what is web hosting?

Web hosting is a monthly fee that you pay to have your site accessible on the Internet. We can provide web hosting for our clients.

Can I choose you to design my site and use my own web hosting?

Yes, you can use any web host you like. Once your website has been completed you will have to provide us with your web hosting ftp login username as password so that we can upload your website for you.

What is the difference between UNIX hosting and Windows hosting?

Depending on which operating system to go with depends on your needs.If you need to support Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice. There are some things to remember.

First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a UNIX server. Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Just because it's free does not mean it's not as good - Linux is an excellent product too.

What exactly is space and bandwidth/data transfer?

Diskspace is the size your website can be. Every single letter on your website has to be stored somewhere on your web host's server. Each letter is one byte, and a megabyte is roughly one million bytes. HTML pages are usually very small, but it is the extra images, scripts, and even databases that can take up large amounts of disk space.

Bandwidth/Transfer is the amount of data the server will allow your site to send in a month. Transfer is usually measured in gigabytes - billions of bytes. Once you go over your monthly limit, a host may either shut your site down for the remainder of the month or it can charge you 'overage.' This overcharge is usually about $2.00-$5.00 per extra gigabyte of transfer.

How do I upload my site online?

Uploading your site can be done in many ways, but the most popular is FTP. When your hosting account was created, you should have been provided with an FTP account. Using software such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP, you can log into your host.

Then, using the program like a normal windows program, you can drag and drop files onto your web host. These files become live online instantaneously. There are other ways to upload your site such as using SSH or uploading files through your browser.

What is uptime?

Uptime is literally what it means - it is the amount of time your site is online throughout the entire month. The best uptime would be 100%, but because things can break, many hosts offer 99.9% uptime guarantees. This means that if your site is not accessible for more than 43 minutes in a single month, they will reimburse you, depending on their terms of service.

I have a fast internet connection (DSL/cable) - can I just host my own site?

You could, but that's definitely not recommended. First of all, most ISPs have clauses that do not let you use your internet connection for web hosting - doing so will result in termination of your account.
Second of all, think of the headaches it can provide: making sure your system is secure so that no one can hack into it, having your computer on 24/7, and other such problems.  Third of all, think of the performance. Most good web hosts use powerful servers with lots of RAM and high performance hard disks. Furthermore, they have multiple internet connections at speeds far higher than what residential DSL or cable service can provide. Lastly there are all the issues of support. If something goes wrong, it will be your job to fix it - you will not have a professional to correct the problem.

I am using too much bandwidth! Is there anyway for me to make it less?

In most cases, yes.  You should first try to optimize the graphics on your website. Many GIFs look just as good with fewer colors, and many JPEGs look just as good with a higher compression level.

You should also analyze the HTML of your site. Make sure you use relative paths, so that images are not downloaded more than one time. Remove any extra spacing and when linking to other pages, use relative paths and not absolute links. While many hosts already have it, you could also see if your host has mod_gzip installed. This can save you a lot of bandwidth. Best of all, optimizing your page like this makes the user experience better as your site will load faster for them!

What is Virtual Hosting?

Also known as shared hosting, this form of web hosting should suffice for most everyone.
Virtual hosting simple refers to the fact that your site is on one server, and that this server hosts mulitple sites. You are virtually shared - your site will not be the only one on this specific server.

Very few sites would actually need the power of a dedicated server, so this option provides to be a reliable and cheap solution.

Where are your web servers located?

Our state-of-the-art web servers are in various multi-million dollar data centers in UAE  that have premium connectivity to the Internet. This ensures some of the highest uptime possible for your web sites and mail communication systems.

I am currently hosted with another firm and would like to switch over to onyxar Web Hosting. How do I do this?

Just call and inform us and we will take care of everything. We will transfer your domain name along with all of your existing web sites content.

What is Web Design?

Web design is the skill of creating presentations of content (usually hypertext or hypermedia) that is delivered to an end-user through the World Wide Web, using a Web browser or other Web-enabled software .

The intent of web design is to create a website, a collection of electronic documents and applications that reside on a Web server. The website may include text, images, sounds and other content, and may be interactive.

How much does a web site cost?

There are quite a few factors that are going to affect the ultimate cost of your web site. These factors include how many pages you are going to have, if you will sell products on your website, the graphic work involved, and how interactive your future web site will be.

You will also need web hosting and domain name registration.

I've made my decision - I want you to design my web site. Now what do I do?

If you have decided you want a web site or have any questions, simply fill out our to start the process. Or directly give us a call we will send a marketing person to collect the details and suggest the  type of website for your business.

