Whether you've started a new web hosting company or are an established web host looking for more clients, these are the usual methods used to get new clients.
Contents
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* 1 What to do first
* 2 Word of mouth
* 3 From web hosts selling clients
* 4 Offline advertising
* 5 Affiliate programs
* 6 See also
What to do first
Your efforts in bringing people to your site will be wasted if you aren't properly prepared.
* Before trying to get new clients, make sure that your website looks professional. A website that's poorly designed or has grammar or spelling mistakes turns people off.
* Be sure that you're ready to expand. If you don't have the time, staff, or other resources to handle more clients, don't go looking for them.
* Consider offering niche services. Make what you offer at least a little different from what other web hosts offer to give people more reasons to sign up with you.
Word of mouth
Many web hosts get the majority of their clients through word-of-mouth advertising. Keep your current clients happy, and they'll tell other people about you.
From web hosts selling clients
Web hosts come and go all the time. In WebHostingTalk's Other Hosting Related Offers forum, you can find threads where members are selling hosting clients or their web hosting company.
Offline advertising
* Promote your web hosting business locally.
* Advertise in relevant magazines, newsletters, and other publications.
Affiliate programs
With an affiliate program, other people do the work in bringing business to you. They earn money for helping you acquire new clients, and you earn money by keeping those clients.
Website backlinks are links to a web page from other web pages. Backlinks are also called inbound links or incoming links.
Why backlinks are important
Backlinks and SEO
When search engines calculate the value of a web page when displaying search results, the quantity and quality of backlinks to that page are a major factor. This is especially true of Google. Quantity is good. Quality with quantity is even better:
* Backlinks carry more weight when the page they're on is relevant to the page they're linking to. If the anchor text in the backlink has keywords that you're optimizing the web page for, the backlinks are even more useful.
* The higher the PageRank (PR) on the page with the backlink, the more value the backlink has.
* With quality backlinks, a web page may gain a higher PR and have a better SERP (search engine results page) position.
When doing search engine optimization (SEO) for a website, an often ongoing task is to work on building more inbound links, or backlinks.
Backlinks and being found
Backlinks as part of SEO help people find your website by improving its position in search results, but backlinks are also useful in themselves. If websites with related content link to your website, people who are interested in your content are going to find it more easily by following those backlinks.
Backlinks and the competition
One way to look for sites to try to get backlinks from is to find out what the competition's backlinks are. If those backlinks are relevant to your website too, you have a list of websites to try to get backlinks from for your site.
If the goal is to have more backlinks than the competition does, check the backlinks for a number of competitors and work through the lists.
Backlinks and domain name value
If you're selling a domain name (with or without a website), it has more value if it has quality backlinks. The more quality backlinks, the better.
How to check backlinks
Some search engines have methods to check backlinks. In the instructions below, replace "example.com" with the domain that you're checking for backlinks.
Note that the search results below are rarely complete. Searching for backlinks with a few of these methods generally helps locate more backlinks.
Google
* In the search engine: enter link:www.example.com (for the site) or link:www.example.com/page.html (for a specific page). (This method isn't known to be very reliable.)
* Using Webmaster Tools (you need an account, and this works only for sites you have verified with Google):
o Log in
o Click on a domain you have verified
o Go to Links
o Go to Pages with external links
o Click on the hyperlinked number in the "External links" column
Yahoo
The following are the same way to check backlinks via Yahoo, just different ways of accessing it. It offers options to show pages from all subdomains or only the domain entered.
* In the search engine: enter link:http://www.example.com (for the site) or link:http://www.example.com/page.html (for a specific page).
* Go directly to Yahoo Site Explorer, enter the URL in the search box, and click on "Explore."
Variations:
* Use "site" instead of "link" in the above examples.
* Omit the "www" to view backlinks that don't include "www."
MSN
MSN has discontinued reporting backlinks.
How to build backlinks
* Provide quality content that other webmasters will want to link to.
* Get listed in relevant directories.
* Ask webmasters of websites with related but non-competing content if they would link to your site. Suggest specific pages to link to.
* Suggest reciprocal links (link exchanges) with related but non-competing websites.
* Find out what backlinks your competition has and work on getting those backlinks too.
