Servers for the Information Age

The never-ending need for File Servers in the modern world
Dedicated Servers at GoDaddy.com
Handling the ‘Data on Demand’ needs of a New Generation!
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A host is a server which provides a home for your website on the World Wide Web. Just as your computer contains all your files, so a host contains all the files needed to run your website. Why can’t you just keep all those files on your own computer? Because that would mean users would have to connect directly to your computer to see your website. Not a good idea–it wouldn’t be secure and it would make your machine run like a tired snail. With a host, you can simply upload everything you need to the server and your users can then connect there to see your site. It lets the site run faster and allows it to have all the security and extras it needs.

Selecting a host is the first important step towards building your Internet business.

Hosting services and companies vary from totally free, shared servers to large-scale dedicated machines. You’ll have to decide which is right for you and your business. To help you make that decision, study the following:

Free Servers:

Advantages: *No Cost *You manage the server software and network

Disadvantages: *Search engines view free hosting services as inferior and sometimes do not include them in their index. *Some free hosting services do not allow you to use a custom domain name *The bandwidth is restricted and may cause difficulty for visitors attempting to access your site. *Because the service is free, some providers do not strive for 100% uptime which could result in your site being frequently inaccessible. *Software availability is limited, and free hosts do not generally provide database options. *Disk space is sometimes limited; ensure that you are getting all the room you need. *Poor response time for support. *Very limited support.

Cheap Web Hosting:

Advantages: *Server, software and network is managed and supported for you. *You can select a custom domain name. *Search engines don’t view you as second class if you have your own domain name. *Improved response time for support. *Uptime is improved. *Technical support is provided, generally 24 hours a day

Disadvantages: *Bandwidth restrictions *Shared processing power *Limited software *Potentially limited disk space

Mid-Priced Web Hosting–Shared Servers:

*Server, software and network is managed and supported for you. *You can select a custom domain name. *Search engines don’t view you as second class if you have your own domain name. *Improved response time for support. *Uptime is improved and generally guaranteed *Technical support is provided, generally 24 hours a day. *Generally offer a wide range of software options and configurable bundles, *Improved bandwidth.

Disadvantages: *Shared processing power,
*Expensive, *Dedicated Servers:

Advantages: *Server, software and network is managed and supported for you. *You can select a custom domain name. *Search engines don’t view you as second class. *Improved response time for support. *Uptime is improved and generally guaranteed. *Technical support is provided, generally 24 hours a day. *Generally offer a wide range of software options and configurable bundles. *Improved bandwidth. *Processing power is not shared

Disadvantages: *The cost is higher than any other options, but well worth it if you choose wisely.

Your choice of server will depend on how much money you have available at the beginning and how much you plan to grow in the future. In my opinion, for commercial sites, free hosting is a waste of time. Your users are going to get blasted with annoying pop-ups every time they surf to your page, it’s going to be impossible to get a decent position in a search engine, and you don’t even get a real business URL. No one’s going to remember your Web address if they have to type . Also, you won’t have to worry about down servers, which can happen frequently with free hosting. But it is possible to choose a cheap host at the beginning and move up as your business begins to bring in money, but I don’t recommend it.

If you are serious about your on-line business, then go for the gusto right away and get the best. You can get good, professional hosting for an average of $25 per month. It might seem like a lot, especially if you are just starting out, but it will save you loads of headaches down the road. Here is a first-class, high-quality site that offers professional web hosting: ThirdSphereHosting.com You will find that all my recommendations are of the highest quality. I have been through the mill probably like you have and now my standards are high. Anyway, it doesn’t cost to have a look.

About the author:
Internet marketer Tony Smith probably like you, has learned some lessons the hard way. He writes to his audience with tips for the most professional, reliable and trustworthy tools that the internet has to offer. This week’s feature deals with Web Hosting. Have a look. It’s more than just a host: ThirdSphereHosting.com

The never-ending need for File Servers in the modern world
Dedicated Servers at GoDaddy.com
Handling the ‘Data on Demand’ needs of a New Generation!
-
Small Business Server Business Tips
Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting Profits

Over the past 7 years, Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained traction as a widely-respected Small Business Server networking suite.

As a result, many small business computer consultants, systems integrators, and value-added resellers have jumped on-board the Microsoft Small Business Server bandwagon.

However, before you go ahead and bet YOUR company on Microsoft Small Business Server, consider the following three Small Business Server Business Tips… so you can maximize your Small Business Server consulting profits.

(1) Most small businesses in your area have never heard of Microsoft Small Business Server.

Although there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses in your area that would be excellent candidates for Microsoft Small Business Server, don t make the ultra-common mistake of assuming that the typical non-technical small business owner even knows what Microsoft Small Business Server is.

