 |
 |
| |
|
 |
| |
How Do I Choose a Web Host?
The Web expands every day, and so do your choices. How do you find a web host to meet your business needs? There are many providers, each one with a different focus and services designed for a specific segment of the market. As you study your options, you might consider the following factors:
> How much should you spend to host your e-business?
You've probably seen the web hosting advertisements that offer massive amounts of data storage for only $9.95 per month. You get what you pay for. Data storage is cheap and easy to supply, however it is much more difficult to provide customers with uninterrupted high-speed access, quality customer care, technical expertise, and guaranteed uptime.
It is important to make sure exactly what you need, and what you are getting, before you jump at a bargain. Choose a provider offering prices commensurate with the range and quality of its services.
Minerva offers the most reliable and affordable web presence solutions on the Internet. For a few extra dollars per month, your web site can perform with the best.
> What should you get for your money?
Data Storage (Disk Space) In order to have your web files served to the world, you need to have a generous amount of disk space on our servers where you can upload your pages, images, sound clips, etc. and store them. Minerva allows you to manage your space through FTP, and if on a Unix server, through Telnet.
Bandwidth (Data Transfer) Bandwidth is the amount of data transmitted or received through a unit of time. In web hosting, bandwidth is consumed when visitors make requests for files on your web site and download them to their personal computers. When you add up the total of all files downloaded off of your site in a particular month, your total should be lower than the amount allotted with your hosting plan. If it is not, your file sizes may be too large or you may be generating a lot of hits - in which case you may need to upgrade to a larger hosting plan or to a dedicated hosting server.
Your Own Domain Name A true virtual domain name (www.mycompany.com) gives your site instant credibility. New customers have a good first impression, and returning visitors don't have to remember where your site is hosted in order to reach you. It's like having a direct phone number rather than an extension.
POP3 E-mail Accounts You can send and receive mail through Post Office Protocol 3 accounts, so that your e-mail addresses end in your Web site's unique domain name.
E-mail Aliases, Forwarding and Autoresponders E-mail aliases and forwarding allow you to set up names@yourdomain.com that forward to a POP3 e-mail account that you may already have. This allows you to check multiple aliases by downloading mail from one e-mail account. Autoresponders are also a great feature with hosting accounts since you can automatically respond to customer e-mails sent to a particular address with a standard message, like "Thank you for contacting our Sales team. We will be responding to your e-mail within 24 hours."
Technical Support Whether you are new to web hosting or an expert, you will want your hosting provider to have great technical support online, over the phone and through e-mail. This way, when you have a question or concern you can find the help you need in a timely manner and have the ability to find the information in the format you wish to receive it.
> What operating system is best for your web site?
An operating system or "platform," such as Microsoft's Windows NT or DOS is the basic set of commands that tell your computer how to open applications and store files. In the early days of Internet activity, most servers operated on a Unix platform, an extremely powerful and flexible system that requires considerable technical expertise to administrate. Unix is still as popular as ever, but today you have a choice: Windows NT and Unix variations such as Sun Microsystem's Solaris, Silicon Grahics' Irix, and Berkeley's BSD.
Experts offer widely different opinions as to which platform works best for web sites. In the end, the choice depends largely on what you want to do with your site. For example, if you'll be using Microsoft applications such as MS SQL (a database program) or Microsoft FrontPage (a web authoring tool), you might be more comfortable operating your site on a Windows NT platform. Since NT, MS SQL and FrontPage are all Microsoft products, they are more compatible with one another. On the other hand, many engineers prefer the flexibility, security, and control of Unix servers. Unix also allows for more web sites per server, lowering the cost of hosting per account.
As your site grows in size and complexity, in all likelihood you'll decide that a particular platform is desirable. It's best to anticipate this contingency and choose a web host that offers multiple platforms and backs them up with technical expertise. Minerva offers a wide variety of hosting packages on just about every leading platform - and we're always looking toward the future and the latest in server technology. When you host with a market leader like Minerva, you can be sure that the best technology that becomes available will be available for your web site.
