There are many different varieties of web hosting plans available today. You may have heard about the Linux web hosting plans. I am not certain if Linux is known to many, but for those who do not have any idea about Linux, Linux is an operating system that is an alternative to the Windows operating system. Linux was developed by Linus Torvalds, a young student from the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linux was developed to replace the Minux operating system. Companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other giant names in the computer industry have accepted Linux and assisted on its continuing development.

Linux can be directly in integrated into microchips; the process is called “embedding” and is being used in many devices. All users of Linux get a source code with their operating system, and so it is considered as an operating system.
The LAMP: Linux operating system includes a software bundle called the Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP/Pert/Python or simply LAMP. Apache is the most popular web server program, and most websites on the internet are using the Apache. It is a multi platform server. My SQL is an open source database that provides multiple accesses to users to many online databases; it is a free database you can set up to your server that will allow you to save data. PHP/Pert/Python are all programming language primarily used to interact with web page. PHP is mostly used by Linux for web hosting solution support. Whereas Pert and Python are not completely accepted by all web hosting service providers, only few web hosting companies gives support for the Pert and Python languages.

Difference between Linux and Windows: Some users who are considering shifting from Windows to Linux or Linux to Windows must understand the pros and cons of each operating system. If users do not know the difference between the two operating systems, it will be a hard decision to make which of the two operating systems will better match your needs. Truth is, there is not much difference between the two, and most users would not even recognize the dissimilarities are not thoroughly observed. Nevertheless, there are important dissimilarities between the two that might help you to decide. If most of your applications and programming tools are designed for windows, then you might want to consider using Windows operating system. Or vice versa, if you are planning to use Linux-based programs and applications, then Linux operating system is the right one for you.

Security, Reliability and Performance: Microsoft Windows has made vast improvements in terms of security but it is still the most susceptible operating system to viruses. On the other hand, Linux has been always very safer operating system. Linux is a reliable operating system; it can run for years without the need to reboot. The reliability of windows has been improved over the past versions of windows but it still cannot match the reliability of the Linux. In terms of performance, there is no noticeable difference between the two.

Cost: Windows cost about $50-$150 US DOLLARS per licensed copy. While most of the Linux variants are available for free or at a lower price than windows. If price and reliability matters to you on web hosting, then Linux is the better option for you.

The two most important factors to consider when choosing web hosting plans are bandwidth and disk space. Web hosting includes other important features but depends on many factors to be considered depending on the user preference. The bandwidth and disk space are considered the most relevant because these determines how much information your server can accommodate. During the viewing of the website, a certain amount of information is sent to the visitors. This is referred to as the bandwidth capacity of the website. Most of the time, bandwidth capacity is controlled by network lines which have limited transfer rate capacity. The limitation in transfer rate is due to the size of bandwidth. Hard disk space, same as bandwidth, has also limitations regarding its storage space. Most web hosting plans claim that their service offers bandwidth and disk space usage that is unlimited. The problem arises with such claims, because the truth is they are not capable of providing unlimited bandwidth and disk space. This claim is impossible to provide and even internet service providers know this for a fact. Therefore we raise the question as to why they claim unlimited bandwidth and disk space services.

The answer is simple. It is just a marketing strategy to attract customers. Of course, potential buyers would want to get the best website hosting services available at a very reasonable price. Web hosting plan providers offers unlimited services to customers but these companies know for a fact that a certain user would only be able to use a maximum bandwidth and disk space usage at a given period of time. Let us try to apply the same concept on buffet meals. Buffet meals offer unlimited food to customers, but they know for a fact that one individual can not possibly eat all the food they offer. They know that the average person can consume only up to 2 or 3 servings. They say the food is unlimited but they know for a fact that their customers have their own limits. This is the same with how web hosting plan companies’ strategy works to attract potential customers.

Because of the growing market for web hosting, competition between companies offering web hosting plans need to work on their marketing strategies. They go extra mile just to compete with other companies. They  say they offer unlimited bandwidth and disk space because they know that one individual can not possible use as much space, The problem arises hen a certain individual exceeds what they believe is the maximum space a website can consume. The website might crash without any warning. Therefore you should be careful when choosing a web hosting plan. It is even better the set your own website limits to avoid receiving constant warning letters or termination.

Therefore, we should not rely too much on services that offer “unlimited” services, because we know for a fact that nothing is unlimited. The best to do is to consult the web hosting company and directly ask the real bandwidth and disk space capacity they offer.