Web Site Content - What Do I Put On My Site ? Did onyxar provide Content for my website ?

That would depend on the goals of your web site. If you run a business website you would include as much information about your products or services that your customers would need to purchase from you. And onyxar never gives you the content for your website unless you paid extra for that.

How long does it take to have a web site designed?

The time frame is determined by the size of your web site, the complexity of your site design, and our current client design schedule.

What is the difference between a “static” and a “dynamic” site?

A static site is one that is written in HTML only. Each page is a separate document and there is no database that it draws on. What this means functionally is that the only way to edit the site is to go into each page and edit the HTML - so you'd either have to do it yourself using a webpage editor like FrontPage or pay me to go in and edit the site each time you wanted something changed.

A dynamic site is written using more complex code and can do a lot more. For instance, I can make an area where you can log in and change various parts of the site, such as adding information or products. This is because each page is constructed based on the information in a database, and the information in that database can be changed via another interface.

I have heard that my website can be a place to help my employees do their jobs, is this true?

While most businesses view the Internet as an opportunity to expand their sales through traditional e-commerce, few people are aware of the opportunities of increasing efficiency and reducing expenses. Placing business processes, especially those done daily, on the internet is possible for all types of businesses.

I want to establish a strong presence on the Web. But where do I start?

The four easy steps we provide below will guide you in the direction of a professionally designed, developed and marketed Web site.

Step One: Domain Name (URL) Registration -- This is the address people will use to access your Web site (www.yourcompany.com). Once you have determined that the URL you wish to use is available.

Step Two: Design of the Web Site -- This is where the look, feel, and content of the Web site are determined and created.

Step Three: Hosting Your Web Site on a Web Server -- This is basically where you rent space on a computer that is always connected to the Internet. Price will vary, depending on the amount of disk space you will have and the connection to the Internet.

Step Four: Marketing Your Web Site -- You should be thinking about the marketing of your Web site as it is being designed. The content of the site needs to reflex the search terms if you want your site to appear on search engines.

How do I update my website?

There are many different methods which can be used to update websites. The method you choose and the functionality we build into your website design is solely up to yourself although of course we will be glad to advise you which method will suit your needs.

If you have a small website consisting of just a few pages and will only wish to make changes very infrequently, then usually it is more cost effective simply to ask GCW to carry out these changes for you. Other methods which are frequently chosen are largely dependent upon how much data or information and pictures you have and how you store this information at present.

We can provide an on line content management system where you can either update individual products/pages/services or particular sections of your website. e.g. company news.

Alternatively we can provide functionality such that you can upload your entire product ranges to the website in one action using spreadsheets etc. We can also add databases if you wish.

How many pages can I have on my web site?

As many as you like. From a search engines point a view - The more the better!

What are the things that you expect from my company to complete the web site design?

Brochures, logos, photographs, product descriptions, business cards etc. are all recommended resources to use. For new businesses we will help you get started from scratch. A dedicated person will answer any questions during your website project.

Is there any maintenance required after designing and hosting a web site?

Depending on the business, some amount of maintenance would be required. As your business evolves, it may require some things to be added, deleted, or modified. If there is no much change in the business from time to time, the maintenance will also be minimal.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a web site or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Other forms of search engine marketing (SEM) target paid listings. In general, the earlier (or higher on the page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.

SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence.

Why can't I find my web site in the search engines?

Once your site has been submitted to the top Search Engines they may require several weeks, or even months to actually spider and list your web site in their directory. How fast your site is listed depends on each individual Search Engines database update schedule.

Watch your server traffic logs for visiting spiders. We suggest you to perform Guaranteed Search Engine Optimization from onyxar so that we will make the website in a top position in the search engines.

How do I get my website listed on search engines, especially Google?

Modern search engines like to find your site naturally, through links to your site from other sites. Google especially relies on your incoming links to determine your popularity and relevance.

How do I get more traffic from search engines?

Search engine positioning is a long-term strategy, and there are no quick-fix solutions in this area. To be really effective with search engine marketing, your site needs to be focused around the right keywords and keyword phrases. If you want to boost your traffic quickly, I would suggest checking out Google AdWords or other paid advertisement options.

What good is having a web site if it is not being seen?

90% of Internet buyers are turning to search engines to find the products they want. Google alone conducts over 150 million searches a day. In fact, recent studies show that purchasers are about 12 times more likely to buy your products or services after finding your site through a search engine than all other traditional advertising methods combined (including trade shows, print ads, direct mail, radio, and even television)... at a fraction of the cost!

