Fatcow – The Reason Their Clients Moo About Them!
( The Best Web Hosting Service )- FatCow is another web hosting company that has more than a decade of outstanding service to its clients. Established in 1998, FatCow has already gained its rank among the top of the list of the most trusted hosting providers, with a unique twist.
On first look, you’d see their cool cow and farm-themed website. In fact, this is certainly an eye-catcher. In an interview with their marketing manager, Paul Bukhovko (see interview with Fatcow), this theme (and the name FatCow itself) is chosen to show the sense of being a company that will deliver “that simple, old-fashioned service and value”.
Being true to their word, FatCow indeed offers inexpensive hosting plans with great function and quality. In fact, their basic plan, the Original FatCow Plan, is now valued at $56/yr. This plan comes with unlimited disk space and bandwidth, Site Builder tools, Google Search and Webmaster Tools, and lots of advertising freebies such as Google AdWords and Facebook credits. Add up the 30-day money back guarantee and 24/7 customer support service.
FatCow also brings a green and environment-friendly service by providing 100% wind-powered servers, reducing carbon footprint. However, don’t you worry about compromised server reliability, as wind generators are very powerful source of energy. So far, there have been no issues with them being green, and in fact, it garnered praises and awards for its endeavour to do such.
FatCow also boasts largely of its great customer service. It does possess a live and updated “system notices board” that updates customers every time a maintenance or outage is happening. Clients won’t have to check their site or blog to know what is going on, and this lessens the chances of sending support tickets. But still their ticket system is great, and their staff answers in a timely manner. I have talked to them on a number of occasions. They treasure their clients greatly, thus they, as per their Heifercratic Oath, welcome them to FatCow by calling them within the first 7 days of their subscription.
User-friendliness is also a great feature of FatCow plans. Its cPanel is vDeck 4 which is fairly easier than the default cPanel. This control panel can support different kinds of scripts and programming codes such as MySQL, Python, PHP 4 and 5, as well as CGI directory. Their plan also offers a bit of SEO assistance, and it is efficiently managed in the vDeck platform. It also supports Drag and Drop system, which makes it very easy for beginners to fix their sites’ pages.
Another unique and latest server feature is the process called “load balance technology”. This process allows its clients to maximize their bandwidth, speed, and performance since it distributes workload across networks and clusters. This is basically why there have been no negative reports whatsoever about their server performance.
Aside from the Original FatCow Plan which is paid yearly, you can also opt to try their Mini Moo Plan, which is only for $5 a year. This comes with an email account and 35% off a domain name, just perfect to start your venture in online web pages.
As their webpage looks like, FatCow is committed to offering you a fun and simple but satisfying service and value, without lots of extra babbles. Please read my full Fatcow review to see what they can provide you with. They are great for when you want to start a website and do offer a one time payment (shared plan), a later date you can upgrade to an InMotion VPS or dedicated plan if you would like. (because FatCow doesn’t offer anything but shared plans)
Top Level Domains for SEO: Its Relevance to Search Engine Rankings
( The Best Web Hosting Service )- “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name…”
I’m sure you recognize this part of a famous Shakespearean quote and probably heard (or read) it dozens of times, too. It probably worked in Shakespeare’s time; but then, he couldn’t have known that the Internet would come into being, centuries later. And in this new world and super high technology era, a name – more specifically, a website (domain) name – has plenty of significance and impact on your website’s existence, reason for being, survival and longevity. What’s in a name? Read on and find out…
It’s Not Just About Picking A Name
Before delving any further in, let’s take a look at some basics. I’m sure you’d rather skip the more complex (technical or otherwise) stuff that doesn’t have relevance to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is the whole point of this article. We may have to refer to them every so often, though; just to get a composite picture.
First, a refresher course: The very first thing you do when setting up a website is to register a domain name, of course. Domain name, as we all know, is the identity and address that identifies a website in the Unified Resource Locator (URL); the label that people use when looking for your website (and all your products and/or services) on the World Wide Web. Without this label, nobody will ever find you on the Internet. Is that it…just pick a name? Not quite that simple.
