Okay. So we've discussed the pros and cons of starting a Web
business. You've remained politely patient through all of
those warnings and it's time to get down to the nitty
gritty. What will you actually need to get your business off
the ground?
A store manager needs an operational shop before he can open
the front door and welcome his customers.
Most forms of Web business - we're going to presume that
you're starting from scratch for now - are operational once
a Web site has been unveiled to the public. It's the
equivalent of lifting the shutters and turning the sign to
"Open".
But as you can probably imagine, Web sites never appear on
the Web by magic. You have to have a few essential
ingredients. Here we'll take a look at what's required.
Finding The Right Web Host
Sharing a Web host is like renting a house. You dump your
bags in the front door and part with some cash so that
they're not kicked back on to the street. With Web hosts,
you pay a third party company to host your Web content on
the principle that;
A. They'll keep the files safe and provide good security.
B. You won't abuse their services.
Yes, pay close attention to amendment B. If you break the
rules of a Web host, you could find yourself kicked out on
to the cyber street. And there's no guarantee that they'll
be so nice to return those sweat stained files of month's
graft.
So what variations of Web host do we have? And what actually
is it?
Most Web hosts will have a large data centre with rows and
rows of machines linked to separate servers. In theory,
these machines aren't that different to the ones that you
and I go about our standard computing needs. Except Web
servers are geared towards the World Wide Web.
When you load a URL on the Internet, a request is sent to
the server which hosts the page. The server will then return
the content to your browser through gateways and all kinds
of other lovely routers which we won't get bogged down in. A
few thousand miles of electronic communication has taken
place in a matter of seconds, and providing the server is
performing, we'll be presented with what we wanted to see.
That is, of course, to presume that the Web site is running
on a good Web host. Turn things around and now it's you with
the responsibility of finding a good host. Pick a bad hosting
company and you'll spend no end of time explaining to your
customers why "we're waiting for technical problems to be fixed".
This can spell disaster if you're running a large scale
organization. Can you imagine if eBay crashed for an hour?
Think of the outrage from aggrieved sellers across the land!
Thankfully for eBay, that particular Web site is run straight
off a secure Web server at specs the rest of us could only
dream of.
Most Web hosting packages will come with a cleverly worded
sales pitch to make it seem like more than it really is. As
such, choosing a good host can be a business in itself.
We've spent many months trawling through providers and
separating the good from the bad, but there are several key
factors to look out for. So here they are.
We will take a detailed look at the many advanced
technologies later in this section but let's look at the
above points first.
Bandwidth and disk space are the most heavily promoted items
of most Web packages but they're rarely the most revealing.
Bandwidth is the expression for the traffic going in and out
of your Web site. If you have a large bandwidth cap (in the
hundreds of gigabytes region), you can afford the luxury of
having lots of activity on your site. This is somewhat
misleading without the knowledge of server speeds though.
Disk space is as you'd expect. It's the amount of space
allocated to your account. Providing you're not hosting a
whole bunch of media files, disk space shouldn't be an
issue.
As we mentioned, server speeds are critical for the
reliability of your host. What good is excessive bandwidth
if multiple requests grind your server in to the ground?
Have you ever used a machine which lags and stutters and
does everything in its capability to frustrate the living
daylights out of you? Yes, we have too. It's not an
enjoyable experience and it's even less enthralling for your
customers as they navigate the Web site.
Next up, we have file access. We will touch on this in
greater detail, but for now, you only need to worry about
the practicalities of updating your Web site and maintaining
it remotely.
When Should I Opt For A Dedicated Server?
A dedicated server is usually necessary once a business
reaches a stage where shared Web hosting is draining
resources and performance is faltering.
On the surface, a dedicate server can look somewhat below
the cut as far as specs go. Why would anybody want to pay
multiple times the monthly fee for potentially less
bandwidth and disk space?
Put it this way. You can attach expansive hard drives to
many computers and you'll end up with more space. But while
space is of no real use on its own, you're likely to pay
kidneys and livers to upgrade your CPU and motherboard.
The main advantage of a dedicated server is staring at you
in the title. It's dedicated to you! You won't be sharing
resources with other Web users and you won't be battling for
attention with millions of other requests.
As a result, careful consideration should be leant to an
upgrade - particularly if performance outweighs the
advantage of additional bandwidth.
