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General Questions | Domains Names | Hosting
Packages
General Questions:
Domain Names:
Hosting Packages:
How will having
a web site enhance my marketing capability?
Having your own personalized web site will greatly enhance
your marketing capability in a number of ways. First, it will enable
you to provide a state-of-the-art online image which is easy to
access for any prospective client to see at any time.
Second, you will be able to put your domain name (www.yourname.com)
on every form of advertisement you use (your business cards, company
signs, letterhead, etc.) which will allow anyone to access your
web site 24 hours a day. Finally, it will display an additional
aspect of professionalism for all prospective clients to see.
Can I access both www.mydomain.com
and mydomain.com?
Yes, both web URL's will always display in all web browsers
when anyone accesses your web site.
How
fast will my changes to the web site take effect?
Changes you make will update instantly on your site.
Will I completely
own my domain name?
Yes, you completely own your domain name. Our domain services
all you to complete the registration process and specify all contact
details and records.
If I cancel my account, can
I take my content with me?
Unfortunately, since our custom web site builder is proprietary
and runs specifically on our servers, the content must remain with
us on these systems and is unavailable to transfer.
If you had a web designer create it, you will need to contact this
person and they should be able to provide the content to you.
Can I setup additional e-mail
accounts for my friends and family?
Yes, you can easily create e-mail
accounts (POP3) with your web site. You can also setup e-mail
aliases. If you need "webmaster", "sales" and
"info" for your domain to forward to only one account,
this can easily be configured using your browser based control panel.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) is the most recent version of a standard
protocol for receiving e-mail. POP3 is a client/server protocol
in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server.
Periodically, you (or your client e-mail receiver) check your mail-box
on the server and download any mail. POP3 is built into Outlook
Express and Eudora. It's also built into the Netscape and Microsoft
Internet Explorer browsers.
How do I make changes to my
web site?
If you do not want to use our site builder software, then
you will need a HTML editing software (WYSIWYG program) or a basic
text editor (if you know HTML already). One of the most popular
HTML editing programs is Macromedia
Dreamweaver. Most will have a download option that you can
use to try the program before you commit to any one in particular.
Or, you can try your hand at HTML, using the word processing program
that came with your computer, such as WordPad or TextPad.
When do you charge my credit
card for my monthly fees?
Monthly payments are processed on the first of every month.
How am I Billed?
AimTraffic invoices you via e-mail. All billing invoices
will be sent by e-mail 10 days prior to the first of the month.
The invoice will be sent to the contact e-mail address you have
on file with us. Please be sure to update this e-mail address whenever
needed to avoid any late fees.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Bank Wire
Transfers, Company Checks, Personal Checks, Money Orders, Electronic
Checks, and Cash. You can opt to have your credit card charged every
month, using our free AutoPay
service.
Can I pay by
check?
Yes. You can use our checking account payment form when
you order your account.
Do you offer
an annual payment plan?
Yes, all accounts are offered in monthly or annual payment
plans.
Do I get web
site statistics with my account?
Yes, all accounts come with web site statistics using the
Analog log analysis program.
Can I register
my domain name for longer than 1 year?
Yes, you can register domain names for up to 10 years. When
you proceed with our registration page, you can choose the length
of registration.
What is web hosting?
You spent hours, upon hours, creating the perfect site.
What's next? The main purpose of this section is to give you an
understanding of how web hosting works, the different types and
options available. This tutorial will try to explain the different
hosting types, options and a give a couple recommendations.
Short Internet History
I want to spend a little time on the history of the Internet, since
this is the question I am most frequently asked. Many people argue
exactly what year the Internet was started. On September 2, 1969,
Professor Leonard Kleinrock installed the first Interface Messaging
Processor (Imp) in his lab at UCLA (which makes the Internet 30
years old!). Then the Internet was know as the ARPAnet (Advanced
Research Projects Agency Network). It was designed to link university
computers together to create one large system. In 1983, The ARPAnet's
protocols were replaced by TCP/IP. TCP/IP is still the current protocol
for the Internet. Next came the invention of the World Wide Web
(WWW) in 1991. Many people believe the Internet and the World Wide
Web are the same, they are not. The Internet is all the computers,
routers, switches, cabling that are interconnect to one another.
The WWW is a facility of the Internet. The WWW consists of all the
web sites and pages that are linked to other web pages around the
world.
How the Domain Names Actually Work
Before we talk about registering a domain name, let talk about how
domain names work. An example of a unique domain name would be microsoft.com.
When you register a domain name , it is added to a large database
of domain names. In this database, your domain name, contact information,
hosting providers name server information, etc. are stored. When
a visitor enters your domain name in a browser, it is referenced
in this database and then directed to your hosting providers domain
name servers (DNS). The DNS server then direct your request to the
computer that contains your site.
