If you sometimes feel as if your Web designer is speaking to you in a foreign, even alien, language, you need a way of cutting through the Web design jargon. You can find some great dictionaries online, but for starters, here are over 40 of the most common terms you are likely to encounter.

ACROBAT: Acrobat is used as a synonym for PDF file, but actually it is the program family you need to create and read PDF files. Adobe sells Acrobat Standard and Pro, which are creation tools, and freely distributes Acrobat Reader, which is a viewer (with some annotation tools in the latest versions).

APPLET: A program written in the Java programming language that can be included in an HTML page, and can contain flashy effects or useful programming.

ASP: Active Server Pages. A specification that enables Web pages to be dynamically created, or to access information from databases. The default language for writing ASP pages is VBScript, but other languages are also used.

BANDWIDTH: The amount of data sent over a connection in a specified amount of time is measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps).

BTL/ATL /TTL: BTL (Below The Line) advertising means print media like brochures. ATL (Above The Line) advertising refers to such expensive media as TV and radio. TTL (Through The Line) is a combination of the two.

CGI: Common Gateway Interface. This server-side program allows data to be passed between Web applications.

COLD FUSION: This specification enables Web pages to be dynamically created, or to access information from a database. The default language for writing Cold Fusion pages is CFML (Cold Fusion Markup Language), and the page extension is .cfm.

CONTENT: The graphics and copy (text) that make up your Web site.

CSS: Acronym for Cascading Style Sheets, an external document that controls variables like color and fonts on your Web site.

DHTML: Dynamic HTML. A combination of HTML, CSS and JavaScript is used to create small effects, animations and dynamic menus on Web sites.

DNS: Domain Name Service translates domain names back and forth with IP numbers using a DNS server.

DOMAIN NAME: The address of your Web site (e.g. coza-web.co.za or google.com).

DPI/PPI: Dots Per Inch and Pixels Per Inch determine whether an image has high, medium or low resolution. Images for Web publication should have 72 ppi, those to be printed on deskjet printers should have 150 ppi and pictures to be professionally printed should have 300 ppi.

FLASH: 2D animation created in Flash can have an .swf extension for Web sites or an .exe extension for digital presentations. You need Flash Player installed on your computer to see SWF files.

FRAMES: Two or more HTML pages combined within a single browser screen lets you have scrolling regions on different sections of the Web page.

FTP: File Transfer Protocol for downloading or uploading files from or to computers with an appropriate FTP program or Internet browser.

HOST: The physical computer where files that make up your Web site are located, and whose contents can be accessed via TCP/IP.

HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language. The language for creating Web pages.

IP ADDRESS: Internet Protocol Address. Every device connected to the Internet has a unique IP address.

JAVA: A programming language by Sun Microsystems for writing Java applets.

JAVASCRIPT: This scripting language can be embedded in HTML pages or accessed by them as an external document (file type =.js) to create effects, validate forms, etc.

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group. A compressed image file.

KERNING: Horizontal spacing between letter pairs.

LEADING: Vertical spacing between the baselines under text in a paragraph or list.

META DATA/TAG: Part of the backend, thus not visible to the viewer, of an HTML page providing descriptions and keywords for optimizing search engines.

MYSQL: An open source relational database management system that uses SQL (Structured Query Language).

ORGANIC SEO: The optimizing of search engines by obtaining one-way links from other Web sites without actively submitting your site.

PERL: Practical Extracting and Reporting Language.

PIXEL: The smallest component, or single grid point, of a raster image.

PHP: An open source programming language that enables Web pages to be created dynamically, or access information from a database. It is widely used in conjunction with MySQL.

PLUG-IN: A small application, like Adobe Flash Player, that is installed and used as an added feature by your Web browser.

ROLL OVERS: Graphics that move or change when your mouse passes over them.

SERP: Search Engine Results Page.

TAG: Often called Markup tags or HTML tags, these are used to define parts of Web pages so that they display correctly for the site visitor.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator, the address of a Web page or file.

