In the past, building websites required advanced skills in internet technology and various programming languages. Webmasters needed to be well-versed in HTML, PHP, CSS, and other programming fields, in order to create even a relatively simple website. Many times website owners would have to pay web developers a hefty fee to set up their website for them, and in many cases this still happens today. However, as the the internet has become more user-friendly, and with the advent of web 2.0, website owners can now use what are called CMS (Content Management Systems) to build, organize and maintain their websites. Some of these content management system let users upload preset themes that can be customized easily within a user-friendly interface. One of the most popular content management systems available is WordPress.

What is WordPress?

Although WordPress is actually a blogging platform, it is commonly used to create static web pages and complete websites. WordPress is basically a website administrative interface that lets you control every aspect of the site using tools that even the most novice users can utilize. These tools let you post text, images and any other kind of media quickly and easily without having any programming knowledge whatsoever. WordPress is updated on a regular basis you don’t have to worry about it becoming obsolete at all. WordPress can be installed by a complete novice using tools provided by your web host such as Fantastico or Simple Script.

Wordpress Plugins

One of the most appealing aspects of WordPress is it’s expandability. By using a vast array of plugins, users can do just about anything they desire with ease. New plugins are being created everyday, and they can be installed in less than one minute by even the most inexperienced webmaster. Once installed the plugin resides in the left side of the WordPress interface in the navigational bar, where you can easily adjust the plugin settings and control every aspect of your site’s functionality. Using plugins like the All-in-One SEO pack, you can even automatically optimize your site’s pages for the search engines.

Creating Static Web Pages with WordPress

Since WordPress was originally a blogging platform, creating a regular website can present some challenges to the novice user. The main problem is that the latest post will always be displayed at the top of the main page, which makes it hard to design a website as you would like it. Every time you add a new post, the order of your content will be disrupted since the latest post will be displayed at the top of the front page. This obviously is not desired if you want to have your content arranged a certain way. So how do you fix it? Well the answer is actually quite simple – use a plugin! There is a plugin called StickyOrderer that will let you organize your posts in the fashion want them, and you can do this on every page of your site! Using this plugin alone you can create well organized websites, instead of scattered blogs.

You may be familiar with the more commonly used software, such as control panels, and content management systems. However, many people don’t realize that these site management tools are expandable in a practically infinite nature. The functionality and features of both control panels and content management systems can be greatly enhanced with the use of web applications. Web applications let you modify an already fully functional site administration software, and transform it into a solution that is capable of carrying out brilliant automated tasks and improving the overall appearance and functionality of your website.

Using Web Applications to Improve Content

Perhaps the most basic advantage offered by web applications is the ability to automate or simplify content creation, uploading, organization and editing. There are a literally hundreds of content-oriented web applications available that can be installed to your control panel within a few short steps, especially if you have cPanel with Fantastico. By optimizing your site’s content automatically, you’ll be boosting the productivity of your online business and saving employee cost by cutting out unnecessary outsourcing. In fact, with the right web applications, you can manage literally hundreds of websites easily within the same user interface. If you did need to outsource work, it would be minimal, and you may only need to contract a developer temporarily to create a new web application that you can use to boost productivity even more!

Using Web Applications to Enhance Your Site’s Design

You can also use web applications to change, create, organize and find templates and themes for you web pages. In fact, you can even eliminate the need for a web designer altogether! Some web applications will remove the complex HTML editing that is usually associated with site design, and will let you complete the site customization process with an automated system that inputs HTML coding for you based on your preferences. You can even set up cron jobs and have the applications complete tasks automatically on a scheduled basis, which allows you to focus on more important aspects of your online business while the software works for you.

Using Web Applications to Generate Traffic

Of course, while the above to advantages of web applications will most definitely contribute to a busier website, you can also generate traffic with certain web application regardless of your site’s appearance or relevance! Perhaps the most beneficial use of web applications would be their ability to market to a wide audience through social networks and RSS feeds. There are web applications available that will actually submit every post on your website to multiple social bookmarking sites simultaneously. There are also applications that will post comments on related blogs and attract visitors in this fashion. With so many ways to generate traffic using web applications, it would be impossible to mention all of them.

