If your online business has been booming for quite a while now, congratulations! If the server option you have been using is no longer working as efficiently as you need it to, it might be time to consider switching your website to a dedicated server host.

What is dedicated server hosting?

This means that your business, or your account or domain name has the sole use of an entire server. This is a really nice option because you aren’t competing with other businesses or websites for bandwidth or data transfer. It gives your business the space and security you need. A dedicated server will include an operating system, a web server, the required software, and an internet connection. Most often, the dedicated server is rented through a web hosting service company, who physically houses the server in their datacenter. Of course there is a cost involved but it is usually a worthwhile investment.

Are there options within dedicated server hosts?

Yes! Clients upgrading to a dedicated server can choose a managed server, where the hosting company maintains and services the server. The user does not have control over the server but many times that’s an advantage because its one less thing to worry about.

You might choose an unmanaged dedicated server for your business. This option will include the equipment you need with your server. However, the hosting company is not running or maintaining your server so you will need to send your own technician to the data center periodically. An unmanaged dedicated server could also be housed within your own business structure.

Before moving your website, be sure to research hosting companies. Compare rates between hosts and the services they offer. Look online for company reviews to help you decide which server hosting company will give you the most service value for your money.

Are you ready to take your small business to the next level? In today’s digital world every business owner needs to have a strong online presence. Be sure that your business has a well organized and informative website. Since many consumers today shop online, having your products available through your website will increase your local clientele as well as increase business with a global customer base.

Begin by hiring a web developer. He or she will be able to dedicate their time to building a great website, while you are able to spend your time to running your business. Work with your developer to make sure that the features you need are in place. Business owners should be sure that the color choices and text convey the type of business you are or want to be. Also be sure that your new website is as neat and tidy as you keep your store.

A checklist of items your website needs might include:

·        Your business name and logo

·        Good-quality photos of your products and services

·        Contact information

·        Specific and clear price information

·        A simple checkout process

·        A search feature within the website

Once all of these things and any other you and your web developer think are important, be sure to proof read every page before publishing it. The last thing you want is a new customer expecting a different price than you are willing to accept.

Finally, advertise your new website! Add the web address to your business cards and any publications or mailings you send out. Let your current customers know they can now get your great products any time, day or night. Find other websites willing to list your new site to help attract new customers. Soon your business will be booming!

When you run into computer problems it is helpful to have an idea how to fix them yourself. Usually a problem is pretty simple and relatively easy to repair. Begin by pulling up the My Computer option in your start up menu. Click on “View System Information” which is probably found on the left side bar. From there you can select System Restore, Automatic Updates or view any programs that may be running without your permission.

You might check online for some tips and suggestions. You can find free and downloadable software that will scan your computer and look for potential or existing problems, and sometimes the resulting report will tell you how to fix it. Computer owners can call a repair service and may get remote technical support or a technician may come to you. You could even take your computer in to a repair shop.

Obviously we all want to save money so starting with the cheapest solutions is a good idea. Look online for whatever you think the problem is. Odds are good you will find ideas on troubleshooting most pieces of hardware, as well as software problems you may be having.

Sometimes, however, none of these solutions will fix your computer. This is when you need to call in the professionals. If your computer can access the internet, many computer repair services are happy to provide remote technical support. This is done by accessing your computer through the web and fixing the problem while you watch.

There is still the chance that you may need to take your computer in to a repair shop. If this is a business computer and you have purchased a warrantee from the manufacturer, the repair should be a quick one. If however, it is your home laptop that has the problem, it may be time to buy a new one.

A Virtual Private Server, or VPS, is an ideal server host solution for smaller businesses. The business owner has the same control over the server which he would have with a dedicated server, but this is a more affordable option. Virtual private servers also provide the same performance level and flexibility one would find with a dedicated server.

The way a virtual private server works is that it is actually a shared server, because many businesses are physically located on the same server. However, each business’s site has been partitioned and configured in a way that keeps them separate from one another. This means that each website has its own operating system, can be administered separately, rebooted without affecting the others, etc.