* Optimize your site for social media sites to attract social media backlinks.
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a form of Internet marketing to promote websites via search engines. According to different definitions, it may involve only paying for sponsored listings that appear with search engine results, or it may include SEO (search engine optimization) and some other types of Internet marketing. SEM and SEO compared
No consensus exists on how to draw the line between SEM (search engine marketing) and SEO (search engine optimization). The following are some generally accepted comparisons.
* The goal of both SEO and SEM is to bring targeted traffic to websites. * SEO is part of SEM or is related to SEM, depending on the viewpoint. Either way, SEO and SEM work best when techniques for both SEO and SEM are used. * SEO involves mostly on-site techniques such as researching and using suitable keywords in key places and making sure that search engine bots can access all the site content. (See Search engine optimization for a longer description.) SEM involves off-site techniques to promote sites via search engines. * SEO helps sites do well in organic (natural) search results. SEM helps sites do well in paid listings and (depending on how SEM is defined) may contribute to improved positions in organic search results. * SEM techniques are often included in discussions about SEO. * SEM can have almost instant results, while with SEO, it takes time for results to be seen. * Both SEM and SEO are ongoing processes if a site is to continue to do well or to improve in search engine results.
Every search engine has pay-per-click (PPC) listings that appear on the same page as search engine results. Their disadvantage is that they are paid listings, and people are less likely to click on these links than on organic search results. Their advantage is that with the right keywords and bid amounts, you can be almost certain they will appear on the first page of search results for target keywords. (Google factors in the click-through rate for ads, which adds an additional variable in where ads appear in sponsored listings.) Paid inclusion
Many online directories require a fee for listings. Paid inclusion in directories is sometimes considered part of SEM. While being listed in a paid directory doesn't in itself mean that the site will appear higher in search results, directories that charge for inclusion often provide valuable backlinks to sites, which helps improve placements in search engine results. Also, the directories themselves may appear high in search results for target keywords.
Paid inclusion can also refer to the practice of some, mostly smaller search engines to guarantee immediate listings for a fee. Guaranteed ranking is not typically included in that fee. Other online advertising
While not directly connected with search engines, other types of online advertising such as banner ads and contextual advertising are sometimes included in descriptions of SEM.
Web hosting directories can benefit two groups of people: consumers looking for web hosting services and web hosting providers looking for more exposure. Both groups of people can benefit from understanding how web hosting directories work.
Contents
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* 1 What consumers should know about web hosting directories
o 1.1 Characteristics of useful web hosting directories
o 1.2 Characteristics of less useful web hosting directories
o 1.3 Using web host directories to find a web host
* 2 What web hosts should know about web hosting directories
o 2.1 Types of directories
o 2.2 Directories, search engine optimization, and marketing
* 3 See also
What consumers should know about web hosting directories
Characteristics of useful web hosting directories
* They have up-to-date, accurate information.
* They allow users to search for data in various ways.
* They may include verified reviews.
* If some providers are featured, it's clear that they paid for their listings or ads to be prominent or that their being featured isn't because they're "the best."
* If a ranking system is used, providers cannot artificially improve their ranking by paying for a better position.
Characteristics of less useful web hosting directories
* The directory is poorly maintained. Information might not be current or well organized.
* Users can't search for specific features and find what they want.
* There is no protection against bias:
o If ratings or reviews are included, they are not verified. Positive ratings or reviews might be by company owners shilling their own services, and negative reviews might be by competitors.
o The site misleads visitors into thinking that some providers are better rated or otherwise better than others when the providers paid money to appear that way. When this is the case, the "top hosts" are often the top advertisers at the directory as well.
o The directory is owned by one of the web hosting providers listed as among the "top hosts."
Using web host directories to find a web host
Assess the quality of the web hosting directory. If it appears to be biased, it may still be useful to compare prices and features, but don't rely on the ratings and reviews. Search for web host reviews at other sites as well.
Consider looking in more than one directory if the first one appears to be biased. Look for directories that don't feature the same providers as "top hosts" to find more variety in listings.
What web hosts should know about web hosting directories
Types of directories
* Web hosting companies can be listed in directories that are specifically about web hosting as well as in larger directories that have a web hosting category.
