What are web hosting datacenters?
Most major web hosting providers have their own private data centers, in which all of their web servers are stored. Datacenters are specially designed to accommodate the environmental needs of a web server. The temperature, humidity, dust content, lighting, cleanliness, and security of the data center is meticulously upheld by on-site staff that is responsible for keeping all of the web servers in perfect condition. The floors are air-cooled, all rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art fire extinguishing systems, and there is a 24-hour maintenance staff on duty 7 days out of every week.
What is disk space?
Disk space is the amount of storage space allocated to your website, server or server partition, which can be used by your website. Having adequate disk space is very important because it directly affects the total size limits of your site or network of sites. If you want to continuously update your web sites with new content and steadily build your online empire, then you will definitely need a plethora of bandwidth.
For example, if you have 20 GB of disk space allocated to your web hosting plan, then the number of files on your website cannot exceed this amount of data. When you run out of disk space you will be unable to update your site with new content, which means the progression of your online endeavors will come to a complete halt. Since updating your site is a very important part of building traffic levels and keeping your visitors returning you will need to make sure you have an adequate amount of bandwidth available at all times.
Disk space is often displayed on all hosting plan sales pages. Disk space is extremely important because it directly affects how much data can be stored on your web server at any point in time.
What is bandwidth?
Web hosting bandwidth is the measurement of data being transmitted through your web server at a given period of time.
Having adequate bandwidth is very crucial to the success of your site because it will affect your site visitor’s experience, especially when there are high traffic levels. Every visitor that views a page on your site is consuming bandwidth because they are downloading and uploading information to the web server. Thus, in order to accommodate high daily traffic levels you will need ample bandwidth. This is the primary reason why bandwidth is one of the two most important web hosting features to consider when shopping for a new plan.
Bandwidth is perhaps the most important because it dictates how many visitors your website can handle during a single time period.
What is a control panel?
Control panel is a graphical user interface (GUI) to manage your web hosting account. Within your control panel you can upload and organize site content, manage domain name settings, schedule duties and much more. Whether you need comprehensive traffic analysis or a simple interface to check your emails, a good web hosting control panel can do all of this and more.
What is a CMS?
Content management systems are comprehensive site management utilities that are becoming increasingly popular amongst webmasters. In the past, site management was a complex process that required advanced training, diligence, technical knowledge and internet experience. Now complete novices are building, organizing and maintaining large web sites with no formal training, and nothing more than a basic hosting account.
Content management systems are literally revolutionizing the way the internet is being developed, by giving webmasters convenient access to tools and resources needed for efficient site administration. While some website owners still code pages in HTML and upload files manually to their web server, it is becoming quite obvious that using a content management system is much easier and faster.
With a user-friendly interface you can control nearly every aspect of your website. If you are having difficulty updating your site one page at a time using an FTP client, or you simply need a solution that is suitable for the novice webmaster, then you may want to consider using a content management system. Most modern site owners use a CMS to maintain their websites, so if you are trying to compete on the internet you may want to consider doing the same as well. They are incredibly useful and usually included for free with nearly every web hosting plan.
What are CMS plugins?
Plugins are absolutely crucial toward the success of any web site that is being managed using a content management system. Plugins are basically software enhancements that improve the functionality of your CMS. WordPress is famous of having an exhaustive library of plugins available that cover virtually every facet of site management and marketing. Plugins such as the Platinum SEO pack and the WP Super Editor plugin are central to many online operation sand projects. Without the addition of such plugins many sites would fail to have the rich content they currently offer their visitors. If you want higher search engine rankings and a better looking professional web site then you will need access to the best plugins for your content management system.
What is SSL?
SSL, or Secure Socket Layer, is a security protocol used to protect data as it is transmitted between devices on the Internet.
SSL certificates indicate the presence of this technology being used by a website. Most online shoppers will not shop at your site unless you have an SSL certificate.
What is FTP?
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client is a simple program that connects your computer’s hard drive to your web server. These programs are often used to upload or download large quantities of data to or from the web server to the user’s computer.
FTP clients like FileZilla and CuteFTP are some of the most popular FTP clients on the web.
What is SPAM?
Spam is defined as overwhelming or fraudulent web mail or web site commenting that is meant to overload a system, annoy a site owner, or ruin the content of a web site. If a web site is not properly moderated it can quickly be overrun with spam of all types. Spam affects your online efforts because it wastes time as you try to clear it from your web site or inbox.
Most spammers will post spam comments on your posts, causing your web pages to become inundated with spam, which can be difficult to get rid of. Other spammers will send you a lot of emails through the contact us form of your web site. Fortunately, there are tools within your web hosting account that can prevent spam from accumulating. If you are experiencing an influx of spam then you may want to contact your web hosting company to enquire about ways to prevent it from happening again.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is a very commonly used term in the web hosting industry. Search engine optimization is basically the practice of optimizing your web pages for higher search engine rankings. Being ranked highly for popular keywords in search engines is the best way to receive residual traffic with very little effort. Every web hosting account comes with tools that can help you tweak your search engine optimization efforts, such as traffic analysis tools and content management systems that simplify on-page SEO.
What is a web hosting service?
Web hosting is, more or less, an agreement between you and a web hosting service provider that you will pay a monthly lease to own and operate a portion of their massive web servers. These are computers that will house all of your data and will allow others to get a good look at the content you so painstakingly create. Think of it as a storage unit with windows that other Internet users will drive by and take a peep through.