Many Web sites will automatically require an upgrade if they
grow to a particularly size. Can you really imagine Amazon
parked on a $150 a month shared Web host? Say a prayer for
the poor Web masters it'd be sharing with! No, Amazon, like
most large Web businesses, has made the investment in
dedicated servers which are dedicated to its cause.
Don't make the plunge straight away. You can expect to pay
hefty prices to rent a server, and it's not required during
the infancy of your business.
But if you ever reach the point where a dedicated provider
is needed, congratulations! You've definitely made it!
Advanced Technologies
After even a little investigation of the Web hosting market,
you'll undoubtedly notice a wide array of technical terms.
To fully comprehend the technologies, we could cover a whole
separate section.
Obviously, away from those depths, let's look at a few of
the key terms you may stumble across.
SQL Databases - These are used to store structured data in
a structured format. They are very useful and come in many
varieties. You'll find mySQL, MS Access and Postgres to name
a few. mySQL is generally seen as the leading standard,
given its large fan base on the open source scene. MS Access
databases are typically for use with Windows servers.
PHP - This is a programming language favoured by the open
source community. It's relatively easy to learn and can
support many advanced scripts. You can distinguish a PHP
Web site by its (.php) extension in the URL bar.
ASP - Another advanced programming language commonly used
on Windows platforms. It links closely with ASP.Net and
supports database connecting well.
ColdFusion (CFM) - ColdFusion is a popular programming
language which simplifies many scripts in to easily
maintainable HTML-styled tags. The language supports Mail,
visual generation, database interaction and even PDF output.
Media Streaming - If you plan on streaming videos or audio
directly through the user agent, you will need a host which
has this option enabled. It's increasingly common, but still
worth checking up on.
SSI - Standing for Server Side Includes, this will affect
what the server is willing to process.
SSL - A recognised security standard and very useful if
you plan on implementing E-Commerce features. You will need
some kind of Shared SSL or Private SSL to host a shopping
cart.
Registering A Domain
Why would you want to consider purchasing a domain?
It's true that many hosting packages come with their own
domains, and to the untrained eye, they can look fairly
impressive. But on the professional market, an appended URL
is unlikely to produce much in the way of a wow factor.
Which sounds more serious?
mywebbusiness.freehosts.com - OR - mywebbusiness.com
Unless you buy your own domain, you're likely to end up with
one of these appended URLs where your host shares part of
the address.
So, it goes without saying that a dip in to the wallet is in
order.
There are many, MANY domains on the market, and there are
just as many companies willing to provide them. The best
offers will typically come in at around $8 for an annual
registration. If you're paying more than this, keep looking,
you can find better.
Once you've decided on a domain, process the relevant
details and you should receive e-mail confirmation of the
purchase. You'll be able to log in to your account and
adjust several settings.
It's important to adjust the NAMESERVER information so that
it points to your current host. This is vital. If you fail
to enter the correct nameserver details, the domain won't
point to your Web site.
It's a good idea to contact your host beforehand. They'll be
able to provide the relevant information and within 24 to 48
hours, your domain should be up and running.
It might not say much for your business, but it's a nice new
shop window!
To find Web hosting that's specifically designed to help you
succeed go to:
http://webhosting.sitesell.com/dasanka.html
How Can I Access My Web Site Files?
Many novice Web masters will spend hours star gazing at their
newly setup account wondering just how they're supposed to
access the files. It can be a little tricky on some Web
hosts.
Most providers will offer a Web based utility for file
uploads. This will allow you to transfer files from a local
computer to the Web host. The good point is that it doesn't
require any additional software. On the downside, it can be
slow and unresponsive. You'll even find some Web upload
scripts where each file needs to be manually inserted. Quite
a chore when you have thousands of files to get through!
In instances such as this, we tend to favour FTP software as
a means of bulk uploading and adjusting specific directory
settings.
An FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client allows you to connect
remotely to the server. You will need your username and
password at hand, and also the host's FTP address.
Once the details have been entered, click Connect and you'll
see a window pop up. The Web files will appear in one pane,
and you'll normally see your local system in the other.
There are many FTP products on the market - some free and
some paid. Smart FTP and Cute FTP are worth looking in to
with trial versions available over a limited time period. If
this won't do, consider one of the free open source clients.
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