* Some directories don't charge for listings, some charge a one-time fee, and some charge a recurring (monthly or annual) fee. Some web hosting directories charge a commission when providers gain clients via the directory.
* The quality of directories can vary tremendously, from the quality of content and organization to search engine optimization techniques used. Some directories aren't much better than link farms.
See also the above section "What consumers should know about web hosting directories."
Directories, search engine optimization, and marketing
* The value of directory links for SEO is a debated topic. Their value may go up and down with time, and it will be different with each search engine.
* Directory links have clear marketing value when they're in quality directories that consumers use to find services.
* The value of directory links depends on the quality of the websites linked to. Consumers may find what they want at a directory, but if the company website is under construction or poorly written or designed, those consumers may decide not to use the company's services after all.
Disk space and bandwidth: Do you really need 3 GB of disk space and 30 GB of monthly bandwidth? Probably not. Most websites are under 100 MB.
Type of control panel: Just as there is no best web host, there is no best control panel. However, you may have your preferences or want specific features that only some control panels offer.
Type of support: Is phone support important to you, or are you fine with email/helpdesk support?
Company size: Larger companies may be able to offer more services, while smaller companies can typically offer more personalized service. But any size of company can be good or not so good at what they do.
Location: Do you want the server that your site will be on and/or the company offices to be located in a particular country or area?
Other features: Perhaps you need a web host that specializes in e-commerce hosting, for example. Or that offers website builders, or a specific type of payment option.
Budget: As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Plan your budget with that in mind, and then look for a host with prices that you can afford. If cost is your main concern, the best web host for you might be easy on the budget and not as good in other areas. Someone with a larger budget will probably find a very different company that's the best web host for them.
Read web host reviews
Various websites with reviews of web hosts try to tell readers who the best web hosts are. Or at least who the best-rated web hosts are. As with anything, some web host review sites are better than others. But even if the reviews have been verified as by present or past clients of the host being reviewed, reviews are always subjective. Still, they're a good starting point as long as you weigh them against your needs and with other available information.
Ask for recommendations
If friends or colleagues can recommend a particular web host, ask them why they recommend that host. Their needs and preferences may be different from yours. On the other hand, their recommended web hosts may be able to meet your requirements.
Contact pre-sales
After you've made a shortlist of web hosts to consider, contact their pre-sales departments. Have several questions ready, and observe the quality and speed of the responses. (Note that the sales departments for many web hosts are open only during normal business hours.) Were the responses polite, helpful, and suited for your level of knowledge? Did the salespeople identify your needs and work to meet them? Your impressions from these first contacts with the companies will be a big factor in deciding which web host is the best one for you.
Large and small web hosting companies each have advantages and disadvantages. Which web hosting provider is the best web host for youdepends on the factors that are important to you and on the company itself.
Note that while the factors here are typical for the size of the web hosting company, they aren't necessarily true about each web host.
Contents
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* 1 Large web hosting companies
o 1.1 Advantages
o 1.2 Disadvantages
* 2 Small web hosting companies
o 2.1 Advantages
o 2.2 Disadvantages
Large web hosting companies
Advantages
* You know that they've been in business for a while, so they aren't likely to go out of business.
* They can hire more support staff.
* They may be able to invest in higher-grade equipment.
* They can offer a wider range of features.
Disadvantages
* Support is less personal.
* Some larger web hosts won't work as hard to keep your business when problems occur because you're more easily replaceable.
Small web hosting companies
Advantages
* Customer support may be more personal; the company owner and staff often know you personally.
* The chain of communication between staff members is shorter, which can lead to faster service with some concerns.
* The web host may go beyond what support staff usually does to help you and to accommodate your needs.
* Some smaller web hosts offer specialized services or hosting in combination with related services.
Disadvantages
* Support staff might not be available 24/7 every day.
* The company might not have all the features you require, especially as your site grows.
* If the company is new, it doesn't have a reputation that you can research, and newer companies are more likely to fail.
Dedicated hosting is the renting of a server from a web hosting provider. The server is not shared by anyone else, which affords the operator complete control of the machine. There are generally two types of dedicated hosting: managed and unmanaged.