In our age of digital opportunities there are a wide array of choices when it comes to not only information, but businesses we can work with. Due to the ease of setting up an online business, the doors have been swung open not only for entrepreneurs with good intentions who really do want to provide the best products and services that they can, but those who are out to score a quick buck with little regard for their customers. It is crucial that you be able to determine the difference between fly by night companies and those that have been established to provide the best quality hosting they can.

Here are five quick signs you can check for when you want to find a web host solution that’s worth your time, effort and the money you have put into your website:

5) Sluggish Communications – This can be one of the most frustrating aspects of a poor web host. The fact is, when you run a website, you need quality customer interaction in a short amount of time. Waiting a few hours or even a day for a response from a particularly large web hosting firm might make sense during certain parts of the year, but if you find that all of your emails end up coming back to only after several days of waiting? Then it is time to move on. As a webmaster, you deserve tech support, customer care and billing help that is rapid. There is no excuse for hosts that need to take up days of your life waiting for solutions. An automated receipt of your email is not real help so don’t be fooled into thinking that the “We have received your email and are looking into your problem” replies are anything other than a machine generated response.

4) Offering Discounts Only for First Time Customers – Any business worth its salt knows that long term, loyal customers are the heart of their business enterprise. This is especially true in the website hosting industry. The true professionals realize that their competition is only a click away and that when you want to leave them, all you have to do is sign up for one of their many competitors. If your web host only offers discounts to get people to sign up and then never rewards them with financial incentives to stay on board? Once again, it is time to take your business elsewhere. After being with any host for a year or more, you should receive at least a nominal discount that is proof the company appreciates your business. If you can’t find information on their site, why not send them an email asking if they offer discounts for long time customers? It never hurts to ask!

3) A Lack of Easy to Follow Online Help – Many webmasters prefer to at least try things on their own before they engage technical support. If you want to be able to set up your site with new software packages, particularly those that are industry standards, then you ought to be able to get custom help documents online in the form of guides or FAQs. Your web host wants your business, normally, so they should provide you with the help you need to get the most from the service they provide. They know that when you succeed with your website, you will be pleased with their performance. If they don’t offer you plenty of self help opportunities then you definitely need to find a host that is willing to put in the work to get these created for its user base.

2) Careless Billing Practices – Mistakes are bound to happen from time to time in any business. A small overcharge is not generally something nefarious and even double billing errors happen from time to time. However, if you continually get billing mistakes or wind up being charged huge amounts of money in bandwidth fees after having no warning from your web host? You guessed it! This is a sign your web host wants to gather the gold at all cost and isn’t concerned about driving you into debt through their efforts to maximize their own profits. You definitely need to jump ship and find a new host – quickly.

1) An Online Reputation in Shambles – This is the number one sign that your web hosting service doesn’t care about your business and it’s also the easiest thing to check before you ever sign up with a company. Do a quick search over the most popular search engines for the company’s name. If you find forum post after forum post, blogs posts and even tweets about the company doing bad business then stay away! A company that doesn’t research its own reputation online or does nothing to satisfy infuriated customers who take the time to complain about it in forums across the web is definitely a company you want to run from just as quickly as you can. Don’t be lured into thinking that you will be the exception to the rule because chances are good you’ll be joining those folks in outrage if you sign up for a company that cultivates an image of apathy.

As the most popular blogging software, especially open source software, in the world today, WordPress stands head and shoulders above the rest. While there are plenty of reasons that WordPress is so popular, it is the simple customization factor that a great many bloggers appreciate. While you may not know how to customize WordPress, you really don’t have to be a coding expert in order to change even the most basic WordPress blog into what you want. The community centered around WordPress is vast and many of them offer free plugins that take the hassle out of having to code one yourself. Since they are free, you can use them even if you are an amateur blogger, but if you are trying to earn money with your blog then you will like some of the plugins designed to help you do exactly that – rake in the big bucks.

Whether you want a WordPress photo gallery plugin or a way to quicktag, WordPress has it all. Let’s take a look at a handful of great plugins you can get started using today:

Google Sitemap – This is a super handy plugin because it allows you to create a map of your site, like the name suggests. What good is that? Well, it makes it simple for your users to navigate your entire blog, but even more importantly it lets search engines like Google know where all your posts are so they get indexed more quickly. That means more traffic for your blog.

MobilePress – This helps you get your blog mobile friendly, a very important aspect to have in this day and age of smartphones. The ever popular iPhone visitors will have a much easier time checking out what you offer this way.

WordPress Backup – This is a plugin you are not going to want to miss because it really is important to back up your site – regularly! After running a few blogs, you will learn why you need backups, but hopefully not the hard way.

