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Web Hosting, Web Hosting UK, Dedicated Servers, Managed Hosting, Dedicated Server | CWCS
With cyber-crime on the increase, it’s becoming more important than ever to keep your website secure.
The main threat against websites is hacking, or intrusion into a computer by a person or persons who do not have permission to enter.
Hackers may simply want to maliciously deface your content for the fun of it, or they may have darker purposes, stealing users’ credit card details on e-commerce sites. Whatever their motivations, you need to be able to stop hackers in their tracks.
First ensure the version of your site, stored on your own or your developer’s computer, is protected. It should have top of the range antivirus and firewall software installed, and, if a Windows machine, be regularly updated with the latest Windows server patches.
Also, verify that any scripts (computer files containing code) used by your website are secure and from reputable sources.
When it comes to accessing your website using your web site hosting company’s control panel (e.g. cPanel), ensure that you frequently change your password. Next, make sure you use strong passwords, as in 8 – 20 random upper/lower case strings, ideally including some numeric and punctuation characters.
Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that your web hosting company will be doing its bit to keep your site secure.
Here at CWCS, where we have close on 10 years of experience in the hosting business, our server security is both up-to-date and industrial-strength. You can rely on us to do our part in keeping your site safe.
If you are responsible for a high-traffic, commercial website, reliability and continuity of service will both be high priorities.
This kind of reliability is most likely going to be provided by choosing a ‘managed server’ hosting option. With managed hosting a site is hosted on a server dedicated entirely to that website, and is administered and supported by specialist, qualified staff at the web hosting company.
The kinds of support provided are as follows:
- Assisting with the server setup – this can be particularly helpful if you choose a Linux server, as the Linux operating system, with its remarkable power and flexibility, can sometimes overwhelm inexperienced users. Having said that, assistance with Windows server setup could also be invaluable.
- Server monitoring – it helps to have experts on a hand to “read” the self-monitoring messages generated by the server.
- Applying crucial patches and updates in a timely manner.
- Regularly backing up your data and server configuration.
These are just a few of the key admin tasks that would be taken out of your company’s hands, should you choose a managed server option.
Here at CWCS, with a decade’s experience in the web hosting world, we offer a managed server service that is second to none, and which is underpinned by peerless technical support available 24/7 365 days a year, and by phone or email.
Managed hosting is not necessarily the cheapest web hosting option, but it is certainly the most likely to bring you peace of mind.
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.
When shopping around for the best web hosting company, your top priority should be server resilience.
Server reliability is crucial because the 24/7 availability of your site depends on it. You really don’t want your site to be going down, as not only will you miss out on traffic but your customers might well see this as a reflection on you, not your website hosting company.
On server performance, the company should offer uptime percentages in the very high 90s, maintenance by qualified system administrators, a physically secure data centre, and a rock-solid backup system.
Reliable technical support is a further high priority. When something goes wrong, you need a polite, helpful, rapid response – ideally on a 24/7 basis.
A further priority should be flexibility. Your website may change and grow over the years, and you will need a web hosting service that is capable of “scaling up” with you. Make sure a full range of packages is on offer, reflecting different scales of website, from small 3-page information sites, to major e-commerce enterprises.
Finally, look for value for money: a web hosting company that charges fair rates and a professional, well-staffed service.
Here at CWCS we are fully confident of being able to meet your needs. We offer a 99.99% operational guarantee on our servers. We provide a full variety of hosting packages (both the Linux server and Windows server are supported), at reasonable rates, and are passionate about technical support, which is 24/7 by phone and email for all packages.
Up until the year 2000, UNIX or Linux servers were dominant in the world of web hosting. But with Windows 2000 Server, followed by the 2003 version, and now Windows 2008 Server, Microsoft has begun to play catch-up.
A fierce debate rages between Linux server and Windows Server advocates. The conventional wisdom is that Linux wins out because it’s “open source” (the software is free), more secure and copes better with high traffic.
But sometimes passion can obscure facts. In reality, a well-maintained, professionally managed, Windows Server can be just as secure and reliable as any equally well-run, competing Linux setup. What’s more, there can be some advantages in going down the Windows route.
First there’s the familiarity of software on the server itself. It’s Windows, which is installed on 90% of the world’s desktops, so you will benefit from being able to navigate it quickly due to familiarity with the setup.
Then there are the web applications that can be built on a Windows web server. Windows Server supports a programming language called ASP.NET. In the right hands this language can form the entire framework for your website, from the site pages themselves, to customer databases, to “in-browser” software such as calendars, calculators, and even complex programmes like word processors.
Therefore, especially if you have a developer to hand who prefers to work in ASP.NET, the Windows Server route is one to consider.
At CWCS we provide a rich range of Windows Server packages at competitive prices.
A Content Management System (known as a CMS) is website authoring software which is installed on your web hosting server that enables users to write and publish their content in a transparent, straightforward way, using just their web browser.
Content Management Systems have grown rapidly over the years in terms of the variety of packages, level of complexity and numbers of users, from chess clubs to schools, to enterprise level global organisations.
