Although the terms Internet site, URL and world wide web are used synonymously as everyday language there are distinct difference between them.
In this article I hope to clear any misconceptions and teach you a few things:
They say an image is worth a thousand words, so here goes:
To find out more about the following terminologies click on the links below:
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
WWW World Wide Web
What is a Domain Name?
Many shared hosting websites and VDS virtually dedicated servers are single point hosting. Meaning your site exists on a single server unlike a CDN Content Distributed Network.
Most web servers in their SLA’s (Service Level Agreements) state a 99% uptime on your business website.
This equates to more than 3 days of it being down in a year. How much does your business stand to lose in three days?
There is a solution…drum roll…IsMySiteUp.org
IsMySiteUp.org is a cloud-based service that monitors your website 24/7and alerts you when your site is down via email and SMS texted message.
So you can react within minutes and get your site back online.
1] Check the name of the website
Always carefully check the spelling of the website address or URL – if anything is misspelt, it’s likely to be an unofficial site.
2] Check the address
It’s not just the web address you should worry about. It’s well worth checking out the postal address too.
3] Look for the padlock
When you go to pay for your purchases, check the website has a secure way of paying. Make sure you look for the padlock symbol ‘https://’ as opposed to ‘http’ – the ‘s’ signifies it’s secure.
4] Pay carefully
If your order is over £100, one of the best ways to pay is by credit card.
That’s because you’ll be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (1974), which will give you valuable consumer protection if there’s a problem with your purchases.
If your order is under £100, look to use a Visa debit card so you can make a claim under the Visa Chargeback scheme.
5] Keep your receipt
Once you’ve made your payment, always keep hold of the order confirmation in case of any dispute. That way you’ve got proof of your order and payment.