I’ve built a lot of WPMage sites – really, A LOT! Between my personal sites and those that I make for others, I’ve probably built close to 4000 sites now. During the course of building lots of sites for other mages, and building up my own little army of sites, I’ve seen a huge variety in Hosting plans. I’m sure this post may ruffle some feathers, but I just want to emphasize the impact that quality Hosting can have on your WPMage sites (or any sites) and their profitability).
I started out my first CPMage on a Hostgator “Baby” Plan. Unlimited domains, unlimited bandwidth, etc. sounded quite enticing – especially for 10 bucks a month. I filled the first one up and got another, and then another. Black Friday 2009, HG had huge sale and I got a reseller account for a year for 75% off! NICE – room for 100-ish sites (at least) for a year for $75! Finally, I got tired of trying to keep up with all of the ‘baby’ plans, so I splurged for a Hostgator dedicated server. I chose the Standard Dedicated Server with 4GB of RAM. While I was mostly happy with this server, I also wanted to have my sites spread out among hosts. After looking around at several hosts, I opted to give WiredTree a try. About May, 2010, I got my first server with them and within a few months, was purchasing another, and then another! Once again in my quest to keep my sites spread out, I recently have started using some servers at Servint. Ooops – it happened again, needed more! (How do those site-building fairies get on my servers and keep filling them up anyway?)
Currently, I have (3) dedicateds at WiredTree and (5) at Servint – none at Hostgator, no resellers and no shared. Hosting was something that I didn’t know much about in the beginning. Boy, have I learned some stuff!!! (Still lots more to learn though). Here’s my “take home lessons” from various hostings and WPMage sites:
WPMage sites are very resource intensive. What does this mean? Because of the dynamic nature of the content, the sites need more power from the server than just a static HTML page to load and function properly.
This is important to understand for a couple of reasons – 1) when you are shopping for a host or VPS or dedicated server, if you have the option, look for more memory/faster processors over disk space and bandwidth. I rarely “fill up” a server, as far as disk space is figured, but I consider it “full” when certain metrics indicate to me that the processor is getting to the point where more sites will only slow down the loading times of all the sites on the server.
2) The second reason to understand that WPMage sites are resource intensive is because “unlimited” is not always “unlimited” when it comes to shared and reseller accounts. Upon first look, shared hosting accounts look like a fantastic deal. But when your sites begin to use too many resources on a shared server, hosting companies can suspend your account with no prior notice. Understandably, if your sites are using lots of CPU usage/memory, and sites on the entire shared server slow down, the host will suspend your account in order to protect the other customers that are also hosted on that machine. While it is understandable for a host to protect their other customers, it’s still no fun to get one of those emails/phone calls letting you know that they’ve just suspended your account, especially if it’s a 10PM on a Friday night and your best site happens to be on that server! (OUCH!) They’ll insist that you install caching plugins before they’ll un-suspend your account (which I refuse to do). So while shared and reseller hosting can be economical to start with, please keep in mind that you are putting your income at risk and possibly subjecting yourself to a load of stress at some uncertain time in the future.
I’ve not really used a VPS much, but here’s my experience with dedicated servers. When choosing a server:
- Go for the fastest/best quality processor and as much RAM as your budget allows. I wouldn’t recommend less than 8GB.
- Do not worry too much about disk size – I usually choose the smallest available and still have plenty of room.
- To this point, bandwidth hasn’t been a limiting factor either.
- Some hosts are more open to customizing a package, while others like to promote their typical packages. If you have the option to customize, consider asking the host to set up a second drive (again, a small one will do) for your MySQL databases. This can make the process happen a little quicker.
- Make certain that you understand back-up procedures.
- Ask about monitoring services. Ask your host if they monitor key services in case of a server crash while you are sleeping (or vacationing!)
- Determine if your hosting is “newbie friendly”. You’ll definitely want to deal with a support staff that is happy to help you with concepts you haven’t learned yet about dedicated servers. You certainly don’t want to be alone in your journey!
I’ve been very happy with Servint for my dedicated servers. Here are the specifics of the servers I have:
I have 3 servers at WiredTree and here’s what I have at
Servint:
- Xeon X3430 processor
- 8GB DDR3 memory
- (1) 500 SATA drive – primary and MySQL on the same drive
- Free daily backups
- I have
56 of these
So… I know what you may be wondering…. Which do I like best and why different places? I like having my sites at more than one host, so if something catastrophic occurs with one, it won’t involve all of my sites.
They both have good points, and I’d like to share my opinions so if you are planning to purchase a dedicated server, you can make an informed decision. In particular:
- Customizations - WiredTree – I like that they will happily customize servers and work with the customer for solutions that work. They happily added my 2nd and 3rd drives and set up the MySQL on a separate disk when I requested that, and didn’t require a setup fee for that service. Servint, on the other hand, encouraged me to try one of their packages before trying custom solutions. And they were right! The standard “out of the box” server that they suggested is working perfectly for me!! This saved me money in the long run (because I would have been paying more for a custom setup), so they certainly aren’t just after my money.
- Support - Hmmm, this is a toss up and each person would need to determine for themselves which approach they prefer. WiredTree is more of a “let us know what you need, we’ll do it for you” type. They sometimes (in my opinions) will paste “techno-speak” as I call it, but not necessarily explain what that means. In most cases, this is great – just let them know what you need and it’ll get done. But… I’m the type that likes to know WHY something is being done and know HOW to do it myself if I want to. Servint will solve my problem, but they’ll also tell me how I can check/fix it in the future. Some people don’t want this – they want to just say “please do this…..” and it be done. Both are great – it’s just a personal preference. (As a new note added 7/1: I have had a few issues recently that WT has not been able to resolve. That definitely makes Servint the winner in the support department).
- IP Addresses – a variety of IP addresses is important to some mages. Servint is more liberal with assigning extra IPs (they cost about $1/month each at both places). WiredTree has certain requirements before they will allot you extras, and they are the ones to determine if your reason is justified or not. “Additional websites” is not a justified reason. (Updated 7/1: When ordering my most recent server, I noticed that Servint now offers up to 64 IPs per server – WOW! I don’t want/need/use that many, but just wanted to note it.)