W3C: World Wide Web Consortium is a group of companies that set international standards for HTML and the Web.

WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get.

XHTML: Once planned as a successor to HTML 4.0, it is a hybrid of HTML and XML.

XML: Extensible Markup Language allows you to create custom tags.

Whether you have an existing website that needs a simple touch-up or revamp, or you’re looking for a los angeles web design studio to create a new online presence with a blog, Frog On Top has a solution for you. For More information, visit us online today!!

If you are set on developing your web presence, you will need to put some effort into picking and maintaining a web identity. The first step in this process is deciding on a domain type and a name.

There are some key things to think about before picking a domain type. For example, budget considerations come immediately to mind. Also, the right address will bring traffic naturally. This is the type of name to focus on.

The basic three types of domains are .com, .net, and .org. Each comes with different types of assumptions about your site, and with different costs or reservation. But all three are pretty common and will draw traffic to your site.

There are a whole slew of country codes for domain name extensions. Almost every country in the world has its own unique Top Level Domain, such as .ca in Canada and .uk in the United Kingdom. These have varying degrees of reliability and different rules governing their use.

If you find yourself running out of options with these domains, there are others to choose from as well. For example, .name and .info have both been available for a number of years. These may not have the cache of the big domain extensions, but they’ll get the job done.

You could also mark your space with a unique sub-domain. This comes after the Top Level Domain and the domain name. It’s usually the “www” part of the address, but you can make it anything you want.

Needless to say, price can become an issue. This is largely dependent on what domain you are reserving under, but it can also be affected by the company you decide to buy from. Prices can range from $6.99 for the cheaper domains to prices in the teens or 20s for some of the country-specific codes.

Just like other businesses (and domain name registration is a business), domain costs have drifted lower and lower over the years. You can also keep an eye out for special deals and sales on domain names. There are also coupons and package deals that may be available from certain retailers.

The writer additionally frequently gives advice on topics such as lifting straps and paper boxes.

Every time there is a recession or an economic downturn, you see a flurry of articles in both the business and general press about companies and individuals learning how to manage money better. While some articles get very specific about accounting and management practices that are supposed to make you a better money manager, others are more general in their approach and concentrate on common sense ways to stop wasteful practices. Combining both approaches also works well, and can begin with a complete review of all spending and an analysis of what that money is actually buying you.

This is very important to do in regards to your company’s technology spending, whether it’s on computers, offsite storage, network management or Web site hosting. Hosting? Hosting is cheap now, so why bother? If you asked that question, you just revealed a mindset that can get you in big trouble. Every wrongly spent cent is a strike against you and your company, and small overpayments have a way of looming large when you look at them over the course of a year or more. If you consider what has happened to hosting costs over the last few years because of technological progress, you can actually see what the progress is worth. Hosting is getting less costly all the time.

Quick history

From 1996 to 2005 (ten years), the cost of hosting fell dramatically. Instead of low-end plans at $49 per month, you had so-called unlimited plans at one-tenth that cost. Looking at just the dollar amount, you would think that hosting has not gotten less expensive since 2005 but, in fact, it has. The changes have come in the definition of certain terms (unlimited, bandwidth, transfer, etc.), and the effective cost reduction has continued with the same amount of velocity as it had at the end of the last century/millennium.

Rather than gawk at the low prices, you need to find out just what it costs, in reality, for a high quality, professional, dependable host. The advertised price needs to be defined in terms of the real way you will use the site, so you need to factor in all the setup fees, overage fees, upgrade costs, extra charges for databases and media streaming, etc. You can easily end up paying more for the low-end, low-cost-but-no-extras plan than you would have for a more inclusive one. This is why you need to read everything, every single word, when you review your hosting plan (quarterly or biannually, at least).

