Posts from — February 2011

IMAP stands for “Internet Message Access protocol) - a email service which helps accessing your mailbox from different computers and locations. The IMAP service allows the user to download only the message headers and decide if they want to actually download the rest of the message and the attachments.

IMAP was designed to overcome some problems with POP behavior and provide more features for delivery and management of e-mail. With IMAP, mail is kept on the mail server and is managed there by a series of commands sent to the server by your client. Copies of messages and attachments are transferred to a email client only when one request them.

By default, only descriptive information about your messages is sent to your client. This works very well over slow links or for access from devices with limited computing or storage capacity such as a PDA, mobile phone or dialup internet access.

This feature makes downloading large attachments on a slow connection more manageable and efficient. In addition, the IMAP service provides folders for the user to store emails and attachments on the server so that they can retrieve those stored messages when they log into the server from different computers.

In practical areas where POP is weak, with respect to online/disconnected operation, are strengths for IMAP, since online access was its original design center. These new features provide powerful benefits that allows the user to create folders for received and sent messages to be retrieved from any computer.

The advantages of IMAP is that it is more feature-rich and allows you to read your e-mail from any location and any device with IMAP support.

Some specific advantages of IMAP over POP include:

* Robust folders for storing received and sent messages
* Freedom for user to download attachments at will
* Provision for determining message structure without downloading entire message.
* Selective fetching of individual MIME body parts.
* Server-based searching and selection to minimize data transfer.
* Ability to append messages to a remote folder.
* Ability to set standard and user-defined message status flags.
* Support for simultaneous update and update discovery in shared folders.
* New mail notification.
* Ability to manipulate remote folders other than INBOX.
* Remote folder management (list/create/delete/rename).
* Support for folder hierarchies.
* Suitable for accessing non-email data; e.g., NetNews, documents.
* In IMAP, when a client program performs any operation on a mailbox, the server will automatically include in its response notification of any new messages that have arrived since the last notification.
* IMAP’s ability to manipulate remote folders other than INBOX is fundamental to online and disconnected operation. This means being able to save messages from one folder to a different one, being able to access archived messages subsequently, and allowing for multiple incoming message folders.

By becoming a reseller, not only can web developers create websites for their clients, but they can provide their clients web hosting, as another studio service. All you need to become a reseller, is to find a web host who: offers multiple website hosting accounts; along with reseller services; and then its up to you to host your clients’ web sites from your own account. Your clients will be happy with the low fees you can offer; and, you will have yourself a very profitable side business.

So what do you need to be a successful website hosting reseller?

Multiple domain hosting - To become a web hosting reseller, the first step is to get yourself a multiple domain account. For example, if you take out an account that allows up to 6 websites (or domains), you can use one of the domains for development of your own site; and, still have 5 domains to allocate to your clients sites. All you need to do is pay your regular fee to your web host; then, you can charge your clients what ever you like.

Control Panel - It is preferable to have full administrative control over your client’s web sites. Make sure that, not only does your web host provide you with a control panel that includes full administrative facilities to easily manage your multiple account, but that your host provides your clients with their own control panel too. Most importantly your web host should give you the facility to “hide your web hosts identity” so clients are unaware that you are offering a third party service. Ensure that you can customize your clients control panel to suit your own requirements.

Terms and conditions - Terms and conditions are essential when offering any service, ensure that all your clients have a copy of your terms and conditions. Many resellers forget to create their own terms and conditions, as they are often very time-consuming to write. If you ask a web host you will find that some of them will either let you copy theirs or they will just supply you with terms and conditions specifically written for this purpose.

Fast and reliable support - Fast and reliable, service and support, is essential, from your web hosting company. If something happens to your client’s web site it is important to be able to get the problem solved as soon as possible. You don’t want clients being unhappy with your hosting services, as this will reflect badly on your other services too.

Reselling can be a very profitable side business if you find the right host. It may take up some of your time, however, if you put the time and effort into providing a little bit extra in your services, not only will your clients be a lot happier you will have a rewarding total web services business.