Web Hosting Geeks' Blog - News, Trends, Discussions.

CMS Made Simple Content Management System

CommunicateBetter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:48:44 +0000

A man who gave up working in his father’s metal shop to building a good, solid content management system, Ted Kulp has been actively developing and tweaking CMS Made Simple for over five years. Since its early beginnings, CMS Made Simple has grown from one man to a team of over ten developers who’s passion shows in their commitment to this product. While not showing as a top open source CMS program contender, this piece of software has a lot to offer and is slowly growing in popularity.

Features

CMS Made Simple offers quite a few features. SEO friendly URLs is at the top of the list and is a refreshing change from the standard CMS URLs that require a bit of fancy programming or modification to work with the major search engines.

There are a number of integrated features making this product an excellent choice – help, file manager with upload capabilities and an audit log. User and group management are included as well as a group-based permission system.

CMS Made Simple allows for a unique web site design with the ability to change templates with ease. The included admin panel is not only available in English but supports many other languages as well. The program also boasts several extra features available with add-on modules – WYSIWYG, polls, blogging and calendar add-ons are just a few offered.

Support

The CMS Made Simple web site offers several avenues for support should the need arise. Full documentation is available online as well as an FAQ, user forum, mailing list and an IRC chat channel. If this isn’t enough, the company also offers a direct e-mail connection to a developer to have support issues handled when all other support routes fail to garner a user the answer they need.

The development side of this company’s web site allows users to report bugs and request features – a nice addition for regular uses of this CMS program. This area also shows current releases and a roadmap to future developments of the software.

Beyond software

Going beyond simply producing and offering a CMS solution, CMS Made Simple also offers professional services for developers needing more assistance or something more than just what the program offers. Among these services are support contracts purchased on a per-site basis, software development to help with solutions outside the standard program and the ability to contract one of the company’s developers for large projects.

Testimonials

As with any open source CMS program that may not be as popular as the biggies on the market, knowing that the product is stable and used by others is important. The CMS Made Simple web site lists out many satisfied customers with complete testimonials regarding the product. This web page shows the product is easy to use and is well-liked by many web professionals and business owners.

Final Thoughts

It definitely isn’t one of the more well-known open source content management systems out on the web but it is slowly growing in popularity. CMS Made Simple is exactly that – an easy to use open source content management system. This CMS program is worth checking out.

Locate the Perfect SEO Expert

CommunicateBetter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:42:30 +0000

Having a fantastic web site available on the web will do nothing for one’s business if no one can find it. Once built, an essential part of having a web site is optimizing it so that search engines can easily locate it. This requires a bit of expertise with regard to keywords and phrases, good content copy that reflects the chosen keywords and even knowing which page URLs will work or not with search engine spidering.

Don’t do it yourself

Instead of attempting to do this on one’s own, it is prudent and recommended to seek out and hire an SEO consultant. A professional SEO consultant will be able to determine which services are needed to make one’s business web site optimized for search engines and how to incorporate SEO marketing.

There are dozens of specific tasks and elements that go into good SEO and going the “do-it-yourself” route may end with one’s web site not showing at all in the major search engines.

Check their previous work

The first thing to ask for when looking for the perfect SEO expert is previous examples of SEO content as well as web sites they have helped optimize in the past. Check the rankings of these web sites with the major search engines – Google and Yahoo are perfect examples – and use the Alexa web site to view overall rankings. Alexa is a free web traffic metric analyzer that will give one a good overview of how well a web site or company is doing over time.

A good showing with increased rankings over time is an indication of how effective an SEO consultant can be. Rankings that are dropping or maintaining an unchanged level would indicate locating another SEO expert would be in order.

Look at rates

Check the rates of the SEO consultants one is considering. Very low rates can mean the person in question is just starting out and is trying to build up their portfolio. Very high rates but with a less than stellar portfolio can also indicate a novice in the SEO field or one that isn’t terribly good at what they do.

