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ASP Web Hosting Services for E-Business

ASP web hosting enables the company to create a customized web solution using the Active Server Pages (ASP) technology. Active Server Pages (ASP) is defined as a specification for a web page with .ASP extension that uses ActiveX scripting which could be a VB Script or Jscript code. These are HTML pages with embedded ASP scripts that are processed on the server before pages are being sent to the user. An ASP is similar to CGI scripts only they enable Visual Basic programmers work with the usual tools. A browser’s request for an ASP will generate the web server a page with HTML code and sends it back to the browser. ASP allows you to create database driven pages; user can access data in a database and interact with page objects.

ASP web hosting is when a web hosting company provides support for ASP (Active Server Page). ASP code used in ASP Web hosting is intended for a data-driven web site. In this instance, ASP code should be embedded into your web site’s HTML Pages. A website developed using ASP can change pages depending on the action of the user. ASP code enables the user to link web pages to a database, where he/she can interact with the web page by logging in and using their own personal settings or they can place commands on the website. Clicking on a web page or typing a URL in the address box is requesting the web server to send you a file to your computer. If the file used a standard HTML, the web page will look exactly the same as it did on the web server. But if it is an ASP file, the server will need to run the HTML code then the ASP code.

ASP Web hosting service for ASP files must use Windows 2000 server. ASP pages are safer to host on a Windows 2000 server. Not only do Windows 2000 server used in an ASP web hosting more stable, they also have IIS (Internet Information Services) that work well with ASP components. If your web site uses a database such as SQL, Access, etc. make sure that your ASP web hosting service provides support for the type of database your web site uses.

It is important to do some research on the ASP web hosting company before you commit. You should study the features and functions the ASP web hosting offers. Choosing the right ASP web hosting could spell huge difference to your web site especially on a business website.

Points to Consider Before Choosing a Web Hosting Provider

One should be fully aware of his/her hosting requirements before choosing a web host. One’s only concern should be to get a decent amount of disk space for his/her web site with a host that is as cheap as per month if he/she is a beginner wanting to host a personal web site. Nevertheless, if he/she is an online entrepreneur, a developer, or an online business looking for e-commerce capabilities or advanced scripting technologies, then he/she can decide upon his/her requirements in the following order.

(1) Whether Shared Hosting or Dedicated Hosting is required:

two major requirements on which this depends are – 1) the traffic one’s web site is estimated to receive and 2) the degree of administrative privileges he/she needs. If one is expecting to receive huge amounts of traffic, then he/she will need to have a Dedicated Server, which definitely has a much greater bandwidth offering. He/She should select dedicated server hosting if his/her web site requires customized options, secure information or complex applications i.e. dynamic content, e-commerce, database and multimedia applications.

(2) Whether one needs Linux Hosting or Windows Hosting: One should use a Windows hosting provider if he/she is going to use server technologies such as ASP, JSP etc or intend to run Microsoft applications like Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL database on his/her server. There are securities and reliability concerns related to ASP, though it can be run on the Linux platform by using some commercial applications. However, ColdFusion can run on both Linux and Windows platforms if one wants to use it.

(3) What are one’s Space and Bandwidth requirements: nowadays, many web hosts are offering 1 GB to 3 GB generous amounts of disk space. However, One’s disk space requirements may be 5 to 10 times greater than this, if his/her web site mainly acts as a download resource. The second consideration is one’s bandwidth requirements may be estimated by the amount of traffic his/her web site is expected to receive.

(4) FTP Accounts and Anonymous FTP Requirements: if one has coworkers working on his/her web site project at different locations he/she may need more than one FTP account. The Anonymous FTP permits the public to access certain directories on his/her web server to whom they have been granted permission. For Anonymous FTP to function, one will need a dedicated IP address.

(5) The number of Parked Domains and Subdomains one needs:

The amount of traffic to one’s web site can be increased significantly, as Parked domains are very advantageous. Likewise, by pointing to specific directories of one’s web site, subdomains can help with search engine rankings. Parked domains and subdomains seldom come free with certain web hosting packages. However, One will have to pay an additional price per month if he/she needs more

(6) Whether one needs e-commerce Features: One should choose a web host that provides e-commerce functionality such as shopping carts and the ability to accept credit cards if he/she needs e-commerce features. Also, check if their server is SSL secured.

The under mentioned considerations must be kept in mind when looking for a quality web host in addition to one’s own hosting requirements.