Why? Simply put, when a consumer finds you through a search engine they are ready to buy. With traditional forms of media, you are broadcasting a message hoping to reach the right consumer at the right time. As searchers generally only explore the first two pages in the search results, achieving high rankings on the search engines will make an enormous difference in the amount of visitor traffic your site receives.

How long does it take for SEO results to kick in?

The amount of time required to see results of search engine optimisation work range anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months. This is dependent on how often search engines update their index and subsequently re-rank sites. The Google Dance for example is almost a spectator sport among the SEO community.

Why might I need to have extra elements added to my website?

A search engine spider is an automated program that electronically probes every URL submitted to its database. As the spider is a computer program, it is designed to look for and rank very specific items on each page it probes. If those elements are present, the spider computes a higher ranking than it would if those elements were not present. Our SEO website audit is designed to identify any spidering issues in websites and correct them.

What should I look for when choosing a SEO consultant?

The ideal Search Engine Marketing Consultant is one that understands the dynamics of marketing, business, and technology - and employs the highest levels of integrity in their work. There are a number of unethical practices or shortcuts that can be used in search engine optimisation, but the search engines are wise to them and if you're caught you will be penalised or even removed from the search results entirely.

You should choose a company that doesn't promote these practices to achieve short-term results for its clients. You should also expect to benefit from the research expertise, customised approached, management expertise, and on-going consultative process from a SEO firm.

What's the right time for me to start a search engine marketing campaign and how long will it last?

No time like the present! We usually establish 12-month campaigns. There is an enormous amount of education, research, analysis, technical programming, and testing performed in the first 3 months in particular.

How often will I receive search engine ranking reports?

We send out search engine ranking reports monthly to our clients.

How does the Search Engine find websites?

There are two ways a search engine can find a website to add to its database. The first and most direct method is to accept submissions from website designers and optimisers. Most search engines have a "submit your URL" section inviting submissions from Internet users.

The second, and least obvious method of finding websites is to send a "spider" to follow each and every link on, off, and through a website. New URLs encountered by the spider will be added to the database. In this way, some search engines will grow very rapidly.

What is Ecommerce?

Electronic commerce or ecommerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction, that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. It covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge.

Ecommerce allows consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance. Electronic commerce has expanded rapidly over the past five years and is predicted to continue at this rate, or even accelerate. In the near future the boundaries between "conventional" and "electronic" commerce will become increasingly blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations onto the Internet.

What is Online Payment Processing?

When a customer purchases products from your site with a credit card, you or your site software will request approval that the card is valid and that sufficient funds are available in the customers account for the purchase. On approval, the bank will reply with an authorization number and the order will be officially "captured". In the next step, the merchandise or service is sent to the customer and the Merchant informs the bank where the Merchant Account is held. The bank then deposits funds into the Merchant Account as the customers account is debited the cost of the products. The bank of your Merchant Account will remove the necessary service fees and complete the transaction.

Offline processing entails some labor on the part of the Merchant, but is easiest to adapt an existing business. In this case, a businesses current credit card processor will suffice.

Real-time processing requires little or no intervention by the Merchant, and is ideal for businesses in need of processing hundreds of orders per month. Credit Card numbers are received through the Internet and cleared by CyberCash online processing.

What is a Merchant Account?

All merchants of all sizes and types of business must open a Merchant Account in order to receive credit card orders and clear the transactions. The Merchant Account acts as the deposit location for the customers money. The bank that you choose to house your Merchant Account will take a small percentage of the sale as a service fee. This fee is extracted at the point of each sale.

What are the benefits of E-Commerce?

Seller benefits:

• Overhead cost of an Ecommerce web site is generally much less than the cost of a physical storefront
• You have the ability to reach customers all over the world rather than being limited to a certain geographical location.

Customer benefits:

• Order your products without leaving their home
• Security knowing every transaction is secure.
• Purchases will be delivered directly to their door.
• Search and find what they are looking for instantly.
• Viewing any or all of your product specifications and photographs
• Choosing from a variety of options such as size and color
• Checking how much they have "spent" before committing to a purchase
• Contact you for customer service

Is an eCommerce website appropriate if my business is small?

Absolutely - one of the key benefits is that an eCommerce website gives you access to new markets and customers with only a small investment. It's an excellent way for businesses to grow without having to employ sales staff or negotiate distribution deals.

How long does it take to build an eCommerce Website?

That depends on how complicated the site will be. It's possible to have one up and running in two to three weeks.