- Backups - Servint offers free daily backups and you can request them at any time. If you are comfortable with trusting their backups, you wouldn’t need to run backups on your own server (which can sometimes put some stress on your server).
Ok, if you are still with me (thanks, by the way), I just want to stress how important quality hosting is! This is one area where new mages (and experienced mages alike) should not skimp or try to go the economy route. In my coaching, I see so many people that are desperate to make WPMage work for them. And when we start investigating, either their hosting is very slow, often down, or even bad IPs that Google won’t recognize and index. (Page loading speed is important to Google, by the way.) I really just can’t stress this enough. Here’s a first hand example — last month, I noticed that a couple of my servers were getting a bit overloaded and decided to move some over to a less-populated server. Look at my EPN clicks –
Notice the first half of the month, versus the second half of the month. The dip about mid-way was when I had some trouble transferring some of the accounts, but once things got smoothed out and the sites were fast loading again, I noticed a 10-20% increase in Ebay clicks. Well worth the extra hosting fees!
I can highly recommend Servint for dedicated server hosting. Don’t feel like if you are new, you aren’t “ready” for a dedicated server. Starting out with quality hosting can save frustration and give plenty of room to grow. And because Servint has an amazing coupon available, it can be affordable to get started as well.
Here is your best options for getting started:
Servint - the Solo Express 850 is a great starter server. This is the setup that I have (6) of listed near the top of the article. This server is $229 a month and you can get 50% off the first 2 months by using the coupon 50×2. Order my dedicated server!
Plus, if you purchase through my affiliate link (for either of these companies), send me a copy of your receipt, and login info (takes 1-2 days to be set up), I’ll log in and make necessary tweaks to get your server ready to build WPMage sites and even install your first CPMage if you provide an additional domain.
Here’s a step-by-step to getting your server ordered and ready to go:
Go ahead and make the purchase (thanks for using my link!!!) 
I recommend getting a domain for it through GoDaddy instead of going through Servint. The main reason is because I’m not very familiar with their system and for GoDaddy‘s system, I have screenshots that will walk you through setting up your nameservers.
The next day during business hours, they’ll send you a “we got your order” email. Then, within a few hours to a couple of days, they’ll send you a “turnup” email when they finish setting it up.
Once you receive that, you’ll know what your IPs are, so you can go ahead and set up your nameservers. (see below for instructions)
Then, go to this page:
http://magetracker.com/sitetracker/submitticket.php?step=2&deptid=7
and submit a ticket with the server information.
Once the nameservers are propagated, I’ll go in and tweak.
I’ll also send you a list of everything I do, in case you want to give it a try of future servers and a quickie “what to watch for”.
Servint - the Solo Express 850 is a great starter server. This is the setup that I have (6) of listed near the top of the article. This server is $229 a month and you can get 50% off the first 2 months by using the coupon 50×2. Order my dedicated server!
———————————————————————————–
Registering your nameservers:
For your domain that you are using for the server, you’ll need to register your nameservers at GoDaddy (is that where you purchased it?) What you need to do:
For the nameservers for your main domain, you’ll need to both ‘register’ them at GoDaddy and point the domain at itself.
To register them, go into your GoDaddy account and into Domain Manager, and find that domain and scroll down to the Host Summary section. Click on
Add:
http://screencast.com/t/tCTGQloI
Add one host entry for ns1 and match it the correct IP.
http://screencast.com/t/5lqpZnxp9lHp
Save that and then do one for ns2. Sometimes you have to wait 10 or 15 seconds in between each.
After that, you’ll need to go up the nameservers (for that same domain) and point them to the same ns1.whateveryourdomainis.com…. and ns2.whateveryourdomainis.com….
Sometimes, you will have to wait a bit before you can do this part. If you try and get the message that the nameservers aren’t registered, then just try again 30 minutes or so. I’ve had it take 5 minutes, and I’ve had it take 5 hours.
The IPs you should use are generally the first 2 that are assigned to your server. You can find this in your “Turnup” email.
Servint - the Solo Express 850 is a great starter server. Use coupon 50×2!. Order my dedicated server!
Are you using spun content in your templates using SEO Wordspinner?
Hi Glenn,
No, I don’t spin or translate.
Tracy
People are using spinning to avoid getting the Google slap. But you’ve got hundreds of sites built. Your not concerned with this?
I’m personally not worried about it – no.
Maybe I have my head in the sand but remember – my focus is EPN products – those are the ‘original content’ and those are changing daily.
Tracy
Tracy,
This is a great piece of work and will go a long way towards answering the endless questions on the topic. I am curious if you have anything to share on how you make the decision that a server is “full” and it is time to add another one. I have seen the same thing you display regarding traffic and server response. When the sites load quickly Google is happier and EPN reflects it.
Do use tools provide by the Hosting company like the Servint server graphs, or do you have some external measurement that you use to decide when to add capacity. If it’s part of your “secret sauce” and you don’t want to share it..that’s OK too, I understand
koronis
Hi Koronis
Sure – happy to share.
For Servint, I like watching the Resources on the :4643 page. If you haven’t seen that, go to 111.1.1.1:4643 (replacing your IP for that first part) and log in with your root login information. There’s a link on the left – Resources. That will show you how much CPU/Memory is being used. I usually check on those daily for each server, so I know about what each one runs. What I watch for: CPU – 75%, Loads – 4 to 7 or so, and the memory usage – about 75% (but not the % they show – but 75% of what I know the memory for my server is – for example: if it’s an 8GB server, then I watch for about 6GB usage). Understand this is just my personal method – I haven’t read anywhere that those are what one should watch for – just when I’ve noticed the servers start getting sluggish.
For WT, in the Grove Monitoring, there are similar stats in graph form.
HTH
Tracy
Tracy,
Thanks for the info. I have been using Server status in WHM and hadn’t thought about using VZPP. Works great! Thanks again.
koronis
If I got a dedicated through one of your links what is the easiest / best way to start moving sites over?
