When you're shopping for budget web hosting and comparing features offered by different companies, you will probably pay attention to the amount of bandwidth or the number of email addresses you're allowed to have. But don't overlook one of the most crucial features of your hosting package: the control panel.
Why is the control panel important? Well, it's where you will be spending time performing the various tasks that go into running a website. A control panel is a piece of software installed on the web host's server. It allows you to access the inner workings of your site without knowing a lot of complex server commands. You will use it for creating FTP accounts, adding sub-domains, creating databases, managing website files, and much more.
Ideally, the hosting control panel is laid out clearly, with intuitive graphics and text. It should allow for the website owner to make any change they need on their own, without needing to contact the hosting company. For example, it will permit you to add new email addresses, check your bandwidth usage, and upload new pages to your website, all in less time than it takes for your cup of coffee to cool to drinking temperature.
Some hosting companies have their own brand of user interface, but most employ one of the standard products such as cPanel or Vdesk.
cPanel is perhaps the most widely used control panel in budget web hosting. One of the benefits of cPanel is its user-friendly interface. It can even be customized with various themes. The Fantastico feature in cPanel provides automatic installation of third-party scripts and programs such as blogs, forums, and other tools that require MySql and database creation. You can upload multiple files simultaneously, a feature that is not found in all panels. Included in cPanel are a number of web statistics programs, something that every serious webmaster needs.
Although it provides a great deal of functionality, cPanel has its limitations. If you want a more sophisticated set of tools for running your website, you might prefer using Vdeck over cPanel. Vdeck offers the usual website management tools as well as additional features for designing and promoting your website.
Incidentally, you can't request a particular type of control panel from your web host. You must use what they offer to all their clients. This means that you should find out which interface is included in your hosting plan before signing up for services. If you prefer a certain software, seek out a host that caters to your needs.
New webmasters should plan to spend some time getting familiar with the many functions offered in the control panel. If you have questions about how to use a feature, look through the host's help pages, contact support, or do a quick Internet search for videos showing how to use a particular tool.
Although a good control panel makes running a website simpler, you may occasionally have technical or billing questions that require a personal answer. That's why you should choose a budget web host that provides full customer service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It's best to deal with a company that you can rely on to help you keep your website running smoothly.
Why is the control panel important? Well, it's where you will be spending time performing the various tasks that go into running a website. A control panel is a piece of software installed on the web host's server. It allows you to access the inner workings of your site without knowing a lot of complex server commands. You will use it for creating FTP accounts, adding sub-domains, creating databases, managing website files, and much more.
Ideally, the hosting control panel is laid out clearly, with intuitive graphics and text. It should allow for the website owner to make any change they need on their own, without needing to contact the hosting company. For example, it will permit you to add new email addresses, check your bandwidth usage, and upload new pages to your website, all in less time than it takes for your cup of coffee to cool to drinking temperature.
Some hosting companies have their own brand of user interface, but most employ one of the standard products such as cPanel or Vdesk.
cPanel is perhaps the most widely used control panel in budget web hosting. One of the benefits of cPanel is its user-friendly interface. It can even be customized with various themes. The Fantastico feature in cPanel provides automatic installation of third-party scripts and programs such as blogs, forums, and other tools that require MySql and database creation. You can upload multiple files simultaneously, a feature that is not found in all panels. Included in cPanel are a number of web statistics programs, something that every serious webmaster needs.
Although it provides a great deal of functionality, cPanel has its limitations. If you want a more sophisticated set of tools for running your website, you might prefer using Vdeck over cPanel. Vdeck offers the usual website management tools as well as additional features for designing and promoting your website.
Incidentally, you can't request a particular type of control panel from your web host. You must use what they offer to all their clients. This means that you should find out which interface is included in your hosting plan before signing up for services. If you prefer a certain software, seek out a host that caters to your needs.
New webmasters should plan to spend some time getting familiar with the many functions offered in the control panel. If you have questions about how to use a feature, look through the host's help pages, contact support, or do a quick Internet search for videos showing how to use a particular tool.
Although a good control panel makes running a website simpler, you may occasionally have technical or billing questions that require a personal answer. That's why you should choose a budget web host that provides full customer service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It's best to deal with a company that you can rely on to help you keep your website running smoothly.
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