- > What do you get out of a world-class data center?
- Redundancy
No matter how excellent the equipment, no matter how expert the engineers, technology fails occasionally. A web host with multiple routers and switches, secondary servers, and UPS systems with backup generators can provide consistent, high-speed access and guarantee at least 99% uptime.
Web hosting companies, unlike Internet Service Providers (ISPs), have high-speed lines connected to more than one Internet "backbone" provider. This is crucial to reliable web site performance, since network service can be compromised by technical glitches and unexpected surges in traffic. A redundant network design allows a web host to direct traffic away from Internet "hotspots" and along the fastest routes - and your site remains available even if one network's service is interrupted.
We have diesel generators that can operate our servers for 7 days independently; back-up tape storage; redundant servers; and links to at least three network providers - all to make sure that your site will remain available.
Reliability
Excellent web hosting providers can offer this guarantee because they've invested in the best automatic monitoring equipment; hired experienced engineers who can anticipate problems and emergencies; and installed redundant backup systems to take over the moment anything goes wrong.
If a web host guarantees only 95% uptime, keep in mind that this translates into 8.4 hours of down time per week: the equivalent of a "closed" sign on the door of your 24-hour business.
Security
It takes many layers of Internet security, from password protection to firewall barriers, to prevent determined hackers from wreaking havoc with your Web data. Most hosting companies offer some assurance that their network and software are protected from unwanted intrusions such as spamming and hijacking. Make sure the hosting company you choose has enough security measures in place to ensure that your data is completely protected.
Minerva's servers are well protected, both physically and digitally. Our advanced firewall system keeps intruders out of our network; our switches are configured to prevent data snooping; and we monitor site security 24 hours a day.
Servers
Although it's possible to host a web site on the CPU of an average personal computer, responsive web sites require high-speed SCSI disk drives, error-correcting RAM, and the most powerful microprocessors available. Reliable providers host their sites on equipment built to withstand the constant bombardment of web traffic. Minerva hosts your sites on the most popular platforms, and are constantly upgrading to maintain state-of-the-art technology.
Speed
Web hosting companies typically connect to the Internet through T (Transmission), OC (Optical Carrier), and DS (Digital Signal) lines. Many smaller web hosting providers still use T1's to connect your site to the world at a rate of 1.544 megabits per second. Minerva uses redundant multiple DS3 (45 Mbps) lines to offer our customers the bandwidth they need for multiple user sessions on their site at any given time.
The best hosting companies use redundant lines to ensure that customers' sites remain responsive even if their primary Internet connections are temporarily unavailable. It's a good idea to determine which providers offer backup connections fast enough to maintain your site's performance in the event of a primary line failure.
In addition to offering the fastest network connections, a host should provision its lines and circuits to use less than 50% of available bandwidth. Overburdened network connections will inevitably result in poor site performance - in fact, a lightly used T1 line will transfer data faster than an overused T3 connection. Be sure to ask hosting companies about network capacity and utilization to make sure that your site will benefit from the fast network connections they've advertised.
> What level of technical support should you look for?
The company you choose should offer round-the-clock technical support - you don't want to be stranded if you encounter an uploading glitch on a Sunday morning at 3:00 a.m. You'll find that some hosting companies offer support only by e-mail, and others offer toll line support during restricted business hours. Make sure that your hosting company staffs its data center round the clock - you'll get more agreeable support if your 3:00 a.m. call doesn't activate the beeper of an engineer at home in bed.
Browse through the host's automated online services to make sure they're user-friendly and useful, and check that telephone support numbers and e-mail addresses are easily available. We also suggest that you contact a hosting provider's technical support engineers before placing your web site in their hands. Ask some questions and make sure the representative can speak to your needs and to your level of expertise.
We provide the best customer care in the industry. Our engineers monitor and maintain your site 24 hours every day, and automatically fix any problems that might affect your site's performance. If you have any questions or concerns, our technical support staff can be reached by phone 24 hours a day.
|
|
|