At WHT, you can discuss dedicated hosting in the Dedicated Server Forum and the Managed Hosting and Services Forum. Contents [hide]
* 1 Advantages and disadvantages of dedicated hosting o 1.1 Advantages of dedicated hosting o 1.2 Disadvantages of dedicated hosting * 2 Managed servers o 2.1 Advantages of managed servers o 2.2 Disadvantages of managed servers * 3 Unmanaged servers o 3.1 Advantages of unmanaged servers o 3.2 Disadvantages of unmanaged servers * 4 See also
Advantages and disadvantages of dedicated hosting Advantages of dedicated hosting
* You don't share the server with anyone else. You have the potential for better security. And you have more control than with shared hosting. * You don't have to buy or maintain the equipment. Hardware replacement is covered by the hosting provider.
Disadvantages of dedicated hosting
* Dedicated hosting is more costly than shared hosting, especially if you don't have the technical expertise to manage the server yourself.
* If there is an internal error with the Dedicated Server it will take a lot longer to fix than if you where with shared hosting.
Managed servers
Managed servers are servers that the hosting provider either helps to maintain or fully maintains. Managed dedicated server hosts provide various levels of management. However, what the levels include differs from host to host. Most dedicated server providers supply some level of server support. Advantages of managed servers
* Security updates are completed by your managed server provider. * Operating system updates are completed by your managed server provider. * Control panel updates are completed by your managed server provider. * Any problems with the server or operation with that server are resolved by your managed server provider.
Disadvantages of managed servers
* Depending on the host, you might not have root/admin access if you have a fully managed server. * Managed servers cost more.
Unmanaged servers
Unmanaged servers are servers that the operator must fully maintain. The hosting provider generally either does not provide support for the server or provides very limited support. Hardware replacements, however, are still the responsibility of the hosting provider. Advantages of unmanaged servers
* You maintain complete control over the server. * If you know how to administer a server, a self-managed a.k.a. unmanaged server will cost you less than a managed server.
Disadvantages of unmanaged servers
* You are on your own. * If you require the host's admins to do troubleshooting, it will probably cost you per hour or per incident. * Managing the server yourself can take a lot of time.
The term Linux unofficially covers all UNIX-based operating systems, but Linux is, in reality, a UNIX-based operating system. Linux is known for its rigid security structure and stability, although it is not very good yet when it comes to ease of use. Linux does have GUI now, but Windows still scores over Linux on the GUI end.
Linux was developed by Linus Benedict Torvalds in 1991 when he was a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. It was freely distributed over the Internet and, since then, has become a very widely used web hosting platform.
Contents
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* 1 Advantages of Linux hosting
o 1.1 The cost
o 1.2 Other advantages of Linux hosting
* 2 Disadvantages of Linux hosting
* 3 See also
Advantages of Linux hosting
The cost
* Linux is open source and free to use. There are no licensing costs involved (unless you want to use the paid version).
* Many components used on a Linux server are freely available as well. Apache webserver, which is similar to IIS on Windows, is free. Perl, MySQL, PHP, Python, and Ruby are some freely available programming languages you can use on a Linux server. Many Mail Transfer Agents (MTAs), such as Sendmail, Exims, and others are also free to use. This makes Linux hosting cheap and a widely popular choice of people with a limited budget for hosting.
* With open source structure, you have a very wide range of freely available scripts, snippets, applications, tools, etc., designed to work with Linux hosting, which makes it very easy for newbie webmasters/designers to build a website. While some open source Windows applications are also available, it's easier to find open source applications for Linux.
* HTML is platform-independent and works on both Windows and Linux. So, if your site has only HTML pages, Linux-based hosting may be the best choice for you as it is cheaper.
Other advantages of Linux hosting
* Linux-based servers are very stable. The security model used on Linux makes it an easily manageable, secure operating system.
* Linux-based servers can be used to build a very strong control interface due to their system architecture.
* Many popular control panels are available for Linux servers. WHM/cPanel is one that is very easy to use.
Disadvantages of Linux hosting
There are not many major disadvantages of Linux servers when they are secured properly at setup.
* Linux is exploitable if the server is not secured beforehand. Users should be aware of basic UNIX stuff — such as file permissions, ownerships, etc. — which is sometimes confusing for new users.
