Moving web host is stressful!
But what if you need to move hosts?
If you are not happy with your web host, or you have found your
website is not listed within your own country's search results on Google as your host has placed your account on a foreign server. Here is how to
check where your host has placed your website!
So you need to move...You will have to go through some pain! Sorry. But remember this: anything worth doing is never easy.
If you have control of your domain name then it should be a simple task of changing the nameservers (so long as your website is setup on your new host). But if your web host manage your domain for you then you need to contact them to check their procedure for transfer of the domain (costs can be charged). If you are looking to transfer to the UK then try a
real UK web host which do not charge to transfer in, or out.
Make it worth the effort, ensure you choose the right host....
Labels: Google UK, real UK host
Google - Importance of inbound links (links from other sites to yours)
The more Google trusts your website the more traffic you will get. So you need to increase that trust.But how do you improve Google's evaluation/trust in your website and pages?Simple - increase your IBL (inbound links), but ensure each link is of good quality and relevant.
Quality:Before trading links with a website ensure you check them out. Check their PR and IBL. If its not high enough do not link back to them.
You can check this here:
http://www.microsoft-watch.org/cgi-bin/ranking.htm Relevance:You need to get links from relevant websites (with related content, and subject matter), you can only do this by manually checking the website yourself. Take a few minutes to check the content yourself, is it of reasonable quality? And check it is not just a website of links.
Keywords:Ensure you use the most optimised keywords for your product. This is very important when building your IBL. You should offer your prospective link site something like the following:
Note the keywords are within the anchor text, here the words: WHY choose the UK for web hosting.
Spending a little time here to correctly choose your keywords will pay-off for a long time into the future, so take your time ;-)
Other things to avoid:- link farms, never add your link to these sites, you could get banned as well as the link farm.
- linking to foreign sites (unless you need international traffic, link to your indigenous neighbours; read details on
why you should host in your native country here).
Work on your IBL and you will see your PR rise and in turn your keyword relevance. This will eventually lead to more traffic to your website as Google sees your site as more relevant than others for your chosen keywords.
Hope you found that helpful? If not, or want to add your input then please post your comments below...
Labels: directories, native hosting, real UK host
Webhosting - Does location really matter?
If you are a new off-line retail sales business and are buying a high street shop then the main criteria is
location, location, location. Simple, effective and works every time.
However, will this philosophy work for online businesses?
In many ways YES. As I have already mentioned to ensure your website is ranked well in your country's specific search results then where you host your website can be critical to its success. Why risk it when you can place your online business with a proper UK host quite often for just a few pounds more. But you should always check the host is a proper UK web host and that they have servers in the UK. And just as important for many that they provide UK support by UK staff.
Details on how you can check to see if your website is hosted in the UK here.
So location really does matter, not only for bricks-n-mortar but for your online business too.
Labels: native hosting, real UK host
Offshore web hosting - its cheaper so why not?
Why not use offshore web hosting?
Well there is NO guarantee with these services as could be involved in illegal activities (hosting any type of website), or may use unethical practices. Many state that if you must host outside the UK then host in the US, Canada, or Australia (however, don't forget
unless you host in your native country then you could be excluded from your country's search engine listings).
Consider the logic why these locations are often recommended:
- stability (of the host country - stable government), and
- positive regulations (that aid business enterprise growth)
this steers the decisions for good reason, and before you decide to take your prised
business website to foreign shores you should take heed too. And don't forget
data protection - else you could end up breaking the law yourself!
Labels: data protection, Google UK, real UK host
United Kingdom as the web hosting location over Eastern Europe?
Quite often with Eastern European web hosting services is to charge an extremely low price for the actual space and bandwidth but when you need support it is either none existent or is charged per call.
If you have a UK business website I would recommend you use a
UK web host and make sure the support is able to help when things go wrong (as eventually they will). Also, ensure you make contact, via email or telephone, with the new hosting company before you move, or buy hosting from them. This way at least you know you are able to contact them when the need arises.
And remember if you host in a foreign country then there could be issues with support such as language barriers - it can be a difficult task relaying an error with your website via email or telephone at the best of times, and this can become impossible if the support operative can not communicate in English well enough to either understand your query or to answer it!
Labels: real UK host
How to check if your host is actually in the UK
Start by entering their main domain name here:
http://geotargeting.2meta.com/ is it in the UK? If not then is it most likely (not always the case though) that
your site would not be hosted in the UK either if you host with them.
Other checks you can do:
- Check the telephone number, is this a British number?
- Check the phyical address, is this British?
- Check their domain name: you can carry out simple checks such as whois
and traceroutes by entering their domain name here:
http://www.dnsstuff.com/
- Check the network of the host, enter their domain here: http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph
If the Netblock owner is not obviously a UK company try looking the company name up on google.
Labels: real UK host
Is your website NOT listed in Google UK search results?
No traffic to your website? Are you outside the sights of Google?
Google has become the main source of web traffic for most businesses around the World and if you do not take care where you host your website you could find your website is not listing within your country's search results.
To ensure your website is ranked well in the UK specific index then you need a UK domain name or must host your site on a UK server. Google will list your website as per IP address (
http://www.answers.com/ip address ) if the domain extension does not dictate your location. If you have a TLD (.com, .net, .org, etc..) then it is even more important to host in the UK.
Any serious business can no longer afford the possible loss of web traffic to its competitors:
Why UK companies choose the UK for web hostingLabels: Google UK, native hosting, real UK host
