The backbone of every web hosting solution is it’s control panel. Therefore ever good web hosting company knows that it is imperative to provide a solution that their customers will be satisfied and comfortable with. In fact, web hosts know that many customers base their decision based on the control panel alone. To expand the popularity of their business, and provide supreme satisfaction to their customers, these web hosts have decided upon a certain control panel that will give them and their end users excellent administrative control. The goal is to provide a control panel that any customer, even the most novice can become comfortable with in a short amount of time.

Although every control panel has the basic capabilities that one would expect, not all of them can provide the consistency, compatibility and simplicity that the top web hosts are looking for. Instead there are only a handful that would be considered industry standard control panels. These control panels are briefly summarized below.

cPanel

cPanel is  by far the  most popular control panel in the web hosting industry. Although cPanel does have somewhat of a learning curve, it is a very easy one, as there are unlimited video tutorials available online, teaching you how to use virtually every feature of the software. If web host’s had to choose one control panel, it would most likely be cPanel based on it’s sheer popularity alone! The web hosting providers have one primary focus in mind, and that is customer satisfaction. As long as customers continue to demand cPanel, then you can bet that the top web hosts will continue to offer it as a primary control panel solution. Cpanel’s ease of use combined with its feature-rich interface make it by far the web’s most dominating control panel.

Plesk

Plesk is right behind cPanel as a top contender in the control panel industry. Many web hosts choose Plesk based solely on it’s compatibility. Plesk is one of the only control panels that support both Windows and Linux, which is definitely a selling point for web hosts. Many web hosting providers choose to offer Plesk exclusively, in order to target the large group of webmasters that operate their website on a Linux server.

ServerCP

One of the most popular control panels offered in dedicated and virtual private hosting packages is ServerCP. This solution is a Linux solution that supports the hosting of unlimited domains, which it makes it perfect for a webmaster hosting multiple domains on a Linux server. Similar to the above control panels, this control panel is also extremely easy to use, and includes a one step installation process that even the most novice user can perform.

Control panels handle many tasks on a daily basis, and are even called the backbone of a website by many people. Most website owners know that a good control panel can simplify the site building and maintenance process, which increases productivity, but one advantageous aspect of a good control panel that is not commonly mentioned is the traffic analysis tools it provides. At first glance, traffic analysis and traffic generation appear to be two completely different subjects. However, the two are very closely related, as the results of traffic generation techniques can be greatly improved by the insight provided by traffic analysis. Since cPanel is the most commonly used control panel, it is only befitting to discuss the traffic analysis tools provided within this popular control panel, and how they can improve traffic generation.

Using Complex traffic Analysis Tools

The cPanel control panel comes with three incredibly useful traffic analysis tools; Webalizer, Awstats and Analog. All of these tools provide a different level of insight and can be used in various situations accordingly. The Analog tool is the hard est to use but provides the most comprehensive overview of website traffic analysis. Analog bears it’s name because it presents information in text format rather than images or graphs. If you can learn how to use Analog, then you won’t have any need for the other two tools provided in cPanel.

Using Basic Traffic Analysis Tools

If you are not interested in surpassing the steep learning curve for Analog, then you may want to try a simpler solution such as Awstats. Awstats is relatively easy to use and lets you schedule comprehensive analytical reports for maximum productivity. This tool is perfect for webmasters that are experimenting with more immediate forms of traffic generation such as social bookmarking. The final tool, Webalizer provides detailed traffic reports on a monthly basis via graphs. Although the reports are infrequent they provide great insight to the long term progress of your website.

Using the Analytical Data to Generate Traffic

Once you have learned how to use the tools mentioned above, you may wonder how you’re going to use the data to generate traffic. The answer is actually quite simple; you are going to remove most of the error from “trial and error!” Virtually all traffic generating techniques require patience, including search engine optimization. The problem is, it can be hard to find out what works and what doesn’t. Which could cause you to waste tie promoting methods that are ineffective. In order to get the best results possible out of your efforts, you’ll need to know how much traffic is coming in and where it is coming from. Once you have this information you can use it to scale up and create a formula that consistently brings your website the desired amount of traffic.

There are many types of web hosting services available, with each one presenting a solution for a specific situation. With so many choices, one may become overwhelmed while trying to find one that will best accommodate their needs.

The main types of web hosting are dedicated hosting, shared hosting, and VPS hosting. Dedicated hosting provides a dedicated IP address and in some cases a dedicated server for maximum performance. Many companies delegate a certain amount of server resources to the customer to give them all of the performance they need to run their online business.

Shared hosting gives users a server that is shared amongst the customers of the web hosting company. This type of web hosting solution generally has less to offer than dedicated hosting, but is also cheaper.

The third kind of hosting is VPS( Virtual Private Server) hosting. VPS hosting offers the best of both worlds, giving the user optimal performance as well as reliability.   VMware hosting is a kind of VPS hosting that provides all of the necessary resources in a virtualized fashion. The following benefits make VMware a suitable solution for many web hosts.

Flexibility

Aside from being a purely virtual solution, VMware can be used in conjunction with physical servers to offer the user even more resources. Since the server is virtualized, all of the data can be monitored from a centralized location and the chances of data loss is low considering the information is hosted on a virtualized server. Since you’ll able to utilize the resources of a physical server in a virtualized solution, you’ll be able to save time and and money by preventing the startup costs that are associated with physicals server setup.

