How to Add Your Secondary E-mail Address

The first step you need to take is to login to the Customer Account Page with your hosting account user name and password.

Next, click on Billing/Contact Information.

The third step would be to provide your alternative e-mail address, update your primary e-mail address or both.  You can do this for your billing information on record and your contact information on record.

After you are done editing your billing information, click the button that says, “Save Billing Information”.  If you are also updating your contact information, be sure to hit the button that says, “Save Contact Information” once you have completed updating that as well.

Also, it is worth pointing out that either e-mail account we have on record for your account, the primary e-mail account or the secondary one, should never be associated with one of your domains you are hosting or have registered with us. Please use a different e-mail provider, such as your ISP, or you could use one from a place like Yahoo! Mail or Gmail.

Why Update? Other than your phone number, your primary and secondary e-mail addresses are what we have on record to contact you at if something goes wrong with your hosting account.  The reason we do not want you to put an e-mail address there that we host, is because what if the account associated with the e-mail account was having trouble?  We would be without a way to reach you via e-mail and this would slow down our support process.

So add an alternative e-mail to your account records today, and update your primary e-mail address if needed.  Better to do it now, rather than chance not getting notified just in case the worst might happen.

© Lunarpages Web Hosting - Also, don't forget to follow @lunarpages on Twitter!

Pre-Installation

Before the installation the software examines the user’s current software and hardware configuration and presents a list of possibly problematic issues that may need to be resolved. The RED items on the list are problematic, and will need to be corrected before beginning the installation. An example of a problematic issue would be using a shared host instead of a VPS. To resolve outstanding issues, you may need to contact your hosting provider.

Installation

When beginning the installation, you’ll need to enter a few details. Don’t worry, as each field is thoroughly explained. After you’ve entered your information, you’ll have the option of adding FTP configuration, letting Joomla correct any permission issues automatically. You can also choose to bypass this option and fill in the information manually later. Next, you’ll enter your site name and a few basic details, and then decide whether or not you’d like to install sample data. If you decide not to install sample data, then your website will be completely blank, so it is best to use sample data if you are not very experienced with web design. Installing sample data will let you experiment with a fully populated website. Once you have made this final decision, the installation will be completed momentarily.

Functionality and Appearance

If you chose to install sample data, you’ll notice that the default them provided by Joomla is very visually appealing. The administrative interface is also substantially improved, and is very user-friendly, employing a variety of dropdown menus. Although the software is very easy to use, the amount of features can be a bit overwhelming initially. For this reason, novice users may find it easy to lose content in arbitrary places, or become disassociated with certain areas of the CMS in some instances. Once you’ve gotten used to the plethora of functions, you’ll discover the true functionality of this award winning CMS.

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the CMS is a becoming familiar with the vast array of sections and content categories. Figuring out where the article will be published may be slightly difficult initially, but as you become familiar with the process, you’ll notice the design of the software actually maximizes efficiency quite well. One feature you’ll find particularly useful is the new universal installer, which lets you install a zip file form a single central box, rather than having to choose an install type. Previous versions of Joomla required you to select whether the install was a theme, component, module or mambot, so this new feature definitely improves upon the software’s simplicity.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this content management system is definitely a capable solution for any VPS user. On thing you are sure to like about the software is the fact that there is readily available Joomla themes and tutorials online, as there is a very large Joomla community. The vast amount of knowledge and material pertaining to Joomla on the web make it an excellent solution for novice and experienced users alike.

Looking for a fun way to spend a few extra minutes of your day?  If you are looking for an escape from your Monday morning blues – give Gartic a try.  This web-based drawing game is a lot of fun.

The idea here is to join a room, and then have everybody take turns guessing what one person is trying to draw.  Each round a word is given to a player and that player must draw it, the best they can.  When the word is guessed, both the guessing playing and the player that is drawing the image gets points. 

Think of it as playing Pictionary on the Web with a bunch of strangers.  Go give it a shot, at http://www.gartic.net/.

© Lunarpages Web Hosting - Also, don't forget to follow @lunarpages on Twitter!

Geographic Targeting

Many people seem to overlook the importance of targeted traffic. Getting traffic to your web page can be easy, especially if you accept any kind of traffic. However, getting traffic that is actually going to convert into sales is another story. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative to go after traffic that will be beneficial to your business. One of the ways you can do this is by targeting your traffic geographically. If you are trying to sell a product or service that is going to be popular in the UK, then you wouldn’t want a lot of your traffic coming from China. For this reason it is important to choose a web a hosting provider that is located in the area you would like to target. I.E. -  If you are in the US, then try to pick a web hosting provider in the United States.

