Posted by Jeremy »
Add Comment »If you are planning to start a web project, you must think about purchasing good web hosting, or even a dedicated server. Among numerous offers in the market you will find many hosting packages including cPanel. So, what is cPanel, actually? This is an incredibly important tool allowing you to manage your hosting efficiently and fast. Basically, cPanel works as a web page, from which you can administer your virtual resources.
Key Features of cPanel
If you purchase cPanel Hosting, you’ll get a lot of important features. They will help you not only to create a website from scratch, but also to administer it like a pro. And it doesn’t matter, how large your website is. With cPanel you can efficiently manage databases, use FTP and file managers, and repair possible malfunctions. Also, you will get great security tools including spam filters, hotlink protection, leek protection, etc.
Another important feature of cPanel is information about your websites. You can get extensive statistics for many issues including bandwidth, raw logs, analog, etc. This enables you not only to check the efficiency of your website, but also plan the development of your project. Also, much stats available at cPanel are important for successful SEO promotion.
5 Tips on How to Set cPanel
So, suppose you have purchased good cPanel hosting. What should you do now? Your first tasks are to make cPanel run securely and efficiently. That’s why we have composed a list of 5 cPanel settings you surely have to know and use before starting a web project.
1. Be Familiar with Server Basics
First of all, we advise you to check server environment at cPanel. You can see the basic server info on the left sidebar cPanel start page. So, here are some things you have to keep in mind, as you may need them in future: IP address; application versions (PHP, MySQL, Apache, Perl and cPanel itself); server OS; server hardware; kernel version; hosting features (bandwidth, disk space, etc).
Also, you can get pretty much important info from the Stats > Service Status page. Here you will find information not only about your hosting package, but about the whole server. This is very good for understanding the overall image of possible server functioning. All-in-all, if the disk and swap usage of your server are below 80% and 10% respectively, your project is safe, and the number of possible malfunctions is quite low.
2. Check PHP settings
By default, your home directory is /home/username, so all your files have to be run with correspondent permissions. Note that the most important directory you should run with correct permission is public_html. Why you need the permissions? First of all, to get familiar with how PHP is handled at your server.
So, create a phpinfo page in public_html directory, and open it at a regular browser window. There you will find some important info about your PHP application. Pay attention to Server API line. If it says CGI or FastCGI, it’s most probable that PHP on your server is handled by suPHP. This is the default application for cPanel servers.
Also, it’s possible that Server API value is Apache 2.0 Handler. This application processes PHP using Apache, so it doesn’t require strict file permission. The information about PHP handler will be very useful for you in future, in order to omit internal server errors. Also, we advise you to delete the phpinfo page after you get the data you need.
3. Improve Server Security
If you really take care of good server functioning, we advise you to take additional safety measures. CPanel allows you to increase the protection of your domain, cPanel account and website itself. For instance, you could start from spam. Though newly born web projects are not spammed for quite a while, we advise you to outstrip the problem by enabling the Spam Assassin (Mail > Spam Assassin).
Also, to protect yourself from spam and hacker attacks better, you can choose to discard all unrouted mails (Mail > Default Address). To make your hosting even more secure against hacker attacks, disable MS Frontpage (Advanced > Frontpage Extensions). Due to many weaknesses in its structure, Microsoft now stopped working with Frontpage extension on Unix platform.
Finally, enable hotlink protection that will exclude the possibility of bandwidth loss (Security > Hotlink Protection). This will allow only your sites to use static content images including .jpg, .png, .gif and .bmp.
4. Choose a Good Password
Of course, if we speak about cPanel security, one of the musts is choosing a strong pass. You have probably heard a lot about safe passwords. We won’t take really much time of yours, and just remind you several important points:
- Make it at least 8 symbols long;
- Avoid birth dates and combinations including only numbers;
- Combine symbols, numbers, and letters (both smalls and capitals);
- Never ever let your browser remember the password;
- Change it frequently.