Hi J,
Depending on the number of cpanel accounts, the hosts may do that free of charge for you. I know that both will do it – but they may have limits as to how many accounts. (They may not commit to transfers dozens and dozens.) But I’ve been pleased with the transfer process of both companies.
Tracy
would they do 8ish cpanels with about 30 sites under each cpanel?
I had just asked Servint a few days ago about someone that had 5 and they said ‘no problem’. Might be best to ask just to make sure. They have a LiveChat link at the top of their site – not sure if anyone is there on the weekends, but worth a try.
Tracy
Hi, very interesting post.
I have a few questions if you will indulge me.
Roughly, how many sites per server do you have? Guesstimating 400?
I have about 150 on a dedicated at Hostgator and performance is poor. Is there a reason why you dropped Hostgator?
How quickly do your pages load? I find mine typically take ~4 seconds, but can be longer at times.
About 90% of the traffic is just bots, of that, Googlebot is the most frequent. I have blocked most of the other bots. Do you have any bot issues or do anything so they are not sucking up most of the resources?
You mentioned caching. Did you indicate that you do no caching whatsoever?
Regarding other WordPress plug-ins, do you avoid using many to speed up performance? What about templates and layout for speed due to the dynamic pages?
Sorry for so many questions…
Thanks!
Hi Mace
Hmm, how many? I have anywhere from 80 to 700ish, at last count. Unless there is some specific issue going on, usually page loads are about 1-2 seconds.
A lot of how much you can get on a dedicated server depends on the server itself and then also how you build your sites (extra plugins, etc.). Which server do you have at HG? I left HG because there was a time when my sites were down for an extended period of time and their monitoring missed it completely.
Caching – very debated topic. Some mages do cache – I believe it’s even recommended by the official WPMage team. But I don’t. And won’t.
There are occasional bot instances that drive the server to its knees, yes. I use Integrio Uptime Scout and put a few sites from each server to be monitored. So usually if there’s a problem – I know about it pretty quickly (if I am near the computer).
I don’t use additional plugins other than what’s in the Mage bundle, with the exception of PhPBay. I try to keep the sites as ‘simple’ as possible. Same with the templates. I don’t translate, and try to not pull a lot of extra content that’s not really needed. I focus instead on pulling products.
Hope this helps.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
1. “Caching – very debated topic. Some mages do cache – I believe it’s even recommended by the official WPMage team. But I don’t. And won’t.”
- What is the main reason why you don’t cache?
- Do you think this can help to increase traffic because the content is always new? – so it gets reindexed more often?
- I had the same problem like others (30 sites on coolhandle = suspended account, so I had to install WP Surer Cache… – it seems like the traffic is dropping)
2. “I don’t translate, and try to not pull a lot of extra content that’s not really needed. I focus instead on pulling products.
”
- This is very interesting, that you don’t translate…
- Is it because the sites do load faster?
3. I use: 1. Article Base 2.Yahoo Answers as backup 3.Flicker Photos 4.Smart Tagging 5. 50 Ebay 6. 10 Amazon
- Do you think this is kind of ok? or you would recommend anything else
Thank you for your time and advice.
Peter
Thanks Tracy for this wealth of posting information. I really appreciate it! I’ve overloaded Supergreen with only 18 sites and am currently under warning with Coolhandle.
I’ve been looking at the dedicated server option so your article was VERY helpful. I’ll be using your link to get set up.
What is the approximate time your sites are down when transferring Hosting to Wiretree or Servint?
Also, I’d love to get your Site Finisher but I use a Mac. Do you have any plans to get a Mac version?
Thanks again! Jeff
Hi Jeff
It’s tough to manage shared Hosting once you start putting more than a few mages sites on them. It can be frustrating! I’m glad the article helped.
I’ve seen lots of frustration from mages lately about Hosting, so just wanted to share my experiences.
If the sites are moved properly, you shouldn’t see any downtime at all.
Both Servint and WiredTree will do complementary migrations, but if you have a large number of sites, I’d recommend touching base with them first. Just a couple of shared accounts shouldn’t be a problem though.
About SiteFinisher – please disregard those previous comments about it being PC only.
We just recently re-did the whole thing to be a WordPress plugin, so now you can certainly use it on a Mac. 
Tracy
I’ve talked with you many times Tracy.
My server at WiredTree is less powerful than the one you have:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz
8GB Ram
3 Disks, one just for MySQL DBs, 1 for Backups
My backups today did not complete because the load was too high. Right now bouncing between 8-11 and I have only 59 WPMage sites on it.
I sent an e-mail to sales at WiredTree to see if the could make a server just like yours and move my 3 accounts to it.
Does that make sense to do or put that W3-Total-Cache on the sites and use memcached software that caches things in memory instead of the disk for speed?
Hi Glenn
I personally don’t use any caching at the moment. I have one of my Servint servers that I’m actually using solely for testing different caching methods, but I won’t know results for weeks probably.
I’m surprised that 59 sites are causing problems, but it really does depend on your template (like you mentioned in your other comment) and the other plugins you use.
Tracy
Is it $315 for the exact same server you have?
Intel Core i7 930 processor
12GB DDR3 memory
(3) 500GB SATA RE2 drives – 1 for primary data, 1 for MySQL and 1 for backups
Litespeed Web Server addon
I’m going to buy another one very soon though your link. Can you also share the WPMAge template you use to be able to “squeze” 800-900 WPMage sites on the server?
Hey Glenn,
That looks right, but when I put it in a cart, the price isn’t coming out the same.
Intel Core i7 930 (2.80GHZ 8MB – HT – Triple Channel) – YES
Intel Core i7 950 (3.06GHZ 8MB – HT – Triple Channel) – My 3rd one at WT uses this 950 – it’s only $10 more a month.
12GB DDR3 $40 – YEP
LiteSpeed Web Server [4 CPU License] $55
Then I think the 3rd drive is an additional $20 or so a month as well.
