How to Choose a Web Server Platform?

Web ServersEvery website needs a reliable web server to be hosted on, so that it can be accessed via internet users. Today, in web hosting market there are many types of web servers available running on different platform to select.  types are There is a wide range of web servers running on different platform to choose from within the web hosting market today. As per the Netcraft, a company that keeps statistics on the leading web servers and the platforms on the Internet, the most popular platforms and web servers are:

  • UNIX and Linux running Apache web server
  • Window NT/2000 running Internet Information Server (IIS)

The other web server includes WebLogic, iPlanet, Sun ONE, Zeus and etc… Given the widespread popularity of Apache (closed to 60% market share) and Microsoft IIS (approximately 30%), you can almost guarantee you can find these two platforms are supported by most of the web hosting providers.

Operating systems are an importance piece of software that is required by each computer to be installed before it can function properly. Today, most of the personal computers are running on Microsoft Windows operating system: Win98, WinXP or Win2000.

Likewise, all web servers need operating system to perform different functionalities and different web servers run on different operating systems (or so called platforms). One of the most commonly found platform is UNIX that comes in various varieties that are popular with web hosts, including FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and Linux. Another popular platform that has gained strong ground as a platform for web hosting market is Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003.

How do you choose your web server platform?

If your website is purely make up of static web pages (i.e. HTML files), then any web hosting platform will work fine for you. However, if your website allows dynamic content, you will most likely need to run specific server-side functionality such as CGI scripts, JSP, ASP, SSI or PHP. In this case, UNIX platform web hosting will be ideal for your requirement.

On the other hand, if you need to use specific applications that require Windows to run such as ASP, .Net, MS Access, Microsoft SQL server or Cold Fusion, then you will need to find a web hosting providers that support Microsoft’s Windows NT platform. Otherwise, all other server-side functionalities such as PHP, Perl and MySQL can be supported by UNIX platform.

While common programs such as Perl, PHP, Flash etc run on both UNIX and Window platform. Many other free open source software programs are available only for UNIX than for Windows. As a result, UNIX hosting is less expensive than Window hosting. So, if hosting cost is a big concern to you, then you should consider UNIX or Linux hosting.

If you have already decided on the type of design on your web pages, make sure you can find a web hosting plan that support your needs by reading the full features of the web hosting plan before you sign-up.

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Affordable Web Hosting For Your Small Business

Small Business Web HostingIf you are running a small sized company, an affordable small business web hosting plan is absolutely ideal for you. It’s very easy to start a small online business as small business website hosting plans are available at affordable price.

What should one look for when selecting a web hosting plans for small business?

Unlimited Features

The aim for your small business is always to grow, so ensure that you sign up with a hosting company that offers unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth and unlimited domain names support. The good news is that these days the biggest hosting companies can offer you unlimited features with the same price as that offers limited features.

Excellent Uptime

If the company offers less than 99% uptime forget it. Technologies are quite reliable these days and if the company can’t support that kind of uptime than you can easily find one that can offer you 99% uptime.

Extra Features

Look for unlimited friendly support at no extra cost, especially if you’re a beginner. If you plan on building a website by yourself then some companies may offer you a free website builder.

The best small business web hosting companies don’t have to be limited for their price. In fact you’ll find that companies such as Bodhost Ltd., which is one of the top ranking UK web hosting providers, can often be cheaper and reliable than any other web hosting companies. So choose a hosting company that will be prepared for your future small business expansion at no extra cost to you.

There are a number of web hosting plans that are appropriate for small businesses. The type of plan will depend on the type of site you have. You may require a small business web hosting option that includes e-commerce. You may need something that will keep track of your customer list. Your site may be simple and only include product and company information.

To find a small business web hosting plan that is right for your company, you will first need to decide exactly what your site will be used for. Do you want it to be very informative and content driven? Would you like to sell your products online? Do you just need a simply designed website? Do you need a database?

Compile a list of companies that offer small business web hosting plans and then see if they provide the features that you need. The best way to find a trustworthy web hosting company is to find current customers and ask them about their experience with that company. In order to truly understand how their customer service and reliability measure up, you will need to get past their website and see what other people have to say.

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