Click on any of the titles to read what the Webii FAQ has to say about these terms.

Bandwidth: The amount of data sent through a connection over a period of time. Also known as Data Transfer.

Catch-All Email Account: The catch-all email address is used in cases of an incorrect name or misspelling at your domain. For example, any email that is sent to someone who is not listed in the POP or forwarding sections will still be received, even if the name has a typo or is out of date (as long as the domain name on the email address was specified correctly).

Control Panel: An online collection of tools that permits easy site management.

Data Transfer: The amount of data that is transferred from an account as visitors view the pages of the web site. Using FTP to upload to files to your site  and checking emails does not apply in this case.

Dedicated Server: A computer that only runs one type of server software, and is usually constructed according to the user’s specifications. Dedicated servers are typically used for websites that have high traffic, and need many resources and much processing power.

Domain Name: The unique name that identifies an Internet site. Webii can register any available .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, or .us domain name through its registration division, SiteReserve.com.

E-Commerce: Electronic Commerce is a convenient and affordable way to sell products or services online. E-Commerce software (like SoftCart) and payment services (like ClearCommerce) enable individuals to maintain an online business while performing transactions right from the Web.

Email Forwarder: An email address in which all emails are automatically forwarded to an alternative existing email account. For instance, you may forward all email to info@youdomain.com to erika@aol.com. Also known as an Email Alias.

FrontPage: A commercial HTML editor for creating, editing, managing, and uploading web sites. Some of the special features of the program (such as a graphical counter, forms, database, etc.) require that the web site be uploaded to a server which supports Microsoft FrontPage extensions.

FrontPage Extensions: A set of server-side applications that allow you to incorporate many advanced features without having to write the complex server-side programs typically required.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol): The process by which files are transferred to a web server. You have unlimited access to your web server via FTP 24-hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your web site at your leisure.

Host: When you hear the term “host” in the Internet world, it is referring to an Internet company that has the required servers and software to connect domain names to (IP) Internet Protocol numbers so that your site can be viewed by the public when they type your domain in their browser window. Basically this is where you house your site, and you usually have to pay a monthly or annual fee for this service.

IP Addresses (Internet Protocol): A unique number used to identifying machines that are connected to the Internet. Your IP Address is the series of numbers associated with your domain name.

MySQL: A lightweight database engine designed to provide fast access to stored data.

Name Server: A computer that has both the software and the data needed to resolve domain names to IP numbers. Most name servers have names like NS1.whatever.com.

POP (Post Office Protocol): A communication protocol that is used to retrieve electronic mail from a Mail Server.

Script: List of commands that can be executed without user interaction.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A security protocol designed to create a secure connection to the server for the transmission of confidential data through the internet.

Support: Telephone or e-mail technical support provided to a web hosting company’s customers. When there’s a problem with your site or your e-mail, you want to be able to get an answer promptly by e-mail or on the phone.

Whois: A searchable database maintained by Registrars which contain information about the .com, .org, .net, and .edu top-level domains.

If you have ever had a problem with your website, you probably found out.

When you have a problem you want to know that you can trust your web hosting company to treat it as importantly as you do. Many web hosting companies are very easy to deal with in the sales stage but suddenly disappear when it is time to provide support. At WEBii we use a proven approach to providing outstanding customer service.  Here are just a couple of examples of how we stand out.

High Quality Equipment

Our first step is in the preparations – using the highest quality server equipment and keeping it protected in a state-of-the-art data center. We equip all of our shared hosting servers with a second mirrored hard drive and perform daily and weekly network backups.  This ensures that problems are rare and that downtime is virtually unheard of on our watch.

Many of those low-budget hosts save money by building servers using miscellaneous cheap (and less reliable) hardware.  WEBii uses quality servers from companies you can trust like Sun and Dell. We also use  trusted Apache web server software to ensure maximum performance and uptime.

Responsive Customer Service

The next step is in our continual customer care.  We provide our top-notch email and telephone support for all customers, without charging extra.  When you call for technical support the last thing you want is for someone to read to you from a script or put you on hold forever.  The WEBii technical support team is not outsourced, will not read to you from the manual, and prides itself on being able to handle your problems when you call.   In fact, our average ticket time is less than one hour. We believe that every support issue is a chance to impress our customers.