Fine print

If you go through all the comparison charts, you will get a picture of not only how your plan compares to others, but how it treats you, as well. Do you get charged fees for going over monthly limits? Is everything clearly explained and defined? Do you see a small asterisk that leads you to a statement like “setup fee required,” without there being a dollar amount there? These are all clues that you may be paying more than you even know for your hosting service. The fact is, this is the sort of plan review you should have done when you first chose a plan, but as long as you are doing it now, before more time rolls by to the sound of falling coins, you are doing better than you were.

If the terms are not defined well, then you need to ask what they mean. Even the term ‘unlimited’ does not always mean what you think it means. Some hosting providers define the term in relation to what are called typical usage patterns, so there really is a finite limit to it after all. If your Web site takes off and becomes more popular than other sites its size, you will blow right through that typical usage pattern number and possibly end paying extra for being successful. Be sure to find out what unlimited means, as well as any other terms that are key to your purchase.

Bottom line

Is a secure server included? Do you get a good site management tool, like cPanel, or are you stuck with some proprietary, stripped down Web page provided by the host? What exactly is in the deal? If you do not know, you are paying too much already. You should not be paying for a plan that you cannot define. This is not good business at any level, whether it costs $5 or $5,000 a month. The truth is, many firms have multiple sites, so small overpayments can add up in no time. There are plenty of great, legitimate hosting deals, and most firms are on the up and up. However, it is up to you to establish that to your own satisfaction. Not only can you save money by reviewing your hosting plan regularly, you will become far more expert at how hosting works, which is a clear benefit for you and your business, too.

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. We review companies such as bluehost and fatcow

At the beginning of 2009, America’s number one toy retailer, ToysRUs, survived the bidding battle over the domain Toys.com and anted up $5.1 million for it. Some people were flabbergasted, wondering why on earth anyone would pay that kind of money for a domain name. Leaving off the dot-com part, that is more than a million dollars per letter. Does this sale represent some sort of new dot-com mania, or is it a rational business decision and investment? A brief background in domain names will help clear this up.

Your actual Internet address is based on the Internet Protocol (IP) standard, essentially a unique number string divided by dots, or periods, that help maintain the hierarchy. Since it would be difficult and cumbersome to refer to the Toys.com site as, say, http://67.192.43 or some such thing, there are computers called Domain Name Servers that will point browsers to the named domain. Generally speaking, your domain is typically the name of your business (online, brick-and-mortar or both) and this should be the same that you have been building an image for since you founded it. Why change now?

What is right?

Choosing the right domain name for your online presence involves both common sense and, at best, uncommon creativity. The name will work toward enhancing your image and as well as your marketing efforts. It can really help bring more traffic to your Web site. This is what makes Toys.com worth the money, or at least arguably so. It is not that so many people will type Toys.com into their browsers, although plenty will, it is that untold numbers of searches will include the words toy, toys and so on. The word is short, typing it is fast and being redirected to Toys.com will likely be the very first option on the search results page. To get it right (or as right as you can in changing environments!), here are some tips about domain names:

Simple spelling: If spelling, saying or typing your domain name is tricky, pick another one. You do not even want to know the number of visits you might lose because Zzyzzx.com is a unique but confusing name. Pick something simple.

Short and sweet: At the beginning of the Web era, the name-and-number regulators at ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) allowed just 23 characters but the limit is now 63. This made more names possible, but also helped some people create confusion. Do not be one of the confusing. Keep it short and sweet.

One of a kind: Do not host your Web site with a free or low-cost host that will make it a subdomain. If your name is not unique and clearly identifiable, you lose visitors.

Memorable: Your want you domain name to be easily remembered so that Web surfers can type in your name whenever they need to. Many net users will not bother to search for your Web site if the name is difficult and they keep forgetting it.

Related to the right category: The name should at least give some clues as to the business you are in, what you are selling or doing, etc. Some names will defy this rule (Yahoo! and Amazon come to mind) but they are usually pioneers and got people to reverse the normal route of association. This is not likely to happen for you, so do not be cryptic.

