13 Hosting Questions (and Answers!) - Podcast 60
What happens when you give one Web hosting guru 13 questions about the Web hosting industry? Well, there is no surprise here, he’ll more than likely answer them all. That is the plan for today folks because podcast number 60 of the Web Hosting Show is now on the air.
Download the Web Hosting Show, Podcast 60!
Running Time: 16 minutes | File Size: 7.21 MB
Hello I am the Web hosting industry’s media rock star, Mitch Keeler, and welcome to the Web Hosting Show, the one and only voice of the Web hosting world. This show is supported each and every week by the fine folks over at Web Hosting Chat. Web Hosting Chat is your number one place for Web hosting discussions.
It has been a while since I answered some of the questions I have received from my listening audience out there, so I think that is what we will do today. I’ve gone through the E-mails, and I have picked out some of the “most asked” questions I have received since this podcast’s first episode.
I always love to hear questions, comments and feedback from every single Web Hosting Show fan out there. From the good, to the bad, to the kind of goofy, I have answered it all.
Have something you want to tell me one on one? Just send me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com with all your feedback, thoughts, suggestions and comments and I’ll be sure to get back with you as soon as possible.
13 Web Hosting Questions
1. Why can’t I host my Web site from my house?
Well, actually you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it for just anybody. The best way to go would be to just purchase some Web hosting space and a domain name. It is a lot simpler than trying to run a server from your bedroom any day.
2. What is the best domain name extension?
There are dozens of domain name extensions out there today. For those of you who might want to be brave, you even have the .eu domain name extension to choose from. In my opinion, you want to stick with what everybody knows. That would be the .com names. Get a guy off the street that has never set up a Web site and he’ll be able to tell you something.com is a Web site. Give him .biz or .eu and he might get a little confused.
3. How long can a domain name be?
I could be wrong (and I am sure somebody will E-mail me if I am) but I think a domain name can only be 63 characters long. Now why you would want a domain name that is that long is beyond me. When it comes to picking a domain name the shorter, the better.
4. How do I find the best Web host out there?
This is probably the most asked question I have gotten since starting the Web Hosting Show. Who is the best Web host and how do I find them. There are a lot of great Web hosts out there, you just have to find the one that best suits your needs. You might even have to try a few before you find the perfect one.
There are many different hosting directories that will help you in your search. Go visit the Web Hosting Show’s Resources section for a few of those links.
5. Are you single?
I don’t see how this has to do with Web hosting, but yes, I am.
6. My current Web host sucks, what can I do about it?
If you feel like your Web host is giving you a hard time, then tell other people about it. You can visit some of the Web hosting forums out there and spread the news. If you do this, you might make sure you have facts to backup your story. Hosting industry folks really hate when people get badmouthed with no facts to backup the claims.
If all else fails, then go visit YourHostSucks.com. There are many folks sharing hosting horror stories over there.
7. What is the difference between shared hosting and virtual hosting?
There is no difference between virtual and shared hosting. They are just two hosting jargon words to describe the same type of Web hosting account. This type of account is your most basic, and it is what most people use out there. The other two types of accounts are reseller and dedicated.
8. How can I make the money I spend on Web hosting and a domain name back?
How can you make your money back or pay for your hosting expenses? Well you could go down the route of advertising and set up a few Google AdSense ads on the Web site. That is what I do, and I’ve been pretty happy with the outcome. If your Web host has a referral service, you might be able to earn some free Web hosting that way as well.
9. I’m interested in a Web host. How can I learn more about them?
To play the role of the “private eye” and investigate your Web host I would turn to Google. Type in the name of the Web host and see what type of response you get. If that doesn’t turn up anything interesting, try typing in the name of the Web host, and then put the word “sucks” after it. Take any opinions you find on the Web with a grain of salt though. There are a lot of dishonest people out there.
10. What is the most downloaded episode of the Web Hosting Show podcast?
Of all time might be a little hard to track down right now. The most downloaded episode of the Web Hosting Show last month however was Podcast 55. That was the show where I covered the frequently asked questions I get from both Web hosts and Web hosting clients.
11. What is the best Web hosting forum out there today?
My money would be on Web Hosting Chat, and it isn’t just because they are the biggest sponsor of this show. Web Hosting Talk might be the most popular, but Web Hosting Chat I think has the best community. At Web Hosting Talk I always feel like I am about to be called out or insulted in one way or another. I just don’t have those fears at Web Hosting Chat.
12. My Web host says they have Fantastico, what is it and why do I care?
The Fantastico deal is a package of several scripts that are usually installed as part of your control panel. Once installed, you can have easy “one-click” installs of all the scripts they support. On the good side, this makes it really simple to get an advanced Web site up and running. On the down side though, some of the scripts you install from the Fantastico page might not be the latest version.
13. What is your favorite Web hosting Web site?
Well if I had to pick one (that I didn’t run myself) it would have to be HostSearch.com. They have a little ‘bit of everything and none of it is more than a click away. Too many Web hosting related Web sites try to pack everything in as tightly as they can onto the Web pages. This creates a lot of content, but nobody is going to read half of it if you can’t navigate through it well. HostSearch.com has great content and you can actually navigate through the Web site without getting lost.
Final Web Hosting Thoughts
That is it for this edition of the Web Hosting Show. Did I forget something? Do you have something to say?
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Next week we will be doing more of the same! I am Mitch Keeler and you have been listening to the number one Web hosting podcast across the nation and the one and only voice of the Web hosting world, the Web Hosting Show.
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Hello,
I hear what you are saying about .EU but for people in Europe it is a good domain name i think.