Well, here’s an idea -
Here’s the breakdown on my last invoice:
Intel Core i7 – (i7-1366)
base price ($ 260.00 / Month)
Softaculous (+$ 2.00 / Month)
LiteSpeed Web Server [4 CPU License] (+$ 55.00 / Month)
12GB DDR3 (+$ 40.00 / Month)
500GB 7.2k RPM SATAII 16MB Cache (+$ 20.00 / Month)
500GB 7.2k RPM SATAII 16MB Cache (+$ 0.00 / Month)
Intel Core i7 950 (3.06GHZ 8MB – HT – Triple Channel) (+$ 15.00 / Month)
Current Charges: $ 392.00
I’m sure the prices vary a little from time to time – for example, I see that my 950 is an additional $15 per month, but now it’s $10 a month, so that might account for some variability.
This exact server above – I have about 700 sites on and it runs pretty smooth. (knock on wood) LOL
I probably could add a few more sites as well if I were running short on server space.
About half of the sites on there are client sites, so the template varies per customer.
For my personal sites – here ya go:
keyword shortcode ( I put h1 tags around this, but if I put it here in the comment, it makes it really big!) LOL
[phpbay stuff]
Yes, really! LOL Keep it simple. I don’t add any plugins above what Mage installs except Dagon and PhPBay.
HTH,
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for your post on Hosting. I’m a new Mage and new to internet marketing, so this was an eye-opener!
Would you recommend having WP Mage sites on the same server as SeNuke X or on seperate servers?
Also regarding SeNuke X will you be developing any tips/training for this to use with WP Mage. I have Greg Jacobs’ information which sounds good, but would need more guidance for me to implement properly.
Thanks for all your insights and I’m glad I joined your membership!
Barry
bmm888
Hi Barry
I’m glad that you are finding the tutorials helpful.
For the SeNuke, that isn’t something that you (typically) install on a server. It can be done for very advanced usage, but typically you use that on your home computer.
The Mage sites are built on a server (which is where your Hosting is).
Does that explain it? If not, let me know and I’ll go into more detail.
I’m not sure about more training for SeNuke – I’ll put it on the list, but it may be a while away as I’m pretty backed up at the moment. But I’ll see what I can do.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
You mentioned you trying different caching methods. Hodge recommends the WP Super Cache over the WP-Total-Cache and says it’s compatible with all the Mage plug-ins. It’s easier to set up.
The issued is, will this plug-in work with PhPBay? Most of us are using that. I sent Wade an e-mail to see if he knows. Do you know?
-Glenn
Hi Glenn
I have not used the WP Super Cache plugin. If hodge says it’s good, I’m sure it is since he knows the intricate details of mage better than anyone.
Let me know what Wade says.
What I’m working on is more of a server-wide caching mechanism, so that I don’t have to install a plugin on every single site.
Tracy
Is your server-wide caching mechanism working or have you implemented it yet?
I’m asking because I need a solution my self really bad. My WiredTree dedicated server’s load is high, no doubt due to the mage template I’m using. My server is not as powerful as yours.
I have 2 options right now. Use WP Super Cache or go back to W3-Total-Cache again. WP Super Cache is much simpler to install but don’t know if it will play with PhPBay and OneLungs QCP plugin and Geo Targeting files. I think Hodge assumes your just using the standard Mage plug-ins which mine do except for PhPBay, phpZon & QCP.
And on another Note the W3-Total-Cache has many forms of caching. And no one seems to know what is best ones to check. I know Database and Object caching are are must.
Please let me know your server side caching method. Maybe that’s what I can have WireTree enable for me too.
Thanks – Glenn
Hi Glenn
And it’s totally an un-educated hunch on my part, so I wouldn’t begin to recommend it to anyone unless I know it’s stable. I wouldn’t want to make matters worse. LOL
WT is aware of a few changes that I had in mind yesterday, for someone else’s server that is acting up, but I found out today that it did no good, so it’s definitely trial and error.
Tracy
I just read a post on the PhPBay forum and someone tried using the WP Super Cache with PhPBay & Onelungs QCP plug-in and it’s not good. He/She didn’t go into details but it’s the effect of the dynamic pages turned into static pages. Probably causes stale e-bay auctions.
This is such a huge issue because it’s going to effect many or most Mages sooner or later. I think it really unearths the inefficiencies of the mage plugins.
In my case it’s the template I’m using and the amount of sites I have on my WiredTree dedicated server (only 59).
Tracy, I think your the only one to really solve this problem. I’m forced to go back to the W3-Total-Cache to reduce the load on my dedicated server.
Hi Tracy,
I have just purchased the Servint server package you recommended (Solo Express 850) through your link on Magetracker.com.
I would like to take you up on your offer to log in and tweak it for me. I have already installed CP Mage on Cool Handle Hosting (no Mage sites started), but is it possible for you to be able to install it on my Servint server?
Also what e-mail do I send my information to so that you got what you need to do the tweaks? I will send you the information once Servint has set-up the server for me.
Thanks for your help!
Barry
Hi Barry
Sent you an email.
Also removed your email address from the comment so you won’t end up on thousands of mailing lists.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
This is some great info. I’m at a point now where I should seriously consider this. I do have a question though… With 4000+ sites, have you had any issues with epn with the amount of money you are earning, and, have you secured more than your own epn account in case of getting shut down? I’ve been trying to stay under the radar but would like to make many more sites.
Thanks,
Charles
Hi Charles
While I’ve build more than 4000 (probably 5000 by now), they aren’t all mine.
Many are customer sites that I have built for others.
That is one of the reasons that I did decide to build for others, so that I don’t overwhelm my EPN account by building too fast. My family members do also have their own accounts.
Tracy
Hi Tracy
Thanks for the wealth of information, it has really been an eye opener for a new Mager like me.
I appreciate all your comments on the Hosting, so can see the advantages to moving across to Servint or WiredTree but my question is at what point?
I currently have just 11 sites, but will be aggressively moving towards the 100 mark over the coming weeks. I am with Hostgator so can forsee all these same issues potentially arising.