Security and Reliability

Having secure data is perhaps the most important aspect of a web hosting plan. By using VMware hosting you can have your data available at all times, and back it up with ease, which completely prevent all forms of data loss. This means that regardless of the situation, you can rest assured that your websites data is safe with VMware web hosting.

Functionality

Since the server resources provide by VMware are virtually unlimited, users can enjoy premium functionality at a reduced price. Users can also enjoy increased ease of use, since installing web applications is much easier. Instead of worrying about setting up applications on a physical server, the entire process can be managed online in a user-friendly interface.

Price

Since no physical hardware is required, a VMware hosting plan is usually much cheaper than its conventional counterparts. In fact many people consider VMware hosting to be the most cost effective hosting solution available. VMware is perfect for users that are looking for a low cost solution that provides optimal functionality, reliability, simplicity, and support. By utilizing VMware, users have the opportunity to host their website with very little effort, for a fraction of the cost of hosting a physical server. At the same time they have access to the resources of a physical server, and they have the option of using a physical server in conjunction with their VMware hosting plan.

Many business owners do not realize that maintaining website performance is every bit as important as making the website appear to be professional. In fact, many site owners make the mistake of overloading their site with too much information and thereby hindering the speed and functionality of their website. While having complex flash presentations, eye-catching media, and other entertaining features on your website is optimal, it should not sacrifice the performance of your website. After all, how many people will want to stay at your site if all of these features are taking an hour to load? In order to crate a well balanced website and monitor the server load of your website you’ll need a competent control panel, and you’ll need to know how to use it as well.

Database Management

Managing databases and managing your website might as well be interchangeable phrases, as the databases of your website basically comprise it’s existence. Without the right database management skills, you could find yourself staring at a cluttered unorganized mess of date. Using a control panel to maintain cleaned and up to date databases is a good way to improve the speed of your website.  Using database servers like MySQL will let you use several databases for multiple reasons, thereby balancing some of the load placed on the web server. Using a control panel like cPanel will let you manage all of your databases with ease.

Controlling File Transfer Protocol

Uploading files to the server can be a daunting task, especially when you have a lot of content for your site. To lessen the amount of time it takes to upload, it is best to become familiar with your control panels FTP module. You’ll also want to outsource some of the work eventually, especially if you have people producing content for you in large quantities. A good control panel will let you create new FTP accounts for each user, so they can upload the content straight to the website, saving you a lot of time and frustration. Each FTP account can be given limitations or permissions that allow certain users to handle certain tasks. For example, a writer would only be able to upload written content to the site.

Analyzing Traffic with Your Control Panel

Another way to boost productivity and manage the loaf placed on your website is to use the traffic analyzing utilities that are included with your control panel. Using these tools you can find a plethora of statistics that lend insight to the nature of your website’s traffic. This information can help you make decisions in regards to upgrading your web hosting plan, and judging when it is time to expand your server capabilities. The number one reason why website owners suffer from poor website performance is because they fail to upgrade when it is time to do so. Staying on top of your website’s traffic habits not only lets you monitor your servers capability, but you’ll also be able to see what traffic generating techniques work for you by analyzing daily and weekly traffic statistics.

Understanding your website’s traffic is a crucial part of enhancing your search engine optimization efforts.  Knowing where most of your website’s traffic is originating from will allow you to place more emphasis on that traffic stream. For example if you know that most of your traffic is coming from YouTube, then you may want to increase your video marketing efforts. Likewise, you can focus more on the weaker sources of traffic to improve your overall outreach. Any online business owner should be well aware of their website’s traffic stats if they want their visitor base to grow.  Many people opt to use expensive softwares to analyze stats. However this is not necessary, as most of the analytics needed can be found within your control panel which is provided by your web hosting provider.

cPanel Web Analytics

Since cPanel is by fare the most widely-used control panel around, we’ll use it as our primary example of how a control panel can provide all of the website traffic statistics needed. cPanel includes three analytic tools; Analog, AwStats and Webalizer.  When you first discover these tools they can be a bit difficult to use, however as you begin to explore the various features, you’ll soon learn just how simple they are to use. To help you get started using these tools we have included a quick overview of each one.

Analog

Out of the three tools offered by cPanel, Analog is the most advanced. The analytic results offered by Analog are presented in text from, instead of in graphs. However, all of the information you’ll need to improve your website’s traffic flow can be found in Analog. Although this tool has a relatively steep learning curve, learning to use it will improve your site’s performance greatly.

AwStats and Webalizer

The second most advanced tool offered by control panel is AwStats. Although it provides detailed analytical information, it also presents this information in easy to understand charts and graphs. With AwStats, you can analyze statistics concerning email, media viewing and even File Transfer Protocol.  This tool also let’s you create scheduled and requested  reports via it’s simple user interface. You should use AwStats to setup weekly reports of your website’s traffic, and use Analog to analyze your daily traffic.

Webalizer provides statistical analysis on a monthly basis, giving you a broader understanding of your site’s long term stats. Like AwStats, Webalizer also presents information in very simple graphs and charts that anyone can understand. Although the stats provided by Webalizer are basic, they provide great insight to your site’s progression. I would not recommend using Webalizer as your sole means of understanding your website’s traffic though. It is best to use all three of these tools in combination to achieve optimal results.

It is important to note that all of these programs are included free with cPanel, and many other control panels include similar tools. You should remember this before you make the decision to purchase expensive web analytics software unnecessarily.