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Web Hosting, Web Hosting UK, Dedicated Servers, Managed Hosting, Dedicated Server | CWCS
Final approval has been given to the creation of the .xxx domain name to distinguish adult related sites on the internet. It has taken over 10 years for this to be achieved but finally domain name authority Icann have given the go-ahead for the .xxx domain extension which could lead to a virtual red-light district.
Icann, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers who oversee the addressing system and new top level domain names said, “The Icann community has engaged in extensive debate as well, with this single issue generating higher volumes of community comment than nearly any other issue ever faced within Icann.”
The new .xxx domain extension was first given approval back in 2005 but due to protests from political groups it was withdrawn. Then last month, a group of judges in the US ruled that it was wrong to deny creation of this new extension. Icann accepted that ruling and began a public consultation process on whether the domain should be approved.
There are reports that there were more than 110,000 pre-orders for .xxx domains last year.
In a previous post entitled “Why does speed matter to Google?” we highlighted that page speed now plays an important part in the Google search algorithm. Now we will look at what you can do in order to improve your page speed which will help towards your organic search engine positioning.
It’s not only your search engine rankings that will suffer, users generally get frustrated if a site takes longer than 6 seconds to load, so you may be losing visitors which can damage the reputation of your site and also waste any efforts put in to online marketing campaigns.
The first thing you can do is check your site to see if you have a problem with page speed. Google provides a speed checking tool which will tell you how fast your pages load and which files could be compressed to improve the speed of your site. Google Webmaster Tools has also launched a new feature in its “Labs” section that will give you a graph of how fast your site loads and how it compares to others.
If you are still having a problem once you have used the speed checking tool and have followed the recommendations laid out by Google, there are a few other things you can do. Make sure that your website code is as clean as possible for search engines to read, always make sure you have a style sheet (css) document rather than styling all the on-page elements individually. Try and reduce the file size of images to under 40kb where possible, also try and use the correct css code rather than using background images. Try and limit the use of Flash too, as this will put a huge strain on your loading time.
One of the most important things to do is make sure you have the best possible web hosting. A web hosting company like CWCS Managed Hosting, with unlimited bandwidth and fast network speeds will help improve the elements of site speed that are out of your control.
Quality web hosting or better yet a dedicated server from CWCS will give your website the best possible environment to succeed.
Creating a blog and online presence is easier than ever before thanks to some great online blog tools which are free to get started. Wordpress is one of the most popular choices of free blogging software thanks to its level of customisation, plugins and widgets to make your blog look entirely unique. Thanks to its online wizard and user friendly interface, even non-technical people can create a great looking site in just a few minutes.
When it comes to hosting Wordpress, there are two options, you can have it hosted on a WordPress server which is free on www.wordpress.com, or the better option is to buy your own web hosting package and domain name and install the WordPress software on it. The advantages of hosting it on a web hosting package is that it looks a lot more professional and you can use it as a stand-alone website. It is also a lot easier to customise the design and structure of the site it is hosted on your own server.
Once you have chosen which web site hosting option you require, you need to create an account, choose a name for your blog and then choose one of the templates available as a starting point for your blog. You can start blogging straight away and come back later to change them template using some simple web design and css to get the site looking how you want.
To get started with a WordPress site your hosting package will need to include the following:
- PHP version 4.3 and MySQL version 4.0 or later enabled.
- A MySQL database to store the data from your blog. (This is configured during the Wordpress installation process)
You will also need:
- An FTP client, so you can upload the WordPress software to begin installation
- A text editor like notepad for writing html and css. To design a custom site, some graphic manipulation software, such as Adobe Photoshop would also be useful.
The perfect package to begin using WordPress is our Linux Professional package from just £9.99 per month.
The factors that make a website successful are different for different site owners. Success for some could mean attracting a certain number of visitors per day, and for others plaudits from friends and family. On a more commercial basis, you may feel you have achieved great things if your site starts making a healthy profit. Whatever your success thresholds, there are some basic steps you can take that will set your site on the right road.
First and foremost, have a clear idea of what your site is trying to achieve. Ask yourself why you are building the site, but don’t stop there. Also consult with family, friends and colleagues. Then write a brief mission statement, which should be both powerful and flexible, providing room for future development.
Next, ensure every page on the site says something valuable, helpful, and meaningful – properly justifies its existence. Users get very impatient with pointless window dressing.
Avoid garish pictures as backgrounds, and use contrasting colours, to ensure your text is readable. For instance, it’s hard to read dark text on a dark background.
Also ensure your site performs well technically, so that users don’t have to wait too long once they have clicked a link or committed to an online purchase. This all depends on reliable web hosting, and with website hosting with CWCS we ensure the best possible performance for all the sites we host. Our web hosting also comes with the highest levels of expert 24/7 technical support.
Websites deemed to be engaging in “criminal” activity could be shut down in future if the police get there way. The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) seek the power to close down websites and are looking to work with .uk domain authority Nominet.
Since Nominet changed their policy development process, they have managed to close down sites they deem to be “criminal” in the last 12 months.
Currently Nominet are under no obligation to act on criminal websites, but SOCA want this changing, so that domain names and web hosting accounts can be cancelled by law enforcement if they are deemed to be engaging in criminal activity.
The proposal by SOCA has been posted on the Nominet site, so that users can debate the topic and the public get a chance to submit their feedback on the proposal.
Currently there is no timescale as to when this new policy could be introduced, but there are fears that police could cause massive damages to legitimate sites if they wrongly accuse sites of being engaged in criminal activity.
Since Linux server is one of the most common workhorses in the world of web hosting, some background information on this quirkily named operating system might be helpful.
