Archive for November, 2008

Can You Make Money With Your Domain?

Thanks to the flourishing industry of e-commerce, more individuals are looking to bring their business ventures online.   With millions of people surfing the web each minute of the day, the number of potential clients is unlimited.  Because the average person does not have access to a server and other network equipment, most of us rely on a web hosting to create our sites.  The provider enables your pages to be served to the web, but a domain name is what helps to identify your site and brand your business.

Domains have been a hot commodity since the inception of the internet.  Aside from giving people a way to label their website, some have actually been able to profit by selling domain names.  Sound intriguing?  Of course it does.  Now you’re probably thinking of coming up with a clever domain, registering it and then keeping it under lock and key until someone comes along offering the right price.  While it’s possible, this is something you should not count on.

To be perfectly honest, most of the best domains have already been taken, whether they’re in use or just sitting there.  Squatters purchase several domains on mere speculation.  They often go after names of famous companies, brands or individuals.  What many of them forget is the critical aspect of intellectual property.  Hoping that some big name company will pay them a huge sum of money to use their own trademarked name, they typically end up receiving letters from attorneys threatening to sue them for extortion.  This part definitely doesn’t sound good at all.

While you can find yourself in a jam by trying to play the domain game, there are few sensible approaches that can help you profit off the system.

Products and services - The most common method of profiting with your domain is selling products and services.  You could do this with your own products, or the products of others.  While this approach takes significant marketing efforts, it also tends to be the most rewarding.

Information sites - Even without a product or service to sell, you can still profit from your domain by creating a site rich with informative content.  Your revenue would be generated from a proven program such as Google AdSense.

Affiliate programs - You could also use your domain to promote affiliates, preferably in your niche interest.  Affiliates may be willingly to compensate you for redirecting your visitors to their site.

Park your domain - Perhaps your domain does has some resale value.  There are a number of companies that will let you park your domain on their web servers.  In this scenario, you advertise that the domain is for sale, and then split the revenue with the participating company.

Regardless of what approach you take towards profiting with your domain, the key is generating traffic.  The more traffic you are able to generate, the better chances you have creating revenue.  Think of your domain as a piece of property.  The more value you add to it, the more it will be worth.


Choosing a Dedicated Host

The more popular your site becomes, the more resources your business demands.  Many people make their way on the web with a shared hosting account.  After exceeding their monthly resources they come to find out that the environment is no longer suited for their needs.  For the webmaster who runs a high traffic site or simply desires more flexibility, a dedicated server is the answer.

Unlike a shared server which could store hundreds of sites on a single machine, a dedicated server is made exclusive to one account.  You’re provided with an internet connection of your own, one that isn’t bogged down with other users competing for resources.  This means that your pages will open at lightning speed when visitors stop by, a great asset to the webmaster who experiences a lot of traffic.

One of the biggest advantages to dedicated server hosting is customization.  Since you are leasing the entire machine, you essentially have the power to incorporate various components to make the server more secure and efficient.  Not only can you make the choice of a Windows or Linux operating system, you also get the final say on memory and the size of your hard disk drive.  In the end, a dedicated server can be as powerful as you make it.

Available Options

Dedicated server hosting generally falls in two categories: managed and unmanaged.  A managed service is operated and maintained by a host while you simply provide them with the data.  This reduces a lot of the technical details that most average users are lacking.  A reliable managed host will provide tight security in the way of monitoring and redundant systems along with quality technical support.  The unmanaged solution is the most common situation.  In this scenario, you operate and maintain the server while the host provides you with physical security, bandwidth and connectivity.  Most of the time, the company will offer some form of assistance, although it may come for an additional price.

Accessing Your Needs

When it becomes clear that you need a dedicated server, there are a few important issues that need to be addressed before deciding on a provider.  For instance, you should have an idea of how much space your business needs to grow.  While a dedicated server is more flexible, it is a computer, and every computer has its limitations.  This is why you need to carefully think about your options in regard to bandwidth, disk storage and RAM.

Next, you should find out the level of customization a particular host allows.  For instance, some offer predetermined packages and give you a few choices.  Others offer full customization and give you complete control over your operation.  The best solution for you all depends on the needs of your site.

Lastly, you need to know that the host offers some form of reliable customer service.  Technical support is a very critical aspect of hosting, one that should even be provided by the unmanaged host.  This will come in handy if you need assistance setting up the server, helping to ensure that the operation flows seamlessly when incorporating the essentials for your business.


Cube Panel Overview

Control panel software describes a program installed onto a server by a web host.  As the name implies, it gives the end-user authority over the account and enables them to make various administrative changes.  Its graphical interface provides the user with access to all the major features of their web hosting account.  Some of the options a control panel gives you include adding primary and parked domains, creating and managing email accounts, access to visitor statistics, access to server logs, access to multiple databases, the ability to upload and manage web content and much more.

While you have probably heard of leading brand control panels like cPanel and Plesk, here is one capable program you might not be familiar with - Cube Panel.

What is Cube Panel?

Cube Panel is one of the latest control panel programs to hit the market.  This server administrative software is geared towards professional web hosting and resellers.  It offers everything the user needs to get the most out of their servers, systems and associated software.  Cube Panel is intuitive, user-friendly and highly compatible as it supports both Windows and Linux platforms. The program is fully customizable and includes a variety of features including a multilingual control utility.

Cube Panel is developed by Biztology, a Spanish web hosting company.  To keep pace with the fierce market, Biztology created this control panel with features that support three different access levels: API (Application Programming Interface) web services for resellers, allowing the incorporation of various management systems and third-party software for end-users, and a domain registration setup than enables each host to act as their own ICANN accredited registrar.