* Linux is not compatible with Windows applications and the coding conversions. This can be a major disadvantage with websites designed for Windows-based applications. However there are opensource projects to bring windows programing languages (such as ASP .net) to work on linux machines.
Almost everyone who has used a PC knows that Microsoft Windows is the most widely used desktop operating system (OS) in use today. Although the tech-savvy community is now more inclined to use alternate operating systems, Windows still has the majority share of the basic user (newbie) market because it’s easy to use.
Microsoft launched Windows NT in 1994 to be used with network servers. Windows NT had an all-new OS kernel different from its previous versions. Since then, Microsoft has released various versions of Windows, based on the NT core, to be used as server systems. The latest of them is Microsoft Windows 2003.
Advantages of Windows hosting
The benefits may vary depending on the scripting language you use.
* IIS (Internet Information Services) is a major benefit on Windows. IIS 6 is the latest version of IIS with major performance upgrades and advanced features like XML Metabase, ASP Hang Detection, and support for 64 bit servers, etc. ASP is a widely used language on the enterprise level for custom-made applications that require stability and performance.
* Windows supports Microsoft’s SQL server — one of the most robust DBMS around. With features like stored procedures, triggers, etc., it is the favorite choice for performance-based application development.
* Window supports the .NET framework. ASP.NET is commonly used nowadays because of its features like memory leak, crash protection, multi-language support, etc.
* Windows also supports certain enterprise level applications for high end-users. One of them is Exchange Servers, which is known for its rock-solid performance in business-critical information handling.
Disadvantages of Windows hosting
The most basic thing you should know about Windows hosting is that it involves a lot of licensing costs.
* The Windows OS itself is not free. IIS, ASP support, and .NET support do come bundled with Windows, but MSSQL and Exchange servers need additional licenses, which are not cheap.
* Any additional components that might be needed on the server must also be paid for. The concept of open source software does not apply much in the case of a Windows environment except for MYSQL, PHP, and some other components that are open source and compatible with Windows. Windows hosting cannot be cheap because of these additional setup costs.
* Very few open source scripts compatible with Windows are available on the Internet. You have to purchase licenses for mostly any ASP or .NET scripts you want to use.
* The security, stability, and performance of the server depend largely on how it was set up.
Windows hosting means hosting of web services that runs on the Windows operating system.
You should choose Windows hosting if you plan to use ASP (Active Server Pages) as server scripting, or if you plan to use a database like Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL Server. Windows hosting is also the best choice if you plan to develop your web site using Microsoft Front Page.
CGI scripts are executables that will execute on the server to produce dynamic and interactive web pages.
Most ISPs offer some kind of CGI capabilities. ISPs often offer preinstalled, ready to run, guest-books, page-counters, and chat-forums solutions in CGI.
ASP is a server-side scripting technology developed by Microsoft.
With ASP you can create dynamic web pages by putting script code inside your HTML pages. The code is executed by the web server before the page is returned to the browser. Both VBScript and JavaScript can be used.
ASP is a standard component in Windows 95,98, 2000, and XP. It can be activated on all computers running Windows.
If you want to learn more about ASP, please visit our ASP tutorial.
PHP is the widely-used, free, and efficient alternative to competitors such as Microsoft's ASP.
PHP is perfectly suited for Web development, and can be embedded directly into the HTML code.
The PHP syntax is very similar to Perl and C.
PHP is often used together with Apache (web server) on various operating systems. It also supports ISAPI and can be used with Microsoft's IIS on Windows.
PHP supports many databases, such as MySQL, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Solid, PostgreSQL, Generic ODBC, etc.
If you want to learn more about PHP, please visit our PHP tutorial.
JSP is a server-side technology much like ASP, developed by Sun.
With JSP you can create dynamic web pages by putting Java code inside your HTML pages. The code is executed by the web server before the page is returned to the browser.
Since JSP uses Java, the technology is not restricted to any server-specific platform.
If you plan to do online creditcard transactions, or other types of web communication that needs to be protected against unauthorized access, your ISP must provide a secure server.
A small or medium web site will need between 10 and 100MB of disk space.
If you look at the size of HTML pages, you will see that the average size is very small. But if you look at the size of the images used inside these pages, you will often find the images larger than the page.
