SEO Blog and Web Hosting News

Archive for October, 2010

What are dedicated servers? A dedicated server is not someone who is attentive to you in a restaurant. When you hear the term “dedicated servers” online it usually refers to the type of web hosting provider for a website.

If you have started an internet website, you are probably aware that you need a host. There are several different types of web hosting available. You can get hosting through a free server. This is usually used by people who want to have a personal web page for friends and family. A free server will most likely put their own ads on your web page so that they can generate income.

There are also shared servers. A shared server is the logical choice of most businesses starting out on the website. Because internet hosting can cost hundreds of dollars per month, most small businesses choose a shared server so they do not have to invest so much money at the onset of their business.

A shared server can be a good option for a small internet business or a personal website. There is no reason for a personal website owner to have a dedicated server. A small business or personal website can keep costs down if they share the cost of hosting with other businesses.

However, if your business suddenly begins to take off, or you find that you want a lot more space for forums and shopping carts that your current shared server cannot give you, it may be time to look into getting a dedicated server.

Dedicated servers host only your website. This means that all of the space and bandwidth on the server is yours and yours alone. You do not have to share hosting with other businesses. You can generally make your website as large as you want and include databases such as shopping carts as well as forums, that normally take up quite a bit of space.

This also means that you have total control over the safety of your server and your website. You can add additional features that can make your site even more secure, to the benefit of both your customers as well as yourself.

Dedicated servers usually cost a lot more each month to maintain, but there are different sizes as well as services available for this type of web hosting. When perusing the different options when it comes to dedicated servers online, you can generally find everything from larger servers to budget dedicated servers.

Nothing can be worse for an internet business than the following:

- Customers not being able to access the website because there is not enough bandwidth, leading the customer to believe the website no longer exists.

- Customers not trusting the security of the website because last month their credit card information was lifted because the website was not secure.

- A severe limit on the website with regard to space that eventually costs you customers.

All of the above scenarios can be avoided by using dedicated servers instead of shared servers. Dedicated servers add space, bandwidth and security for internet business websites.

Too often bloggers complain that after a great start, a year later their blog is as dead as can be. This is a common problem that almost always revolves around a small list of common mistakes made by the blogger. A blogger can sit back and expect the blog to do all of the work for him or her, which is a terrible way to approach blogging. A successful blogger would tell you that great blogging takes a certain amount of dedication and hard effort to make it work. You have to put effort into a blog to sustain it, especially after the first month or so of completing the design. Many people work so hard during the initial design phase that they get lazy after it is complete. To avoid this happening to your blog, check out these five common mistakes that can bury a blog.

Infrequent Updates

One of the biggest mistakes a blogger can make is to “forget” about posting. The most successful blogs are updated with new posts at least once a day. Some larger blogs are constantly being updated. You should try to create new posts as often as possible. If you miss a day here and there, it will be no big deal. However, if you miss a week or more without posting, you might as well consider the blog dead already. You have to take a few moments, even as few as five, a day to create interesting posts or content. If you are writing short and concise posts like you should be, this should not be that challenging. It is easy to keep your blog updated, if you make it a priority.

Too Much Advertising

Most bloggers today do want to make a profit from their blog. This is a trend that can get out of control quickly however. If you are interested in adding ads to your blog, do so with caution. There is nothing wrong with a few appropriately places ads that offer viewers links to places that correlate with your blog’s content. However, adding a massive amount of advertisements on your blog is a mistake. If you have a bunch of flashy ads on your blog, your content will get lost within the hoopla. Therefore, you should always limit your ads to three or less per page. Make sure you place them in appropriate places that let your content shine through. Don’t allow enormous ads to fill up your pages either. They will simply annoy readers. Be smart about including advertising on your blog!

Unprofessional Look

Looks do matter when it comes to your blog. The more professional and crisp your blog looks, the more your readers will take you seriously. If you are interesting in boosting traffic, you should try a more serious layout or presentation for your blog. If you can afford to hire a professional, you should. If you choose to do it yourself however, you must make sure the end product is good. If you have a sloppy blog that looks “homemade” you will not likely have a great response. Try different layouts and approaches to see what gets you the most traffic.

Graphics Overload

Pictures can add a ton to your blog and draw in more readers. However, when done excessively, much like ads, pictures can drive people away. The main reason too many pictures can ruin a blog is because there are many web surfers who still use slow internet connections. When they try to load your page, it will take an excessively long time to do so. This in turn will likely drive them and anyone else with this problem away. Try limiting to a few pictures per page.

Inappropriate Content

Everyone knows that the web is a place where you can freely express yourself. However, if you want your blog to survive, you might want to think about that freedom of expression. Although you should always say what you feel, you can do so in appropriate manners on your blog. There are ways to say anything on your mind, without using profanity or any offensive lingo. If you want your blog to be successful, you cannot be inappropriate with your content.

Assuming that you already know and appreciate the benefits of posting comments on other people’s blogs, here are a few tips to help you choose the best blogs to leave those wonderful comments of yours on.

Similarity in Interest

There is rarely a point to leave a comment on blogs that have nothing at all to do with the main theme of your blog. A direct connection is unnecessary but preferable. If you are, for instance, maintaining a vitamin supplements, you don’t always have to restrict your comments on blogs that tackle the very same topics. You can also visit a beauty blog, for instance, and post comments regarding the benefits that vitamin supplements offer with regard to one’s physical appearance.

A quick way to determine the nature of any blog is by checking out its blog description. If there is none, just browse through its content and see if you’re targeting the same keywords.

Popularity

Likewise, it’s senseless to leave comments on little-known blogs. With such a small readership base, you won’t be able to justify the amount of time and effort it could take you to post the best comments. If you’re going to use comments to promote your blog, it’s better to post them at blogs that are equally popular or more so than yours.

You can use the blog’s page rankings to determine the popularity rating of other blogs and compare it with yours.

Likelihood of Reciprocity

Naturally, it’s best to concentrate your efforts on blogs whose owners are likely to reciprocate your action. Whether or not you’re the first to make contact, as long as the other party benefited from the comment you posted then it’s only good business for them to reciprocate.

To determine the chances of having comments left on your blog and link exchanges, try reading the previous entries in other blogs. Follow the links of those who posted comments on their blogs and see if the favor was returned. You know what to do next.

Similarity in Target Market
Blogs need not have the same interest in order to benefit from comment exchange. With careful planning, traffic can be generated for two different blogs with just a couple of comments posted on each other’s entries.

A dance blog and a food blog may not have anything in common at first glance, but if you look more closely, you’ll realize that both of them may target the same age group. Two different blogs may also have target the same geographical area.

If you can find a major connection between both your target markets, beneficial comment exchange is very much possible but only with careful planning. First, you’ll need to think of a topic that could link your interests together. Just concentrate on your target market, and you’re sure to find one.

If we go back to the food and dance blog example and assume that both are targeting teenagers, articles that could require the blog owners to exchange comments would be about the best food for dancers during competition and the best dance workouts for those on a diet.

Of course, it’s not bad at all to leave a comment on someone else’s blog just because you want to. If you have the time and the inclination then go ahead! There may be no way for you to benefit from such an action now but this small act of generosity and goodwill could turn out good for you in the long run.