Regardless of the service you choose, every web hosting account comes with one type of control panel or another. This software is designed to provide you with the ability to control various elements of your account. From the interface you can set up email accounts, manage domains, view stats, create databases and more. Consider it as the central office from which you control all the vital aspects of your website.
The Need for Control Panels
The major goal of a control panel is to help you get hands on really play an active role in maintaining your hosting account. It aims to enrich and simplify the experience by providing a user-friendly graphical user interface that can be mastered with little to no technical knowledge.
Most control panels give you convenient access to all the features included in your hosting plan. Basic features include capabilities such as being able to add on domains and log into your web mail. With a good program, you can manage all of these features and even access the tools needed to actually create your site.
Advanced Features
Over the years, control panels have received notable upgrades that enable them to offer a broader range of advanced features. It isn’t uncommon to find software that allows you to establish an FTP connection, incorporate image galleries and perform web-based backups. Another popular feature is the inclusion of add-on programs. Though Fantastico is the most known, there are several built-in tools that let you install a wide range of free programs. These applications usually include scripts for blogs, shopping carts and content management systems. When moving into more advanced forms of hosting, you have control panels that allow you to set up hosting packages, maintain multiple user accounts and administer various aspects of the server. The capabilities tend to be extended with each new release.
Distinguishing Control Panels
For the most part, all control panels strive to provide the same results but there are factors that separate different software.
Presentation – The biggest difference is the interface and software design. While one program may differ from another in terms of appearance, they all provide you with a centralized area where all your features and tools can be accessed. Some applications are just more organized and intuitive than others.
Features - Features is another area in which control panels standout from one another. All contain the basics but some lack advanced functionality and are best for more simplistic types of hosting. For example, you have your control panels designed for shared hosting and others made to perform in the dedicated server environment. It is vital to determine the features you need before making a choice.
Platform – The difference in control panels is the platform they are designed to run on. Some applications are specific to the Windows operating system, some to the Linux environment and others support both. There are reliable control panels available for most operating systems but you should know that your choice could limit you to the capabilities of a certain platform.
