SSL stands for secure sockets layer, and is the standard means of exchanging encrypted data across the Internet. The most common use of SSL is for securing credit card data. If you’ve ever bought something on the Internet and used a credit card to pay for it, then you were using SSL to complete the transaction. When SSL is being used, the address in the browser will change from “http:” to “https:” Additionally many browsers use some sort of icon to indicate that the site is secure, for example a closed padlock in Netscape.

SSL works by the use of encryption keys. When a browser requests a secure connection, it will send a list of supported ciphers. The server will choose the strongest cipher available, and return this to the browser. The server will then send a digital certificate. This certificate contains the name of the server, the name of the certificate authority and a public encryption key. The browser will then generate a random number with the public encryption key, and return this to the server. The server will decode this using its private key – since the server is the only one with this private key; this is what ensures the security of the transaction. The server and browser can then establish a secure connection, and private information can then be exchanged.

Luckily, all of this is totally transparent to anyone wishing to make a purchase on the Internet. All modern browsers support SSL transaction, and all the user has to do is input the information being requested by the web site he is visiting.

The question of whether you need SSL capabilities on your web site will depend on the type of site you are planning. For a personal web page, or a small site for a club then you will probably not need to offer this. However, if you are planning an ecommerce site then you must have some means of securing your customers’ data.

In order to offer SSL transactions you will need to offer a digital certificate. Some web hosting companies will have their own digital certificates available for you to use if you prefer. However, this is not recommended as it can cause some problems with authentication. To obtain a digital certificate of your own you will need to get this from a certificate company. There are several to choose from – Verisign, Tucows and GoDaddy amongst others. Prices vary from one to another but you will probably pay no more than $100/year for this, depending on which company you choose.

The other requirement for offering SSL transactions is that you will need to have a static IP address for your web site. Many of the web hosting plans that are available only offer variable IP addresses – this means that your site is sharing its IP address with many other sites. Unfortunately in order to offer SSL functionality on your site you will need a static IP address. If your choice of web host can’t supply this then you will need to look for one that can. Expect to pay a premium over the regular monthly fees in order to get a static IP address.

One of the choices to be made when selecting a web hosting company will be whether the hosting companies’ servers run on the Windows or Unix/Linux operating systems. There are several factors involved in this choice - the type of site you will be running, how it was developed, any database used, and what, if any, extra features you need to use.

The first thing to say is that the type of computer you are using at home or in the office, whether it be a Windows-based PC, a Mac or a Linux-based computer, has no bearing on the choice you make. All of the above operating systems will allow you to upload files using an FTP program and to access the control panel that is used for basic site maintenance, such as setting up email boxes, or for accessing the various reports that are available on such things as bandwidth usage and number of visitors to the site.

For a simple HTML-based web site it will not matter which server operating system is chosen. Both Windows-based and Unix/Linux-based servers will give identical results for the end user. However, if you are planning to have any interactive content on your site then you will need to choose which way to go.

Interactive content relies on certain features being available on the server – called server-side programs. The most common ones are ASP, PHP and Perl. These are programming languages which allow the visitor to the web site to interact with the site, for example by entering a user name and password to enter a private area. Unix/Linux-base servers offer PHP and Perl, whereas ASP runs on Windows-based servers. It is possible to run PHP on a Windows-based server, or vice versa, but the results may not be what you expect. For the most compatibility it is best to use the operating system for which the language was designed.

The platform on which the web site was developed may play a part in the decision of which server type to use. If you have used a Microsoft program to develop your web site then you may feel more comfortable in choosing a host which offers Windows-based servers. Nowadays though nearly all Unix/Linux-based servers offer server extensions allowing them to host sites developed using Microsoft FrontPage, which was not always the case in the past. Also, if you are using scripts for interactive content, then you may find that testing and debugging them will be easier on a computer using the same operating system as the server.

The other factor that will affect your choice of server operating system is whether you are planning to use databases within your site. Windows-based servers use Access and Microsoft SQL for databases, whereas Unix/Linux-based servers use MySQL. Although MySQL will run on a Windows operating system, or indeed Access will run on Unix/Linux operating systems, the implementation of this is not 100%, and you may find you start to have problems. To get the most out of either program you should try to run it on its native operating system.

These are the most important factors to consider although there are some more minor points to make. There is a school of thought that believes that Unix/Linux-servers are faster, more reliable and more secure; however in actual everyday use any differences are marginal, at best. Any good reputable web hosting company will strive for the best performance on all of its servers. Also, since Linux is open-source software, whereas as Windows has to be licensed, the Linux option may be more economical. As I said, though, these are minor points, and should not affect your final choice – how you intend to use your site should be the key to making your choice.

A control panel allows the web site owner to administer a web site. There are many different control panels available, among the more common are cPanel, xPanel, vDeck and Plesk. All use a graphical user interface, which makes administration simple, even for inexperienced users. The control panel is accessed through the users’ web browser of choice. The various forms of control panels that are available differ in some ways, but all will allow the web site host to perform the basic tasks needed to set up and administer the web site.

During set-up, a control panel will help the host in establishing the various email accounts that are needed and setting up any FTP accounts that may be needed. When setting up email you will often be given the chance to set up any auto-responders or email forwarding that you may require. If the site will be using any server-side scripting, such as PHP or Perl, then this too can be done at this time using the control panel.

For on-going administration of the web site, the control panel will allow the host to do many things. Most control panels will show details of disk space and bandwidth used; allowing the host to ensure the site is not exceeding the limits of the web hosting plan currently used. There will also be access to statistics that show the number of visitors to the site, the pages they visited, and the time they spent on the site. This helps to identify which parts of the site are more popular, allowing the host to modify any pages if desired. The host will also be able to see how the visitor came to the site, making it easier to target any search engine optimization that may be needed. Any errors encountered by the visitor will also be logged, enabling the host to fix any broken links that may exist.

Other tasks that the control panel may offer are database management, the ability to create or manage sub-domains, to set-up redirections for URLs, or to set different levels of security for different parts of the site. One important task that the control panel should allow is the ability to back-up the site.

If the web site is going to be on a shared server, then the web host will have to use the control panel that the hosting company uses. If the particular control panel supplied does not suit the user, then the only option really is to change to a different hosting company. Those users who are intending to run a dedicated server, or a co-located server will be able to choose the control panel that suits their needs best. It would be advisable, if unfamiliar with the many different choices available, for the user to take the time to research what is available to see with which they would feel most comfortable.