Category: Articles

Informative Articles on Web Hosting

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Is Server Location important for Your Website?

  • Is Server Location important for increasing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your website?
  • Are you planning on launching a website in a foreign country or, having a website in multiple languages targeting different countries?

If these are questions that you have asked yourself, then it is important to consider Server Location and Domain Name Extension.

What is the Server Location? This is the location of the server where your website will be hosted. For example if you choose to host with Netcetera, your website will be hosted in the UK.

Netcetera International Domain NamesWhat is the Domain Name Extension? Domain names are used to identify one or more IP addresses, the most common ones are .com, . net, .co.uk etc.

If you’re serious about localising your website and targeting local customers, you may consider hosting country-specific domains on servers (Server Location) within the target countries. This makes maintaining your web infrastructure more complex, but there are considerable SEO benefits. For example, having a www.yourcompany.it (Local Domain) domain hosted on an Italian server will help you to achieve better rankings in the Italian version of Google.

Having country-specific domains is particularly important if you are targeting a country whose language uses a non-Latin script, like Chinese or Russian.

Another important point to consider is that if your competitor has similar site hosted in Italy (similar page rank etc), he is likely to be shown higher in google.it results and you are likely to be shown higher in google.com results. Naturally you would much rather have the higher ranking in google.it.

Successful search optimization for international markets may require professional translation of web pages, but registration of a domain name with a top level domain in the target market, and web hosting that provides a local IP address is also important. Otherwise, the fundamental elements of search optimization are essentially the same.

For any information about purchasing Domain Names in other countries, please visit http://www.netcetera.co.uk/domains/ or contact our Sales Team.

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Get Personal with a .IM Domain Name!

Netcetera have reduced the price for registering .IM domain names to only £4.98 for the first year instead of £40.00!

Netcetera IM Domain Name

What make .IM domains a fantastic alternative? Have a look below and see for yourself.

  • NEW Google Apps integration
  • FREE Parking
  • FREE DNS Hosting
  • FREE Web and Email forwarding
  • Advanced Control Panel
  • Unlimited Technical Support

Netcetera prides themselves on their fast, secure domain registration service with no compromise on features and absolutely no hidden costs.

Also, for just £2.99/pm you can also add an affordable hosting package with a ton of web space, databases and much more , these are great solutions for bloggers and small businesses!

The promotion ends 31 May 2011, so don’ t waste any time to take up this fantastic offer!!

Find out more at http://www.netcetera.co.uk/promotions/domains or feel free to contact our helpful sales team.

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I want a Website, but I don’t know where to start

You have decided you want a website but now you don’t know where to start. There are three important things to consider.

  1. First step is to secure your domain name. This is how people will find your website on the internet. This is a unique name that will be registered in your personal or business name for a certain period. The minimum period for all domain names is normally one year. An example of this is www.myname.com. Use this handy Domain Name Search Tool to find out if your ideal name is available.
  2. You then need to build the website. An agency could build it for you or you can do it yourself by purchasing an easy-to-use SiteBuilder package on the internet.
  3. Finally you need a Web Hosting Company to host your website online so that people on the internet will be able to find it.

If you enjoy this post, please keep following us because every few days we will be publishing some tips and suggestions about web hosting, domain names, websites and much more.

Find out more at www.netcetera.co.uk or feel free to get in touch with a web hosting expert.

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Understanding The Benefits Of Dedicated Web Hosting

Modern businesses rely heavily upon an integrated approach to commerce; this includes a huge commitment to online presence.  In fact if you look around, you will be unlikely to find a modern company that doesn’t have a dedicated website.  A website which is we’ll constructed and user friendly can really benefit the sales and public perception of a company.

There are a great many points to cover off and issues to consider when building a website, one of which how it is going to be hosted, essentially where will it ‘live’.  If you are a small start up business or a small on going concern then it will probably not be within your capabilities, financially, to have dedicated web hosting, like many other businesses you will have to share a server.  This can have some drawbacks; there can be issues surrounding the other websites, which also use the same server.  Search engines are fickle beasts and rely upon a degree of transparency and legitimacy in order to trust your site.  One of the reasons that a site can be ‘sandboxed’ is due to negative associations on a server level, rather than there being anything wrong with the content or behaviour of the website.

