A Word on Web Hosting
What happens when you first type an address into your web browser? Many things.
It all starts with the Domain Name, this usually ends in .com or .co.nz. First, your web browser asks your network’s domain name server (DNS, and usually your Internet router) to translate, for example, “google.com” into a number, called an IP address, that it can reach. If your router does not have this address already stored, it will work its way across the Internet in search of a computer that knows the current address. Once it has a result, your browser will send a request to that IP address for the webpage. All going well, you will eventually (usually within less than a second) see the Google homepage load, ready to process any searches you need to make.
But where is google.com? All websites need a place to store their functions and data. In Google’s case, this information is stored in massive data centres around the world, with high-throughput links to the rest of the Internet at each location. In fact, they spend billions of dollars developing their network infrastructure to ensure you can use their website anywhere, anytime. Of course, not every business needs this level of infrastructure, or has the capital to invest in such hardware. Running your website on dedicated hardware, with its own power, cooling, network, technical staff and physical security would introduce a massive overhead, meaning even the smallest websites could cost thousands of dollars per month to stay online. The solution to this is “Shared Hosting”.
The problem with shared hosting comes down to responsibility. When you rent space on a shared website server, the web host simply provides that allocation to you without any knowledge or responsibility as to what’s being served. This means you’re on your own should an issue crop up with your website. As web browsers, operating systems and mobile devices get updated, many older websites gain bugs and glitches that affect people trying to visit and browse them.
We’ve decided to offer the best of both worlds. Our team of website developers have put together a platform built upon cloud infrastructure, called Think Concepts Managed Hosting. By leveraging cloud-based technology, allowing systems to stay separate from their underlying hardware, we’ve engineered a solution that incorporates the best network connectivity and security, with support from our technical consultants.
Being fully managed, you no longer have to worry about the technical condition of your website, and can instead work on publishing content or going about other business activities, while we take care of making sure your website is reachable. This includes:
Painless migration of existing websites
Monitoring and resolving website errors, sluggishness, hardware or network issues
Domain name services including registration, renewal and configuration
Troubleshooting website issues across many platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone)
Security and reliability monitoring for optimal uptime
Software upgrades, database maintenance and backups
Transactional email (contact forms, newsletters, subscriptions)
Working with designers and developers to ensure service delivery
We’ll also consult with you on improving any areas that could help your website reach more people. Because our team has a wide range of specialisations, you’ll get suggestions that we can take on internally or work with your designer to implement. Our customers appreciate the level of service we offer, with many opting to utilise our team as a part of the build process. Having one provider take care of your entire online presence keeps communication easy and minimises costs.
Consider switching your website over to us and experience what Think Concepts can do for your business.