Hosting is the physical space on which the site’s files will sit. It is a computer (“server”) located in a datacentre somewhere. When purchasing, it will offer such features as:

Operating System (OS)

Server operating systems can come in a wide variety of flavours depending on what is required of the server. However, the two most common being Linux running Apache or Windows running IIS. Which you will need will depend greatly on what you require of your Web site — discuss this with your designer/developer before you purchase hosting.

Storage/Space

Measured in MB or GB, this is the amount of physical space on the computer you have access to. Comparing this to your home computer, this would be the size of the hard drive.

Bandwidth

This is the amount of data transfer you are allowed. When someone visits your site, the page they are viewing is effectively “downloaded” to their computer’s browser for viewing. So all images, text, etc. is transfered from your server to their computer. This transfer is what counts towards your bandwidth. So, for example, if you have a very “heavy” site with lots of images, mp3 music streaming, self-hosted videos, etc. — you will want a hosting provider that gives you a lot of bandwidth to use.

Databases

Most modern hosting packages come with at least one, but usually multiple databases — the most common on Linux/Apache servers being MySQL databases. These are used by various Web applications that you may install — such as a CMS like WordPress, Drupal or Joomla. Web applications can be dependent on a certain type of database, so be sure to discuss this with your developer before purchasing hosting.

Pricing

This can vary greatly, the cheapest being shared hosting, via using a Virtual Private Server (VPS) and at the top end for very busy sites for a dedicated server. What you need will, again, depend greatly on what your site requires. While cheaper shared hosting plans are attractive to new site owners, it is important to consider that should your site start receiving a serious amount of traffic, the shared hosting will simply not be enough power — despite the claims made by the hosting company in regards to “storage” and “bandwidth”. This is because shared hosting generally has strict caps on two things hosting companies rarely add as features — CPU speed and memory access. These are “shared” with other hosting accounts on a shared hosting setup, and if your site starts eating into the shared allowance, your hosting company might suspend or even remove your account. The take away? Plan ahead a bit.

steveweblin.co.uk - web design and development services from Steve Weblin

Business Link provide lots of useful information for new and growing business.  I find this part of their of their website useful when talking to people thinking about setting up an online shop. http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073861197&r.l2=1073866263&r.s=tl&topicId=1074021940

steveweblin.co.uk - web design and development services from Steve Weblin

A domain is the address by which an internet browser is directed to the server’s location (which without a domain is just a string of numbers called an IP address, ie 218.439.36.99). Domains are registered at what is appropriately called a “domain registrar”. Sometimes this process is complicated by hosting companies offering free or discounted domain registration services with their hosting packages, or vice versa, domain registrars offering hosting services.

I recommend that domains and hosting should be handled separately, as this maintains a certain level of flexibility down the road should you decide to change either hosting companies or domain registrars. Having them tied together can complicate this process. The pricing of a domain is low enough that for anyone serious about starting a Web site, a “free domain” really is not worth the potential headaches the “freebie” can bring.

Domain pricing vary widely based on the Top Level Domain TLD (.com, .co.uk, .net, etc.) chosen. For common TLDs, prices are generally start at about £6.00 per year with .com likely costing more.

steveweblin.co.uk - web design and development services from Steve Weblin

Time for a change.  I have built WordPress sites for clients and at long last have got a round to converting my own site.

Why WordPress?

• WordPress is a very flexible tool to build websites with.
• There are lots of others working in the community so lots of support is available.
• Nobody need feel tied to a particular supplier – think how if you buy a Ford almost any garage knows what is under the bonnet and can service it for you.
• It is a well established and trusted product.

steveweblin.co.uk - web design and development services from Steve Weblin

Dealing with small business and their websites I am often asked for help with related web type things.

Two recent assignments have included: recovering data “lost” whilst a business were setting up a new laptop and restoring a website that had been hacked and black listed by Google.

steveweblin.co.uk - web design and development services from Steve Weblin