As soon as you buy a web-hosting account, you need to manage all the options somehow. This is when a control panel comes handy. There are lots of variations and interfaces – every provider elaborates his own, unique control panel that has some peculiarities. But every panel has a set of basic options allowing managing essential web hosting aspects. These include:
1. E-mail settings. You may create as many e-mail addresses as required and set quotas for accounts. Plus, there are such options as mailing lists creation, forwarders, auto-responders and anti-spam tools (filter, spam marking, preference modification).
2. You may set up session security options by blocking access to some IP addresses, creating password directories, enabling hot link protection and enacting special permissions.
3. File management is performed by creating a FTP account. FTP clients are free to upload and download files to their sites, observe and manage domains and sub domains (document maps) and usually have means to back up in case of data loss or damage. Besides, they may create, move, copy and edit new folders or directories.
4. Statistics are used to define and improve site efficiency, control security and analyze traffic for engine optimization. Web-developers can get such information as: the number of visitors per certain period, used browsers, how browsers navigated through the site, the time someone spent on your site, referring website, latest visitors, etc.
5. Applications are used to ease work with hosting account. Usually it is third party software that helps to enhance your website. These may include calendars, surveys, project management, mailing lists, e-commerce solutions, ad management, etc.
Plus, there are additional functions used to administer this or that part of your site. These may include Front Page Extensions, SQL settings, Domain management, news updates, CGI Center, etc. All that allows managing your site easily and effectively. A convenient control panel is an interface that gives maximum possibilities, requiring minimum time to understand what is what.
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