It's like calling the operator for a phone number (This would represent
the large domain name database). The operator connects you to the
phone number (which represents the DNS server) and then you are
transferred to the support department's extension (which represents
your web site).
To Be or Not to Be
The first step, is to determine whether you want a unique domain
name for your site. I recommend that all business sites have a unique
domain name. This gives your site a professional look, at a small
expense. When choosing a domain name, you want the domain name to
reflect your site. Before you register your domain name, come up
with several variations to your original name. Most likely, the
domain you want is taken.
A domain name may contain letters, numbers and the dash (-) symbol.
Popular domain names, in the US, end in either .com, .net, .org,
.info, or .biz. Here is a chart to determine which suffix is right
for your site:
Domain Suffixes
.com
This is the general commercial site. If your site does not fall
into any of the categories below, .com is for you
Net
This suffix usually is reserved for network/Internet service providers,
but there is not set policy on this.
.org
This suffix is for Organizations, e.g. The Red Cross, Nonprofit
Organizations, etc.
info
This suffix is for informational sites.
Biz
This suffix is for businesses. If you are selling products/services,
stick with the .com extension.
You will need a hosting company's DNS server's address and name
to register your new domain name. There are a couple of ways to
register a domain name.
- Talk to a couple potential hosting providers and ask for permission
to use their DNS servers (see below).
- You can also wait until you have a hosting provider, but I do
not recommend this. The domain you want may already be registered
and if not, it will be taken soon!
- Register your domain name with companies like Register.com.
You do not need a hosting provider, or DNS server Information,
to register with them.
- If you choose option 1 or 2 from above, head to the Network
Solutions, Inc. The current cost of registration is $70.00 for
the first 2 years and $35.00 each additional year. Once you register
your domain name, it should be updated to the database in about
24-48hrs.
Why must I talk to a hosting company before I register my domain
name?
It is out of common courtesy. When you type www.yoursite.com in
your browser, a query is made the domain name database (operator),
then the hosting providers DNS server (phone number). If you were
to use a company's DNS servers, without their knowledge, the could
be unprepared for the increase in Internet traffic and their network
would get bogged down with requests. Just imagine if every one started
calling your phone number, you may miss an important call!
Do you offer
web based e-mail?
Yes, all accounts receive the "Squirrel
Mail" web based e-mail program.
Can I use my
own e-mail client (Outlook Express, Eudora)?
Yes, since your e-mail accounts are POP3, you can use all
types of e-mail clients to send/receive messages. You also have
the choice to use our web based e-mail (Squirrel
Mail), as well.
Do you offer
an automatic payment option?
Yes, you can choose the free AutoPay
option when you order your account. Paying your recurring bill has
never been easier. With AimTraffic's AutoPay
(automatic bill payment) service, the amount of your bill is automatically
charged to your credit card on the payment due date. This free service
eliminates check writing, postage, and late fees.
How soon will
my account be ready?
We will setup your new account within 24 hours of receiving
your order.
Is my payment
refundable?
We encourage you to review our services and hosting packages
thoroughly before placing an order. For further details, please
review our Terms
of Service.
I already have
my own domain name, can I still use your service?
Yes, if you already have your own domain name, you can still
use our services. The only thing you will need to do is change your
nameservers with your current domain registrar (Network Solutions,
Dotster, Register.com, etc). You will need to update these to:
NS1.FASTDNS.NET
NS2.FASTDNS.NET
You can make these changes here:
Network Solutions:
https://www.netsol.com/en_US/manage-it/index.jhtml
Dotster:
http:/www.dotster.com
Register.com:
http://mydomain.register.com/index.cgi?1|3421637861|
Do you offer
technical support?
Yes, we offer 24/7 technical support
via e-mail. We guarantee a 24 hour response time for all technical
support related inquiries.
What is FTP
and how do I use it?
FTP stands for "file transfer protocol" and it is a method
of transferring files between two computers. FTP allows you to get
access to files stored in the disk directory of a remote computer
that is connected to the Internet. Sometimes we forget that the
Internet, when you strip away all the hype, is really still just
a large network of computers. One of the primary purposes of a network
is to allow different computers on the network to share resources,
including files.
At least some form of FTP is available to anyone who has access
to the Internet. FTP is an information "service" available
to any Internet user, just like the web and e-mail. FTP, like many
other services, is independent of the software you use to access
it. For example you can use a browser or other programs, like the
Windows 95 FTP client, WS_FTP LE, or Fetch for the Mac to access
Internet files using FTP.
FTP: Uploading and Downloading
Simply put, FTP allows you to enter a directory on a computer
connected to the Internet and transfer a file to or from that directory
to a directory on another computer. Normally, you will be transferring
the file to or from a large, multi-user computer and your own computer.
