Across the huge array of different website hosting companies, you will find a variety of services and functions which are offered to clients. This will include the control panel that is used to manage the website and in the vast majority of cases that will be cPanel. Although not the only control that can be used to manage websites, it is the one that most website owners recognise and have experience of using.
One of the benefits of cPanel’s widespread use across most hosting companies is it means that should a website owner wish to switch hosting companies, or at least try a different one for a new website, there is not a huge learning curve with respect to managing that website. cPanel looks and operates pretty much the same on all hosting accounts, which means if you are happy with it on one web hosting service, your will be happy with it on any other that uses it.
Continuing on the theme of consistency, cPanel also provides a number of functions that every website owner will need or want regardless of which website they are managing. Within those there are some core functions which most website owners would consider essential, and we are going to go into some detail with respect to 5 of these functions.
Creating Multiple Email Accounts
Every business needs email and the fact that within cPanel you are able to create and manage multiple email addresses for you and your business is extremely helpful. It means that you can allocate a business email address for individuals within your business, for different departments, but also if you are a sole trader, you can set up an email address for specific aspects of your business. This can include an email address for customer care, one for sales, and one which includes your name.
Installing WordPress Or Other Platforms
Normally found in the section titled ‘Softaculous Apps Installer’, cPanel allows you to create your website using a vast array of platforms and CMSs. The most popular of these is WordPress, and the process to install WordPress as the foundation for your website is extremely easy. In fact, it can be done within a couple of minutes and requires you only to follow the instructions on the screen and enter some basic information relating to your website.
Uploading And Managing Files
Any website will consist of hundreds. if not thousands, of files which all need to be stored and managed. Also, if you wish to add anything to a website, such as content, this also needs somewhere where it can be stored and managed. Thankfully, cPanel’s file management system is extremely easy, and closely follows the same principles with regards to how you move, copy, delete or upload files that the file management system on your computer is likely to have.
Adding Subdomains And New Domains
As your business grows, or if you wish to expand your website, one of the ways in which you can facilitate this is to create additional subdomains for your existing website or create new domains and add additional websites to your hosting service. New domains can be added to your cPanel account, and subdomains can be created within it too. An example of a subdomain would be ‘blog.mydomain.com’ and a new domain could be ‘mynewsite.com’.
Backing Up Your Website
You may have heard horror stories of businesses losing their websites overnight due to them being hacked. It is also the case that business owners occasionally delete their website accidentally by pressing the wrong button on their keyboard. To guard any of these nightmares you should backup your website regularly, and especially before making any changes to it. cPanel has a function within the ‘Files’ section, called ‘Backup Wizard’ which you can use to back up your website.