Alphabet: The fact that A still comes ahead of Z can make a big difference if a search returns a lot of results. Names starting with A will be listed at the top, while the Z names will sit at the bottom. This can really make a measurable difference on the amount of traffic you can expect to get from directories.

Generic or exclusive?: There continues to be a great deal of debate about domain names being generic or exclusive. While generic domain names should result in more traffic, generally speaking, they certainly do not make for strong, identifiable brand names. The solution? Do not give your business a generic name, but register as many generic names that relate to it and redirect them (via those DNS computers we mentioned earlier) to your main site.

Bottom line

Domain names can lose you visits and money, be revenue neutral or actually contribute to your profit margin. How well they do so is a function of many different variables, and there is not sure and certain formula for success. However, there are certainly trends to identify and going on 20 years of experience with how domain names work in the real (and virtual) world. Give some thought to it, and you may find that you can sell one of yours down the line. Perhaps not for millions, but there are plenty of domains sold every day for hundreds and thousands of dollars. In fact, there are entrepreneurs who make their fortunes creating, trading, selling and buying these names. Even if you do not do that, applying some of this new knowledge to your own Web presence might help you more than you know!

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. We review companies such as fatcow and bluehost

Often, when business owners are looking to set up or upgrade their website, the question of shared or dedicated hosting comes up. In order to decide which type of hosting package will suit your needs, it is helpful to understand the main differences between the two. Here’s a brief outline that should help you in your decision-making process:

1. Number of Sites Hosted on the Server

This is the primary difference between shared and dedicated hosting. As the names imply, a dedicated hosting package means that your website is the only site hosted on the server. Conversely, when you are on a shared hosting package, your website is hosted along with several other sites on the same server.

2. Availability of Bandwidth or Disk Space

When you have shared hosting, there is a limitation on the amount of disk space you are allocated or may use. This is because the server is shared among several different companies’ websites. If you happen to exceed that disk space, you are charged accordingly. When you have dedicated hosting, you basically have the entire server to yourself. There is no sharing of disk space so there are no limitations on the amount of space available to you on the server.

3. Cost and Affordability

Shared hosting was created in order to offer small and medium-sized businesses a more affordable way to have their websites hosted. Because the server resources are shared among several users, the operating costs are divided up between the different users. This is significantly cheaper than having a dedicated server where you cover the costs of the entire server.

4. Technical Expertise Required

Shared hosting requires little technical expertise as all security and maintenance are provided by the server hosting company as part of your hosting package. Your web designer will upload information to the site and can update it with minimal effort. When you opt for a dedicated server, you will need a technical team to set up, manage and maintain the server. This need for technical expertise adds to the costs of having a dedicated server.

5. Security and Vulnerability

On shared hosting packages, the hosting company implements firewalls and general server security to ensure the stability of the server. A good hosting provider will be proactive and ensure that the server is maintained with the latest security updates. When you have a dedicated server, this then becomes your responsibility. On the plus side though, a dedicated server is less vulnerable to falling prey to viruses, malware and spyware because yours is the only site on the server and you can control which programs you use and load. On a shared server, your vulnerability increases as you will have no control over what programs other users sharing the server use. If their site is infected, this could put your site at risk because you share the same IP address.

6. Website Blacklisting

On a shared server, you could be more vulnerable to blacklisting by search engines and corporate servers, even when your site is clean. This is because you share an IP address and any other site on your server could be spamming people. When they get blacklisted, you could inadvertently get blacklisted along with everyone else on the same server. On a dedicated server, you have far more control over the content of the server and you will not get blacklisted unless you have breached internet protocols.

7. Limitations on Scripts and Programs

Some servers are designed to host specific web scripts and programs. On a shared server, you may need to design your site according to the specifications of your hosting provider. On a dedicated server, there are generally no limitations or restrictions as to which script or programs you run. You have complete freedom to choose the software that will best suit your purposes.