Shylock Adsense – For those that want to earn some easy money on their blogs to help cover costs or even earn a profit, this free Adsense plugin is an absolute must. It makes putting Google’s income earning opportunity onto your website a whole lot easier.

RS Discuss – This powerful plugin lets you add a forum to your WordPress blog. Of course, commenting is great but forums give a lot more versatility and encourage people to stick around longer, interact and of course, tell their friends about your blog.

Popularity Contest – This handy plugin will report the most popular posts to your sidebar so that visitors can instantly find the best of your blog. It’s a great way to make sure your star posts are really highlighted. A lot of times that leads to more commenting, always a good thing for any blog.

All in One SEO Pack – This is a definite must if you want to SEO your blog. SEO or search engine optimization, is a term that means streamlining your blog in such a way that the search engines know what it is about and which posts are going to be most relevant to their searchers. Basically, this means you will get more traffic that is already interested in what you blog about.

These are just a few of the best WordPress plugins, but there are thousands more for those who want a truly optimized blog. Keep in mind that if you don’t know how to make a WordPress theme, you can actually buy a premium WP theme, as well. All the more reason to love the world’s most popular blogging platform!

Those who find themselves considering the idea of building an online store always have a wide range of considerations they have to take into account. When you are handling customers’ money, it is always a smart idea to make sure that you have a very reliable and easy to interact with script working in your favor. The ease of the ZenCart install makes it a very solid solution for those who are wanting to set up a very stable shop that isn’t going to run into a lot of errors along the way. Down time in the online retail world is a very bad thing, so making sure you have read a ZenCart review or two first is important. The reviews are going to demonstrate exactly why ZenCart is the right choice for you. You can also take a look at the ZenCart demo site to get a very solid feel for how it all hangs together. The software has managed to create quite a name for itself, so you can rest easy knowing there is a large following who can often help with any problems that arise.

After you are sure that you have a trusted source for ZenCart hosting, it is a smart idea to familiarize yourself with the product. The installation is a snap, with thorough documentation to support you along the way. Once you have the ZenCart download, simply navigate to the documentation section and check that out first. As the product is frequently upgraded for better performance, you will want to read a version specific set of documents that explain the version you have for the best results. Simply set your store up the way you and you’re on your way to internet riches, as they say.

Now, there are many people out there who have ZenCart installed, but have not gone the extra lengths to secure it. You certainly do want to take every possible action that you can to make your shop safer both for yourself and your valued customers. The list below is going to show you several steps you can take to make ZenCart much more secure. These often overlooked areas of ZenCart maintenance can save you a lot of aggravation in the future if you take care of them now:

SSL – The ‘Secure Socket Layer’ is the online standard for security. Ask your web host about making sure that all transactions go through SSL to protect your customer’s data. Getting your own security certificate is a very smart idea and makes your site much more trustworthy.

Installation Folder – Immediately after completing the installation of ZenCart, it is highly recommended that you delete the folder titled /zc_install/ as this contains files that could allow others to wreck your store. Don’t wait around for an accident, take care of it as quickly as possible.

Admin Folder – All ZenCart installations start out with a standard /admin/ folder within them. This is where you access your store’s set up and configuration – basically, this is the directory from which you run your store. Do not leave it lying around for others to come snooping into. First, back up your ZenCart install, then set to renaming your admin directory. This is very easy to do.

Navigate to the /admin/includes/ directory and open up configure.php with an editor such as Notepad2. Look for this section in the code and where it says “admin” change it to your new admin directory name:

define(’DIR_WS_ADMIN’, ‘/admin/’);
define(’DIR_WS_CATALOG’, ‘/’);
define(’DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN’, ‘/admin/’);
define(’DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG’, ‘/’);

Be sure to leave the ‘ and / symbols exactly where they are and only change the lower case “admin”. Then, find this chunk of code:

define(’DIR_FS_ADMIN’, ‘/home/mystore.com/www/public/admin/’);
define(’DIR_FS_CATALOG’, ‘/home/mystore.com/www/public/’);

Again, change the lower case “admin” to your new directory name, but change nothing else.

Once you have completed these changes, save the configure.php file and close it. Now, rename the “admin” directory itself to the new directory name you have chosen and implemented into the configure.php file.

From now on, to log into your admin section, you will navigate to:

https://www.YourDomainName.com/NewDirectoryName

YourDomainName.com = The domain of your ZenCart shop

/NewDirectoryName = The new name for your admin directory that you chose above.

These quick steps have just helped make your ZenCart far more secure than it was before! Wasn’t that easy?