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July’s Fresh Photoshop Web Layout Tutorials
Submitted on August 22, 2010 - 7:58amThis roundup includes 21 Photoshop tutorials which deal with creating web layouts, fresh and inspirational resources from design community (July 2010).
Six Quick Questions with Chris Coyier
Submitted on August 16, 2010 - 8:00pmI recently had a chance to ask Chris Coyier, one of the most well know authors within the web design industry and curator of CSS-Tricks, some quick questions and catch up with what he has been up to lately.
July’s Free Professional PSD Web Templates
Submitted on August 14, 2010 - 9:21amHere’s a collection of 32 fully customizable templates which contain the graphic source files in .PSD format, fresh and creative resources from design community (July 2010).
June’s Free Professional PSD Web Templates
Submitted on July 31, 2010 - 5:05amHere’s a collection of 32 fully customizable templates which contain the graphic source files in .PSD format, fresh and creative resources from design community (June 2010).
5 Tips and Tutorials for Creating Memorable Business Card
Submitted on July 24, 2010 - 9:51amBelow is a roundup of very usable tips and tutorials, that will help us for creating unique and memorable business card.
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Choosing the Right Web Host: A Complete Guide
Planning
Before you go off and pay for a web hosting plan, take some time and think about what you are planning to do. Outline a plan. Even if you hate planning, or aren't completely sure where your site will take you; it's still good to get a rough idea of what direction you want to head in.
For example, do you want a start a blog?
Or maybe a portfolio to showcase your work?
How about a web forum?
Some sort of web application?
Or maybe something else entirely?
It's vital that you get a grasp of your plans before simply diving off and picking a web host and a hosting plan at random. Your web host will be responsible for maintaining your site's uptime, so anytime the server goes down, or it gets sluggish, it reflects badly on you.
Choose a Reliable Brand
You need to be able to trust your web host. Lean on them. After all, there are the ones making sure your site remains online at all times. The best way to get a reliable host is to do research. Find out what past/current customers have to say.
Often times, there may be opposing arguments. That's fine. People will always have different opinions. In case get a recommendation from someone you know. See what hosts popular websites are depending on.
You can always check web host review sites like Web Hosting Search or Web Hosting Geeks. There are actually a lot of sites out there dedicated to helping you find the right web host, it just takes a bit of time to decide on the right one.
Understanding it all
What kind of features do you need? What kind of hosting? What does all this lingo mean? Well, let's break it down for those of you who are a bit less experienced with web hosting.
Get a Domain
A domain name is pretty much a user friendly url that you can type into the address bar in your browser. The domain name servers then reroute you to the web host's servers, where you will be presented with the file. Many web hosts will include a free domain name registration whenever you buy a hosting plan from them, but if they don't; you can always buy a domain name from Godaddy or Register.com.
Types of Hosting
There are a multitude of hosting solutions out there, but what separates them? What makes them different from each other?
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Shared Hosting | Shared hosting or sometimes called grid hosting, is basically a cluster or grid of servers where each user get an allocated space on the cluster. Because users share a server, there could literally be thousands of domains hosted on one server. This solution is very inexpensive, but if the cluster of servers should crash because of a traffic spike to one of your neighbors, then your site is affected as well. |
| Reseller Hosting | In this case, the hosting company actually provides you with an allocated space as well as the ability to divide the space to resell to clients. These solutions tend to be more stable, and some designers resell hosting to their clients to cut costs. |
| Virtual Private Server | A virtual private server (or VPS) is a hosting solution that is a higher level than the common grid or cluster hosting. Often more expensive than shared hosting, but usually less than dedicated hosting. The term "private" is a bit misleading as you don't actually get your own server. A server is actually partitioned into server different virtual ones; which means you still share the same physical server as a few other people. However, the server is still isolated from other servers, and you'll have access to server resources like RAM allocation, CPU modules, and disk space. Usually, you'll have root access, which is great if you want to make server adjustments or install custom modules. |
| Dedicated Server | A dedicated server is usually used by large companies or corporations. At this level, it gets a bit pricey, and its a bit like leasing the server. You get a server all to yourself, with many addons and configuration options. This solution is usually the most secure, stable, and powerful one. You'll get full root access, including hardware configuration, more disk space and bandwidth than you'll need, and awesome scalability. |
| Custom Options | Some hosts will allow you to custom configure options if you are looking for sometime different or an option not offered. Other times, they will create their own hosting systems. |
Features, Features, Features
The first thing a web host will tell you is the features you will get for the plan. But what does all of it mean? Do you even need it? Perhaps. But once again, it will depend on what you plan to do. Let's explain some of the terms and features.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Let's start with the basics. Bandwidth is the amount of data that travels between your server and visitors. A good analogy for bandwidth is the number of lanes on the highway and traffic is the number of cars on the highway. If you are the only car on a highway, you can travel very quickly. If you are stuck in the middle of rush hour, you may travel very slowly since all of the lanes are being used up. |