I presume that until you are in the 100s it just isn’t viable to move to dedicated due to the massive difference in monthly costs?
Appreciate your advice.
Jon
Hi Jon
It’s great that you are planning ahead.
In my opinion, it depends on a few things as to when to make the change.
1) How much risk are you willing to take. As long as you know up front that shared Hosting accounts can get suspended and can be prepared to act quickly, perhaps stick with it for a while since it’s less expensive.
2) What your finances are like. Some mages have an initial investment set aside for building their business – others need to make money before investing more. Everyone’s situation is different.
3) And this is probably the biggest deciding factor – how fast do you plan to build sites? If you have gotten the hang of building sites, and can do it pretty quickly, and plan to move rapidly, you’ll want to consider it sooner rather than later. Consider this – if you are planning to build 10-20 sites per week, you may end up purchasing a new shared every week. You could also consider a reseller at Hostgator. You are still subject to the suspensions, but you can get about 100 sites on a $25 a month account.
A final note – don’t forget about that coupon! At Servint, for example, you can use 50×2 and get 1/2 off of your first 2 months. That makes your first payment only $114.50.
Hope this helps.
Tracy
Thanks Tracy.
Your answers certainly help to decide on the way forward for now.
Although we are working on the assumption that we have more money to invest, seeing this as a business, we would rather keep the costs down where possible. We are up to 28 sites now and so would be looking at another shared this week – or looking into the reseller option at Hostgator.
Also given all the great comments on here we will be joining as members today, so no doubt I will have plenty of questions on the other side
We have had our EPN site built by another recommended provider (Rich at Syndram Designs) and so would be grateful if you would take a look and provide any advice before we submit to EPN for approval.
Thanks again!
Jon
Hi Tracy,
Just ordered my second Servint server through your link.
Even while they are still finalizing the transfers from “badreptile”
to the 1st server. Those Servint guys are great.
Well “badreptile”
has shut down another 2 on top of the other 3 reseller accounts all in the last week Plus a business account as well. Nothing is safe over there.
Most of these sites haven’t even been touched / posts made anything since Oct 2010.
Over 200 sites down in one swoop. And they make it really difficult to get those sites transferred.
Thank you for all your help so far.
If I knew what I know now I would have started out with a proper dedicated server.
Regards,
Wentzel
Yep – I agree – I’m really pleased with Servint support. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief when it’s all done.
I just sent you an email as well.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I also just signed for a Servint server through your link. I sent in a contact form with the info.
Thanks,
Rex
Hey Rex,
I sent you a couple of emails this morning. Did you get them? Let me know if not and I can resend.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Nope…I didn’t. I checked the spam bin of course too.
You could try rex (at) leaningdogmarketing dot com. The leaddog2 email is the primary one for the ISP though so it shoulda worked.
But with the last few days I am having…why am I not surprised my email broke too.
Thanks,
Rex
Done! Sent to the other email address. If you still don’t get them, perhaps I’ll print them out, slide them into a bottle and toss them into the ocean? hehe
Yup I got them now and did what you asked. So now it is ready for final setup (unless I did something wrong).
I don’t see how you keep up.
You are one busy lady and an inspiration to the Mage community.
Rex
Gotcha fixed up Rex! Have fun filling your server up!!!
Thanks for your kind words.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
1. Thank you for great info.
Where could I download it?
2. I really like your site finisher.
3. You are not afraid of Google slap if you have 700 sites on one server? … I guess with the same DNS address?
4. How do you deal with registration info. Do you use different emails and name variations? (this is how Greg explains it)
5. I found your tracking file but didn’t save it(where you track the different hostings, logins, etc.), and now I can’t find it anymore
Thank you for your time,
Peter
Hi Peter,
1. You are quite welcome – glad you are finding it helpful.
2. Thanks!
Neat gadget, yes?
3. I do have a variety of IP addresses on that server. Yes, I sometimes am concerned about Google (and other things), but I don’t let it stop me from building sites.
4. I personally do not use different email addresses – one day I may regret it, but at this time I don’t. I figure that if Google wants to know how to find me – they will!
5. On this page, http://www.magetracker.com/membership/overview/, scroll down to the Resources section.
Hope this helps.
Tracy
Just reading this. I know it’s a little old. I went to the links and they aren’t online.
>5. On this page, http://www.magetracker.com/membership/overview/, scroll down to the Resources section.
Not sure if they’ve moved.
Aloha Tracy,
I just purchased Servint dedicated [my 2nd dedicated
] through your affiliate link. You and your site here have helped and encouraged me a lot over the last year. THANK YOU!
The purpose of my comment is to ask a question. You mentioned that you’d install Mage and do tweaks. I like doing this myself, even though it’s frustrating at times for this non-tech type. That said, will you share your tweaks so I can do them on my server OR send me a link to the place where you’ve already posted them?
I will be glad to email you my receipt if you want. Just send me an email and I’ll reply to that address with the receipt.
Again, thanks!
Ben
Hi there Ben,
Thanks for your kind words – I’m happy you find MageTracker helpful.
Sure – I’m happy to send my notes over to you. I’ll send it via email and just let me know if you have any problems.
Tracy
Thank you, Tracy. Got it.
Did the premium membership thing here, too. Looking forward to trying out SiteFinisher.
Ben
Hello Tracy -
I hope you had an awesome trip. And, what a fantastic site you have here for Magers!
As with Ben I like to get under the hood and was hoping you could send me your notes as well. I just signed up with ServIt (your link) and your premium membership and most likely will contact you to help with the initial install, but, should be able to do future installs using your notes. Again, thanks for such an awesome resource.
George
Hi just wondering… I am looking at 2 dedicated servers –> CoolHandle and WebHost4Seo.
I only have 22 sites so far with a goal of 200-500 by summer.
Here are the specs (brief) for each Hosting service…
WebHost4Seo –
Dual Cores
4 gb ram
150 Gig space
10 unique class C ips. $129/month
(more ips at $4 each)
Add cpanel $40
Add support/backup/monitoring $49
Total is $218 per month.
