FAQ's
What
is web hosting?
In order to have a web site on the internet you first need to have a web server.
Unfortunately, running your own web server can be expensive and require a lot
of know-how to keep it up and running around the clock. Most home networks don't
have the speed or bandwidth to host a professional website.
Web hosting companies are basically real estate agents for the world wide web.
They provide space on their web servers for you to put your website files and
are connected to fast networks. Many companies also provide tools to help you
enhance your website.
Do I need a domain name before I find a host?
No. Most web hosts also offer domain registration services.
Can I keep my domain name if I move to a different host?
Yes. When you register a domain name, you own it.
Does it matter whether I use a Macintosh or Windows computer?
No. It does not make a difference what type of computer you use to create your
website as long as you can upload it to the Internet.
What are POP email accounts?
POP accounts allow you to have personalized email addresses using your own domain
name like: sales@yourdomainname.com or you@yourbusiness
What is email forwarding (email aliasing)?
Email forwarding allows you to have email messages that are sent to a particular
address forwarded to another email address. For example, you could have all messages
that are sent to sales@yourbusiness.com go to you@yourbusiness.com. It cuts down
on the number of email boxes that you need to check.
What are FrontPage extensions?
FrontPage extensions are a set of server-side applications that enable you to
incorporate the features like forms, counters, link bars, top 10 lists, discussion
forums, and full text searches.
What are the restrictions on the characters my domain can contain?
Valid characters for a domain name are the following:
The letters A-Z
The numbers 0-9
The - character(dash)
!(exclamation points) and _ (underscores) are not allowed.
What do I need to do to put Flash on my website?
Flash is a client side feature - it runs on the user's computer, not on your
web host. As long as the user's browser has the correct plugin installed, it
will run on their computer.
What are subdomains?
Consider subdomains as an extension of your domain. For example, your site is
www.example.com. A subdomain would be test.example.com, and another would be
webhosting.example.com.
Subdomains are usually treated as separate sites from the main domain site.
I am using too much bandwidth! Is there anyway for me to make it less?
In most cases, yes.
You should first try to optimize the graphics on your website. Many GIFs look
just as good with fewer colors, and many JPEGs look just as good with a higher
compression level. NetMechanic offers an image
optimizer program online.
You should also analyze the HTML of your site. Make sure you use relative paths,
so that images are not downloaded more than one time. Remove any extra spacing
and when linking to other pages, use relative paths and not absolute links.
While many hosts already have it, you could also see if your host has mod_gzip
installed. This can save you a lot of bandwidth.
Best of all, optimizing your page like this makes the user experience better
as your site will load faster for them!
What are PHP, perl, etc?
These are all programming languages which are referred to by their acronyms.
Each programming language has its own benefits and uses. It is best that you
research on your own to find one that best fits your needs.