Your domain name consists of two parts: the first segment by which your company will be known (and significantly be remembered, I must add), which is located on the left side just before the dot is called the Second Level Domain (SLD); and the other part is the TLD you use along with the second-level domain. Now that may sound like a disease, but it actually stands for Top Level Domain.
A website’s TLD refers to that suffix or last portion of the URL/domain name after the second-level domain (site name). I’m sure you’re familiar with “.com”; “.net”; “.org” and many more. To illustrate more clearly: take the domain name, callofdutyblackopsonlineplay.com, for example; .com is the Top Level Domain, while callofdutyblackopsonlineplay is the second-level domain.
While there are an inestimable number of possible second-level domains, the number of available generic Top Level Domains is somewhat limited; thus, choosing a TLD can be quite tricky.
Types of TLDs: What Are Your Options?
Ideally, a TLD has to mean something and various Top Level Domains do convey diverse connotations. The seemingly minute suffixes carry a lot weight and can put across a great deal of information about a website. Some of these TLDs are open to be registered by anyone; there are others, though, that need proof of eligibility.
Take a closer look at a few of the most widely-used generic TLDs, which are among the ones that frequently show up on Google indexed pages.
.com – indicates “commercial” and is an open TLD, so anybody can register. It was initially expected that all commercial websites, not only those who are involved in retail or direct sale of physical goods but everyone that makes money on the Internet, as well would use a .com domain. What no one anticipated was the enormous rate of the web’s growth and diversity. In the huge pond of TLDs, .com is undoubtedly the big fish; but the absence of clear-cut definition as to what comprises a commercial website has left significant gray areas in its usage.
.org – stands for “non-profit” or “non-commercial” organizations, which is another open TLD. Retaining much of its primary meaning and purpose, this TLD is still largely used by charitable institutions, foundations, sports club, and similar entities. Definitely not ideal for use if you want to sell something or are looking make money from your website.
.net – denotes “network services” and was originally intended for organizations engaged in networking technologies. Clear demarcation lines were never imposed, though; hence, it has now become a general purpose TLD. It has maintained its popularity among network operators but its similarity to .org has also made it an ideal alternative for non-commercial/non-profit organizations.
There are hundreds of TLDs out there (over 370) but all three TLDs are considered the most popular ones, which can technically qualify for an all-purpose TLD; but for obvious reasons, they may not be the perfect option for retailers in the current web environment.
Other top level domains are quite restrictive in nature and you need to prove your eligibility use them. Among these are: .mil (military sites); .gov (government agencies and concerns); .edu (educational institutions such as colleges and universities).
Country-specific TLDs (such as .ca for Canada, .au for Australia, .in for India, etc.) are fast becoming a trend, in addition to generic TLDs. These TLDs may be very effective choices if you’re an international company that does wide-ranging business with another country or planning to expand your business in other countries.
Is there a “best” TLD?
There’s a lot of balancing act involved when choosing the right TLDs. If you have a site with the domain name webhost.net, keep in mind that there could be others with the same SLD albeit with different TLDs (e.g., easybadcreditrepair.com, easybadcreditrepair, biz, easybadcreditrepair.co.uk). Here lies the risk that your customers would end up on the site of other companies.
.com remains the top choice by many for SEO purposes, more likely for its popularity and prestige. It carries the implication that you got there first and is therefore an established authority; which is a huge plus in a playing field as competitive as the World Wide Web. From a psychological viewpoint, people tend to hold a higher level of trust and confidence from someone who has earned some goodwill through familiarity. Personally, I’d rather buy from a .com company than a .ct company or some such unheard of TLDs.
If you are doubtful about selecting the suitable TLD for your business, you can always register several domain names, with the option to redirect them to your primary site. This is a strategic way to maximize the benefits of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Keywords: Still the Frontrunner in the Name Game
Most people believe that search engines give more credence to domain names when being considered for search engine rankings. Although it has been established that a top level domain extension could be one of your strongest sales tools, it is by no means the only tool to consider. To boost the chances of getting a good search engine ranking, you must not forget that there has to be a lucid connection between your website theme and your domain name. Here are some points to factor in:
- Your SLD should be a reflection of your business. There are two ways you can do this: make your company’s name (or its abbreviation) a part of your chosen domain name (i.e., smith-clyde.com – if the company is a partnership between Smith and Clyde); or select a name that manifests the services of industry you are in or the product you are selling (i.e., pacificviewresorts.com – which apparently says you are in the resort business).