Files can be transferred in either direction. "Downloading,"
refers to a transfer of a file from a remote computer to your computer.
"Uploading" refers to a transfer of a file from your computer
to a remote computer.
In order to upload or download a file by FTP, you need to do four
things:
- Login into a remote computer which is configured as an FTP server.
- Submit a username and a password to gain access to the server.
- Change to the particular directory you need to access.
- Transfer the file to or from the system in question.
What is an e-mail client?
An e-mail client is an application that will manage your
online electronic mail. There are many different clients (applications)
that are available, such as Outlook, Eudora, and Netscape. Just
like FTP, e-mail is independent of the software you use to access
it.
To send e-mail, you must have a valid e-mail address to send to.
An e-mail address consists of a username, as well as a domain name
that user is located at. For example, if "Joe" has an
account with Earthlink, his e-mail would be "joe@earthlink.net."
E-mail addresses are always in the format of "User"@"domain".
Domains always end with a ".com", ".org", or
another ".something."
In addition to a valid e-mail address, your e-mail must also have
a subject, as well as some content (the actual message). When you
compose an e-mail, your e-mail client will ask you for this information.
The subject is simply a brief description of what your message is
about. This helps the recipient better sort and manage their incoming
mail. The content is whatever you want to communicate. This you
would write just like a letter that you would send through the regular
postal service.
Once you have set up you e-mail client, you can check for new e-mail.
When you check for mail, you e-mail client connects to you mail
server and downloads any new messages. If you had any messages waiting
to send, you e-mail client will send these as well. This downloading
and sending are the most important parts of any e-mail client. Beyond
this, an e-mail client can help you to organize you e-mail, address
book, and other methods of communication. These "extras"
are what makes one mail client better then another.
What are name servers
and how do I change them?
The Internet is simply a huge network of computers. Each computer
on a network must have an address. This is a lot like the address
of your home or business. When you type in a domain name like yahoo.com,
your computer will connect to a Name Server to find out what the
numerical address of yahoo.com is. Internet addresses look like
4 groups of numbers, separated by 3 periods.
There are thousands of different name servers on the Internet.
Depending on who you registered your domain with, or where your
web site is hosted, your domain could be on any one of these servers.
To find out what server your domain is on, you can visit:
http://www.kanren.net/network/nslookup.html
Type in your domain, and then select "MX" from the pull
down menu. Once you submit this, you will get a response with both
name servers your domain is on. To put your domain on different
name servers, you will need to contact the registrar of you domain,
and supply then with your new name server addresses.
If your domain is on one of AimTraffic's name servers, you can
click here to make those changes.
Click the "login" link and you will be able to manage
your domain.
How do I create my web
site?
If you do not want to use our site builder software, then
you will need a HTML editing software (WYSIWYG program) or a basic
text editor (if you know HTML already). One of the most popular
HTML editing programs is Macromedia
Dreamweaver. Most will have a download option that you can
use to try the program before you commit to any one in particular.
Or, you can try your hand at HTML, using the word processing program
that came with your computer, such as WordPad or TextPad.
I want to sell products, do you
have e-commerce?
Our Merchant package
uses Miva Merchant (version 4.12) shopping cart. Miva Merchant is
a dynamic browser based storefront development and management system
that allows merchants to create and administrate multiple online
stores from anywhere in the world. Miva Merchant has a complete
set of wizards to simplify the process of building your store. The
browser based administration interface provides access to an array
of more sophisticated tools to maintain your catalog. Upsell merchandising
and order fulfillment are included. And Miva's modular architecture
enables you with deep-down customization for your storefront.
What is credit card
processing and do I need it?
In order for you to sell products effectively online, you
must find a reliable credit card processing company that will process
your payments.
 There
are a lot of companies offering third party billing services, credit
card processing, merchant services, credit card processing software
and other card services. However, it is advisable that you find
the one that will process the credit card transactions of your customers
in real time. Real time credit card processing is crucial for streamlining
your business.
A payment gateway is a service that gives merchants the ability
to perform real-time credit card authorizations from a web site
over the Internet. Gateways keep customers credit card data behind
firewalls so that the merchant doesn't have to worry about someone
compromising their system. These services usually charge a monthly
service charge (around $30) and a small percentage of the total
amount processed (about 1-2%)
 Online
credit card processing is a must for every company that wants to
expand and boost their sales through accepting credit cards on line.
If you do not use credit card processing services, web businesses
can't accept credit cards and may miss out on more than 60% of their
sales opportunities. Accepting credit cards can increase your sales
potential by 75 million customers in the U.S. . Credit card processing
analysts estimate 3 out of 4 people use a credit card for their
online orders. Therefore it is essential for your business to accept
credit cards online.