8. Server Response and Performance

Depending on how efficient your hosting provider is, this could be a large differentiating factor. On shared hosting, you are sharing space with other websites. Should they generate a very large amount of traffic, they could clog up the bandwidth and cause response time on your site to be very slow. A good hosting company will monitor this and make adjustments accordingly so performance on your site is not affected. A bad hosting company will simply say that it is a downside of shared hosting. On a dedicated server, this will never be an issue because you are the sole user of the server.

9. Server Reliability

In theory, because you have greater control on a dedicated server, you should experience greater reliability than with shared hosting. However, because the majority of companies use shared hosting, server hosting companies have had to ensure greater reliability on shared servers. A good hosting company will ensure that regular maintenance is performed and that disk usage is effectively managed so the server is never overloaded to the point where it crashes.

10. Small, Medium or Large Business?

Most often, because of cost considerations, it is only larger companies that will have dedicated servers. A company also needs to have the technical expertise to maintain a dedicated server and often this is not financially viable for smaller businesses. Most small and medium businesses will opt for a form of shared hosting.

11. Level of Control

Most of these differences come down to how much control you want to have over your website and server. A dedicated server offers a great deal of control which is ideal for large companies who are running databases and specific programs that are unique to their business. This control has the added benefits of greater levels of security and flexibility.

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. We review companies such as bluehost and fatcow

Many business people have heard web designers talking about FTPs but few are familiar with what they actually involve. FTP is a simple and very effective way of updating websites and adding information to them. To understand what FTP involves, it is helpful to first understand what exactly it is.

What Is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is the mechanism that is used to transfer information and data from a basic format onto a website so the information is published online. Most often, the FTP program allows the transfers of many files at the same time to the host server. This means that once files have been transfer via FTP to a server, you can immediately go online and be able to see the information on your website.

Who Manages the FTP Process?

Naturally, you do not want just anybody to be able to access and upload information to your site. FTP access is therefore controlled; in order to use the protocol, you need to have user rights which are password protected. Most hosting providers allocate user rights in the form of an FTP account. Usually it is the web designer who will have FTP access in the form of these user rights. When you are creating or updating any of the information on the site, you will send the details to your web designer and they will FTP the information onto your website.

Allocating Users for FTP Accounts

In order to facilitate the FTP process, you will first need to set up FTP user accounts for those people who will be working on the website and require access to it. Each user account will be made up of a unique user name and password. This will grant users access to a specific website on a specific hosting account. When an FTP account is created, a folder is created on the public html level of your website; however, it is not available to anyone using the Web. In order to access the pages, you would need to known the account details and specific address. The user that knows the account login details will be able to upload information to the site. It is possible to set up several different user accounts for the same website, providing access to different parts of the website. It is also possible for one user to have access to more than one website they are working on.

Setting up an FTP Account

The technical side of setting up a FTP account will depend largely on what type of server and software you are using. The actual coding is slightly different in each of the programs but the principle of setting up FTP user accounts is basically the same. When you purchase your web hosting plan, it will come with an FTP connection you can use to upload information to your website. An FTP account needs to be set up manually. This is generally done through the web-based FTP management system which is usually provided by the hosting company. Once logged into the management system, you will can create, delete or edit the FTP user accounts. Once this is set up, your FTP will be ready to use. Typically, the FTP will be located at your domain name. In other words, if you were to type in ftp.domainname.com into your web browser, this will take you to the public FTP domain. Once there, you will be asked for a user name and password. When you have filled in these details, you will be able to view the files located in the FTP folder on the server.

Why Use FTP?

Some people may argue that FTP is not the most secure way to transfer files to a website. However, there is little debate that it is the most widely used mechanism to upload information onto a website. This is largely because it is the most proven method and subsequently, the most popular. The primary benefit of using FTP transfer compared to other web-based file managers is that the FTP type of connection facilitates uploading an entire directory tree at once. In addition, you stop the upload at any stage of the process and then resume it again at a later stage. FTP is used by CMS systems that use PHP applications, such as the widely known Joomla, evidencing its efficiency.