Conclusion

Although it may take a little bit of experience to master all of the web applications at your disposal, usually the most novice website owners can learn the functions of these programs with ease. In fact, most web applications are designed specifically with the novice user in mind. If you are having trouble managing your website efficiently, you may want to consider installing a few useful web applications to help you out.

Having a good content management system is crucial to the success of any online business. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones will live up to their promises. In fact, it can be difficult just to find the top three! Below we’ve given you an overview of the three best content management systems; Drupal, Joomla, and Mambo. The information below should aid you in conducting your own thorough investigation, based on your needs.

Drupal

Drupal has quickly become one of the most popular content management systems. It’s recent popularity boom is due to the fact that it is an open-source software, which means it can be improved by any developer with an interest in doing so. Drupal has been said to be a perfect solution for people who are building community-based websites such as forums. This is because one of it’s most notable features is it’s user permissions system. With it’s extensive administrative control, webmasters can control every aspect of their forum. Drupal is also preferred over Joomla in terms of development because it is easier to interact with and expand.

Joomla

Joomla has also gained popularity because of it’s powerful features and easy user interface. While Joomla also includes forum managing features, these features are not it’s strongest points. Among the more notable features of this CMS is it’s administrative functionality for image galleries, search engine optimization, shopping carts, and forum management. Some users choose Joomla over Drupal due to it’s user-friendly interface. Although there is some learning curve involved with Joomla it is often described as the easiest CMS around.

Mambo

The Mambo content management system was one of the first popular open source content managements systems. While it has been around for quite some time now, it still have a group of developers backing it that maintain it’s functionality and reliability. Even though it was one of the pioneer content management systems, it has fallen somewhat behind the newer CMS softwares available. The primary reason for it’s recently decreased popularity is it’s code incompatibility due to it’s age. For this reason many developers shy away from developing applications that can be used with Mambo. With each new advance in the consent management industry, Mambo becomes more obsolete.

Making the Decision

The first thing you’ll want to do when investigating your options, is go to the main site of each of the content management systems above. Make sure you review all of their features and ensure you’re going to be able to fulfill all of your needs by using the software. Even though one of the softwares may be more suitable for you it is still likely that you will need to install additional applications. It is very unlikely that you will find all of the desired features within one CMS, therefor you’ll want to do some research and find out which CMS has the compatible applications you need. Once you’ve made your decision, you can install the CMS of your choice simply with the Fantastico program.

cPanel and Plesk are easily the two most dominant control panels on the web hosting market.  Both have been dramatically improved over the years, which ultimately makes this battle even more tightly contested.  This article will help you choose between cPanel and Plesk by outlining the pros and cons of each control panel.

cPanel Pros

Fast Loading Times - The intuitive design of cPanel allows it to perform fast and efficiently on most servers.  This optimal performance is attributed to the fact that unlike some other control panels, it does not require the use of an external database for backend support.

Highly Functional – A web hosting package equipped with cPanel usually offers more features than one utilizing Plesk.  cPanel can be integrated with a number of add-on applications such as Fantastico, RV Skins and CFS firewall, thus providing end-users with a wide variety of functionality that cannot be obtained in the Plesk environment.

Superior Reseller Support – Until more recently, Plesk did not have any support for reseller hosting, an area in which cPanel thrives in.  Also offering WHM (Web Host Manager), cPanel provides a reseller with control over various aspects of their account, including the ability to create hosting packages, suspend or delete accounts, monitor resource usage and much more.

cPanel Cons

Platform-Specific – Though a Windows version is said to be in the works, cPanel is currently only available for Linux platforms.  This essentially restricts usage from customers who prefer a Windows-based hosting solution.

Tedious Maintenance – Ensuring that a cPanel server is properly configured and protected against malicious attacks can be a full time job.  In addition, this control panel requires frequent updates and patches to make sure the necessary fixes are applied.