Alternatively, as the world economy has taken a beating lately, many professionals have dropped their rates accordingly. This is an important factor to keep in mind when researching rates. Check to see if the SEO professional in question has recently dropped their hourly or project rates – one may get a bargain out of this.

Cheaper isn’t better

Don’t attempt to take the cheapest route. While initially it may seem like a good idea and cost effective, a low rate SEO consultant can mean poor work produced for one’s business web site. This, in turn, will mean ineffective search engine optimization, low rankings (if at all) within the major search engines and pretty much a loss of money overall.

Careful research should be done when looking to hire an SEO consultant. Look at their previous results, experience and rates. Remember that great search engine optimization can mean more customers and hiring a professional to do it correctly can only bring about a return on one’s investment.

How Complete is Your E-commerce Solution?

CommunicateBetter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:09:26 +0000

Once upon a time, the budding entrepreneur was often stopped in their tracks due to the lack of financial resources needed to invest in the traditional brick and mortar store. This no longer has to be the case as both the internet and e-commerce are in full swing, providing companies of all sizes with an opportunity to move up several notches on the competitive ladder. However, finding the right e-commerce solution is never as easy as it sounds. A countless number of companies claim to have exactly what you need, but the harsh truth is that you can never be certain until giving it a try for yourself. Unfortunately, the trial and error approach can turn out to be very risky, especially if you are trying to establish a business online. To help in your search efforts, we have a compiled a list of some features that must be present in order to make up a complete e-commerce solution.

Compatibility with Existing Systems - Launching an e-commerce site is a tremendous process. Therefore, you should not make it even more complex by setting yourself up to encounter technical problems. Whether it is a shopping cart or payment gateway, make sure any e-commerce component you plan to integrate is compatible with your existing hardware, operating system and applications.

Ability to Support Existing Data – An ideal e-commerce solution is one that allows you to easily import data from one location to another. This becomes a must for large stores that maintain databases in environments where it could be complex and costly to manually transfer large amounts of data into a new system. Keep in mind that this feature is usually included in high-end enterprise solutions but may not be included in cheaper, entry-level systems.

APIs with Linking Support – Integrating inventory management and finance systems is one of the most challenging aspects of e-commerce. If this is something you wish to do, you may want to look for a solution that offers flexible APIs. Short for application programming interfaces, these APIs enable developers to write code that will connect your legacy system to your e-commerce server.

Functional Shopping Cart - The shopping cart is the most obvious and important feature of any e-commerce solution. You need to put special emphasis on this application as it will allow visitors to browse your store and purchase the items they want to purchase.

Diverse Payment Systems – Most consumers prefer to shop online with credit cards or third-party services such as PayPal. On the other hand, a complete e-commerce solution goes that extra mile and supports additional payment options. This will give you the opportunity to maximize your profits by catering to a broader range of customers.

The features listed in this article are just a few that must be obtained to form a complete e-commerce solution. This means you need to keep your eyes peeled for several more qualities. Despite how insignificant some of these features may seem, each is equally critical as they will determine the failure or success of your venture with e-commerce.

Can You Handle a Dedicated Server?

CommunicateBetter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:01:29 +0000

There are many advantages to purchasing a dedicated hosting plan. This arrangement is perfect for customers who require a higher degree of flexibility, security, reliability and a website that gives out an enterprise-grade performance. Although you are actually leasing the hardware from the hosting company, you are still provided with a great deal of flexibility and control that allows you to customize the server based on your specific needs. So even though you do not really own the server, this can actually turn out to be a good thing, especially if your organization does not have the manpower to handle the various maintenance tasks that must be performed on a day to day basis.

The Experience Factor

While some customers have the experience needed to maintain a dedicated server, others do not. If you have a capable in-house team, you should be able to thrive just fine in this more complex environment. For the more technically inclined user, managing an entire web server is usually no problem at all. For those that have no experience or knowledgeable administrator, a managed solution may be the best option for their dedicated server. With a managed service, the hosting provider handles the bulk of the maintenance and is often responsible for making sure the server stays up and running. This generally includes taking care of the operating system, web server, applications and the hardware itself. While an unmanaged server is usually the cheaper route, managed hosting is often the best way to go if you lack the knowledge and experience needed to maintain the system.