IP Addresses

Another important aspect to consider is the IP address of your web site. Search engines often look at the IP address of a website to determine it’s relation to other websites, which may directly impact it’s rankings in the search engines. In other words, choosing a web hosting plan that offers only shared IP addresses may not be the best decision. You may find it too expensive to purchase a dedicated hosting plan, however you can still get a dedicated IP address with your shared hosting account. If you share your IP address with other websites then you are risking the search engine ranking of your site, since the actions of those websites could be directly connected with your site’s behavior by the search engines. When you have a dedicated IP address you will not have to worry about such occurrences, as your IP address will only be used by your website.

Site Building Tools

You’ll also want to make sure you have access to all of the website building tools and languages that are standard in today’s technology. For example, you’ll need to be able to use PHP, MySQL databases, FTP clients and other standard tools. You’ll also need access to your .htaaccess file and PERL if you want to have a fully functional and reliable website. These tools are also extremely important in the search engine optimization efforts of your website. If your web hosting provider does not offer these tools then you may want to consider a different web hosting company.

The March edition of the Lunarpages customer newsletter is packed full of great web hosting news, tips and tutorials.  To top it all off, Lunarpages announced two new contests you can enter too.

• Some of the other features from this month’s edition include:
• Better Server Access Logs Come to LPCP
• Your Affiliate Web Hosting Checklist
• News on Google’s Real Time Search Future
• 20 of the Web’s Best News Sources
• and much more!

So do not hesitate any longer, go see what all the fuss is about, and read up about the latest Lunarpages news.  Go check out the Lunarpages web hosting newsletter!

© Lunarpages Web Hosting - Also, don't forget to follow @lunarpages on Twitter!

SFTP

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) is an updated secure variation of FTP(File Transfer Protocol). Basic FTP is not fully secure, in that the files being transferred could possibly be intercepted by an outsider. In fact, the perpetrator can even change the data within the files, and view the files discreetly without disrupting their path. With SFTP you’ll have an extra layer of security since the files will be encrypted using government standard 128-bit encryption.

SSL

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is extremely crucial for any ecommerce site. With SSL all private information such as credit card/bank account information, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses are kept private. Without this kind of security measure in place, you and you’re customers are being left susceptible to credit card fraud and identity theft. In many cases the credit card information can be stolen instantly, and online purchases can be made before the cardholder even knows what hit them. Aside from the lack of security that is associated with not having SSL enabled on your server, you’re also going to lose business. Every site with SSL enabled receives an SSL certificate which is then placed on the checkout page. Many customers look for this when shopping online, and will refuse to shop with you if you do not have this certificate.

Data Backups

Many people realize the importance of backing up their personal computer, however the importance of backing up your websites files is often overlooked. A lot of work is put into building a website, as I am sure you are probably aware of, and you may find it shocking to learn that all of this information can be wiped out and lost forever in just one hour. If you do not backup your data, this data loss would be permanent, and you would literally have to start back at square one! If you want to keep this from happening then you will need to make sure you choose a web hosting plan that automatically conducts routine server backups.

Overall Network Security

When choosing a web hosting plan, the above factors are definitely of great importance. However, there are many more important aspects to consider in regards to overall server and network security. To ensure the safety of your website and your online business, you’ll need to choose a web hosting solution that is reputable and known for having top notch security.

Free Web Hosting Really Exists?

Yes. You can get free web hosting from many different  companies, the only set back is you’re not going to be able to build your business with free web hosting. However, you can become acquainted with the web hosting industry and you can learn how to build and operate your site with a basic free web hosting solution. Instead of spending your money on a plan that you’re not sure about, you can opt to test the waters with free web hosting instead. If you are looking for a free web host, just do a web search for the term “free web hosting.”

What Can I Do With Free Web Hosting?

The answer to this question is a broad one, in that you can do pretty much anything you would do with a regular hosting plan, except you are limited by the amount of server resources. Free web hosting provides a sample of what web hosting is like, and it let’s you site up a small site that you could use as a personal profile or a small personal blog. Free web hosting is similar to the food sample you’ll find at the food court in the mall – you can get a taste of what is on offer, but don’t expect to make an entire meal out of it!

Can I Upgrade My Free Web Hosting Plan?

One of the best aspects of free web hosting plans is that most web hosting companies will let you upgrade your free plan to a more inclusive paid plan. Many times upgrading is as simple as sending an email or making a phone call. If you are looking for a way to test the waters before you set your boat a sail, you may want to consider free web hosting with a company that offers the option to upgrade. Since free web hosting is such a limited solution, you are undoubtedly going to have the need for an upgrade in the near future, so you’ll want to leave this option open and make the transition as smooth as possible.