Sandboxing is the process whereby you can loose your ranked position in a web search; SEO plays an important part in this and pulling oneself out of the ‘sandbox’ requires a degree of caution and care.  Much like a game of chess, the website mustn’t be seen to be trying too hard to escape, rather remaining still and waiting for an opportunity to establish a link to a trusted site.  The more of these strong links the better, and over time the website will regain its old position.

Moving away from the potential pitfalls of shared servers, those companies that can afford it and require it will strongly benefit from dedicated web hosting.  Dedicated web hosting is a type of Internet hosting where the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organisations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc.

Depending upon the size of the company and its offering to the consumer and its clients, the level of dedicated web hosting needs to satisfy all of these requirements.  In general a dedicated web hosting package will contain benefits similar to the following:

  • CPU: Dual core processor, 2.2 Ghz
  • RAM: 1GB which is upgradeable to 8GB
  • Storage: 160GB SATA
  • Unmetered bandwidth – allowing for multiple media platforms to be running simultaneously

As well as these features you can also expect the following guarantees:

  • 99.9% Network uptime
  • 1 UK IP address
  • No Long term contracts
  • No Set up fees

There are of course a huge a variety of dedicated web hosting options; it all depends on the requirements of the company in question.  This is where a period of consultancy is necessary, the majority of dedicated web hosting suppliers will have a support team and sales team that will be more than happy to talk you through the options and help you make the right choice for your company.

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Exploring Dedicated Web Hosting

Dedicated web hosting is the preferred method of hosting for the modern business.  There are of course a variety of other options, such as shared hosting, which one can choose from, it all depends on the level of investment the company decides is necessary to support their online presence.  In the ideal world all businesses, regardless of their size will have the option to choose dedicated web hosting. The main advantages that dedicated web hosting has over shared hosting is that the company in question has complete control over the server, they can choose to upgrade, downgrade and manipulate the server to suit their business and online needs.

The importance of an online presence is clear to see in the modern business age, however with the sheer volume of websites currently live across the World Wide Web, the quality of the output needs to be of the highest order.  Imagine using the Internet to look for a service or product, the amount of time you spend on a site or page within that site is called ‘dwell time’.  Website designers toil endlessly to secure the longest dwell time they possibly can.  The main way to achieve this is to allow the user complete control of the site, the media that is used to sell the products and services should be set up so that the consumer can access it instantly.  Dwell time is the gold dust of web developers, and has been recorded in the past at an average of only two seconds.

This clearly indicates how important it is to the company to have an excellent website. Dedicated web hosting can really assist with this; the main reason is that the server is theirs to play with. They are not sharing the server with anyone else and as such there are no limitations.  The bandwidth is unmetered; this allows those who choose to take advantage of dedicated web hosting the opportunity to stream a variety of multimedia platforms without the worry of delays.  Instant information, a direct route from consumer to product, subtlety can be interwoven into a site, but the main purpose is shorten the amount of time it takes for the consumer to reach the product once they get onto the site.

The suppliers of dedicated web hosting servers are easily found by an online search, the menus allow the user quick access to the product description and in some cases there is a live chat function so that even the most simple of questions can be answered in real time, by a trained professional.  Choosing a dedicated web hosting supplier needs to be well thought through, compare the costs and the packages and above all work out what will be the most beneficial for your company, perhaps you can opt for the a shared server in the meantime whilst you develop your online presence, however once you look to expand and your website grows, slowly evolving into a multi-layered operation, then the need for dedicated web hosting will become more apparent.

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The Many Benefits Of Dedicated Web Hosting

If you have found that your company is growing at unprecedented speeds then you may also have found that the existing web space and resources allocated by your hosting provider are not adequate enough to meet the increased flow of traffic to your website. If this is the case for you then it is certainly worth looking into web hosting dedicated providers.

What is Web Hosting, Dedicated?

Web hosting dedicated refers to the event in which a service provider will provide an entire server for exclusive use by only one client. This can be extremely beneficial, as you will have total control over the server, are able to select which operating system you use, and in addition you will also have full administration rights. You will also experience a much more reliable service due to the fact that the servers owned by the web hosting dedicated provider are maintained and overseen in climate controlled data centres. This can help keep your servers running, as can the well trained staff and back up programmes that these companies provide.

Web hosting dedicated servers will also have their own IP address and it also becomes possible to have more than one, if for example, your company chooses to run more than one online store.