Is it the Right Move for You?

Whether or not you have the resources needed to manage a dedicated server is a critical factor to determining if this type of hosting is right for you. If you are have the budget to take on the cost associated with leasing the hardware and feel that the hosting firm can provide you with an acceptable level of support, this could be the best move. Regardless of where you stand in terms of experience, it is critical to first determine whether your website or business demands the power of a dedicated server. If not, you could taking on an unnecessary expense and complexity that makes it more difficult for you to succeed. As long as you warrant the need, a dedicated server can be a viable option whether you possess the technical abilities or not. With the market for managed hosting services growing rapidly, you do not have to let the lack of experience deter your plans because solutions are widely available.

In today’s internet driven world, the website often reflects on the credibility of the company behind it. A dedicated server can help you a establish and maintain a credible online presence while providing your business with the best possible chance to succeed. If you are not sure of how to proceed, reach out to a few service providers for a little guidance. This way, you can gather the information you need and perhaps find yourself a good partner in the process.

The Benefits of Country-Specific Domains

CommunicateBetter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:07:59 +0000

When going to register a domain name, you probably look for something with a .com TLD or decide to settle on .net if your first choice is not available. This is very understandable being that both of them add more professionalism and credibility to your web presence. While neither of these extensions make a bad choice, there are several reasons why you may want to consider registering a country-specific domain instead.

SEO Benefits

There are many cases when the major search engines will provide higher search engine rankings for web pages that have country-specific TLDs. For example, if an internet user from Canada is searching for software consulting services in that specific country, the site at mysoftware.ca may rank higher than another website with a .com extension selling the same product. This type of domain can also help increase your visibility through directories commonly referenced by local web surfers. Directories make a great way to enhance search engine rankings and build qualities links that lead to more traffic to your website.

Boost Customer Confidence

Having a country-specific domain can help increase confidence in customers as many of them feel more comfortable purchasing from local merchants. For them, it makes it much easier to track their sales and follow up with any questions or concerns regarding the product. Even though business is conducted across international borders everyday, some customers would just like to know that they are dealing with someone residing in the same country rather than one operating in a foreign locality.

Better Identify Your Audience

Another benefit to country-specific domain names is that you are better to identify where your customers are actually located. This makes things more convenient for both you and the customer. You can easily display products and services targeted at shoppers in that particular region and customers do not have to worry about choosing the geographic area they are located in. Again, this gives your site that local feel and instills the confidence the customer needs to feel safer doing business with you.

Maximize Your Potential

When factoring in their distinct advantages, you may want to consider registering both a country-specific TLD and a traditional extension such as .com or .net. This is a simple but strategic move that makes your business appealing to both international and national audiences. You should never overlook the potential sales and business that can be reaped from a domain name and all it takes is another small investment for an additional name that could result in huge benefits.

Conclusion

There are many domain name extensions available and the ICANN seems to be adding new ones on a regular basis. The country-specific variation represents a very broad category and as you can see, offers a wealth of benefits. While you have a vast selection to choose from, you should always keep yourself open to such an excellent opportunity that could help you attract other markets and extend your reach online.

The Importance of E-commere Software to Your Business

CommunicateBetter — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:46:23 +0000

The e-commerce software forms the foundation for any online store. It is this application that shapes every aspect of the customer’s experience from browsing the items they want to actually purchasing them. This is why it pays to find a solution that perfectly suits your business. There are several programs on the market, and this can make choosing one considerably difficult. The good thing is that you do not have to spend hours upon hours evaluating every product on the market. All you need to know is what features are the most critical to the success of your online store.