- Think of something short, distinctly unique, and unforgettable. Good examples are monster.com and amazon.com, which don’t say much about their products and services but both names are so unique, easy to remember and unquestionably very effective.
- Integrate the all-important keyword. When using search engines to find businesses, website visitors use keywords as descriptions to what they’re looking for. The experts’ advice is to incorporate an appropriate and significant keyword into your domain name.
All things considered, Top Level Domian and Second Level Domain are but the tip of the iceberg. Remember that for your site to endure and survive tough competition greater focus should be given on building excellent content for your site with frequent updates, generous links to other related sites and loaded with relevant keywords. You may also make use of safe and sound SEO strategies. In short, your focal point is “findability” and you can’t go wrong in the search results.
Hostgator – Why Customers Love Them?
( The Best Web Hosting Service )- HostGator is an independent hosting company that offers different kinds of web hosting plans. These range from shared and reseller, VPS and dedicated, with either Windows or Linux as the operating system. It is already a decade-year-old provider ran by Brent Oxley and has achieved more than 25 awards due to their superb hosting. My Hostgator review defiantly praises them.
As you can see with its vast and long period of service, it is definitely a solidly stable company that you can try for whatever hosting plan you need. Now with more than 12,000 servers, HostGator boasts its outstanding hosting service with amazing customer service throughout 200 countries worldwide. This excellent service is what actually keeps it clients sticking to them.
Probably much has been said about HostGator being a great provider. But really what’s so great about them?
First, there goes reliability and uptime. HostGator offers 99% uptime guarantee. This is due to their efficient and fully-monitored datacenters and Cisco network that connects to 10 backbone and fiber providers. Top of the line technology is used on their datacenters in Dallas, Texas within The Planet’s facility.
HostGator also boasts its cool features such as eco-friendly web hosting service by means of using wind-powered generators, various hosting options depending on the plans needed, as well as ease of access using cPanel which supports Fantastico. This panel is also able to run different scripts such as Chilisoft ASP, Image Magick, and ZenCart. You can also get unlimited POP3 email accounts and unlimited MySQL databases with your plans.
Aside from their Hatchling and Baby shared hosting plans, they also offer a business hosting plan that comes with free private SSL, dedicated IP, and superb customer support. This shared hosting comes much cheaper just for you to start your business rather than starting off with a VPS or a dedicated server just yet.
Interestingly, they’ve got a long trial period, too. Unlike other providers, which only offer around 15 to 30 days of trial, HostGator offers up to 45 days of trial period. This is actually notable with the fact that HostGator will not offer this ability if they are not sure that they can deliver within a month and a half’s service to you.
Probably the most outstanding about their service is their customer support. In comparison to other online companies, it ranks on the top of the list, in my opinion. They’ve got a 24-hour support system either via phone, support tickets, or live chat. They don’t outsource their agents too, meaning these people got the right education and ability to help their customers with all their concerns. I have personally talked to them a number of times and run a handful of my websites with them. This is evident with lots of good feedback they are getting, even from widely-known institutions. They even got an A+ rating in Better Business Bureau. This means that majority of people would definitely have this rating for it.
HostGator definitely is one of the few hosting providers that would rank on the top of the most trusted hosting providers. Their webpage looks very simple on the outside, but they keep their service on an outstanding level on the inside.
What is PayPal and How Does it Work
( The Best Web Hosting Service )- Let’s say it isn’t your first time to do online shopping. Every time you buy something in eBay, Amazon, or other sites, you enter your credit card details for payment over and over again. This is not entirely a bad thing, but it can be tiresome in the long run. Or you may never get tired of doing so, but still you worry about your money’s safety with having to share all your information every time you make a transaction. So if you’re wanting to make life easier, you should not miss having a PayPal account.
PayPal started in 1998 in US, and is growing fast throughout the globe up until now. It was not error-free to start with, but it delivered very well for a huge percentage of users worldwide. Now, PayPal is known to be the most popular online transaction facility as well as the most secured, meaning many people trust it to be a safe place to consider doing small or even big transactions of their hard-earned money. This has been a big help to most people who rely on the Internet to do their business, or just people who love shopping, which you may be either.
