Don’t Panic.A Hitchhiker’s Guide
to Web Hosting
@traftonesler
[ Link to Slides ]
1Friday, August 24, 12
Who names a kid Trafton?
Parents who knew they were going to have a nerd on their hands.
2Friday, August 24, 12
How long have you had a website?
What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen so far?
What do you want to do with WordPress?
Tell me your goals so I can tailor this talk to what you guys need.
So who are you people?
What awesome thing are you using
WordPress for?
3Friday, August 24, 12
Start with smart questions.
What do I really value?
Cost?Convenience?Security?Availability?
Write these down for yourself right now, and let that guide the talk as we move on.
4Friday, August 24, 12
What’s in the hosting universe?
•Shared•Dedicated Server•Virtual or Cloud•Application-Specific a.k.a. “Managed WordPress”
...and MASH-UPs like a Managed WordPress Host that employes VPS or Cloud Tech
5Friday, August 24, 12
Some things to consider:
Bad Neighborhoods (sharing IP addresses)Poor security can affect on-page contentPage-load TimeAvailability On-page content:
hidden links, replaced content, malware distribution
6Friday, August 24, 12
No one is out to get you.
LIKE SOMEONE RUNNING DOWN THE STREET FLAILING THEIR ARMS.
THEY WILL HIT YOU. BUT NOT WITH INTENTION
7Friday, August 24, 12
You might have noticed there are a lot of Viagra
Salesmen.
There are a lot of viagra salesman. Shared IPs - even a dedicate IP might not save you because what if an entire Class-C block is banned?
Your e-mail can get flagged because of spammers sharing the same home address
One way to help isolate some of the shared hosting problems is to get a dedicated IP hosting account. A dedicated IP hosting account can still be on a shared server, but you have your very own IP address.
8Friday, August 24, 12
Securing your site matters.
Hidden LinksReplaced Content
Malware DistributionRedirect Rules
9Friday, August 24, 12
Faster sites are more fun, right?
on some platforms, a neighboring site can affect yours
pagespeed.googlelabs.com
browsermob.com
wpspeedometer.com *
tools.pingdom.com/fpt
DIRECT AFFECT RANKING
AFFECT COSTS OF MANAGING
USER EXPERIENCE
10Friday, August 24, 12
Wasted Ad Spend
Risk of being De-Indexed
Trust/Reputationsiteuptime.comPingdom.comsite24x7.com
uptimerobot.com
11Friday, August 24, 12
Choosing a host is a personal decision.
Your website is your baby.
WHO DO YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABY WITH?
NO WRONG CHOICES
Unless the host doesn’t meet your need, at a price you can live with
BEWARE THOSE REVIEW SITES -- THEY GET PAID as affiliates.
12Friday, August 24, 12
Do you need a roommate? As anybody that’s recently bought a computer can attest, they aren’t cheap.
But if two friends share a Macbook Pro, you’ve already saved 50%
You may have to make some tradeoffs in Speed, Security, and Up-time
You’re definitely “on your own” in the sense
Lot’s of competition drives down prices
13Friday, August 24, 12
...Shared Hosting generally means:
Multiple sites per serverQuota-driven ResourcesShared IP AddressFast Set-UpMany customers per support rep
Shared IP = same home address
Great for pet projects,low-cost experimentsSites with low revenue potentialSites with lower requirements for up-time and security
CONS:
- neighbor site can affect you- if a customer violates agreements, it can tax the server
14Friday, August 24, 12
Dedicated Servers
Often responsible for our own configuration, security, and maintenance
PRO: CUSTOM SCRIPTS
AN ACTUAL “DEDICATED” AMOUNT OF RESOURCES,
PHYSICAL OR VIRTUAL.
physical = FASTER
•Fast*•Safe from bad neighbors•Optimize the OS and software•High Security (physical separation)
15Friday, August 24, 12
Virtual or Cloud Hosting
•Flexible for scaling•Pay-for-use in some cases•Use different platforms on the same server
VIRTUALIZATION
16Friday, August 24, 12
Just for WP: Managed WordPress Hosting
More every day -- look for evidence of thought leadership in their blogs.
•No need for in-house Sys Admin•Host optimizes the platform for you•Easy scaling•“Been There” Experience
17Friday, August 24, 12
Managed vs “Un-Managed”
FIRST OFF -- WHAT ARE YOU “MANAGING”?
Racks of HardwareLow-level softwareor the entire stack all the way up to WordPress
18Friday, August 24, 12
Why is managed hosting so expensive?
IT’S NOT JUST HARDWARE -- IT’S SERVICE!!
SUPPORT THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS
GREAT SERVICE REQUIRES REAL PEOPLE.
19Friday, August 24, 12
[ insert closing brilliance here ]
20Friday, August 24, 12
Special Thanks to:
www.marketingclique.com
@vidluther -- of ZippyKid.com
21Friday, August 24, 12
Trafton Esler
@traftonesler
http://www.traftonesler.com/hosting-talk
22Friday, August 24, 12