Our Merchant package is designed
to work easily with the most popular merchant services providers
for accepting credit cards in real time. Here are a few of the most
popular ones:
- Card Service International
- Authorize.Net
- VeriSign
Do you offer search
engine submission services?
Yes, we offer a marketing package which contains search
engine submission services. Click here
for the details!
What are FrontPage
extensions?
FrontPage server extensions are CGI programs which provide
the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates
with the extensions via Hyper Text Transmission Protocol (HTTP)
using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the
FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the
appropriate CGI program. The extensions implement authoring (uploading/downloading
documents, To Do Lists), administration (setting end-user, author,
and administrator privileges), and dynamic content (browse-time
WebBot components).
Without the FrontPage Server Extensions you will not be able to
take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage.
Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your
web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer
package.
Do you support FrontPage extensions?
We will install the necessary extensions for you to use
FrontPage and will support your questions related to the use of
these extensions.
Without the proper FrontPage extensions you will not be able to
use FrontPage to publish your site nor can you use any of the tools
that FrontPage supports (WebBots, ToDo Lists and the FrontPage/Explorer
interface). During the order process for new and existing customers
you will asked to specify whether you will be using FrontPage. However,
AimTraffic does not support problems and questions directly related
to the use of FrontPage. Instead, we will direct you to Microsoft's
FrontPage Technical Support.
Do you offer a control
panel and what can it do?
We do offer a control
panel to our hosting accounts to make most tasks easy. The
Control Panel is a Web-based interface you can use to administer
your web hosting accounts online. By following the various links,
configure POP accounts, forwards and autoresponders. You can also
get site statistics for looking at the traffic your site gets. You
can review the full details here.
What is Email Forwarding
(Aliasing)?
Aliases are shortcuts used to redirect email messages. You
can set up shortcuts for an individual user name or activate a catchall
alias that can capture any email sent to your domain. This means
that as long as the yourdomain.com is correct, even typos in the
user name will still be captured and not refused. This allows for
easy email consolidation and a professional image.
What is Disk Allowance
(Quota)
Quota is the amount of disk space allotted to a given object.
Commonly referred to as how much disk space is allocated to either
a web-site or email mailbox.
Disk Space is the amount of space allocated to your account. Each
100 megabytes represents approximately 5000 files. Additional disk
space is available, or you can switch your account type to one with
more disk space.
What is Network Throughput
(Traffic)?
The generalized term for the amount of visitors to a web
site. This is usually measured in either hits (amount of files requested)
or bandwidth (the total amount of data transferred to web site visitors)
What is a Standardized
E-Mailbox (POP3)?
Post Office Protocol version3. POP3 is most commonly used
as an Internet protocol to download (receive) e-mail.
What are Document Requests
(Hits)?
This is the request by a client for a document on your account.
If a person visits your homepage and there are 9 images on that
page that counts as 10 hits. 1 hit for the html document and one
hit for each of the 9 images on that document.
How do I set up my
email?
Our web hosting clients can set up POP Accounts, Forwarders/Aliases,
& Auto-Responders in the web-based control
panel that comes with every web hosting package. This can
be done by yourself, and without any assistance from the AimTraffic
staff.
How much assistance
do you provide for my website?
We will assist you with all support for services provided
directly through AimTraffic. We will help you with basic settings
for your email software and ftp client, as well as assist you with
using the web browser control panel. We are not responsible for
teaching you how to use another company's products. Example: We
will assist you with the settings for using MS Frontpage™,
but we will not teach you how to actually use the product itself.
You need to contact the software maker in such a situation, who
provides tech support for how to use their product.
We cannot even attempt to support all the thousands of software
products on the market. We will attempt to provide some tech support
for the most popular programs our clients use. We are not responsible
for assisting with your own programs and cgi scripts. If you choose
to install your own programs and cgi scripts on your site, you are
responsible fully for installing them. We will provide support for
any program or cgi script that we provide pre-installed with your
web hosting package. We are not responsible for designing, nor developing,
your website, including HTML and/or images. We will attempt to give
a quick look at your design/development problem, and offer a suggestion
if it is a small issue. Anything complicated relating to design/development
is not the responsibility of AimTraffic. If there is a direct issue
related to our Trellix Web Site builder, which we support, we will
troubleshoot and resolve these issues for you.
May I view your Terms Of
Service?
The AimTraffic terms of service (TOS), including policy
and service guidelines, are available online at: TOS
How do I transfer my
domain name?
You can transfer your domain name to AimTraffic at this transfers
page.
How do I get started?
Simple! Just fill choose a package from our New
Account Order Page! You will receive details shortly afterwards
about how to proceed with your new AimTraffic account!
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