Plesk Pros

Cluster Functionality – Plesk is a multi-server solution that allows you to maintain a multitude of servers from a single interface.  This means that the administer only has to log in to a single console and still have the power to effectively manage web, database and FTP servers.

Cross-Platform - Unlike cPanel, Plesk supports both Windows and Linux platforms.  This enables a web host to diversify their offerings and cater to a broader range of customers.  The end-users also benefit as they often have access to both Windows and Linux features.

Tight Windows Service Integration – One of the most unique aspects of Plesk is that integrates seamlessly with various Windows services and technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server.

Plesk Pros

Lack of Integration – In contrast to cPanel, Plesk does not integrate with many third-party applications outside of Microsoft products for added functionality.  For this reason, Plesk is not very popular as a Linux server even though it does support the platform.

Slower Load Times – The mere structure of Plesk makes it susceptible to slow and sluggish performance, particularly in the Linux environment.  This is not always the case, but Plesk has been known to lag on even some of the most powerful servers.

Summary

In closing, cPanel and Plesk are excellent control panels but neither are perfect.  cPanel is ideal for those who prefer Linux while Plesk tends to be the preferred option for Windows hosting.  Depending on your preference, both should suit your needs just fine.

The control panel is an essential feature found in most web hosting packages today. This type of software is an invaluable tool for the website owner who lacks server administrative skills or simply needs any easier way to manage their account.  The prevalence and demand for control panels has led to the emergence of various applications but none are as celebrated as one particular tool – cPanel.

cPanel is an out-of-the-box server administration tool that provides powerful management capabilities to web hosting companies and end-users alike.  Its features are designed to help you effectively maintain a simple website, or complex web server.  Over the years, cPanel has been greatly improved, making it an easy to use, stable and secure product that takes the pain out of dealing with the web hosting environment.  The software gives you a user-friendly, web-based interface that allows you to manage your domains, set up FTP accounts, access your webmail, analyze website statistics and more.  The feature list of cPanel is extensive, making it the complete web hosting management package.

Easy Accessible Features

The cPanel software truly defines what a control panel should be as it provides you with tremendous administrative authority.  With this easy to use tool, you can manage all the critical aspects of your account including CGI scripts, cron jobs, web directories, error pages and files through the web-based file manager.  cPanel includes a suite of email features such as the ability to create multiple email accounts and spam filtering via Spam Assassin and Box Trapper.  You can also perform online backups of your website data, monitor bandwidth usage and even launch the design tool that allows you to actually build your site from a multitude of pre-designed templates.  All of these features are neatly organized on a single page, providing you with convenient access to all the tools needed to both create and manage your website.

Add-on Functionality

cPanel is well known for its inclusion of various third-party applications, the most notable being Fantastico.  This handy little tool comes bundled with a wide variety of pre-installed, ready to be used programs that can be implemented with a few clicks of the mouse.  Fantastico gives you the power to install blogging applications such as WordPress, b2Evolution and Nucleus, e-commerce shopping carts like Cube Cart, Zen Cart and osCommerce, and content management systems that range from PHP-Nuke and Mambo to Drupal and Joomla.   With Fantastico, you can instantly enhance your web presence regardless of your experience as a server administrator.

The Most Preferred Control Panel

The cPanel control panel is a comprehensive tool designed in a three-tier structure, allowing it to simplify a number of would-be complex web hosting tasks.  No longer do administrators and webmasters have to go through hundreds of complicated Linux commands just to maintain a web server.  This is because cPanel comes jam packed with every tool you need to get it done.  When choosing this industry leading product as your control panel, you can remain focused on promoting and running your site rather than worrying about the complexities of server administration.

Content management systems got their name by providing users with a way to manage virtually every bit of content associated with a website.  In regard to content, it could be simple text articles, photo images, music videos and almost anything you can imagine on a website.  Most content management systems are designed in a manner that lets you perform these tasks regardless of technical skill.  When it comes to content management, there are many options available to you.  For example, you can choose to purchase a commercial product or an open-source version that doesn’t cost you dime.  If want to save a few bucks and still have a great content-rich site, you may be interested in a popular software package known as Joomla.

What is Joomla?