A virtual private server package offers business owners many choices. The cost of the service will vary depending on the hosting company, the storage space you require and the bandwidth you need. Each server hosting company also provides different benefits and restrictions. Most virtual private server web hosts include:

·        Free setup

·        Root access

·        A dedicated IP address (sometimes more than one)

·        Multiple, sometimes unlimited, websites

·        High uptime rating

Like all major business decisions, there are also some disadvantages to be aware of with a VPS setup. This option requires active maintenance of the server, which may include installing patches. With the extra control business owners have, you will be required to resolve problems yourself, or hire IT help, through remote administration. Also, because you are still technically using a shared server option, your virtual private server may not have the stability a dedicated web server would have. This simply means that you should evaluate your online needs. Decide exactly what services you require, compare rates, options and web server hosting companies and then pick the one that is best for your situation.

Taking the time to understand “The Cloud”

Have you seen them? The funny commercials by Microsoft where a team of colleagues need to get a project done fast and, in homage to Adam West’s Batman, state in a commanding tone, “TO THE CLOUD!” Of course there is many a savvy business man or woman thinking, “What on earth is the cloud?”

In recent years the explosive growth of the internet has given way to hundreds of software applications that can be accessed, used, and executed completely through the internet. Google, that Borg like technology giant, has been steadily launching programs, like Google Docs, that enable average folks to do work through an internet portal that once required a person to buy, install, and maintain software on a physical computer. In addition, depending on the type of work that person was doing, sometimes that computer had to have cutting edge capability, but came with a high end price tag to match. “Cloud computing” is poised to make much of that, at least on the most basic levels at first, unnecessary.

Why is this important to know? Since technology and the internet has become such an integrated part of our everyday lives, business have founds themselves investing huge resources in software and equipment to produce information about their businesses to feed potential customers hungry for information. The maintaining of software licenses and adequate hardware can be costly.

As the cloud computing movement takes hold and grows, this aspect of business has the potential of becoming much less costly. For many everyday types of tasks and projects, instead of buying multiple copies and licenses of a particular software program (Microsoft Office anyone?), business will be able to take advantage of web based solutions that are much lower cost or free.

Businesses, when looking at any type of “cloud” solution would be wise to carefully analyze the downside to web based solutions, as there are significant ones, the upsides make cloud computing a movement worth taking seriously in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

Before you worry about what kind of server hosting package your business needs, it helps to know a little more about servers and server hosting. Put simply, a server is a physical computer, or piece of hardware, dedicated to running one or more services. You might think of it as a specialized computer which sends out web content as per request from a web browser client. Every website is hosted on a web server of some level.

Most often, these server boxes are housed with a server hosting company, or a business dedicated to monitoring and maintaining hundreds of servers, each leased or rented to businesses just like yours. Server hosting companies are appealing to business owners because the IT responsibility falls to the host company rather than the client. Many server hosts, or providers strive for 99.9% uptime, which is the amount of time your server host expects to be accessible online. This is because there may be planned or unplanned downtime for maintenance or repairs. They also provide technical assistance such as patches as problems arise. For this reason the user does not have full control over the server itself, only the data they are storing and transferring.

A web server specifically can respond to thousands of personal computers at once. To your business, this means that thousands of customers can be browsing your products and placing online orders without hitting any snags or difficulty loading pages. Obviously this is good for your business and helps you maintain a professional appearance.

Before you contract with any web server hosting companies, you will need to evaluate how much bandwidth and data transfer your business will actually use. A personal website can often do fine with free web servers. Many small businesses do well with shared web hosting, while large businesses are better off with dedicated hosting services.

If your computer is running into problem after problem it might be time to have professional repairs done. It might seem intimidating to choose a good computer repair company to work with, but actually, if you know what to look for, it can be pretty easy, even if time consuming. The best place to start is with people you trust. Ask people you work with, live by or otherwise associate with if they have any recommendations. People who have had to use repair services of any kind often have strong opinions on who is or isn’t worth your time and money.

If you don’t find the answers you need there, you can look in your local phone book or online for local services. You might even try the classified ads in your area. Experience is important when it comes to computer repairs so find out how long the shop has been in business and how long the technician has been doing repair jobs. You can find these things out by asking directly or checking the company website. While you are online, check for customer reviews and see what other people think of their service. It’s also wise to see if the Better Business Bureau has anything to say about them.

Before committing to one repair service over another, get a quote or estimate, compare rates between computer repair services and also take note of how you are treated over the phone. There’s no point supporting a business with rude employees. Find out if the repair service will send a technician to you or if you will need to bring your computer in. Be sure to find out the closest price possible for the services needed. Don’t pay until they have done their job, and they shouldn’t ask for money upfront.