I am not sure we have seen the end of it, but all I can say is that although it all seems like bad news, I can assure you that if you look hard enough around you, THERE ARE good things still happening, so please please don’t let all this bad press kid you that we are all doomed!

In fact, can I ask that people email me on paul@eyewebsolutions.co.uk with “good news” stories, or “success stories” from the past year, in particular business related. If I get any worth sharing I will post them in the New Year! on this website and on other websites we are involved with…. lets spread some good news, new year cheer!

So before I finish I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and a PROSPEROUS New Year.

On a final note, why not treat yours or your companies website to a facelift in the New Year….. and remember that people and businesses ARE still spending, so why shouldn’t they spend it with you and your business! be seen!

Some businesses are finding the current economic climate difficult; some choosing to batten down the hatches and brave out the storm, whilst the more entrepreneurial out there are using this as an opportunity to work smarter, and tap into markets they may not previously have been operating in.

Whatever the effect it is having on your business there is no doubt that by improving your companies online image (or in some cases creating a web presence full stop) you will improve your businesses chances of surviving the tricky times ahead.

More and more people we talk to are relying on the internet for new business, or to improve the chance of securing the next big contract over and above their next competitor.  It is no secret that pretty much everyone your company is doing business with, or wants to do business with, has some level of access to the internet and more and more people use it as a tool to seek out information and services.

In summary, dont miss out on the opportunity that the internet offers your business, and take the time to review your existing, or non-existing company website.

I have scored these options between 1 and 5, where 5 is the best in category:

Shared Web Hosting

Ideal for very light usage, non-business critical websites.

Many websites share the same web server application. This can be several thousand. Often the bandwidth is shared too, so your website’s performance is often affected by other website users.

• Reliability 1
• Speed 1
• Security 1

Virtual Private Server (VPS)

Ideal for customers that are looking to host several non-business critical light-usage websites.

Several logical servers share the same physical server through partitioning/virtualisation software. The most popular virtualisation software for hosting is Parallel’s Containers, which shares common library files amongst all VPS’s running on the same host. Faults with VPS’s can affect other VPS’s. (don’t believe all the hype!).

• Reliability 2
• Speed 2
• Security 2

Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS)

Ideal for customers looking to host several business-critical light-medium usage websites.

A more robust virtualisation technology than Containers, VMware and Xen are popular choices. This type of virtualisation software runs the entire VDS operating system in a virtual machine, completely seperate form other VDSs. The memory and hard disk footprint is therefore larger, often leading to higher pricing than VPSs.

• Reliability 3
• Speed 3
• Security 3

Dedicated Server

Ideal for heavy usage websites or for multiple light-midweight websites.

The operating system is installed directly on the server. Usually full root access is provided to the customer. This is generally the most reliable, fastest and most secure option for hosting. Consequently, it’s also the most expensive.

• Reliability 4
• Speed 4
• Security 4