One of the best things about web hosting dedicated providers is that they will generally offer technical support, making it available around the clock in order to ensure the server runs smoothly on a constant basis. In addition, a web hosting package will usually incorporate important features such as firewalls, security and updates. Support and security features should be negotiated and discussed between you and your provider before any contract is drawn up and finalised, so you can be sure of finding the best deal.

The Benefits of Web Hosting Dedicated

Web hosting has a number of great benefits which mean more and more companies around the world are choosing to invest in them. They can prove incredibly beneficial for those companies with a particularly large client base and a high amount of traffic regularly visiting its website. A web hosting dedicated service has facilities which allow high data bandwidth and volumes without becoming congested. It is a well known fact that a prospective client will leave your website and go elsewhere should they find it is taking too long to load. It is important to remember that web surfers will not wait around for long!

These services are highly beneficial as they are reliable and stable and are able to deal with high amounts of web traffic. Their reliability is down to the fact that your server will be managed and overseen with by a team of support staff on a constant basis, allowing you round the clock smooth running.

There are a great number of providers within the UK and abroad and by using the Internet as a research tool, it should be easy enough to find one that it perfectly suited for you and your business. Many people are worried about price when it comes to implementing a dedicated web hosting service but you will find that prices are constantly coming down and they are becoming much more affordable than in recent years.           

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The Ins And Outs Of Web Hosting, Dedicated Services

Many companies that find that their business is growing significantly will choose to invest in a web hosting dedicated service. This is because, as a business grows, its existing webspace allocated by its hosting provider is likely to prove inadequate for meeting the increased flow of traffic to its website. If this sounds familiar then you should certainly read on.

What is a Web Hosting Dedicated service?

In Web hosting, dedicated service is something which many people think is a complicated concept, but it really couldn’t be simpler. It refers to the event in which a service provider will provide an entire server for exclusive use by only one client. This exclusive use of a server can be extremely beneficial for a company, especially as they are given total control over the server. Additionally, a company will be able to decide which operating system is used and will be given full administration rights of the server.

The Benefits of Web Hosting, Dedicated Services

Web hosting dedicated services have a number of benefits which make them attractive to business owners. One big advantage is that users of these services are likely to experience a much more reliable service from their server due to the fact that the server is maintained in a climate controlled data centre by support staff.

Providers of dedicated web hosting services will usually provide clients with round the clock technical support in order to ensure that the server runs smoothly on a 24/7 basis. Providers will also incorporate additional important features such as firewalls, security and updates into the package purchased by a company. These features should be discussed between the client and provider and negotiated suitably before any contract is created and signed by either party.

Perhaps the biggest benefit presented by web hosting dedicated services is that they enable high data bandwidth without becoming congested. This is ideal for growing businesses that are forming particularly large client bases and have an increasingly large amount of traffic regularly visiting their websites. If a website takes too long to load, a potential customer will go elsewhere. This is no secret, and businesses must act now to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Overall, web hosting dedicated services are so beneficial to companies due to their reliability and their ability to manage high amounts of website traffic. They are able to be so reliable due to the fact that the server is managed by a team of support staff on an almost constant basis, this allowing for smooth running around the clock.

Dedicated web hosting services are becoming increasingly popular amongst businesses in the UK and abroad and this is certainly a result of the incredible benefits they provide to companies. There are many web hosting dedicated providers and by using the Internet to search for a suitable service, you should be able to do so quickly and effectively. Many companies are concerned about how much it will cost them to invest in this impressive technology, but fortunately prices are constantly coming down, enabling the majority of businesses to be able to afford them.            

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Introduction To Managed Web Hosting

Managed web hosting is a certain type of hosting that entails being given an entire server. It shares much in common with a dedicated server, with the difference being that maintenance service and technical support are also included. Managed hosting involves your server being maintained by your host, saving you the expense and hassle of doing so yourself. This means that the provider can carry out all administrative and maintenance duties. All of these advantages make managed web hosting a perfect choice for those who want good quality, reliable hosting that affords them some freedom, while also not having to deal with the complicated technical issues of managing a server that requires experience and ability.

Managed hosting is ideal for individuals who lack the technical knowhow to manage their own server, or for organisations that lack the time or capital to invest in server administration. Unmanaged servers are sometimes a better choice for those individuals and companies that have a high level of expertise in server maintenance and administration, as well as sufficient hours and resources to maintain them, but even these people often prefer to leave it to the experts.