5. Monitoring and Backup E-Mail
To finish cPanel security settings, add a backup email at Preferences > Update Contact Info. First, this will be your emergency measure for the cases of primary email capture. Also, in case you have some other problems with your general email, the secondary address can be used to get cPanel notifications. Also, we advise you to use for this an email hosted by a provider that’s different from the primary email host.
Finally, we advise to use several monitoring services that will check if your website is up and running on regular basis. For instance, you can try www.mon.itor.us, www.site24x7.com/, or www.host-tracker.com. Many web host companies offer you similar service for free, but it’s always good to have several independent monitors in store. With these services your website will always work perfectly well.
To sum it all up, we want to say that these are only a few tips that can help you manage basic cPanel settings. For more fine presets, check web for more info, or hire a specialized web master, who could help you improve the website a lot.
Posted by Jeremy »
Add Comment »Every website owner wants his or her site to be the best — it’s obvious. However, not everyone can turn this wish into reality. That’s why we’ve put together the most important points of creating a unique website doomed to unbelievable success. Surely, you’ll find a lot of important information in this article.
- Get Good Web Hosting. This is the basis of everything. For your site to run well, choose a good package from a reliable web company. If you are planning to attract many users, your best choise will be dedicated hosting.
- Choose Smart Page Design and Colours. You should always remember about your target audience. If these are businessmen, blue and white are best colours for your website. If you have a photo gallery, it is important to make black background for better perception. Check web for more information about the compatibility of colour palette and website topic.
- Mind Usability. It’s e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y important that your site visitors feel comfortable. Create convenient navigation, add the most important tools like advanced search box, and ask your friends to test the usability of your website.
- Take Care of Content Quality. Website content is probably the most important element of a successful online project. Users come for information. And if they can’t understand it, they leave to search for other options. Make your content smart, laconic and clear.
- Choose a Good Platform. If you have a limited budget, consult web masters on the CMS you should use for your future project. Or, if you have enough resources, create your own website system — it will help you make a lot of fine adjustments in future.
- Update Regularly. This regards not only administration software, but also content. If your site is dynamic, and has at least one section with renewable information, your guests will come back to you again and again.
- Model Your Visitors. It is extremely important to understand, what your guests think. This can help you with usability and design optimization. If you aren’t sure about your target audience, use different analytics tools available on the web.
- Make SEO, Not War. Even if your website is immaculate, it’s important to improve its findability. Purchase SEO services, and you’ll get a lot of new users that are looking exactly for your content and services.
- Pay Attention to Your Contacts Page. Any website should have a contacts page. You never know, who can turn to you, and which offer you can get. So, pay special attention to the information on your Contacts page.
- Speed Up Your Site. This point is also very important for good usability. Just order a better hosting package or install some special plugins that reduce site load.
Hopefully, with our tips your site will become even more interesting, popular and successful. Good luck, and stay tuned!
Posted by Jeremy »
Add Comment »How To Use WordPress Themes?
Today, in the times of rapidly developing technologies, you can create your own web site in a couple of minutes. For this you can use the so-called CMS platforms. These platforms help you choose the modules for your web pages, and unite them into a whole system. This is like a constructor — quite easy and funny.
One of the most popular CMS platforms is WordPress. Originally it was created for blogs, but now you can use it for many other purposes. WordPress is easy to operate. You only need to install special software on your hosting server, and choose a certain WordPress Theme. There are many themes of different types, so you’ll surely find what you need. Just check the specialized reviews to know more about them.
Why Choose 3 Column WordPress Theme?
As we have already stated above, there are many types of WordPress Themes. You can find both specialized themes, and those of common use. 3 Column WordPress Themes are those you can can use for almost any purpose.
You can start a blog with a 3 Column WordPress Theme. Or make a personal promo site. Or a news portal. There’s a lot of opportunities. The majority of 3 Column WordPress Themes allow to fill every column with different content types. These can be photos, java widgets, link blocks, blog posts, RSS feeds — whatever. You are the one who creates and publishes the content of your site.
WordPress Themes With 3 Columns
Now we’d like to offer you a chart of best 3 Column WordPress Themes. All of them are easy to install and use. This means, you will get a shiny web site without any problem. All you need is to download the theme you like.