The big advantage of a CMS is that it takes the hassle out of web page creation and publishing. Before the CMS, web page creation and publishing was managed by programmes such as “Front Page” and “Dreamweaver”. However, it soon became clear that where sites required upkeep by more than one or two individuals, licensing and software training issues became awkward impediments to progress. Paying what could easily run into thousands of pounds for web development software to enable users to publish their pages to a site was not a pleasant prospect for businesses. It is easy to see why the CMS option has gone mainstream in the past decade or so.
There are however a vast range of CMS solutions to choose from: from “Open Source” packages best hosted on a Linux server, and commercial packages such as Microsoft’s “Sharepoint”, best hosted on a Windows Server.
Take advice from an IT expert on which package is best for you. At CWCS we support both Windows Server and Linux server web hosting, so can cater for the full range of CMS requirements.
Colocation hosting is a form of hosting in which a third party data centre houses your company’s server for you. E.g., your company’s web server could be securely sited off your premises.
However, the usual arrangement is that your company’s own IT staff will continue to manage your server via remote access – this is the “co” part of “colocation”.
Sometimes the phrase used for a colocation centre is “carrier hotel”: actually “hotel” is a good word to evoke the five-star care we at CWCS guarantee your hardware.
The colocation option is typically favoured by small to medium sized businesses that has a complex telecommunications setup and may be looking to cut the costs of managing their own data centre. This is especially so for companies growing in size and expanding across different locations.
Sometimes companies starting out want to avoid altogether the expense and complexity of setting up their own data centre, so opt for colocation hosting right from the beginning.
Financial considerations aside, it simply gives you peace of mind to know that your vital equipment, equipment that forms the engine-room of your business, is looked after. Also, worry over matters such as minimising fire risk, backup, parts replacement, and air conditioning are out of your hands.
At CWCS we have offer a good selection of colocation packages to suit all budgets. We have system administrators on hand with qualifications in managing Linux and Windows 2003/2008 servers, and we also offer fantastic technical support at reasonable rates.
If you’re a small business setting up a website it’s likely you won’t have a designer in-house, so you are almost inevitably going to find yourself needing a website designer and external dedicated server.
Before speaking to any design companies clear your head and your desk, switch off your mobile and computer, sit down with pen and paper, and think long and hard about what you really want from your company’s website.
The costs for small business websites do vary but can range from £250 to thousands of pounds depending upon complexity. Be aware that adding an e-commerce feature in particular can increase website design costs.
The trick is to find a designer who understands you, your company, its vision, and whom you feel you get on well with, at an affordable price.
Don’t rush this procurement. Consult colleagues, any friends in the web industry, and scour competitors’ websites. Plus, if you find a company you want to work with don’t necessarily be deterred by an expensive first quote. You can always try some amicable negotiation.
Once you’ve found your designer, you should feel confident to let them talk direct to your web hosting company.
At CWCS we are happy, with your authorisation, to talk to third parties. In fact it’s often better to let the experts talk directly, as long as you’re kept informed. We can help your designer decide such matters as the best hosting package for you, and whether to go for a Linux server or Windows server.
Top chefs know what it is to get a meal perfectly balanced. They spend years perfecting their recipes so they find the perfect combination of taste and texture. Getting the fish crunchy not oily. Making the risotto at a good, rich consistency. Finally, creating a sauce just right for the perfectly presented meal. After years and years of trying and testing, they know what makes a really good combination.
Your e-business is just like that meal, with each additional element just as important as the next. First there is the product itself. After years of development, you know better than anyone what your business is about. Your products have already been tried and tested successfully in the marketplace.
The presentation of your website is just as important, and whilst you may have to hand over some control to web designers and leave web hosting in their hands, you still have a very important input into the design – knowing what your profile and image is. Knowing what works for you and keeping it at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
At CWCS we are award winning experts at the next addition to your business. Our web hosting experience has helped thousands of businesses get that mix perfectly balanced so the client can get to your product seamlessly without Linux or Windows servers crashing or going down. So your clients’ queries and orders are quickly delivered to you. A good web hosting service is the sauce that makes everything work. Then all you have to do is enjoy the dessert.
Most people, when they start running a website for the first time, like to get as much of an understanding as they can of the products they are using. They look for large, well respected, trusted companies to help them achieve their goals. The idea is that if you are in the same boat as so many others, then there will be more people to help you.
Certainly this is very true in the case of Windows servers. With over 80% of websites run on them and a huge multi-national corporation behind it, you won’t find a safer bet. The real benefit of going with a large company, of whom you are already familiar with, is that you probably know how to do the basics. There is no need for the instruction manual to find where certain functions are, since you already use it at work, or at home on your own PC.
Also, since Windows servers are the industry standard, you can be assured that any new software will come out on the Microsoft packages first, because programmers know where the market is, and will almost always try to aim to reach the biggest share.
At CWCS we have been working with Windows servers for over a decade, and our award winning team have solutions for even the simplest of problems. We are proud of our web hosting services and can offer a Windows server or a Linux server to suit any and all of your needs.
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