Looking for a great way to edit images, photos and more without having to install any sort of program to your PC?  The best online image editor out there these days is definitely Aviary. 

It does much more than just your basic image editing.  Here are some of the tools they provide:

• Image Editor
• Color Editor
• Effects Editor
• Vector Editor
• Audio Editor
• Image Markup
• and much more!

Until just recently, people were required to pay a monthly membership to use all the tools Aviary provides.  Thanks to some funding from outside sources, we all get to use every tool they make available.  It is 100% free to use!

Give it a shot, play around with a few images and see if you like it.  Who knows, you might have just found your own Photoshop for free that you can use online.  You can learn more at Aviary.com.

© Lunarpages Web Hosting - Also, don't forget to follow @lunarpages on Twitter!

Even after you have decided upon a specific kind of web hosting plan, you then have to consider the sub-types of each type of web hosting. For example, you may choose dedicated hosting, however you then have to decide whether you want managed or unmanaged web hosting. Some of the web hosting types are very similar, and to the untrained eye there is seemingly no difference. If you;re having trouble deciding between colocation and managed web hosting then this article may help you make an educated decision that you won’t regret after the fact.

Managed Web Hosting

Managed web hosting is actually a form of dedicated web hosting. With managed web hosting you’ll have a dedicated server that is used only by you, however you will not have full administrative control over this server. In other words, the web hosting provider will be responsible for maintaining the integrity, performance, and reliability of the server. Since you will not be responsible for the administration of your server, you’ll have an added cost as you will essentially be paying for the continual service of the web hosting company. Many people choose this solution since it is much more convenient than having to manage the server themselves. This solution is especially optimal for novice users. Managed web hosting is considered one of the most expensive types of web hosting plans, right behind colocation hosting.

Colocation Hosting

Colocation is similar to dedicated hosting, as you will also have a server that is used only by you. However, the main difference is this server will actually be yours and will not be leased by you but will be owned by you. In other words, you will have to actually buy your own server which will cost thousands of dollars in startup capital. With dedicated hosting you’ll be leasing the server which is far cheaper than colocation hosting. Colocation hosting lets you store your private server at a facility that is specifically designed for server security. Therefore, colocation hosting is basically a server storage solution for larger corporations and businesses. For this reason, colocation hosting is the most expensive kind of hosting available.

The Main Differences

The primary difference between colocation and managed hosting is the amount of control you have over your server. With colocation hosting, since you actually own the server, you’ll have complete control over the server, however you’ll also need the ability to do so. With managed hosting you’ll be leasing the server and you won’t have to worry about the hassle of maintaining it. For most people managed hosting is the desirable solution between the two.

It is not at all common to see someone begin their mission in search engine optimization with great zeal, only to become overwhelmed by the vast amount of information that needs to be learned and applied to reach success. Much of this information cannot be found in a single location and it takes weeks if not months to become familiar with the entire process of optimizing a website for search engine success.

Finished from the Beginning

Unfortunately even with all of the experience in the world you will not always be able to achieve the success you desire, especially if you’re trying to capitalize in a heavily competitive market. The fact is, maybe the single most important aspect of search engine optimization is keyword optimization. If you are not targeting the right keywords then your plan is doomed form the very beginning. This means you need to do keyword research before you can actually begin your endeavor.

Once you know what keyword you’re promoting you can find all of the related keywords and begin designing your site around that list of keywords. If you have already built your site and it is based on a keyword that you cannot change, such as your physical business, then your search engine optimization efforts are going to be twice as difficult. In fact you probably won’t be able to achieve the success you are looking for without hiring a professional, doing extensive research, and/or completely rethinking your gameplan.

SEO Experts

The sad fact is many of the so called experts in search engine optimization are no more certifiably qualified than you are to optimize your website. In fact, you probably know your website better than anyone ever will, and that gives you an instant advantage as it is. If you do decide to hire a search engine optimization expert, you would be better of paying a tutor to teach you how to do it yourself, as this would yield a much greater return on your investment. This way you would be able to use the knowledge gained for your future endeavors, instead of wasting your money on an operation that is not even guaranteed to bring success.

Finding Good SEO Services

So how can you find a good service that will actually help you increase your traffic with search engine optimization? The answer is actually quite simple -You need to understand what is a realistic expectation, and you need to find a company or an individual that will help you achieve that expectation. A reliable and experienced search engine optimization expert will give you a realistic quote for realistic results, whereas the “gurus” will try to charge you thousands of dollars for results that sound too good to be true. If you use this simple method to find help, you will be able to achieve realistic goals in a relatively short amount of time.