CoolHandle
Intel 3.0Ghz Core 2 Duo
4GB Ram
10000GB Bandwidth
10 Dedicated IP Addresses
$250/mo.
What do you think?
How would I set up my first Mage site with a DS?
And what should I look to tweak with a dedicated server?
Any advice you can give would be great.
Thanks.
Oh and how many sites do you put on a dedicated server?
Thanks!
Oops – left this out on the other reply.
That is a tough question to answer. It depends on how you build your sites – whether you include translations, how many different content sources you use, how many posts you create, etc.
On my servers, I have as many as 700. Some only have 100-200, but not because that’s all they will hold – I just haven’t finished filling them up yet.
Tracy
Hi Jeff,
It’s great that you are doing your research before purchasing!
If I were shopping for another server, I still would choose Servint over anything.
The specs that you listed above – both of those servers only offer 4GB of RAM. The amount of RAM is probably one of (if not THE) most important factors when purchasing a server for mage sites. The Servint 850 offers 8GB of RAM and (4 cores) for around the same price – it’s $229 per month. The bandwidth amount is lower at Servint, but frankly, I’ve never gone over or even come close, so 6TB is plenty.
The tweaks that you would perform vary depending on the Hosting company, because they all set them up “out of the box” differently. The main thing that you need to make sure is that mySQLi is installed, as all hosts don’t include that automatically and Mage requires it. Any Hosting company should install it for you though – it’s easy to do.
Tracy
Hi Tracy
We are in the process of checking out and want to be sure we order the right specs for the dedicated server.
What do you think for these options below from the perspective that we have 20 some Mage sites and heading to 100 in next 60 days?
1) Operating System: Centos 5.x x86_64 – 64-bit version
WE ASSUME WE CHOOSE THIS OVER A 32 BIT OPTION
2) Upgrade from 100Mbs to 1Gbs Ethernet Port for $0.00 setup $25.00 monthly – worth it?
DO WE NEED THIS UPGRADE?
3) Software Options: Software Options:
Add WHMCS for $0.00 setup $10.00 monthly
Add NEWEDGE ClientExec for $0.00 setup $2.00 monthly
Add Fantastico De Luxe for $0.00 setup $12.00 yearly
Add RVSkin for $0.00 setup $20.00 yearly
DO I NEED THESE? I ASSUME FANTASTICO IS NEEDED.
Thanks Tracy!
Hi Jeff and Dan!
1) Yes, most of mine are 64-bit and I do see a bit of a performance advantage, but both are good.
2) Nah, not worth it really. That $25 can buy you 25 .infos that could be much more profitable.
3) WHMCS – you don’t need this. It’s not the same as WHM. WHMCS is a billing/Hosting solution if you wish to do work for clients (same with Client Exec). RVSkin – you don’t need that – it’s a template site builder and doesn’t even use WordPress.
Fantastico – hmm, I usually have it installed since it’s cheap and it’s just a once a year. You don’t “need” it for mage sites, but if you ever have the need to install wordpress for something else, it’s nice to have (but still not necessary).
Which server are you looking at? WT or Servint and which specs? Most any of the dedicateds should suffice for 100 sites.
Tracy
Hi Tracy! The new site looks great! You’ve been busy. Congrats. Thanks for your dedicated server tips. I’ve followed through on gotten the walk through by Servint. Did you still have the list of server tweaks you recommend that I could look at?
Thank you.
Thanks for the comments Dan!
Yep – I actually have your server on my “to do” list today, so I’ll be in touch shortly.
Tracy
Hello hello Mrs. Mage,
I don’t think you have done any tweaks on my server yet. If you want you could just send me an outline of what you do to tweak and what you look at to monitor your servers? I could bounce any questions I have off the Servint team. I know how getting swamped can be.
Please let me know. I am really excited about this information you have. Thanks Tracy.
Hi Dan
I don’t show that I have any servers in my “To Do” list. In case your emails are getting gobbled by my spam filters, could you please send me your information though a support ticket: http://magetracker.com/sitetracker/submitticket.php
Thanks
Tracy
Hi Tracy
I was looking at the Essential VPS at Servint, the smallest package of the VPS, with your experience, how many sites do you think it can handle?
Do you think it is suitable for a beginner mager?
Appreciate your advice.
Paul
Oh, how many sites (standard mage plugin with PhPBay, phpzon and Onelung QCB plugin) can it handle, to be more specific. Sorry for posting twice.
Paul
Hi Paul,
I’ve not really had much experience with a VPS, so I wouldn’t even hazard a guess. I do think it would be a great first step though. When you “outgrow” it, I’m sure Servint can move it to a dedicated for you (or a larger VPS).
If it’s in your budget, I would highly recommend a VPS, even if small, over shared Hosting, even at the beginner stage. I see many beginner mages actually get frustrated and give up on Mage because they struggle so with inadequate Hosting.
Tracy
Hello Tracy,
On your dedicated servers, I was curious to how many sites you put on one IP. Also, what is the average and max amount of sites you have on each of your Solo Express 850 server at Servint?
Thanks,
–Joe
Hi Joe
As far as how many sites a server will hold, that is a tough question to answer. It depends on how you build your sites – whether you include translations, how many different content sources you use, how many posts you create, etc.
On my servers, I have as many as 700. Some only have 200-300, but not because that’s all they will hold – I just haven’t finished filling them up yet.
One has about 350 and is what I consider at a healthy level (not overfull, but I don’t plan to put many more on it), but one of the sites on that server gets about 75,000 page loads a month, so it’s pretty busy.
For how many per IPs, I have from 12-24 IPs on each server. Some are reserved for other purposes, but in general, I try not to go over 50 or so per IP. But, that’s a very relaxed guideline.
Tracy
Thanks Tracy!
Really appreciate all that you have done.
Hi Tracy,
1. “Caching – very debated topic. Some mages do cache – I believe it’s even recommended by the official WPMage team. But I don’t. And won’t.”