Linux dates back to the early 1990’s when Linus Torvalds, a Norwegian student, created an operating system which derived from UNIX, but had, by contrast with UNIX, a more generous open-source licensing system: Linux was made free for commercial, not just educational, use. The subsequent global collective coding effort has produced a robust, enterprise-class operating system.
During the 1990’s and 2000’s Linux soon took hold as the default server operating system for web hosting. In combination with Apache web server software, Linux has become the one to beat when it comes to web hosting. This is for three main reasons.
- Affordability: Linux is free to use. There are still some expenses, particularly in the area of support. But there are no ongoing software licensing costs, which, especially in these financially challenging times, is a big plus.
- Stability: Linux is a mature, operating system, which has benefited from hours of hard-core tweaking by a global community of dedicated programmers. As a consequence Linux uptime is counted in months, even years.
- Security: the Linux kernel is coded so as to shield itself from external interference or intrusion, and is particularly resistant to hackers and viruses.
Should you choose a web hosting account with CWCS, you will find that we offer a Linux server as a professionally supported option through our range of packages, from shared hosting, to dedicated servers.
The word ‘Linux’ sounds a little like a quaint cartoon character, but in fact the word stands for a powerful computer operating system that is no longer just for enthusiasts, and is increasingly becoming a viable alternative to Windows in mainstream computing.
Linux is a UNIX based operating system which has its origins in the early 1990s, and derives its name from its Finnish creator Linus Thorvalds. Linux is “open source”, which effectively means “free to install and use”.
Whilst Linux can be used on home PCs it is mostly known for underpinning industrial-strength servers, particularly web servers.
The cost benefits of not having to pay software license fees could be reason enough for choosing a Linux server to host your website. However, the reputation of Linux-based servers is not founded on cost advantages alone.
Linux servers have also developed a reputation for reliability, complemented by extended periods of uptime (counted in months rather than weeks).
Moreover, a Linux server is far less prone to security breaches than severs based on other operating systems, mostly down to the uncompromising, self-protective way that Linux is coded.
Finally, a Linux server is compatible with a host of other open source applications which can help you build a website for free. These include web hosting server software, database packages, and CMS’.
Here at CWCS, should you choose a Linux dedicated server for your website, we can help you on your way with passionate customer service and first-rate 24/7 technical support, provided by phone and email.
For a dynamic, growing business, with increased amounts of web traffic, and perhaps an e-commerce arm, a dedicated server soon becomes a serious option.
A dedicated server is a web hosting server entirely dedicated to your site. Your site gets a unique IP address, which gives the added bonus of highlighting its uniqueness to certain search engines. As well as this, the site can support considerably more traffic than a website on a shared server.
However, physical dedicated servers tend to be on the expensive side, doubtless because of their many advantages.
It is now possible to benefit from the advantages of a dedicated server, but at a more reasonable cost, through a “virtual dedicated server”. A “virtual dedicated server” is an emulation of a self-contained physical computer created entirely in software. More than one of these virtual machines can exist on a single computer, which has been configured as a virtual server host machine.
A virtual dedicated server performs and behaves in ways almost identical to a physical dedicated server, but without the overheads of “real” hardware. Site owners can still choose between the Linux and Windows operating systems. They can also install whatever website software they require, from forums and blogs, to e-commerce.
Here at CWCS we find that many clients are keen to take advantage of this economic means of getting hold of the “holy grail” of a dedicated server. We are also proud of the high level of technical support we offer our dedicated server clients.
Security is one of the most pressing concerns for any website owner, especially if the site is integral to their business and a means of income.
One of the keys to a secure website is to ensure that your web hosting company takes security as seriously as you do. So, when researching web hosting deals, take the trouble to ask the company about three key aspects: firewalls, virus protection, and backup.
A firewall is a hardware or software component that minimises the risk, as far as practicably possible, of intrusion on to the hosting web server. A firewall is the first line of defence, and is arguably the most crucial part of your armoury.
Antivirus software is the second line of defence and works, a little bit like vaccines, by checking against a harmless internal database of known threats and neutralising any software on the host PC that appears to be “carrying” that threat.
Finally, there’s backup. Backup is essential in the event of data loss of all kinds (theft and fire damage for instance). However, a good and frequent backup service will mean you can get your site restored by your website hosting company in the unfortunate event that a hacker manages to break through the first two lines of defence and corrupt your site.
Here at CWCS we provide the most up-to-date and robust security services as part of our hosting packages, as well as regular site backups, in combination with high-quality, dedicated and responsive technical support.
Websites tend to grow and change in tandem with the site owner’s organisation or business.
A website might start out as a 3-page marketing platform, but can, over the years develop in to a fully-fledged large-scale site, perhaps including video, e-commerce, blogs, and a forum.
When a site reaches that kind of size the dedicated server web hosting option is a serious option.
A dedicated server is a server entirely given over to hosting your individual site and there’s usually a choice to make between the Linux and Windows operating systems.
There are sometimes good reasons for choosing a Windows dedicated server.
First, the server itself comes loaded with Windows, an operating system which is familiar to users the world over, and so there will be less of a learning curve when managing the system, installing updates and so on.
Furthermore your windows server will come pre-installed with an entire web application framework, called .NET, which will give your software developers a head-start when building applications such as forums and picture galleries. .NET is both powerful and scaleable.
With Windows dedicated server, there’s also support for the database systems which underpin your site, whether MS SQL or Access.
If your website designer prefers working with any of the above tools then they will be most comfortable working on a Windows dedicated server.
Here at CWCS we provide a variety of Windows dedicated server packages, along with expert 24/7 technical support, and an assigned project manager.
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