(1) More than 99.5% uptime: If one’s web site is for business purposes, it’s very essential that one’s site stays online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Therefore, one should choose a web host that has an uptime greater than 99.5% and if there is an uptime guarantee, it’s even better.

(2) Server Backups: To make one’s data secure, his/her web host must have a power backup system and should backup the data to an external device in order to prevent the data loss due to failure. One should test out how regularly the web host backups data, i.e. either daily or weekly.

(3) Moneyback Guarantee: It makes one risk-free, if the Web host gives a moneyback guarantee.

(4) Fast Servers: One should choose a web host with at least a T3 connection to the major Internet backbone as the level of connectivity of his/her web host to the Internet is very important. If one’s web site takes more than 30 seconds to load, chances are that he/she will loose a lot of visitors and consequently sales as according to the analysis the average web visitor waits for about 30 seconds before a web page loads.

(5) Unrestricted CGI, SSH, FTP access & Anonymous FTP: CGI and FTP access is provided by most web hosts while SSH access is provided by a few so If one have a professional web site, he/she will need to run CGI scripts, have SSH (Secure Shell) access and FTP access. He/she will also require checking if anonymous FTP access is being provided.

(6) Disk Space and Bandwidth: Mostly 1 GB to 3 GB of disk space is being offered by web hosts, so if one’s web site is not mainly a download resource, then this factor is not that important for him/her. Always choose a web host that meets one’s, disk space and bandwidth requirements. However, bandwidth should be as much as possible as one’s traffic can increase in the future thus requiring more data transfer. One should check whether he/she has the option of buying more disk space and bandwidth when required.

(7) Full e-mail services: Web host that provides web-based e-mail, mailing lists, auto responders, both POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, forwarding accounts and antivirus and spam filtering software should be chosen.

(8) Software/Scripts: Web host that has an extensive script library for one, to add guestbook’s, forms, surveys, newsletters etc to his/her web site should be chosen.

(9) E-commerce capabilities and SSL: web host that provides one with e-commerce capabilities with shopping cart software and merchant accounts must be chosen.

(10) Web-Based Administration: nowadays almost all web hosts provide a control panel to access and manage web site features.

(11) 24/7/365 Customer Support: as many support channels as possible should be provided by the web host including an FAQ section, a knowledgebase, video and flash tutorials, toll-free support, e-mails support, live chat support and a community forum.

Finding an eCommerce Business Web Hosting Provider

One of the more popular types of business web hosting solutions available nowadays is eCommerce hosting. ECommerce is a growing industry on the web, and with the popularity of online shopping, both buyers and sellers have found a means to interact with one another without having to actually meet up in an actual, physical store. If you’re planning to put up an eCommerce site or to make some upgrades on your existing website, you need to find a reliable eCommerce web hosting company first. Also, you need to make sure that the hosting plan has all the features your business needs. Different companies make available different hosting plans, and you need to make sure first that you are getting the eCommerce plan you really need.

If you have just decided to go for eCommerce, it is important for you to make an extensive review first of all. Online reviews are to be found on the web and these reviews typically enumerate the different features of different hosting companies. As much as possible, you need to go for a business web hosting provider that has a wide range of features, including unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space. Some of the more essential features you need to look into are the following: free domain name, unlimited space, unlimited emails, unlimited traffic, shopping carts, safe transactions, server uptime, and customer support.

One of the essential factors to consider when getting an eCommerce hosting plan is the cost. An eCommerce site allows you to sell or market your products and services online, process online payments, restock orders, and respond to queries and verifications promptly. Therefore you need to find a business web hosting solution that allows you to do all these efficiently and promptly, without having to use up all your business resources.

Business web hosting moreover can either be shared hosting or dedicate hosting. When it comes to eCommerce sites, it is better to use dedicated hosting services although shared hosting servers are also a good option. A dedicated server has many advantages however. It is generally more secure since you are not sharing a single server among other websites or eCommerce sites. Due to the fact that you are not sharing any server space with other sites, you are also assured of faster transactions, more efficient online processing, and better uptime guarantee.

Finally, you also need to look into the customer support offered by the business web hosting provider. Do they cater specifically to eCommerce sites? Do they have the needed professional expertise in keeping your eCommerce site up and running at all times? Is the customer service available 24 hours, seven days per week? By looking into the specific features, such as bandwidth, disk space, security features, price, and customer service offered by hosting companies it will be easier for you to find a hosting plan that suits the needs of your eCommerce site. A bit of research and review can go a long way, and as long as you know what your business site requires, you can get the hosting solution you need at the right price.