So, here comes the list:
- Artwork
- Atlantis
- Irresistible
- BlueBubble
- Grass Roots
- Fantomalist
- PixDesign Silver
- Mainam Vintage
- Shaken Grid
- The Standard
- Smooth
- Aristo
- Sliding Door
- Unwind
- The Daily Grind
- Simpleton
- Illacrimo
- Blue Zinfandel
- Pride
- Dark Zen
How To Install 3 Column WordPress Themes?
If you have already chosen a certain theme, you can proceed to installing it. For this, first of all, you have to install WordPress on your hosting server (check web for more details about this procedure). When it’s done, you can apply the theme you like in several ways.
The easiest method of installing a WordPress Theme is using your WordPress Admin page. Just go to Themes Tab in Appearance section. Then choose the Install Themes tab, and find the option you like. You can use the search engine for this. Finally, press the “Install” button to start the setup. It may take some time, but normally the installation is rather quick.
Please note that some 3 Column WordPress Themes are paid. However, in most cases you can try a demo version before making the purchase. Also, in our chart above you will find a lot of free WordPress Themes with interesting and functional design. So, you have a lot of options — make your choice and create the site of your dream!
Posted by Jeremy »
Add Comment »What is Dedicated Hosting?
Today if you browse the web you’ll find out that most web host companies offer you hosting of three most common types. These are Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting and Dedicated Hosting. Every type has its advantages, of course, but nothing can compete with Dedicated Hosting in quality and volume of services you get.
Purchasing dedicated hosting means taking a whole big server for rent. Apart from great technical specifications you will get a lot of control over the system. If your project team has a web master, you can even order an unmanaged plan giving you total control over your server. In this case you can adjust all settings specifically to your site. Otherwise, many companies offer you managed plans requiring few involvement in server operation.
In any case, when you purchase a dedicated server, you buy a top-class set of services. Every dedicated hosting package has many important characteristics, and we would like to speak about them in this article. Read on to discover key facts about the most important properties of dedicated servers: operating system, database type, control panel, specifications and, of course, price.
1. Operating System
Every server needs an operating system. If you look for different offers in the market you’ll see that there are two main operating systems installed on dedicated servers – Linux and Windows. These systems have a lot in common and many differences at once. The choice of OS predetermines many points of functioning and work of your server, so it’s worth consulting a web master before choosing an operation system.
Many web host companies suggest you to choose the system for your servers. However, some of them sell servers with a certain OS installed. It’s very important that you check this information before purchasing the server. For this just contact the customers support of the company you like. Normally, web hosting providers are very loyal to their “dedicated” clients, so you’ll get full answers for every question.
2. Database Type
Another important option you have to keep in mind before you buy dedicated server is the type of database. If you are purchasing a dedicated package, it’s almost 100% probable that your web project already works with databases. That is why you have to choose the format that will fit your requirements best.
Normally, with Linux servers they provide MySQL databases, and with Windows machines – MSSQL. However, other options are always available, so consult experts before making your choice. The type of database influences the speed of your server when it processes big amounts of data. Also, if your project is very big, you can purchase a top-class licensed database like Oracle.
3. Control Panel
It doesn’t matter if you are planning to organize the work of your server personally or with the help of a web master. The Control Panel will make this process easier and more efficient. Most web host companies include in their Dedicated Hosting packages cPanel, which is the most popular version of control panel. So, if you see that cPanel is included into the package, make sure that dedicated servers of this company will run better.
4. Specifications
Of course, every dedicated server will have different technical characteristics. So, when looking for a decent package of services, pay attention to different machine properties, too. Here are some key characteristics that might influence the work of your server: processor type and model, core memory, type of hard drive and volume of hard drive. Compare these options in different companies, and choose the best set!
5. Price
Finally, every hosting package has a certain price. In the market you can find dedicated servers both at low and high prices. Normally, there isn’t anything tricky about the price. Just the company charging few will give you an older server or not that much disk space or bandwidth capacity. However, if your project is still not very big, you can purchase a cheaper dedicated server and later shift to a better offer.