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. We review companies such as fatcow and bluehost

For those that can master it, or even collaborate with it, the Internet is fast becoming a source of power. Companies and individuals with websites are able to market themselves efficiently by setting themselves above the competition. Those that aren’t present online are losing valuable business. Having a website will greatly increase business opportunities. Many people considering hiring a web designer, however, walk into the process with no knowledge of the web design process. This leads to many miscommunications and problems further down the road, sometimes costing the business thousands of dollars.

The first step in designing any website is figuring out what the business owner or individual wants. The price, layout, theme, fonts, colors, and number of pages will all be discussed during this phase. When this stage is complete, the designer will start creating pages in a design program such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.

These designs will then be submitted to the client. After the designer receives feedback on their designs they will go back and tweak the site until it looks exactly the way the client envisioned it. This phase is extremely important for the client. Once everything is finalized, clients will be charged additional fees if they request changes.

Once the pages are designed and approved, they will then be created in a program like Adobe Dreamweaver. This is where things will become difficult for the web designer. They will be working with html, floats, divs, and other highly complex tools. Once the pages designed have been recreated in Dreamweaver, there are other small details the designer will have to complete. The pages will all be linked together, all links will be tested, and any JavaScript or other affects will be examined to make sure they are working properly.

The last step in setting up a website is to purchase a web host and domain name, and then upload the web pages. Sometimes this is done first or during the design process. This last step will enable the website to come to life. Once the site is finished, the client will receive a password that will enable them to login and update and modify things on the site. This password needs to be complex so that hackers will have trouble changing things. Safety is always important, but not just when it comes to websites. It is also important to ensure businesses and homes are safe. This can be done easily with a home security system.

Looking to find the best deals from Dallas Alarm Companies, then visit smithmonitoring.com to find the best deals for both Dallas and Austin Home Security.

The biggest part of owning yourinternet company and one which basically cannot be ignored is your web host. The main component of one’s web site, as we’ll all agree would be the webhosting. Once you’ve selected your web domain name, and set up the website, if the hosting isn’t correct, or isn’t online, then no one is likely to see it. We generally spend ten times the amount of time worrying about how our web site looks, as we do who hosts it.

Website hosting may be the single most important component of your online presence. It’s also the one that is certainly most frequently overlooked and normally undervalued. That is certainly primarily simply because it works in the background and is really a silent partner. Until it isn’t working, it isn’t even something that we think about. Web hosts come in several “flavors”. Which web hosting plan is appropriate in your case?

One particular element of owning an online business that cannot be overstated is web site hosting. Web hosting could be the product that keeps your valuable site running during the day or night. So, along with designing your internet site and choosing a domain name, you’ll also need to subscribe to a web site hosting package.

Before you even begin your internet site, think about what your alternatives are for internet hosting.

Do you need to have just a little space and several blog type domains? In the event you do then an add on domain setup will be perfect for you personally. Even if you will need far more web space that may be sufficient. An add on domain kind of server will likely be best in your case in the event that you are building various landing pages, or blogs, which might each have their own domain name. You will receive a certain number of email addresses with each one and commonly the space is adequate but in case you plan on a great deal of expansion, you might be further ahead to start with something larger.

If you’ve got multiple sites that need a great deal more space and may possibly have some excessive bandwidth usage, then almost certainly purchasing what is known as a slice will probably be the proper answer for you personally. A slice is normally a quarter, or fifty percent of a server. You can share your web hosting, but most likely will have various IP addresses that belong to you. You’ll be able to spread out much more and can use a lot more bandwidth. Slice hosting is perfect for most smaller to midsized companies who have more than one web site on the web and require some extra space.

A Dedicated server will be the appropriate answer to suit your needs in the event that you’re preparing on a great deal of websites, a great deal of web space, and a good deal of visitors. We’re all anticipating that of course, but realistically, if you expect it in a relatively short amount of time, you may possibly be further ahead to start out out where you need to be. It will be simpler and easier on you and your hosting needs much better accommodated when you give yourself room to grow in the beginning.