Joomla is an award-winning CMS that gives you the ability to create and run powerful websites.

The software has many qualities but some of its major draws are ease of use and an extensibility that allows you to greatly enhance the functionality of your site.  This platform is ideal for creating all types of sites, be it a personal homepage, corporate intranet or extranet, online newspaper or community portal.  Joomla is relied on by manywell known entities including CitiBank, MTV Networks and the IHOP restaurant chain.

How Easy is It?

The Joomla CMS was designed with simplicity in mind, making it easy to install and maintain even if you have no idea of what content management is all about.  In fact, most web hosting providers enable you to incorporate the software in a few easy clicks through application installers such as Fantastico.  A back-end interface makes Joomla simple to use for experienced web designers and developers as well as those who have never managed a website in their life.  The software doesn’t call for you to have any programming knowledge though you can take customization to the next level by having a familiarity of technologies such as HTML, PHP and CSS.

How Advanced Does it Get?

Joomla may be incredibly easy to use but that does not take away from its sophistication.  This software package extends benefits to those with needs beyond the norm, acting as a dynamic framework that allows developers to create advanced modules and dramatically enhance its capabilities.  These enhancements are all made possible because of its nature as an open-source CMS.  Thus, not only can you incorporate third-party extensions, but also grab a hold of the source code and create your own.  For the experienced user, the functionality of Joomla is virtually unlimited.

What About Support?

Just like most open-source software applications, the biggest downside to Joomla is the lack of technical support.  On the bright side, this CMS is so popular that support for it can be found all over the web.  There are official Joomla forums as well as resources provided by unofficial sites simply looking to lend a hand to the community.  The Joomla community is well over 200,000 strong and counting, almost ensuring that you can find someone to aid in your content management needs.

There are several popular control panels out there but the right one for you all depends on the platform you choose to host on.  In the web hosting arena, control panels are mainly designed for one of two platforms: Windows or Linux.  Let’s go over some of the most popular options.

Windows Platform

Helm

Helm is one of the best control panels available for Windows.  The software offers a number of user-friendly features and is tightly integrated with an array of management and billing tools.  This gives Helm advantages over many competing applications.  Boasting a well designed interface and extremely easy to use, Helm makes an excellent choice for many hosting environments.

Host Accelerator

Though lesser known, Hosting Accelerator is another viable option for Windows hosting.  The interface is a bit clunky and less organized but it does provide you with most of the basics.  Because it lacks some of the features found in similar applications, the H-Sphere control panel is best suited for modest needs.

Linux Platform

cPanel

cPanel is king on the Linux platform and the most widely used among all control panels.  Known for its simple design and ease of use, this software gives you tons of features that can all be accessed from the main page.  One of the best features integrated within the control panel is Fantastico.  This third-party application is bundled with a variety of programs that range from blogs to bulletin boards.  cPanel may be designed with the novice in mind but its rich set of features cater to experienced webmasters as well.

DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is another control panel that serves the Linux platform.  This software is easy to use and generally comes attached with cheaper fees.  DirectAdmin is known for its straightforward interface and usability.  The biggest downside is that it lacks many of the helpful administrative features found in other Linux control panels.

Interworx

The Interworx control panel offers both sophistication and ease of use.  Simplicity is enabled through the user interface that puts all the essential features in plain view.  There are also a number of wizards and other tools that can guide you through the configuration process.  The learning curve with Interworx is short as the software provides an environment that enables beginners to become advanced fairly quickly.

Cross-Platform

Plesk

Plesk is one of few control panels that actually supports both Linux and Windows platforms.  Though usually more expensive, this software is very popular and highly regarded as a worthy competitor to cPanel.  Plesk offers an interface similar to Windows XP which makes it very easy to work with.  Features such as the premium site builder and management tools qualify Plesk an excellent choice for both platforms.

In the end, the control panel is a matter or preference, but you certainly need to keep an eye on the platform.  cPanel is dominant on Linux, Helm is the preferred choice on Windows and Plesk suits either or.  You can make a more informed decision by examining these control panels a bit closer to see what each has to offer.

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.