Domain Hosting - Best Domain Web Hosting (2009

A domain hosting company does just that: hosts your domain name on its servers so Internet users anywhere can type in your URL and access your Website by domain name. In most cases, domain hosting and Web hosting are the same thing.

A domain name actually provides a shortcut to help users access your Website. Every site-hosting server in the world has its own unique Internet Protocol, or IP, address. Rather than having to type in a complex IP address like 208.97.191.15, though, DNS (for Domain Name System) allows you to type in an easy-to-remember URL like www.webhostingreport.com and access the Website you want that way.

Windows Hosting - Best Windows Web Hosting (2009)

Windows-based Web hosting provider uses Microsoft's Windows software to drive its servers. The operating system allows Windows hosts to offer their customers Microsoft-licensed applications and technology like ASP, .NET, Visual Basic, Visual Interdev and ColdFusion.

Windows hosting ensures straightforward support for Websites developed with Microsoft FrontPage. With a Unix-/Linux-based host, on the other hand, you need to make sure the company supports the FrontPage extensions you're using for your site. Other Microsoft applications aren’t supported at all by Unix-/Linux-based hosting providers.

Windows hosting also provides a familiar environment for administering and managing your Website. If you're comfortable using Windows on your home or work computer, you'll find it relatively easy to begin maintaining your site via a Windows-based server.

Windows hosting is the obvious choice if you plan to develop or use a lot of Windows-based applications on your Website. It’s also the better option if you plan to integrate your site with an Access database; you would have to convert your Access database – which isn’t quick or easy – to run on a Unix-/Linux-based server.

Besides supporting your Windows-based application requirements, a good Windows host should also be able to offer other features you might need, including adequate disk space and bandwidth, email accounts, databases, a Web-based control panel, WebMail, FTP access, ecommerce, Windows-compatible scripts and support for applications like Weblogs, discussion forums, live chat, photo galleries and more. A Windows host should also be able to provide you with 24/7 technical help, FAQs and other types of support to help you make the most of your Website.

Virtual Hosting - Best Virtual Web Hosting (2009)

Virtual hosting lets a single server accommodate multiple Websites, with each each site getting its own "slice" of server space. By partitioning a server into several smaller "virtual" servers, a hosting company can make the most of its server resources and minimize costs for each individual customer on the server.

Virtual hosting, though, doesn't mean that customers on the same server can access each other's Websites. Customers can manage only their own section of the server, usually by using a Web-based control panel. Control over the server itself remains with the hosting provider.

Because it uses only part of a server's resources, virtual hosting is cheaper than dedicated hosting. The Web-based control panel typically makes virtual hosting easier as well.

Also known as shared hosting, virtual hosting is common among budget and entry-level hosting plans. It usually provides enough disk space, bandwidth and functionality for most personal, hobby or small-business Websites, and is available for both the Unix/Linux and Windows operating systems. Many virtual hosting plans even offer the option of a shared SSL certificate for secure online transactions. A virtual hosting account usually comes with many features, including a file manager, email accounts, WebMail, email forwarding and autoresponders, FTP access, password-protected directories, database, Server Side Includes and site statistics. Many virtual hosting providers also offer additional features like a site design wizard, search engine submission services, shopping carts and scripts for Weblogging, discussion forums, form generation, content management and more.

If you’re considering a virtual hosting provider, look for a company that can also provide 24/7 customer service, how-to guides or FAQs. And if you expect your Website needs to change over time, you might also want to seek out a host that offers add-on services such as additional disk space and bandwidth.

Virtual hosting is usually the best and most cost-effective choice for basic hosting needs.

Static (Dedicated) IP Address

A unique and unchanging IP address. The opposite of dynamic IP addressing, in which a Web site's IP address is different with each connection to the server. With dynamic IP addressing, several domains can use 1 IP address. With static IP addressing, your Web site gets an unchanging IP address that is not shared with other sites and can be called up in place of your usual www.domain.com.

Secure Sockets Layer

Secure Sockets Layer. Allows encrypted, authenticated communications over the Web. SSL provides security in online commerce. URL's starting with "https://" indicate the utilization of SSL.

SSI

Server Side Incudes. Often used by Web developers in order to facilitate in updating content on Web sites. An SSI is a variable value that a web server can dynamically add to an otherwise static Web page. SSI-enabled Web pages will often be found with .shtml extensions.

SQL

Structured Query Language. A database query and programming language used for accessing, updating, and managing data in a relational database system.