To find out realistically what you’re likely to have to have, start out by asking yourself several questions.

What could be the goal of your site? If you are preparing to be on the net for lots of years, as we generally are, and your organization is going to proceed to grow from what it is now, then prepare for and allocate the level of space which you believe you will need to have. If you’re a smaller business, and you’re not likely to require very much more web space then great. In the event you see yourself incorporating lots of items and or services, chances are you’re going to need room to grow.

What are your requirements now? If you normally will need a lot of space and have a great deal of site visitors already, then growth will basically mean you require more. Prepare for about 5% growth per year for your site. In the event you need to have just text files, you’re most likely fine, but if you’re using a good deal of flash, pictures, graphics, video, and even music, chances are you don’t have the room you need to expand. Add in some traffic and you should possibly be working with a whole lot of bandwidth and server space.

What kind of spending budget do you possess? If you are the business with endless resources, by all means pick the biggest and most full featured web host that you simply can. Bear in mind though that the most costly does not always mean the very best. Some of the budget web hosting businesses will give you greater service and be much more cost efficient. It’s simply good business to take advantage of that. Choose your web site hosting company based on not just cost. Discover the one that gives you the most space, the most service, the greatest volume of bandwidth, and the very best customer response for the lowest price.

Are you looking for budget hosting that is reliable? Find out how you can get a Fatcow coupon for even more savings. Using a Fat Cow coupon can save you up to 50%.

If this were going to be a Top 10 list, most of the items would be fighting for the #1 position. Everything is important, and few details are unimportant, when it comes to finding the best Web hosting plan for your situation. Whether you are a sole proprietor, have a small firm or work in a Fortune 5 multinational, you need to consider the same basic things, only differing in a few specifics for the most part. The challenge is getting good information about the various Web hosting firms, since you certainly don’t want to trust their sales messages or Web site come-ons.

The key, then, is to do some objective research. If time is of the essence, however, you can augment (or even replace) your own efforts by availing yourself of some independent reviewers and rating sites. They go by various names, and offer different kinds of information, from a simple four-star rating system to a thorough discussion of all facets of a Web hosting plan. If you are finding good reviews of a particular host on several different rating and review sites, you are probably going to put that one on your short list. If you want to know the plain truth about Web hosting, of course, you need to know a bit about what is being rated. If you are in the dark on this topic, this introductory article will help.

First things first

The most important thing, just a bit more deserving of a #1 spot than other considerations, is reliability. This is measured in what is called uptime. A reliable, fast and stable hosting solution will guarantee at least 99% uptime, while adding a decimal point a few more 9s after it is becoming common for hosts. If the host is really serious about this uptime claim, you will see a guarantee for it.

Disk storage and data transfer (your traffic load in and out) are two other top considerations. Although many plans say they are unlimited, you have to read all the fine print to ensure this is true. If you will not be storing large video or audio files, and/or running a huge database with multiple sales checkout options, you are not likely to need completely unlimited storage. You may be able to get an even lower cost plan if you calculate your storage requirements and are certain you can keep below the limit you are paying for. The same holds true for your traffic (data transfer). If you don’t foresee needing an unlimited amount, find out just how much you do need before you shop around for a host.

Technical matters, service and support

Things like FTP, PHP, CGI-BIN access, SSL, etc., were once luxuries but are now necessities. If you need your host’s permission to install PHP or CGI scripts, that can slow you down. You will need these capabilities if you want to create your own special error pages, maintain online databases, add extra security measures and so on. You not only need to confirm the use of these tools, you need to know (right away) about any usage restrictions. The server type is another technical decision, since your desire to use, say, ASP will require a Windows server. Unix- and Linux-based hosts using the Apache Web server software give you much of the same flexibility without your needing to get approval to install anything. Make sure you understand why you would pick one server type over another, and if you don’t get it, get help and learn.