| Disk Space | Disk space is pretty simple. It's simply the amount of data you can store on your server. The idea is virtually the same as your own hard drive. |
| Host Domains | Some web hosts allow you to only host a certain number of domains on your server. Hosting a domain is simply pointing a domain name server over to your web host server. This is useful if you own multiple domains, but most of the time a web host will allow you to host much more domains than you could possibly need. Also be on the lookout for the number of subdomains you are allowed to create. |
| MySQL | MySQL is a popular open source database because of its consistent fast performance, high reliability and ease of use. This common database is often offered by hosting companies. |
| PostgreSQL | A popular alternative to MySQL. If your host doesn't offer this option, as long as you have one or the other, you should be fine. Most popular content management systems will install on either. |
| Email Accounts | Pretty self explanatory; the amount of email accounts you will be able to create. |
| PHP | Almost all web hosts will provide PHP support in some capacity. But you should see which version of PHP your potential host supports, and make sure your application will perform with that version. |
| GD Library | The GD library, or GD Graphic library is an open source code library for the dynamic creation of images by programmers. This extremely useful library is used by content management systems like Wordpress and Drupal to create images dynamically. |
| Python | Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, extensible programming language. For those who are knowledgeable in Python programming, then server support for this is important. |
| GD Library | The GD library, or GD Graphic library is an open source code library for the dynamic creation of images by programmers. This extremely useful library is used by content management systems like Wordpress and Drupal to create images dynamically. |
| Ruby/Ruby On Rails | Ruby on Rails is an open source web application framework for the Ruby programming language. For those interested in programming in this framework, server support for Ruby and Ruby on Rails. |
| .htaccess Support | The .htaccess file controls basic Apache server settings and lets you do a lot of awesome stuff. Make sure that your web host allows access and the ability to edit this. |
| FTP Access | FTP, or File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to exchange and manipulate files over a TCP/IP-based network, such as the Internet. Using FTP, you can access your server files easily either online with a site like Net2FTP, or using a desktop based application like Filezilla. |
| Shell Access (SSH) | Allowing users to have shell access means enabling them to configure server root functions. You can run shell commands and functions, which is extremely useful for the more advanced users. |
Find the Right Plan for You
Many web hosts will offer different levels of monthly or yearly plans to suit your needs. But which one do you need? Well, it really depends on what you plan on using it for, the amount of traffic you receive, or certain features you need.
-
Your everyday designer or developer
Chances are that a shared hosting solution will work just fine for the average web designer, developer, or someone just looking to showcase their work. Even if you want to start a small blog or have a place to test your creations, then a shared hosting solution will probably work just fine for you. However, if you have clients who might be interested in finding a host, then you could consider getting reseller hosting. This could cut costs a bit, and help you maintain your clients sites a lot easier. If your blog or site becomes popular and starts receiving more internet traffic than you can handle, web hosts usually make it very easy to upgrade to a different package. -
A blog or community
If you run a popular blog or online community, you might be interested in a package that offers a bit more bandwidth and security. You never know whenever you could receive a traffic spike, so choosing a package that is scalable is very important. However, if you are just getting started, I would recommend starting at a basic package, and upgrading when the traffic becomes too heavy. -
Social Networks / Large Community
For large user based applications, you'll probably need a solution with more computing power and bandwidth. If your site starts crashing or gets sluggish, then perhaps its time to get a VPS or Dedicated Server. This allows you allocate server resources where you need them, like speeding up the databases. -
Custom Applications
Sometimes a company will need a specialized hosting solution, in which case, they can usually contact the hosting company and work something out.
Popular Web Hosts
So what about finding a host? Where to begin? Well, besides searching the web for one, here are just a few that seem popular and trusted by the web community.
| Company | Logo | Types of Hosting Offered | Coupons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Temple |  |
Grid Hosting Virtual Private Server Dedicated Hosting Custom Solutions Other |
Coupons |
| Firehost |  |
Specialized Secure Hosting | Coupons |
| AN Hosting |  |
Grid Hosting | Coupons |
| Hostmonster |  |
Grid Hosting | Coupons |
| Host Clear |  |
Upgradable Grid Hosting (3 Levels) | Coupons |
| Dreamhost |  |
Grid Hosting Virtual Private Server Dedicated Hosting Custom Solutions |
Coupons |
| Just Host |  |
Grid Hosting (2 Levels) | Coupons |
| Blue Host |  |
Grid Hosting | Coupons |
| 1&1 |  |
Grid Hosting on Either Linux or Windows | Coupons |
| Inmotion Hosting |  |
Grid Hosting Virtual Private Server Dedicated Hosting |
Coupons |
| iPage |  |
Grid Hosting | Coupons |
| HostGator |  |
Grid Hosting Reseller Hosting Virtual Private Server Dedicated Hosting |
Coupons |
Go forth, and find a host
Now that we've covered some of the basics of web hosting, you can consider which host is right for you. Remember, take your time, and make a wise decision, because you will be partners with your web host. Your host's performance reflects on you, and you should never rush into it.
Internet Nerd, Design Freak, oh and Designmess Admin.
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