| The fast propagating use of CMS (content | | | | hosting company fast: Location of the data center, |
| Management Systems) on-line has been a blessing | | | | bandwidth of the network and data transmission, |
| and a malediction at the same time. Millions of Joomla, | | | | equipment involved -not just the processors used on |
| WordPress and Drupal downloads make them the | | | | the servers but overall infrastructure-, etc. Many |
| most popular among other Content Management | | | | companies advertise that they are fast. Anyone can |
| Systems in the world. | | | | say they are fast. Don't fall into their trap. How can |
| This did not happen by pure luck. They are very solid | | | | you really know the speed of one hosting company |
| platforms to create entire websites in a matter of | | | | compared to another claiming exactly the same? It is |
| minutes. They present the users with a good number | | | | virtually impossible. |
| of features that will help them to start a small | | | | Or it WAS virtually impossible, until an European |
| business website or even go as far as developing | | | | company started a project aiming at testing and |
| entire communities and portals on-line with | | | | ranking the speed of web hosting companies around |
| e-commerce capabilities. Many big and famous | | | | the world. It is unique the way they are testing and |
| companies use one of these 3 solutions. As an | | | | classifying them, and interesting to see how hosting |
| example, the New York Times uses WordPress as | | | | companies are measuring up against the competition. |
| the base platform for their portal. | | | | Curiously, you will never see big names there. The |
| The most attractive part of these CMS solutions is | | | | truth is, big name hosting companies would be at the |
| that they are FREE. Yes, they belong to the fast | | | | very bottom of the list. Fast hosting companies have |
| growing Open Source software movement around | | | | one characteristic in common: Fast server speeds and |
| the world. You can download any of them, tweak it | | | | fast support. They are usually small or medium in size. |
| a little bit here and there, and that's it. You have a | | | | Out of more than 3 thousand hosting companies |
| brand new, professional-looking website. Fantastic! | | | | registered, the top ten are a combination of |
| Not quite. Most of the time you have to upload the | | | | companies from all over the world. There is an |
| package to the server you are using -more likely- a | | | | American company out of Dallas TX for months at |
| big hosting company who attracted you by their | | | | the top of the list. They got my attention. The other |
| ubiquitous advertisement. (We are not even | | | | 4 or five are usually European or Japanese companies |
| mentioning here services you can get for what | | | | with websites offering hosting in a foreign language. |
| appears to be a very cheap deal. The only thing | | | | So I decided to try a company out of Dallas. After |
| attractive about them, though, is the price. When it | | | | reviewing what they had to offer and finding them all |
| comes to computer technology, you get what you | | | | the way to the very top of the list all the time. The |
| pay for). You will soon realize how painfully slow | | | | difference in speed is like day and night. |
| these companies are. But that is just the beginning. | | | | My CMS website is not just fastest when |
| Soon you will have to customize your Joomla, Drupal | | | | downloading data and graphics to the browser, but |
| or WorPress website. The process then becomes a | | | | working with it has become a delight. I find myself |
| torture. You have to work online. Editions, changes, | | | | being more productive and literally having less |
| uploading of pictures, etc become a burden if the | | | | headaches because before I was looking at my |
| response of your CMS is slow. This is the case 95% | | | | laptop's screen for hours, now I spend less than half |
| of the time! Looking for a faster website hosting | | | | the time on it. |
| service is what comes to your mind immediately | | | | So if you own a CMS website and you are serious |
| after playing with your CMS for a day or two. You | | | | about working with it, and presenting the best to |
| will soon realize the importance. | | | | your audience, change to a faster webhosting |
| Fast hosting companies belong to an emerging field. It | | | | company. They are usually fast with everyting, even |
| could be tricky to find a really fast hosting company. | | | | when helping to transfer your account to them! |
| There are too many factors involved in making a | | | | |