Unless your hardware and software is kind enough only to crash during normal business hours (not yours, the hosting company’s), you should opt for a host that has full-time, around-the-clock tech support with real people on the lines. Some claims of 24/6/365 support are based on the host having a FAQ page and an e-mail contact. You will also want to ensure that you can manage your site on your own, too, so some sort of browser-based control panel (like the popular cPanel) should be offered. This will allow you to manage e-mail and e-mail accounts, block spam, use various tools and maintain a level of control over your site.

Bottom line

It is not just a matter of assembling information. It is a matter of using your best judgment to get an objective, accurate review of potential hosts for your all-important Web site. That is the reason for the brief overview here, so that you know what things an independent reviewer should be telling you. When you start shopping around for a Web host, you also need to shop a bit for the best, most independent reviews, too. And that’s the plain truth!

Web Hosting at ReviewItOnline.net is a large team of experienced webmasters, web users, site owners and company leaders here to help you – webmasters of the future with all of your website hosting needs. Together we have years of online experience in creating successful websites and online products.

The actual process of web design actually begins by selecting the appropriate domain name for your company or business. There are a lot of views regarding domain names and what you should be looking for when deciding on a name. In my experience it relies on how large your business is currently and whether your company name or brand is known in the community or marketplace.

A good example would be if you were the Coca Cola company, which is a globally known brand and is recognised by nearly everyone on the planet. There would be no point in selecting a domain name such as sodapopDOTCOM or carbonateddrinkDOTCOM Most people know of the company brand and would go looking for you under cocacolaDOTCOM . Using the “keyword in the domain” strategy as part of your website design process would be a completely wasted endeavour.

If you are a small or even medium sized business that predominantly works in a local area (mainly a particular city) or maybe across the nation, you would want to maximize the amount of visitors to your website for the lowest amount of financial outlay. I think that often the most efficient way of doing this is to have a two domain strategy for your company web presence.

I would like to explain this by way of a typical local business example. Lets assume that you are a local handyman or tradesmen that constructs concrete retaining walls as a business but your business is called TRJ Constructions. If you have not had any real marketing or maybe even very little marketing, then the likelihood of someone searching for TRJ Constructions except if they know you, is pretty much zero.

You can spend a lot of time optimizing your website for the keyword concrete retaining walls. You might do lots of blogging, put yourself in web directories, create facebook pages etc. but that will take time and a lot of effort. Time is money, so this will be a costly exercise.

The alternative is to get 2 domain names. The first would be concreteretainingwallsDOTCOM or the nearest you can to that. You may have to have concrete-retaining-walls-cityDOTCOM or some close variation and then you would have your company domain name TRJconstructionsDOTCOM.

The keyword related name (concreteretainingwallsDOTCOM) will get a far better result in the search engines such as Google. If all you did was placed yourself in 5-10 free local web directories such as hotfrog and in Australia truelocal as well as a Google map with the same address as shown on your website, there is a good chance that you will end up on the front page of the search results.

At this point you are probably thinking about what am I going to do with the other domain name (TRJconstructionDOTCOM) that I suggested earlier that you buy. Well, simply redirect the site TRJconstructionsDOTCOM to concreteretainingwallsDOTCOM By doing it this way you can put this domain address on your business cards and given that as long as you make sure that you put your logo or business name at the top of your site, your customers will easily realize that they are certainly at the right website for your company.

The simple strategy of employing this two domain strategy as part of your website design process, can easily get free traffic to your website (assuming your website is structured correctly) without all the financial costs associated with it and the SEO (search engine optimisation) work that is required if you are using just your company name in the domain name. If your business flourishes and becomes a household name, you always have the option of transferring the website onto your business name domain or alternatively design a new website entirely and keep the keyphrase related site.

If your business needs help marketing online talk to a Perth Web Designer 9350 9392 or visit Web Wizards website with lots of great information about Web Design and how it can increase business.