How do I collect orders on my web site?

The most common methods are using a simple online order form, or a shopping cart system with an order form.  Once your customer completes your online order form the order can be delivered to you via email, saved to a text file or saved to a database file on your web site for you to retrieve.  Upon receipt of your customer's order you can submit their credit card and payment information to your merchant account provider and deliver your product or service.

What is a payment-processing gateway?

PPG is basically a system of financial transaction on the Internet. It involves the merchant's acquiring bank (the owner of the shopping mall), the customer (who is using his credit card), and the payment gateway infra structure provider.

As soon as the customer punches his credit card details on the secured page of the merchant's virtual shopping mall , it is authenticated by the issuing bank and then accepted by the acquiring bank. Now the customer is entitled for the delivery of the selected item. Once the proof of delivery is presented to the acquiring bank the amount is transferred into the merchant's account.

What is a CMS?

A content management system, or CMS, is a web application designed to make it easy for non-technical users to add, edit and manage a website.

How does CMS work?
CMS runs on your local computer, continuously monitoring a special email account you set up for your content authors. When an email message comes in, CMS splits out any imbedded image files and converts the email message to properly formatted HTML and XML. Then depending upon your settings it FTP's (or copies) these new content files to your server updating your web page. You can even configure CMS to update a portion of a page.

If I choose a CMS System or Content Management System - can I be sure that my webpages are "Search Engine Friendly"?

Yes with the joomla CMS Systems all web pages created are Search Engine Friendly - you can even add your own search engine meta tags to each individual web page if desired. THe CMS tools are easy to use - effective and intuitive.

How do I update my website?

There are many different methods which can be used to update websites. The method you choose and the functionality we build into your website design is solely up to yourself although of course we will be glad to advise you which method will suit your needs.

If you have a small website consisting of just a few pages and will only wish to make changes very infrequently, then usually it is more cost effective simply to ask onyxar to carry out these changes for you. Other methods which are frequently chosen are largely dependent upon how much data or information and pictures you have and how you store this information at present.

We can provide an on line content management system where you can either update individual products/pages/services or particular sections of your website. e.g. company news.

When can I update my website content?

If the website we have designed for you includes a Content Management System then you can access your administration areas from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and make updates instantly as frequently as you wish.

If your website is a smaller website and was designed without using this type of system and you don't have any html. Skills, then we can update the website for you. Our charges are very reasonable..

Is there any training provided with the Content Management System - CMS?

The Content Management Systems really are very easy to use and do have explanatory notes included where necessary. We run through the administration screens with you when we design the site for you - however if at any time you have any questions we are available at the end of the telephone to run through the procedures or answer any queries you may have

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a specific web site address that you choose and register with Network Solutions (the official registrar of domain names ending in .com, .edu, and .gov). Our domain name is "onyxar.com".

What is a URL?

It stands for "universal resource locator". This is the address typed in to view your web page on the Internet. For example, you would type in http://www.onyxar.ae to access our home page.

What domain name should I choose?

This depends on how you are going to use it. If you are going to be telling people over the phone, choose one that is easy to say and spell out loud. Above all, I would choose one that is memorable and not confusing.

Can anyone register a domain name in any country?

No. Many domains in various countries and territories around the world have very specific requirements and restrictions defining who is able to register a domain name in their jurisdiction or zone.

Can I register a domain name through Onyxar?

Yes absolutely! Domain registration is an important service we offer. Take a look at our Domain Registration page where you can search for available names and register them. You don't have to purchase other website design or web hosting services from us to use this service - although we hope that you will want to use us for all your web services

Do I need a domain name to have a website?

While a domain name is not necessary to have a website, it is recommended. Whether you are creating a family website or a business website, having a domain name allows your site to be more easily found and remembered.

I don't have a website yet, why should I register a domain now?

Domain names are going at the rate of more than 200,000 a month. Registering your domain name now ensures your ownership of the domain name that may not otherwise be available when you want it. Once registered, that domain name is yours (provided that the registration and renewal fees are paid each year).

You can hold onto it, use it, sell it or lease it. DomainIt will store your domain name on our servers free of charge until you are ready to do something with it.

Can I sell my domain name that I registered?

Yes, once you register the domain name, it is yours to sell or do what you want with, provided all the required fees are paid and it's not in breach of any law.

What domain name should I choose?

This depends on how you are going to use it. If you are going to be telling people over the phone, choose one that is easy to say and spell out loud. Above all, I would choose one that is memorable and not confusing.

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