If you want to maximize your consulting profits and avoid commodity price wars, you re much better off leading off with a pitch for something that s more universally recognized… such as getting rid of computer viruses, stopping SPAM, or preventing computer security breaches.

(2) Sell your small business prospects on YOUR company first.

The real money in Small Business Server is NOT in reselling the Microsoft Small Business Server software. The real money comes from selling the RELATIONSHIP with the small business. So your company essentially becomes your clients outsourced IT department.

Remember, no small business owner is going to wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, craving Small Business Server. However, small business owners DO constantly lose sleep over what will happen to their companies if their computer systems fail them. Become the solution to the more primal, survival instinct and you ll get plenty of opportunities to sell Small Business Server, once you ve established a solid client/consultant relationship.

(3) Microsoft doesn t value computer consultants as much as they sometimes say.

Little known fact: the first version of Microsoft Small Business Server, planned in 1996 and released in 1997, was code-named “SAM”… because Microsoft s goal was for Small Business Server to completely bypass their reseller channel and be sold at “Sam s Club” warehouse clubs.

So the product team had the mandate to make the Small Business Server product SO simple that a non-technical small business end user could buy Small Business Server at the warehouse club and have the Small Business Server suite running in their office that same day.

Shortly after the first-version shipped, Microsoft realized that the most cost-effective way to reach small businesses with Small Business Server was through their reseller channel. And since then, Small Business Server resources have flowed toward the channel.

However, even today, you can often find 5-user versions of Microsoft Small Business Server in retail stores.

So the point: Microsoft isn t putting all its Small Business Server “eggs” in one basket, so why should you?!? Which brings us back to points one and two: Small business owners aren t actively shopping for a Small Business Server. So instead of “selling” Small Business Server per se, you re much better off selling a small business on YOUR company, BEFORE you sell Microsoft Small Business Server.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we looked at three Small Business Server business tips that every computer consultant, systems integrator and value added reseller needs to be aware when selling Microsoft Small Business Server.

About the Author

Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant and has appeared in CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To get Joshua s proven Small Business Server consulting profit strategies, sign-up for the free one-hour training seminar at http://www.SmallBusinessServerTips.com

Copyright MMI-MMV, SmallBusinessServerTips.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved.

About the Author

Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant and has appeared in CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To get Joshua s proven Small Business Server consulting profit strategies, sign-up for the free one-hour training seminar at http://www.SmallBusinessServerTips.com

The never-ending need for File Servers in the modern world
Dedicated Servers at GoDaddy.com
Handling the ‘Data on Demand’ needs of a New Generation!
-
Server Stats Analyzing Traffic To Your Site

Analyzing traffic to a site is a key factor in tweaking search engine optimization and marketing campaigns. Determining how people get to your site is critical. Surprisingly, few sites take advantage of the data available on their servers.

Server Logs

Typically, there are two server tools available to you. Server logs are on your server and analyze site activity. The log keeps track of the files created on the server, the number of times there is a request for the file, where the hit came from and the exact phrase typed in by the person accessing the page of the site. Every system is different, but these basic elements should be included.

The second tool, a traffic analysis program, is pretty standard for most hosting companies, but you may have to ask them to turn it on. The programs analyze the raw data from your server and convert it into fascinating charts, diagrams and statistics. Most of the information is overkill. You have to be careful not to get overwhelmed by numerous ways to look at the data. Try to focus on the following information:

What sites are sending you visitors?
What search engines are sending you traffic?
What keyword phrases are people using to find your site?
How often are major search engine indexing robots visiting your site?

As you access the data, you are going to find some very surprising things. Actually, you are probably going to be stunned.

Initially, you are going to be amazed when you see which keyword phrases that are sending traffic to your site. Many of the keywords will not match your meta tags. Instead, they will be a combination of various keywords on a particular page. This is reflection of the fact that search engines mix and match your keywords as they see fit. So, should you change your meta tags to reflect the phrases shown in the data? No. The data you are seeing typically reflects keywords with little competition. Since you are already getting traffic from them, keep focusing on your original goals.

In looking at your data, the second key piece of data is identifying where the traffic is coming from. This data often falls under the referrer heading. By reviewing the data, you can see what search engines are producing data for you. If you are running advertising on a site, you should also be able to track the campaign.

The final area to analyze is the robot visit information. Depending on the program, the robot information may appear under robots or user agents headings. Robots are programs used by search engines to index web sites on the net. In reviewing your data, you should be able to determine how often the robots are coming to your site. If at all possible, make sure you add new content to your site before the next visit. The robots for the top search engines are Yahoo Slurp, Google Googlebot, and MSN MSNbot.

In Closing

Analyzing the traffic to your site is a key element to marketing your site. The more you know about your customers, the more you can cater to their needs.

About the Author

Halstatt Pires is with MarketingTitan.com- an Internet marketing and advertising company. To read more marketing articles, visit MarketingTitan.com.