This will
determine how quickly a server can receive and send back a small piece of
data through the connection you have to it.
Processor speed is also important. Certain sites will make greater demands
on the host's CPU and will consequently run slower - and slow down every
other site on the server as well (Beginner's Guide, 2000). Streaming video
and audio, discussion forums and message boards, online surveys, and
high-level animation all require huge amounts of memory and fast access to
the main server. Overloaded processors can slow down a site's transmission
considerably.
Server Software
Server software can also affect a site. UNIX and Windows NT are the most
common server software environments. Advanced developers should be aware of
what applications they will be using and assess which software environment
will best suit their needs. Some hosting companies only offer one of the two
software options.
Security
Protecting a site's data from unwanted intrusions is another key
consideration for the web developer when selecting a host. The hosting
company's security protocols should be outlined. Protection from everyday
denial of service attacks and the various hacks and cracks that will be
attempted on your server is essential. The hosting company should be
responsible for upgrading and maintaining these security measures. "The only
thing worse than having no security is thinking you have some" (Finding the
Host, 2001).
Customer Service
Service is another important aspect to consider when shopping for a
host. Hosts offer a variety of customer service options. Services offered
can be 24-hour toll free number, 24-hour email help, Frequently Asked
Questions pages and help forums. The amount of help you might need depends
mainly on your experience and problems you encounter from the server.
Reliability
Checking out the reliability of a service is also very important. Hosts
usually have several backup systems in case something goes wrong with the
main servers. They also can promise less "down time" by backup power systems
such as a diesel generator.
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