Tag Archives: business owner
Hosting Needs For Your Business Website
If you own, run or operate any kind of business, chances are you’re also looking to make an impact on the web. The internet has become one of the most powerful revenue generating tools in existence, through a combination of advertising, search capability and consumers looking for whatever they may want or need at any particular time or place. Long gone are the days of actually needing a physical location – a store or warehouse – to operate a successful business. The internet has changed the landscape forever. So, how can you get your business on the web?
One of the first things you’ll need to do is to find a capable, reputable and established web host. A web host is “a web server provider which offers space for “hosting” websites”. You’ll need some virtual real estate in order to set up shop. While it may seem simple enough to open the yellow pages and find some local web hosting businesses, there are a number of things you should both be aware of and considering before you commit to any host. There are definitely some features a small or beginning business should be looking for in a potential host.
One of the biggest and most essential considerations when choosing a web host should be its reputation and reliability. It’s like a domino effect – the reliability of the web hosting provider has a direct impact on the business owners ability to conduct business, which in turn affects the business and livelihood of the business owner. If you choose a host with a solid reputation (*check message boards, blogs, other clients etc, for honest user feedback), you’re likely going to be getting reliability too.
The next important thing a business owner needs to look for in a webhost is e-commerce ability. E-commerce models exist in various forms – there are many applications, packages and platforms for conducting internet business. If you have not settled on a package already, there are many hosts who offer e-commerce capability and will provide various packages that include things like applications for processing sales, shopping carts etc. Since this is the platform on which you’ll conduct your business, it is imperative that you get exactly what you require. You can always move to a bigger host with more capabilities later if your business outgrows its initial home.
As part of conducting business over the internet, you’ll need the ability to enable and process sales electronically through your website. With the ubiquitous threat of identity fraud alive and well on the internet, it is important to put forth to customers the security of your site. No hosting service that is serious about hosting business sites will be without an SSL (Secure Socket Layer – “SSL”) certificate. It is the highest form of security credentials a business website can possess. One thing to note – depending on whether you’re opting for shared or private hosting, be aware that a private SSL certificate displays the business name in the browser, an SSL certificate from a shared host will only show the name of the web host. This can appear somewhat suspicious to customers.
Customer service is the other big issue to deal with when choosing a host – a good host will ensure that customer service is never an issue for you! As a small business owner, you have to have reasonable assurances that if an issue arises with your site or space that it will be dealt with swiftly, correctly and professionally. Anything less could have an adverse impact on your site and your sales. A good host will provide email, phone, and sometimes, live chat, as lifelines for clients. Always test these services yourself – send an email, a help desk ticket or make a call and see how good the service offered to you really is.
A good host is the bridge between you and your web based customers. Choose carefully, ask questions and ask more questions. Your ability to conduct business, your ability to make profit and your reputation will all depend on the choice(s) you make. To foster and maintain satisfaction, trust and the confidence of your customers is your priority. Being satisfied with, confident in and trusting of your web host will rest on the choices you make!
Hosting Needs For Your Business Website
If you own, run or operate any kind of business, chances are you’re also looking to make an impact on the web. The internet has become one of the most powerful revenue generating tools in existence, through a combination of advertising, search capability and consumers looking for whatever they may want or need at any particular time or place. Long gone are the days of actually needing a physical location – a store or warehouse – to operate a successful business. The internet has changed the landscape forever. So, how can you get your business on the web?
One of the first things you’ll need to do is to find a capable, reputable and established web host. A web host is “a web server provider which offers space for “hosting” websites”. You’ll need some virtual real estate in order to set up shop. While it may seem simple enough to open the yellow pages and find some local web hosting businesses, there are a number of things you should both be aware of and considering before you commit to any host. There are definitely some features a small or beginning business should be looking for in a potential host.
One of the biggest and most essential considerations when choosing a web host should be its reputation and reliability. It’s like a domino effect – the reliability of the web hosting provider has a direct impact on the business owners ability to conduct business, which in turn affects the business and livelihood of the business owner. If you choose a host with a solid reputation (*check message boards, blogs, other clients etc, for honest user feedback), you’re likely going to be getting reliability too.