- What is the main reason why you don’t cache?
- Do you think this can help to increase traffic because the content is always new? – so it gets reindexed more often?
- I had the same problem like others (30 sites on coolhandle = suspended account, so I had to install WP Surer Cache… – it seems like the traffic is dropping)
2. “I don’t translate, and try to not pull a lot of extra content that’s not really needed. I focus instead on pulling products.
”
- This is very interesting, that you don’t translate…
- Is it because the sites do load faster?
3. I use: 1. Article Base 2.Yahoo Answers as backup 3.Flicker Photos 4.Smart Tagging 5. 50 Ebay 6. 10 Amazon
- Do you think this is kind of ok? or you would recommend anything else
Thank you for your time and advice.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Great questions.
Sometimes when you use the caching plugins, it can actually cache your products as well. Yes, this can save server resources, but think about this. If you are caching your ebay products, and someone stumbles onto a page that was cached 12 hours ago. Chances are, that auction may be over. So what are they going to do? Hit the back button because they can’t have that item. So they’ll look through your page some more, click another product. Oops – this one has ended too. After a bit, they’ve given you several clicks, but no purchases, AND they didn’t stay on ebay long. Ebay won’t consider this very high quality traffic, and coupled with the fact that the visitor hasn’t bought anything, your EPC is going to go down. Run through this scenario several times a day and you have a dangerously low EPC. I prefer to always present my visitors with fresh products so that they have a positive experience.
With Amazon, this isn’t quite such a bad deal. They actually allow caching (up to 24 hours I think) and the items on Amazon don’t ‘end’ as rapidly as Ebay, so it’s probably okay.
Translation – when I first started Maging, I did translate. For personal perference, I just didn’t like the content. It’s probably great for “unique” content, but if you are loading your pages up with ebay products, you have plenty of unique content right there.
As for page loads, when I was translating, I didn’t know much (if anything) about server loads/CPUs/processes, etc. So I can’t say that I really tested it both ways. But it does just make sense that if your site has to send content to Google, have it translated, and then sent back, it will take longer to process and need more memory to do it. Significant amount? I don’t know. But since the Ebay items are the unique content, AND I dislike some of what it produces, AND getting the emails from upset authors because you changed their article – to me, it’s just not worth it.
I think that’s a good start. If I may, I would suggest that you put the Ebay products at the top of the page. Then perhaps your content after that.
Another recommendation I would make is to put Amazon products on separate post. I have actually only started doing this recently. With Amazon’s call limits, what I found was happening, is that because I had both Amazon and Ebay on the same pages, both sets of products would load, right? That would use up an Amazon call, but 95% of the time, the visitor goes to Ebay. If they had gone to Amazon and made a purchase, my call limit would be raised for the next month, but that’s not happening. So, now, all those hundreds of sites with Amazon and Ebay are running out of calls at about 15 minutes after each hour, so 75% of the time, my Amazon is useless. That’s the reason I am separating them now. Hope this didn’t muddy the water.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Fellow happy mage here (for over a year now ; ), and i am looking to buy the Hosting package through Servint though your affiliate link. Hostgator is starting to become a pain in my you know what, and i just want to be done with them. And i can afford the payment that Servint will be.
And from reading this post, it looks like you help people with the tweaks. Can you help me as well : ). I talked to Servint and they said that they would migrate my sites over to them no problem. So it’s just a case of doing it. but i’ve never had a dedicated server before. So how should we do this? Should i buy the server (also, i see alot of numbers and such above where you give some recommendations, but can you post the exact configuration i will need for a server ?) then i will use that configuration you give me to buy the server through your affiliate link, then i guess give you my logins so that you can make the tweaks? Let me know. Thanks!
Hi Neil,
I just replied to your PM.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
1. Thank you for great advice on caching and Ebay EPC.
2. “I think that’s a good start. If I may, I would suggest that you put the Ebay products at the top of the page. Then perhaps your content after that…”
- did you test the CTR with: A: products first + content second
VS
B: content first + products second?
I know that CTR with products first must be much better.
3. We know that Google hates affiliates… and if they would find one of these sites with 5000 posts full of product feeds, they will de-index all related sites… and boom business is gone… – this is what happened with my Adsense account last fall, so I am just trying to be careful this time…
How big is the chance to be found and get de-indexed? I am just thinking… if the picture + article at the top of the page – let’s say 300-500 words – could possibly prevent from getting de-indexed?
4. Is EPN ok with mage sites? did they ever call you or questioned the traffic, or checked some of your sites? or they don’t really care and they just want quality traffic = high conv. rates?
- the reason I am asking is that there are people who got kicked out from EPN, … I did not find any detailed explanations why…
Thank you for your time and advice.
Peter
Hi Peter,
1. You are quite welcome.
2. I’ve not tested and tracked so that I have actual numbers to present. But… when I go back and look at sites that do well vs. don’t do well, I do consistently see patterns among sites that do well, and listings at the top is one of those things.
3. I think that’s something each person has to decide for themselves – weighing risk factor vs reward. I don’t think anyone can definitively tell you things to do to keep from being de-indexed. It’s a risk we all face.
4. You usually won’t find reason why people are terminated from EPN. It happens and unfortunately, they won’t tell you why. They also stated in one of their videos that they can terminate you just because they don’t like the traffic you send. Yes, I have been through 2 reviews. I openly and honestly provided my sites and traffic logs to them and my account was not terminated.
Hope this helps.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I am looking to buy the “Servint” Hosting package Solo Express 850 though your affiliate link.
Have 5 resellers with gator and 1 vps with liquidweb but very poor performance.
I’ve never had a dedicated server, so how should I do? Buy the server through your link
and come back to you with my logins so that you can make the tweaks? Or do you give me the exact configuration i will need for the server and use that configuration to buy it?
Thanks
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan
I’ve actually just updated the post with step-by-step instructions, since I have had lots of questions asking that recently.