Easy Item and Category Management

It is important to know that e-commerce systems range from simple shopping carts to fully integrated solutions that can help you build an entire website. While the functionality you require all depends on individual needs, features like image resizing, comprehensive listings and the ability to copy those listings to multiple categories will make it much easier to get your storefront up and running. Another useful capability comes from integration features that allow you to import product listings from an existing store into your new setup. For example, you have some programs that let you import product listings from your current store, a spreadsheet or the location of your choosing.

Extensive Customization

The last thing you want is an online storefront that looks just like what everyone else has. This is when an e-commerce software package that offers customization comes in handy. There are some applications that allow to customize your store through a variety of pre-designed templates. Others allow you to use development technologies such as HTML, CSS and PHP to change the look and feel of your store. These programs generally require that you have a certain level of technical skills in order to make the modifications. In either scenario, an e-commerce solution that enables customization can help to ensure you have an online store that is uniquely your own.

Integrated Shipping Calculators

The ideal e-commerce software will not only calculate your order totals, but also accurately calculate the shipping and handling charges associated with those orders. To ensure flexibility, you may want to opt for something that gives you multiple ways to determine shipping. For example, you may choose to charge for shipping based on the total of the order, or do so based on the weight of the item. Another consideration that deserves attention is making commonly used shipping channels such as UPS, USPS and FedEx available to your customers.

Not all e-commerce software is created equal. Then again, neither is every storefront. Online stores differ greatly and so do the individual requirements of the merchants who maintain them. Regardless of how feature-rich and powerful it may be, there is no single program that makes the perfect solution for everyone. It is all about accessing your needs and understanding what it takes for your business to be successful. One of the best approaches you can take is evaluating a few products, determining their value, and then selecting one that best suits your requirements.

Freehostia – Free and Paid Hosting Company

CommunicateBetter — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:25:24 +0000

Offering web hosting services for over five years now, Freehostia is slightly different from the rest. A new customer can start out with a free web hosting account to try out the services and move up to a paid account accordingly. Sure, there are a few hosting companies out there that offer similar free accounts, but Freehostia does it without forced advertising.

Accounts offered

Freehostia offers five different account levels – Chocolate, Watercircle, Lovebeat, Wildhoney and Supernatural. These plans range in pricing from free to $9.95 a month.

Chocolate – 250 MB in disk space, 6 GB bandwidth, 3 PHP3/IMAP e-mail accounts, 1 MySQL database, 10 MB database space – free

Watercircle – 500 MB in disk space, 12 GB bandwidth, 100 POP3/IMAP e-mail accounts, 2 MySQL databases, 25 MB database space – $2.95 a month

Lovebeat – 12000 MB in disk space, 150 GB bandwidth, 300 PHP3/IMAP e-mail accounts, 8 MySQL databases, 60 MB database space – $4.95 a month

Wildhoney – 35000 MB in disk space, 400 GB bandwidth, free domain name, 15 MySQL databases, 90 MB database space – $7.95 a month

Supernatural – 90000 MB in disk space, 900 GB bandwidth, free domain name, 50 MySQL databases, 120 MB database space – $9.95 a month

1-Click installer

Elefante is offered with all accounts (even the free account). The Elefante installer is a software platform that enables web site owners to quickly install a variety of programs with a single click of the mouse button. Over 40 PHP scripts are offered in categories such as wikis, blogs, CMS, e-commerce and more.

Some of the more popular blog software offerings are Movable Type, WordPress, and b2evolution. The CMS programs within Elefante are a bit more impressive of a list – Drupal, Mambo, Moodle, Joomla and eight other popular CMS programs are available. In the category of e-commerce, Elefante offers osCommRes and osCommerce. All in all, Elefante is a great added feature to all Freehostia accounts.

Support

Freehostia has a customer care department at work 24×7. All hosting customers (with the exception of those using free hosting) can expect to receive an answer within 1 hour of contacting the support department. Free hosting customers are not completely disregarded but aren’t given priority – expected support answer waiting time is 6 hours.