Managed web hosting is more expensive than a dedicated server because of the additional support that comes with it. On the other hand, it also provides greater reassurance. It is for this reason that many people choose managed hosting services when they are just starting out, before moving on to dedicated servers once they have gained some technical expertise and their company has grown to the extent that it makes sense for its website to have a server of its own. This may also allow you to save money.

Finding the right websites offering managed web hosting

If you are looking for a site that offers managed web hosting, you will have several key priorities. You will want to find a competitively priced managed hosting package that allows you to host the number of websites that you would like to have hosted, whether you have one website or more than five – indeed, the best such firms will be able to host an unlimited number of websites on one package. The best such companies will also offer plenty of web space on which to host your site. The best companies offering managed web hosting should also offer a large amount of bandwidth and numbers of emails.

The best company will have a strong reputation as a result of having spent years providing customers across the world with dedicated servers, managed infrastructure services. Such a company will use “best of breed” technologies, offering superior quality bandwidth and expert IT personnel along with well-defined processes to deliver reliable, cost-effective services.

The managed web hosting company that you choose should be able to provide the best possible services for your money, delivering solutions that meet the needs of your business regardless of its present size. It should offer everything from single server co-location to fully customized dedicated servers, provide companies with all of the IT solutions that they require to concentrate on their core business instead of managing servers, networks and firewalls, often saving significant amounts of money.

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Everything You Need To Know About Managed Web Hosting

Web hosting is a service that allows users of the web users to display web pages on the internet. It offers the technologies and services that websites need to be shown on the web. Choosing the right type of web hosting for your website can be a confusing process. You will have to decide between free and paid hosting as well as between shared or dedicated hosting. Other hosting solutions are available, including virtual private servers (VPS) or cloud hosting. It can leave you overwhelmed to have to choose between these options.

Managed web hosting may make most sense if you expect your website to be popular but you do not yet have the staff or knowledge to deal with the administration and maintenance of your server.

What is managed web hosting?

Managed web hosting involves the web host taking care of the server’s operation so that you don’t have to do so. The term ‘managed web hosting’ used to be specifically applied to dedicated hosting. Although this remains a high prevalent use of managed hosting, managed services can also be applied to other hosting solutions such as cloud hosting, co-location or VPS.

Managed hosting can make a great deal of sense if you lack the knowledge to set up a server space of your own or in order to allow you to concentrate on your core business. A managed hosting solution is also a good solution if you don’t have the time to manage your server.

Reasons to choose managed web hosting

Managed web hosting tends to be used for two basic reasons. Individuals and businesses use it to reduce the amount of IT work that it needs to perform on the server to keep it maintained.

If your website is especially popular, you may require a more robust solution for web hosting. The business owner or staff are likely to prefer to focus on their business rather than the hosting solution, and simply do not have enough knowledge to properly administer the server space. They will appreciate being able to rely on managed hosting that ensures that everything is properly set up.

There may not be sufficient time to administer the server as needed even if the resources are available, as a business owner may prefer to dedicate such resources to other tasks. In situations where there is not enough time to devote to the server, managed web hosting can therefore be greatly convenient.

Finding the best company offering managed web hosting

If you are looking for a company that offers managed hosting, you will have several key priorities. You are advised to check what the web hosting services include as part of the basic cost. Some companies provide particular services as part of the basic cost, while others are available as an optional extra and only paid for whenever you need them. They may incorporate such services as trouble shooting, server monitoring, on call maintenance, hardware upgrading, software upgrading, software installation, backup services, security auditing and control panel set-up. You will also appreciate being able to find a company that has a strong reputation, with a long list of satisfied clients.

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What is Colocation?

In general, colocation is moving or placing things together. In technology, colocation is the renting of physical space in a service provider’s data centre premises.

Data centre colocation allows an organisation to save money by housing and running parts of its IT infrastructure off-site instead of building and managing an in house data centre. For example, a business might colocate its corporate servers; colocation, as opposed to managed hosting or dedicated hosting, describes an arrangement where the hardware and software remain owned and managed by the business but is housed in a service provider’s datacentre to reduce overhead costs incurred by things like cooling, power, physical security, insurance and connectivity . Colocation providers also provide technical monitoring and physical support which is called “remote hands and eyes” which saves the organisation having to attend site for routine or emergency tasks.

Colocation can also be spelled “colocation”, “collocation” or “co-location” and abbreviated as “colo”.