In order to operate a website you absolutely need a web hosting account, as no site can just live on the Internet without a web server. Since a web server usually costs thousands of dollars it is much more affordable to simply lease one from a web hosting provider. Web hosting services give you the opportunity to reach the world wide web without making a significant investment.
What is a shared hosting?
Shared web hosting services are amongst the most popular types of web hosting, primarily because they are extremely affordable. Shared web hosting provides the plan holder with access to a small part of a web server that is used by hundreds of other websites. These powerful web servers are split into partitions that are allocated to the web hosting customers. As a shared web hosting plan holder, you have access to a set amount of server resources. However, if you need to exceed these limitations then resources are pulled from other partitions on the network to accommodate your needs. Although this process may sacrifices performance and page loading times, it gives you the ability to have unlimited plan features such as bandwidth and disk space.
Shared hosting is a very unique web hosting type that usually costs less than any other kind of web hosting plan. Many webmasters get their first bit of web hosting experience by purchasing and using a shared web shoring plan. Shared hosting is essentially a type of hosting configuration in which a single web server is used to power hundreds of websites that are owned by different webmasters, hence the term “shared” hosting.
Web server configurations can have a great impact on the way websites perform, especially when the site beings to grow and experience high levels of traffic. Even though shared web hosting is a less comprehensive service, it is enough to run a basic website and receive internet training. In fact, most experts recommend starting out with shared web hosting in order to learn in a comfortable and affordable hosting environment, before moving on to more advanced solutions. If you are planning on getting started as a webmaster then you may want to consider shared web hosting as your first web hosting plan.
What is a reseller hosting?
The basic concept is simple: you purchase web hosting services in bulk and receive a hefty discount. You can then resell these services for an even heftier profit.
The purpose of a reseller hosting plan is to provide the tools and resources needed for you to create your own web hosting business from scratch. As a reseller plan holder, you will receive access to server resources that can be controlled and delegated by you to your clients. You have complete control over the software configuration of the server, as well as the allocation of server resources and the structure of hosting plans. You can create custom hosting plans using the reseller tools included in your hosting account. You have the ability to brand your hosting company and offer a custom control panel with your company’s logo within your client’s web hosting control panel. You can even rename the plans, customizing them according to any specifications you wish. You may also bundle the server resources with other web-based services.
If you want to profit from the incredibly lucrative web hosting industry then you may want to consider a reseller hosting plan. You can even sell your hosting company after you have made a decent profit with it!
What is a dedicated hosting?
As the name implies, a dedicated server is a private web server that is dedicated to a single person or company. Unlike shared or VPS hosting plans, the web server that is servicing your websites is not being used by anyone else.
Dedicated web servers are the envy of the web hosting industry, being the most powerful solution available for small to medium size online business owners. Many webmasters decide to purchase the cheapest web hosting plan available rather than shop around for the most suitable solution for their web site. Unfortunately, doing this will almost always result in an unnecessary upgrade later on, often at a time that is very inopportune for both the site owner and the site visitors.
Dedicated web hosting is the most powerful hosting type currently available to the public, other than cloud hosting which is generally a corporate solution. Dedicated hosting accounts are capable of hosting hundreds of websites simultaneously without the need for additional features or services. If you are planning on building an online empire then you will definitely need a dedicated server.
With a dedicated server, you never have to worry about slow-loading pages, site downtime, or unnecessary limitations caused by a shared hosting environment.
What is a domain name?
Domain names are much like VIN number of a vehicle, there are no two that are exactly the same.
Domain names are the identity cards of the Internet, representing the face of each website. In basic terms, a domain name is simply the name of your web site. However, behind each domain name is a process that turns a local web address into a word or phrase that anyone can use to access your site from around the world. A domain name is a phrase or even just a word that people input in their browsers to be pointed directly to a specific website.
Domain names actually originate as the IP address of your website, which is a number that appears in the following syntax – xx.xx.xxx.xx or 77.77.777.77. A domain name is perhaps one of the most important parts of any website because it is ultimately what the visitor will remember when they try to return to the site.
The ideal domain name is short, memorable, and contains no dashes and/or numbers.
What is a TLD?
Domain names end with extensions called TLDs. The TLD is the letters that appear after the last dot in the domain name. For example, .com is a TLD. Fortunately there are a wide variety of TLDs available, and there are even geographically specific TLDs that specify the location of a website. The cost of a domain name will usually depend upon the TLD.
Dot com domains are the most common, with .org, .net, and .info following closely behind in terms of popularity.
What is an IP address?
IP addresses are used to uniquely identify a website or computer. Any device that is connected to the internet is automatically assigned an IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol, which is simply the practice through which data is transmitted over the internet. When a computer or web server is connected to a network it is given an IP address that separates it from all other devices on the network. An IP address is a string of numbers separated by dots that appear in the following format – 161.28.31.91. If you are connected to the internet right now then you have an IP address assigned to you.
IP addresses are crucial to internet communication because they dictate where a request for information is sent to. For example, if a website visitors your site and clicks on a button, information is sent from their IP address to your web server. In order to return the proper information the web server will need to know the IP address of your computer.
What is a DNS?
Domain Name System is responsible for the allocation of domain names and traffic direction based on URLs in the address bar of the web browser. The Domain Name System is the largest database in the world, containing information about every website in existence. There are currently more than 350 million unique active domains on the Internet.
Web sites are identified by the IP address of their server and/or server partition. However, an IP address is a number, which is far more difficult to remember than a simple phrase. In order to convert the IP address of a website into a memorable phrase that is the domain name, a DNS server is needed.