The Cube Panel software began in beta form with Cube Panel Lite, a complete free edition that supports up to 30 domains, and Cube Panel Professional, a fully featured trial version that is available for 20 days.  Biztology decided to give away these free versions to get the public familiar with Cube Panel, hoping to embark upon a successful tenor in the industry.

Although cPanel remains the most widely used control panel, Biztology’s software has quickly gained notoriety with its latest version in Cube Panel Professional version 2.4.  This program comes packed with many more features such as the structure backup and migration module.  The new addition gives you the ability to seamlessly export configurations of the control panel to any Cube Panel server.  It also includes more options for configurations, personalization and updates for third-party software.  The newest version of Cube Panel can be easily integrated with the existing infrastructure of a small business or powerful corporative applications utilized by Internet Service Providers.

Conclusion

Your web hosting account should involve minimum complexity and provide maximum functionality.  Cube Panel enables this by offering quality service that automates the administrative procedures of your entire operation from adding domains and managing emails to importing data and backing up your web content.

Cube Panel still has a long way to go as it is provided by very few web hosts.  However, this program has well over 34,000 installations since being released in 2005, indicating that more users are realizing the benefits.


The Shared Hosting Checklist

Are you looking to build a website but are working with limited resources?  If so, shared hosting could be the option for you.  This solution is very affordable and can provide you with a number of tools needed to establish yourself on the web.  Before signing yourself into a lengthy service contract, there are many important things you need to know about this environment.  By reading over this checklist, you will be more likely to find a provider that suits your needs and avoid all the pitfalls of shared hosting.

Overselling

Believe it or not, overselling is a common trait in the shared hosting sector.  What this means is that a company is selling more server resources than they have access to.  For instance, if a provider is offering you 10,000 GB of disk space and bandwidth per month, this might be unlikely if they are hosting 10,000 websites on a single server.  This could result in various problems for your site, especially if most of your neighbors as just active as you intend to be.  Although the 500 GB of storage offered by a dedicated host may not sound as attractive as the unlimited offering of a shared provider, it is however, more likely to be true.  In fact, you should keep in mind that unlimited is merely an advertising gimmick whereas 500 GB is generally more than enough bandwidth and storage.

Reselling

Reselling is any easy and affordable way for people like yourself to generate income from the web hosting business.  You sign up with a company, they you provide you with server space and you sell it to customers of your own to make a profit.  Some succeed at this venture while others fail.  Even worse are the fly-by-night resellers that have no intentions on hosting your site.  Instead, they take your money and sensitive files and make off.   If you decide to host with a reseller, do a little research and find out how long they have been doing business.

Support

Customer service is a critical element of web hosting, especially if you are creating your first website.  To make sure you get the benefit of quality support, you should find out if the company has a phone number, email address or live chat.  You can take this one step further by making contact before signing up to judge their response time.  If they take days to reply or blow you off completely, there is no need to waste your time.

Reviews

One way to find yourself a good shared host is to read reviews online.  This should give you a good idea about who you will be dealing with and what to expect.  At the same time, you shouldn’t rely solely on web hosting reviews.  Some could be written by internal sources at a particular company while others could be written by competitors.  If you want helpful reviews, try to get them from somebody you can trust to provide honest opinions.

Status

Every web host had to start somewhere, but it’s always a good idea to sign up with a company that has been in the business for a while.  Several providers have crumbled despite seeming as if they were off to a good start.  By doing business with trusted names with documentation to back up their claims, you can better assure that your experience with shared hosting will be a positive one.


What is Domain Parking?

The Domain Name System is an essential part of the internet.  While you don’t need a domain name to have a website, it is what gives your website an identity.  This adds a level of professionalism and credibility while allowing you to distinguish yourself from the web host.

Most of us purchase a domain name for our site and immediately take it the server of a particular web host.  Some people will buy a few names at once with plans of building later.  Others have a totally different idea, using their name in hopes of profiting with domain parking.

Domain parking describes the process of registering an internet domain and not associating it with a service such as website or email account.  Aside from using the name for future development and profit, some individuals use this practice merely to defend against cyber-squatting.

Domain parking essentially falls under two classifications: monetized and non-monetized.  On a monetized parked domain you will find content in the form of various advertisements on the website.  A non-monetized parked domain usually lacks content and displays messages such as “Coming Soon” or “Under Construction”.

Profiting From Parked Domains

Parked domain monetization has become a regular online advertising practice.  It is primarily used by advertising companies and even domain registrars to generate revenue from type-in traffic that comes across the website.  The typical parked domain set up for profit features several links and advertising listings.  This content is generally targeted to the visitor’s interests and might alter dynamically based on how the user interacts.  When the visitor types a domain name into the browser, it enables targeted content to be generated before the visitor even arrives.  In most cases, the domain owner is compensated based on the number of links that have been visited.  There may also be specific requirements that determine compensation such as acquiring a sale or subscription.

Former websites that resulted into expired domains are often sought after for monetary purposes, a practice known as drop-catching.  Even when the website expires, it typically maintains most of its primary incoming links.  This method has become popular because such domains tend to attract the greatest amount of traffic, typically right after being claimed.  As search engines and website administrators realize the domain is no longer active, they remove those inbound links, significantly decreasing the level of traffic on the parked domain.

Another way to profit from domain parking is to act as a placeholder for an existing site.  In this instance, the domain owner could also decide to redirect the domain to another website they created.  This can done with a URL redirection, pointing the domain as an alias of a primary domain, or by using a method known as domain cloaking.  When such processes are handled by the eventual owner, the domain is then considered to be in use and no longer parked.

Parking Your Domains

Domain parking has become so widespread, it is now common web hosting feature.  You will find that many companies allow you to park an unlimited amount of domains.  Of course the names will have to be purchased, but they can be profitable if you’re able to master the system.


Next »