Still not sure how important these issues are to you?

Imagine going an entire day without access to your email or website.  When you get to the point where the frustration is setting in and you have no idea how to fix your problem, what kind of support do you want on the other end of the phone?  You don’t want to waste time dealing with outsourced tech support who can not properly resolve your issue.  You just want your site to work!  At WEBii these types of issues are rare, but if they do occur, the technical support staff at WEBii has the experience and training to help you – that way your website gets back to work and so can you.

It can be helpful to house all of these services under one roof, so you deal with one company for all your websites needs. For example, you can order your web hosting at WEBii.net, and then register your domain at our sister company, SiteReserve.com.

Keep in mind though that your web hosting services and your domain name are all managed and billed separately. Your web host is not necessarily notified or responsible when your domain expires – even if all are housed through the same company.

So what is the difference between your domain and your web hosting. Registering a domain simply gives you control over that domain name. Only one party (individual or business) can have a specific name. The actual domain does not have anything to do with website content.

Your web hosting is what hosts your site. By hosting your site that means space is allotted on your web hosts’ servers. Web hosting is more than just space. Not only does you web host hold a place on their servers for you, you are also getting bandwidth, and many other features that allow you to manage your web site files online. Once you have established your host, your domain name will point to the specified servers and your site will be running.

Don’t forget though that neither one of these develops or designs your website content, so you will have to either find a designer to help you (custom design & development available at WEBii.net) OR if you are savvy enough, you can do it yourself!

People ask, “Is this a scam?”

Well, not technically. But it sure is easy to be confused, and that is what they are counting on. If you look very closely, somewhere in the middle, you will notice the domain name has an unusual extension. Do you really care about yourdomainname.US?

If not, you can breathe easy and ignore that notice. It may look official, but it really isn’t.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the deceptive nature of these kinds of notices. They receive the fax, email, or letter – and they quickly panic and fork over some money to the mysterious company behind it. If this does happen to you, you might still have an opportunity to contact the company back and request a refund and cancel the services. But when possible, it is best to become familiar with the providers that do manage the registration for the domain names that you use. Be aware of your due dates or expiration dates for current domain names and stay on top of renewal invoices.

And if you do ever receive a suspicious looking bill or statement, research it, ask your web site developer, look at your past billing statements, and verify it is legitimate.

Remember, only one party in the entire World Wide Web can own a certain domain name. If you lose yours, and someone else gets it, you might be forced to rethink your name and register something completely different. That means changing your web site address, changing your email addresses, and reprinting business cards.

The best way to prevent this is to stay on top of your registration bill and know exactly when your domain name is due for renewal. Pay it up in advance, maybe even for several years at a time.

Also, know your registrar (for example, SiteReserve.com). Some registration providers have some sneaky marketing tactics that confuse domain owners into transferring services to them or signing up for new domains with different extensions. For example, one company sends out “official” looking letters with an urgent message about “securing” a domain that is conveniently similar to one you already own – but with a .us or .biz extension.

If you did forget and suddenly realize that your web site is offline because the domain name recently expired, don’t panic just yet. There is typically a grace period – usually about 20 to 30 days – where the domain is “on hold” for the current owner, giving you a chance to renew it at your usual rate.

But, be quick about that renewal! You really don’t want your domain name to go into the next phase: “redemption period”. This is the stage when your domain name has already been deleted out of your registrar’s database, and now it is out their in limbo-land. While you can still acquire it at this point, it is going to be expensive, often around $100 or more with the included “redemption fees”. This phase is typically about 40 days.

If you find yourself in a real pickle – maybe you went on an African Safari and forgot to come back to work for a few months – and your domain name was indeed snatched by a back ordering robot, there might still be hope.

Did you trademark your name? Is your domain name an obvious representation of your trademarked or copyrighted business? Try contacting the registrar responsible for the latest domain record (do a WHOIS search to find out the sponsoring registrar and their email address), and explain that you need to acquire your trademarked domain name back. Sometimes they are able to release the domain name and you can then register it in your name again. But there are most likely more than one domain brokerage waiting in the wings, so you may need to make 2 or 3 of these requests to different registrars before you have a chance to place the order.