Question about usage?

[Freckled]

I just thought I would ask this question of all of you that have your own domain and hosting account.

I am curious to know of all the features offered by your hosts which ones do you use the most?

Which ones will you probably never use?

Is there a particular feature that if a host didn't have it, you wouldn't choose them for a host no matter how good they are?

 

[alpha]

I haven't needed to use my host's control panel in a long time, but when I do all I check is how much bandwidth I have been using.

 

[imported_maxhest]

Meh, they just use the ftp, most don't use the panel. Some use it, for the powertools, a very popular addon!

 

[FatalSw1tch]

usually they are using fantastico when it is installed. Otherwise it is to check their web stats

 

[Freckled]

Thanks for you input, I have a lot of front page users and so some of them have never even logged into the cpanel at all, it just amazes me all the great tools they are never even aware they have.
The fantastico users will tend to use more items only because that is what finally gets many of them into the control panels.

Do you find that the more advanced hostees tend to use the options in cpanel any more or less than newcomers do?

 

[FatalSw1tch]

I have found it is the new comers that use the options more then the regulars. Maybe that is because they are trying to find out what does what.

 

[Lesli]

There does seem to be a period, with many newer customers, when they're trying everything just to see what it does. I was "tracking" the learning curve of one of my customers by seeing what tools they used (actually, hearing about their resulting questions in the forums). As the person got over the fact that they were no longer on a free host, they added more email forwarders, including a few multi-person forwarders / mini mailing lists. As they learned about the joys of script-toys, they installed a few scripts through the autoinstaller. Then they added some subdomains. They fiddled with the custom error page utilities, then moved up to editing the .htaccess file manually. Next was installing simple scripts in the cgi-bin and setting the permissions on their own. Next step, noodling around in phpMyAdmin to see what the databases did and how they interrelated.

Parents must feel like this watching their kids crawl, walk, run, and learn to read.

 

[imported_HadleyHost]

I think most people just use the ftp and pop3 for email

 

[Freckled]

Oh I know Lesli, it is so much fun watching what gets installed and then deleted right away and then seeing the questions come in. I charge extra for script installations and when I send them back information that it is installed I always send notes about what was done and how they can use the program once it is installed as well as links to the products forums so they don't feel lost with it once they start using it. I am probably my biggest script user on the servers, I just can't get enough gadgets myself.

 

[RobAPI]

I use phpmyadmin most for accessing and backing up databases with gzip.

I doubt I would ever use boxtrapper, I don't think it is good to make people reply to an automated message, especially if it is an urgent message.

 

[Vovex Technology]

I would say only about 30% of the panel features were actually used. When I say panel I am referring to cPanel, which was installed on my servers.

Most clients were drawn into the webstats, hotlink protection, mail tools and forum scripts. I did tend to see most of the advanced hosts using MySQL and PHPAdmin. Then again, newcomers are normally not equipt with the knowledge to operate php + mysql.

Freckled: If I were a web user checking out your company here are a few things which I would require in order for me to consider signing up (as far as control panel features):
- Mysql + phpAdmin
- Webmail + mail tools
- Hotlink protection
- extra scripts (like phpbb, ecommerce, etc)
- Web Stats
- FTP access

Other than that I dont really use too many of the other features.