The hosting company offers video tutorials, FAQs, a knowledge base and a ticketing system for support as well. The online contact form is easily found within Freehostia’s support area. While not the most expansive of support areas, Freehostia offers a good solid range of options when one is in need of assistance.

Conclusion

With most free hosting accounts offered by web hosting businesses requiring that advertising be present on all web pages, it’s nice to find a company that not only offers ad-free accounts for no charge but also gives free hosting clients the standard features one would expect from a paid service. Add in the ability to upgrade to accounts that are very economical, Freehostia is a web hosting service worth checking out.

Introducing HMS Panel

CommunicateBetter — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:13:49 +0000

HMS Panel is an all-in-one control panel designed for Linux server platforms. A multi-server solution, it offers a number of advantages to both the web hosting provider or the customer who needs a more efficient way to manage their dedicated or virtual private server. HMS Panel is secure, easy to use and loaded with an arsenal of features that will surely come in handy for administrators at all levels. Here is the rundown:

Complete Domain Management

HMS Panel provides a complete system for managing domains. Users can add domains and sub-domains to the IP address of their choosing whether it is located on or off the server. Wildcards can be added so that all sub-domains for a particular domain point to a specific IP address. You can also modify domain zone files along with CNAME records, A records and MX records.

Email Management System

Web hosting customers on the client side benefit greatly from features such as HMS Panel’s robust email management system. Users can easily create email accounts and customize their communications with forwarders, catch-all addresses and auto-responders. While customers have access to their messages via the control panel interface with SquirrelMail, they can also integrate Microsoft Outlook Express or their preferred mail client.

.htaccess Management

HMS Panel offers a robust .htaccess management tools that can be used to apply various settings to directories within a particular domain. This includes error handling with custom 401, 403, 404, and 505 redirects, IP and domain blocking, file and directory redirects, hotlink protection, directory browsing and much more. The .htaccess management console utilizes AJAX technology, making it a dynamic and very flexible system. While this system is very convenient, experienced administrators also have the ability to modify .htaccess via the standard control panel interface.

Web Application Management

Similar to most control panels on the market today, HMS Panel is integrated with a facility that enables customers to perform one-click installations of various pre-installed software applications. The software management console makes it easy to incorporate programs such as WordPress, phpBB, phpAdsNew, Gallery, Drupal and osCommerce among several others. These applications are mainly available due to user request, but the HMS Panel control panel offers the ability to install many more third-party scripts.

Advanced Security

HMS Panel was developed with advanced web technologies and security mechanisms. The software utilizes sophisticated API authorization to ensure that server communications remain protected. By leveraging an enterprise-grade authentication system, HMS Panel is able to better assure that web applications and network security features are properly configured. The software also uses process isolation, a technology that allows administrators to isolate web applications from one another, making it so that potential issues with one application do not affect others running on the server.

A Complete Control Panel Solution

Now on version 3.5.1, HMS Panel is quickly evolving to be one of the most remarkable control panels on the market. It has all the basic capabilities offered by other panels with a few qualities that make it stand out from rest. If you are in search of a new control panel for your server, give HMS Panel a shot with the free 30-day trial license.

Closer Look at the FreeHostia Control Panel

CommunicateBetter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:39:15 +0000

Some web hosting providers choose to use commercial control panels such as cPanel and Plesk, while others elect to build their own custom software in-house. FreeHostia is a hosting provider that takes the latter route, utilizing its own solution for managing servers and websites. This software is similar to popular control panels such as cPanel in many ways. The major difference is that the FreeHostia panel offers end-customers a billing system, advanced domain management tools and other key features other panels are lacking. Here is a brief overview on FreeHostia’s hosting automation software.

Advanced Domain Management

The FreeHostia control panel allows you to create subdomains, register and transfer domains, change your nameservers, DNS records and much more. These are features normally provided by a conventional domain name register but FreeHostia makes it so you can do it all from your web hosting control panel.