Scroll up and look for “Here’s a step-by-step to getting your server ordered and ready to go:”
(One quick note – I’ll be out of the country from 7/10 to 7/17 and probably won’t have reliable internet service.)
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I am also fed up with shared hostings. I am going to order Servint’s Solo Express 850 as you recommended. I have 156 sites now on different Hostgator and hostnine accounts. How many base sites do I need for Servint’s Solo Express 850 account for the same 156 sites?
The Hosting company can help me to move 2 or 3 accounts, correct? Who else can help me?
If I order tomorrow, can you help me with tweaks before your trip?
Hi Nadia,
Yes, we should have time.
Servint probably will be able to transfer all of your sites for you. Since they are spread out over many accounts, you might just want to check with their Live Chat technicians just to make sure.
You’ll just need one domain for the server, and then they can transfer the others with their base domains. So basically, the Cpanels will move over just as they are now. So if you have 7 Hosting accounts, then you’ll have 7 cpanel accounts when they move everything over to your server.
Tracy
Tracy,
Just purchased Servint Express 850 through your link. Where to send a receipt?
P.S. I chatted with CS, they said they will migrate all my sites.
Thank you.
Great – I’m glad they’ll move all of them. I thought they probably would, but didn’t want to commit them.
—————————-
The next day during business hours, they’ll send you a “we got your order” email. Then, within a few hours to a couple of days, they’ll send you a “turnup” email when they finish setting it up.
Once you receive that, you’ll know what your IPs are, so you can go ahead and set up your nameservers. (see below for instructions)
Then, go to this page:
http://magetracker.com/sitetracker/submitticket.php?step=2&deptid=7
and submit a ticket with the server information.
Once the nameservers are propagated, I’ll go in and tweak.
Tracy, I opened a ticket a couple of days ago; I am not sure if you received a notification of it.
Thank you, Nadia
Gotcha – you should get an email shortly.
Hi Tracy,
I’m a happy user of Site Finisher and have a question for you. I have 80 sites on VPS with Liquid Web and am getting lots of Apache crashes and http going down as well (http usually down about 10-12 times per day). I only have Adsense and average about $150 per month revenue. I know this is difficult to answer but I’m looking for your opinion. Would switching to a dedicated server likely make enough of a difference in my revenue to justify the cost? I’m paying $50 per month now for VPS vs. $229 per month for dedicated. Thanks in advance for your opinion.
Best, Howard
Hey Tracy just letting you know that I opened a ticket yesterday and wanna confirm you have received it.
Cheers
Joe
Hi Tracy,
I sent an email to you,too.
When you come back, I would like to talk about Hosting options.
Thank you,
Daniela
Wow over 4000 sites. Unbelievable and how do you have time during the day. If you were to have your own server, can you install all the must haves on from the Mage (Monster) to make it work? No more hassles from anybody anymore. My 2 cents, benjio.
Hello Tracey,
Know you are probably on vacation (hope you are having a great time ; ). Sent you an email through this site and a PM through WPMage site. Just making sure that you got it. Looking to move forward (after getting Monster mage to finally work) and i had some questions for you. Just respond whenever you get a chance. THANKS!
Wow I wish you were here or you had someone who would support me in this. I have Servint and it has taken me ages to figure things out. The support ticket was never replied.
I hope all is okay,
Grace
Yeah, weird she has disappeared from this site as i still see her logging in to the WPMage site, as early as yesterday. strange…
Hi Grace,
I’m bogged down in the swamp – up to the armpits. Nothing is working yet.
Servint did reply to my tickets and helped me as far as they could. Now I’m hoping that MageTracker will help me with the rest.
Regards,
Eddie
Hi Tracy,
I opened Ticket #952834; I am not sure if you received a notification of it.
Let me know when I can expect it to be attended to.
Thanks,
Steve
Hi Steve
If all goes well, your server should be ready for you tonight.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
I’ve talked to you much at length about servers and loads. I read in Mage forum about a person who has 375 mage site on his Servant dedicated server. I have a WireTree dedicated server (not as powerful as yours) with only 86 WPMage sites.
Even with LightSpeed 4 CPU License and W3-Total-Cache installed caching in memory the load is still high at around 25. I’m thinking maybe I need to move my 3 accounts on my dedicated server to ServAnt. Can you tell me which one you have and the specs for it? Something that will hold more than 86 sites without the load going thought the roof and costing me $320/mo.
Hi Twinmom,
Thanks for the post. Are you still offering the following if we sign up through your link?
“Plus, if you purchase through my affiliate link (for either of these companies), send me a copy of your receipt, and login info (takes 1-2 days to be set up), I’ll log in and make necessary tweaks to get your server ready to build WPMage sites and even install your first CPMage if you provide an additional domain.”
If so, can you send me an email to the address that I used to post this message and let me know. I will use your affiliate link to sign up for Servint.
Thanks,
Tim
Tim, yes! I am still offering this service.
Email coming shortly.
Tracy
I cant wait to start my dedicated server. I should have done this along time ago!
Hi Twinmom,
I see that the Servint offerings have changed. Would you be able to email me the link to the one you now recommend. I’d like to go through your link and have you set it up if that would be ok.
Thanks,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Sure – no problem. Watch for an email shortly.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Could you email me about this one too? I’m planning to get Servint from your affiliate link and take your offer to help set it up.
As soon as I get my EPN approval (fingers crossed this week) I will also buy Servint Hosting through your link, so if you would be so kind as to email it to me I’d be grateful.
I plan to copy your method outlined in another post on building 6 sites in an hour and really praying within a year to see some income flow!
Hi Tracy,
Would you send me the link too. I’m definitely ready to move on from HG. Nothing but headaches this month!
Thanks, Cindy
Hey Cindy! Yep – I know what you mean! I tried going back to a few resellers a few months ago, just for variety of IPs, and guess what? Suspended!!
I put some great big images to click on, or you can click on any of the “Servint” links above in the article.
I’d ask that you clear your cookies before clicking. 
I’ve been setting up a bunch of servers lately that I found out I am not getting credit for….
Thanks!!
Tracy