The next important thing a business owner needs to look for in a webhost is e-commerce ability. E-commerce models exist in various forms – there are many applications, packages and platforms for conducting internet business. If you have not settled on a package already, there are many hosts who offer e-commerce capability and will provide various packages that include things like applications for processing sales, shopping carts etc. Since this is the platform on which you’ll conduct your business, it is imperative that you get exactly what you require. You can always move to a bigger host with more capabilities later if your business outgrows its initial home.
As part of conducting business over the internet, you’ll need the ability to enable and process sales electronically through your website. With the ubiquitous threat of identity fraud alive and well on the internet, it is important to put forth to customers the security of your site. No hosting service that is serious about hosting business sites will be without an SSL (Secure Socket Layer – “SSL”) certificate. It is the highest form of security credentials a business website can possess. One thing to note – depending on whether you’re opting for shared or private hosting, be aware that a private SSL certificate displays the business name in the browser, an SSL certificate from a shared host will only show the name of the web host. This can appear somewhat suspicious to customers.
Customer service is the other big issue to deal with when choosing a host – a good host will ensure that customer service is never an issue for you! As a small business owner, you have to have reasonable assurances that if an issue arises with your site or space that it will be dealt with swiftly, correctly and professionally. Anything less could have an adverse impact on your site and your sales. A good host will provide email, phone, and sometimes, live chat, as lifelines for clients. Always test these services yourself – send an email, a help desk ticket or make a call and see how good the service offered to you really is.
A good host is the bridge between you and your web based customers. Choose carefully, ask questions and ask more questions. Your ability to conduct business, your ability to make profit and your reputation will all depend on the choice(s) you make. To foster and maintain satisfaction, trust and the confidence of your customers is your priority. Being satisfied with, confident in and trusting of your web host will rest on the choices you make!
Guarding Against a Network Breach with Security Testing
As people spend more time shopping on the Internet and less time shopping in stores with cash, it is vitally important for a companys data to be well-protected from hackers, data thieves and even security breaches from within. There are two ways to find out if a companys computer network or data server are safe and sound from sabotage. One is to wait and see if it is hacked and compromised. The other is to do security penetration testing and fix any problems before they occur. The second option is a better business practice and, in the long run, less expensive.
Reputation Consumers do not want to do business with a company that will not protect their personal data, such as credit cards, names, telephone numbers and addresses. Even if the data is only used for an e-mail distribution list, customers will hesitate to trust the company in the future. If sensitive data is used to make credit card purchases or compromise the bank accounts of customers and contacts, it wont take long for them to find out. When they do, the business owner can be sure that everyone the person knows – and the press – will probably hear about it, too. Keep in mind that not only will consumers avoid a company that cannot keep information safe, they will not want to make any types of purchases or use its website even after it has been fixed.
Financial Ruin Capturing information from a companys database for e-commerce or even day-to-day operations can force them out of business. Compromising a companys server can not only cause problems with data, the companys bank accounts and online e-commerce user names and passwords can be captured as well. This means that funds can be spent without the companys knowledge until a red flag is raised. For those with loosely structured accounting departments, this is detrimental to a companys financial health.
Solution By hiring a reputable application testing or penetration testing specialist, a business owner or manager can find out whether their applications, database and computer information can be easily hacked. Referred to in the industry as ethical hacking, a series of popular hacking techniques are tested on the website, network or database to see whether the target can be breached. After the test results have been obtained, expert consultation is done to limit the possibility of breaches or future episodes.
Time Frame The process of hacking into a companys database or website may take only a matter of seconds, minutes or days for the malicious competitor or money-hungry thief.. Cleaning up the mess left behind could take the business weeks, months or years. Some companies never recover. Penetration testing by a reputable and thorough penetration testing contractor usually takes one to two weeks. Rather than rush through the process in two to three days, the specialist uses a number of methods and attempts a number of entries before stating whether a business system is adequately protected. Most vulnerabilities can be fixed within a week.