So how does PayPal work? Basically, again, PayPal is a facility that will help you with online money transactions. Registration is free, and signing up is easy. You just have to go through their website at www.paypal.com. From there, you will have to sign up and choose the account type which will likely suit your needs, either personal, premier, or business. If you are the type of person who just like to shop or pay money online, you can choose the personal account. However, if you want to be able to send and get paid for selling stuff online, then you can choose premier. If you happen to be a merchant or trader with a group, you should choose the business type. This will allow you to have continuous transactions freely without having to worry about your security. It also gives you the ability to have a separate account for yourself aside from the business account you already signed up with.
So, after choosing your account type, you just have to enter your account details and you need to have a valid email account to verify it with a mail that will be sent to you. Aside from this type of verification, you also need to link your credit cards on your account. This is to ensure your ability to pay what you spend on PayPal. Don’t worry, you’ll find the transactions recorded on your credit card statement. The good thing is that you only have to enter this information once, and not over and over again. Now once you get verified, you’re good to go! You can definitely spend as much you need or use it to receive payments for your services, up to you.
PayPal is now a fast-growing international service, and almost all main currencies are supported, and people from all over the globe create accounts to make their spending and earning easier. Secured payments are one of the things PayPal boasts of, and it has received multiple awards from offering high security to all users.
Using PayPal is not really complicated, in fact, transactions can be made within minutes, really fast compared to the traditional type with having to type up all your credit card details with every purchase you do. So, why not give PayPal a try, and see how much ease it will give to you.
How to Build the Best Server Colocation
( The Best Web Hosting Service )- Do you know what server colocation is? If that sounds foreign or like something that only doctors would know, it is not. It is simply situating the server equipment in a datacenter. This is a tactic to guarantee continuous uptime and reliability for your office computers or other business resources. If you have established a server collocation or is about to, it is good to know tricks to keep its optimum operation. Should there be any doubts and inquiries, it is best to consult your colocation provider.
A very important element to provide a new server is a good airflow supply. This is to avoid your server from overheating. A well ventilated server helps ease the heat it produces and allows it to work properly. It would also extend its service life and increase efficiency. On the other hand, a server in a poor environment will lead to a sudden system breakdown or its ultimate shutdown.
Data centers are built using a hot-isle cold-isle design. This means that it takes in cool air in the front and releases warm air towards the back portion of the unit. A good airflow means that the air current remains in the same direction during operation. A well-functioning heat rejection system results to a cool server.
It is best that you are aware how potential hot spots build-up to know what to check regularly. Heat built up may occur when the fans are incorrectly mounted or if it is totally busted. Next thing to check is the condition of the installed air baffles. They must be properly fitted and installed. Cables may also pose dangers to fans and air vents. Large cables like IDE can be a risk factor if they are left to stray inside the unit. It is a must to bundle cables together and keep them at bay from airflow pathways.
Protecting servers is the next thing to consider. One is able to safeguard servers using rack rails. Each server has its own rack rail that fit it perfectly. Rails from other models might not fit it. Always consult your colocation provider for any concern about rack rails that they have provided you. The most common types are the square-hole four-post racks and the threaded-hole four-post racks. Your colocation provider would be able to provide you the specific of their rack rails.
Since not all systems are flawless in its whole service life, it is best to have troubleshooting practices ready and available during periods where you need to correct errors. One thing you have to plan is a streamlined process during booting or rebooting of your server. This is a must since data centers operate in the absence of a monitor, keyboard or a mouse.
If your server BIOS carries a Halt On setting, it is best to set it to “Halt On No Errors”. This pauses your server should it detect errors or the absence of keyboard.
During troubleshooting, a colocation provider might need to plug in a KVM (keyboard, video, and monitor) cart. The cart may only have space for a small monitor. Due to this limitation, it is best to maintain a low screen resolution to assimilate any type of monitor your provider will use.
Other consideration would be explained by your colocation provider. Proactively ask them for more information, tips and advice. You would be able to distinguish a good colocation provider with the quality of assistance their staff provides on extra informative resources.
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