Expect each HTML page to take up between 5 and 50KB of disk space on your web server, depending on the use of images or other space-consuming elements.
If you use a lot of images or graphic elements (or sound files or movies), you might need much more disk space.
Make sure you know your needs, before choosing a web host.
In the early days of the Internet a T1 connection was considered a fast connection. Today connection speeds are much faster.
1 byte equals to 8 bits (and that's the number of bits used to transport one character). Low-speed modems can transport from about 14 000 to 56 000 bits per second (14 to 56 kilobits per second). That is somewhere between 2000 and 7000 characters per second, or about 1 to 5 pages of written text.
One kilobit (Kb) is 1024 bits. One megabit (Mb) is 1024 kilobits. One gigabit (Gb) is 1024 megabits.
These are connection speeds used on the Internet today:
Name Connection Speed per second
Modem Analog 14.4-56Kb
D0 Digital (ISDN) 64Kb
T1 Digital 1.55Mb
T3 Digital 43Mb
OC-1 Optical Carrier 52Mb
OC-3 Optical Carrier 156Mb
OC-12 Optical Carrier 622Mb
OC-24 Optical Carrier 1.244Gb
OC-48 Optical Carrier 2.488Gb
Before you sign up with a host provider, surf some other web sites on their servers, and try to get a good feeling about their network speed. Also compare the other sites against yours, to see if it looks like you have the same needs. Contacting some of the other customers is also a valuable option.
A domain name is a unique name for a web site, like w3schools.com.
Domain names must be registered. When domain names are registered, they are added to a large domain name register. In addition, information about the web site, including the IP address, is stored on a DNS server.
DNS stands for Domain Name System. A DNS server is responsible for informing all other computers on the Internet about the domain name and the web site address.
Domains can be registered from domain name registration companies.
These companies provide interfaces to search for available domain names, and they offer a variety of domain name extensions that can be registered at the same time.
Choosing a domain name is a major step for any individual or organization.
New domain name extensions and creative thinking still offer thousands of excellent domain names!
When choosing a name, it is important to consider the purpose of a domain name, which is to provide an easy way to reach your web site.
The best domains have the following characteristics:
Short - People don't like to type! A short domain name is easier to type, read, and remember.
Meaningful - A short domain is nothing without meaning, 34i4nh.com is not easy to enter or to remember. Select a domain that relates to your site in a way that people will understand.
Clear - Clarity is important when selecting a domain name. Avoid a name that is difficult to spell or pronounce.
Exposure - Names that are short and easy to remember are an asset. In addition to visitors, also consider search engines. Search engines index your site and rank it for relevance against terms people search for. In order to maximize your sites exposure, consider including a relevant search term in your domain. Of course, only consider this if it still maintains a short, clear and meaningful domain name.
Most people are unaware that they use sub domains daily. The famous "www" of the World Wide Web is an example of a sub domain. Sub domains can be created on a DNS server, and they don't need to be registered with a domain name registrar, of course, the original domain name needs to be registered before a sub domain could be created.
Examples of sub domains used on the internet are http://store.apple.com and http://support.microsoft.com.
Sub domains can be requested from your web hosting provider.
Some providers will offer you a name under their own name, like:www.theircompany.com/yourcompany/
This is not a real domain name, it is a directory - and you should try to avoid it.
Directory domains are not desirable, especially for companies.
Typically, directory domains are used for personal web sites and free web sites provided by an ISP, you may have seen www.theircompany.com/~username as an address.
Competition in domain name registration has resulted in a dramatic decrease in pricing, so domain sharing is not common, since it is possible to register a domain name for only $15 per year.
Another source for domain registrations is expired domains.
When you register a domain, think of it as a rental, assuming there are no legal or trademark issues with the domain name, you are free to use it as long as you continue to pay the yearly fee (you can now register in advance as many as 10 years). Some people register domains as speculators, hoping that they can later sell them, while others may have planned to use a domain and never had the time. The result is that domains that were previously registered, become available again.
After you have chosen and registered your own domain name, make sure you use it on all your web pages, and on all your correspondence, like e-mail and traditional mail.
It is important to let other people be aware of your domain name, and to inform your partners and customers about your web site.