Extensive Website Management

Similar to cPanel, the FreeHostia control panel comes with a web-based file managed integrated within the software. It also supports a number of FTP clients and lets you easily set up FTP accounts for your users. The unique aspect of this panel is that it provides a facility that allows you to install SSL certificates onto your domain.

Website Tools

FreeHostia has bundled a nice variety of tools in its control panel. One of the most notable is the Efefante Installer utility, which is similar to Fantastico in cPanel. This tool allows you to add programs such as forums, photo galleries, blogs and content management systems onto your account with a few easy clicks. Elefante is also integrated with a suite of marketing tools that can be used to enhance the popularity of your site and attract more visitors.

Web Analytic Tools

Once traffic starts rolling in, you can analyze those statics and the performance of your site by viewing detailed reports on your visitors. Learn where they are coming from, what keywords they used find you, and make improvements where needed.

Built-in Support Ticket System

The FreeHostia customer support staff can be reached quickly right from your control panel. Simply visit the Open New Ticket section, fill in the form, submit it and wait for a reply. You can also track the status of all open tickets and review prior inquires as well.

Conclusion

The FreeHostia website management software is more than your average control panel. While it offers many of the same features and capabilities you will find in other applications, it also has some unique qualities you don’t see all that often. For example, it is one of few control panels that allows you to upgrade your web hosting package directly through the interface. Once the addition has been paid for, the entire upgrade process is fully automated and done in a matter of minutes. Throw in the billing system and all the advanced management tools and it becomes clearer to see why FreeHostia is the home of thousands of happy customers.

Enhanced CMS Security with Secure Live

CommunicateBetter — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:26:55 +0000

Most people would be content by just getting through the typical work day with as few annoyances as possible. If your job or business involves maintaining a CMS and working over the internet, you would probably welcome all the small annoyances in the world rather than dealing with the security problems that frequently occur in this environment. Content management systems, both open-source and commercial, are major targets for cyber hackers. This is especially true when the platform contains sensitive data such as credit card numbers, bank account information and other confidential details that could result in big trouble if it fell into the wrong hands. If you want a peace of mind that allows you to sleep soundly at night, investigating a CMS security tool like Secure Live could be well worth it.

What is Secure Live?

Most add-ons and plugins in general are specific to a particular CMS. This is not the case with a diverse security tool known as Secure Live. Secure Live is a robust combination of a software tool and a real-time, live monitoring service that provides added security for content-rich websites. Though primarily used to beef up the security of Joomla websites, it also offers modules for other open-source applications, including e107, Magento and WordPress. Secure Live also supports most site based exclusively on the PHP programming language and plans to offer support for the Drupal CMS in the very near future.

Key Features

The biggest draw to Secure Live is that it provides critical security services such as blocking, alerting and even reporting when your website has been attacked. It offers the ability to monitor an entire network of sites as a single unit, accurately and quickly updating each individual client as new attacks are identified. Here are some of the ways Secure Live helps you respond to attacks on your CMS:

- Sends notification of attack to the serve administrator.

- Captures information that can help track down the attacker. This includes geo-tracking, attack strings and other important details that could possibly be used to identify the perpetrator.

- Notifies Secure Live security staff about the attacks. The staff then files a report and sends evidence of the exploit to the appropriate parties so they can take action against the attackers.

- Sends alerts to all Secure Live client applications to automatically modify security settings in case the attacker attempts to exploit other systems.

Conclusion

Secure Live isn’t necessarily cheap, but an adequate security system shouldn’t be. All it takes is one pesky hacker to put you in a situation where you are forced to pay fines and suffer legal repercussions because your website was compromised. Although Secure Live is not an all-in-solution that will put an end to your security concerns, it is a premium product that gives you what you paid for and then some. It is a very sophisticated system that can help you act fast enough to shut the bad guys down and keep them out of CMS. The best thing about Secure Live is that it can grow right along with your site as threats evolve and become more severe.