The holiday season is a great time to start a blog. Even though celebration activities abound, most people can find the time to think about topics of interest to the general Internet culture, on things ranging from shopping, e-commerce, and small business – just to name a few. Most everyone can get into the Christmas spirit, regardless of whatever else may be going on.
This season, there is a particular number of people who are very hopeful about the future, and thus, may be inspired to look for new opportunities to enhance the quality of their lives. For example, web hosting firms are also offering many great bargains, so it is a good idea to try to take advantage of some of them. In short, there is no time like the present, to either start a blog, continue or expand up on one.
Below is a short list of some things to consider, when starting or re-evaluating a blog presence:
1. Uptime and Downtime – First and foremost, it is essential to understand the concept of what uptime and downtime is, and how it may affect the blog. Always determine the success of a web hosting company by how well they can assess how good the uptime/downtime ratio is. Any reputable web host should be able to do this; if not, it is a good idea to consider another firm. Keep in mind, however, that there is not going to be a perfectly 100% positive situation, so any company claiming this, is another one to avoid. Realistically, the uptime ratio should be relatively high, and comparable to other standards in web hosting.
2. The ‘Unlimited’ Debacle – In the world of marketing, the word ‘unlimited’ is used liberally, to attract customers. What the word really means, is that there is a great deal of space being offered, which is a good thing, but everything has a limitation. It is important to find out what it is, and determine your needs accordingly. Always make sure that there is ample expansion space available, so that upgrading headaches can be avoided.
3. E-mail – There are always limitations as to how many e-mails may be sent. Generally, this new limitation is due to an effort to curb spam. Be sure to measure what is needed, considering activities such as newsletter distribution or similar e-commerce mailings that you may want to do eventually, from the blog. Be sure to discuss what alternatives may be available to you, in order to get the most out of your blog.
4. Web Host Resources – Be sure to always know what kinds of resources the web hosting firm is relying upon, so that you can more easily assess whether or not it will serve your needs. Again, expansion possibilities are key. Think of it as the same as knowing what your computer can provide, in terms of space and speed, etc. For example, if a script, service, individual or business takes up too much RAM and CPU resources, it will have to be addressed, so that others hosted on the server can still be accommodated. It is important to know what limitations exist and what the possibility of any interruption is, due to them. Knowing ahead of time, will allow for less unpleasant surprises to occur. It is better to understand these issues ahead of time, so that the prospect of a web host possibly overselling, is not overlooked.
5. Connections – Depending on who the web host is, and how they have their servers setup, you may only have available to you so many connections to a database. For example, Joe hears that his database connection limit is 25 simultaneous connections. What Joe doesn’t stop to think about is what the word simultaneous actually means. For him to go over his limit, he would need 25 connections in roughly the same few seconds to get in trouble. Since most scripts only connect for a second, this is not something most of us need to worry about.
6. Comparing Services – While comparing services is necessary, the method used can sometimes determine the outcome. For example, if you rely upon those charts created by various companies, you may not be able to discern all of the important elements. Therefore, it is recommended that the different plans offered should also show the differences in the plans offered. If they don’t, be sure to investigate on your own. The differences may be slight, such as those involving disk space, bandwidth and price – but every aspect needs to be paid attention to
This season, there is a particular number of people who are very hopeful about the future, and thus, may be inspired to look for new opportunities to enhance the quality of their lives. For example, web hosting firms are also offering many great bargains, so it is a good idea to try to take advantage of some of them. In short, there is no time like the present, to either start a blog, continue or expand up on one.
Below is a short list of some things to consider, when starting or re-evaluating a blog presence:
1. Uptime and Downtime – First and foremost, it is essential to understand the concept of what uptime and downtime is, and how it may affect the blog. Always determine the success of a web hosting company by how well they can assess how good the uptime/downtime ratio is. Any reputable web host should be able to do this; if not, it is a good idea to consider another firm. Keep in mind, however, that there is not going to be a perfectly 100% positive situation, so any company claiming this, is another one to avoid. Realistically, the uptime ratio should be relatively high, and comparable to other standards in web hosting.
2. The ‘Unlimited’ Debacle – In the world of marketing, the word ‘unlimited’ is used liberally, to attract customers. What the word really means, is that there is a great deal of space being offered, which is a good thing, but everything has a limitation. It is important to find out what it is, and determine your needs accordingly. Always make sure that there is ample expansion space available, so that upgrading headaches can be avoided.
3. E-mail – There are always limitations as to how many e-mails may be sent. Generally, this new limitation is due to an effort to curb spam. Be sure to measure what is needed, considering activities such as newsletter distribution or similar e-commerce mailings that you may want to do eventually, from the blog. Be sure to discuss what alternatives may be available to you, in order to get the most out of your blog.
4. Web Host Resources – Be sure to always know what kinds of resources the web hosting firm is relying upon, so that you can more easily assess whether or not it will serve your needs. Again, expansion possibilities are key. Think of it as the same as knowing what your computer can provide, in terms of space and speed, etc. For example, if a script, service, individual or business takes up too much RAM and CPU resources, it will have to be addressed, so that others hosted on the server can still be accommodated. It is important to know what limitations exist and what the possibility of any interruption is, due to them. Knowing ahead of time, will allow for less unpleasant surprises to occur. It is better to understand these issues ahead of time, so that the prospect of a web host possibly overselling, is not overlooked.
5. Connections – Depending on who the web host is, and how they have their servers setup, you may only have available to you so many connections to a database. For example, Joe hears that his database connection limit is 25 simultaneous connections. What Joe doesn’t stop to think about is what the word simultaneous actually means. For him to go over his limit, he would need 25 connections in roughly the same few seconds to get in trouble. Since most scripts only connect for a second, this is not something most of us need to worry about.
6. Comparing Services – While comparing services is necessary, the method used can sometimes determine the outcome. For example, if you rely upon those charts created by various companies, you may not be able to discern all of the important elements. Therefore, it is recommended that the different plans offered should also show the differences in the plans offered. If they don’t, be sure to investigate on your own. The differences may be slight, such as those involving disk space, bandwidth and price – but every aspect needs to be paid attention to
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