Put simply, web hosting is the service that allows you to have a website on the Internet. I like to think of my hosting service as my site storage space, but it is on the web, and looked after by my web hosting company.
Web hosting is the act of storing the files for a web site on a specific computer (called a ‘server’) which displays them as necessary to people as they visit that web site. Hosting requires you to have your own allocated space (RAM) on a server, as well as a fast connection to the Internet.
A good hosting service runs their own server monitoring to ensure that your data is kept safe and that your hosted websites maintain maximum operational status. Also, on the best services connectivity to the data centres is supplied from diverse telco carriers representing something like 25GBps (gigabit per second) bandwidth in total.
Once you have chosen a web hosting service you will need a domain before you see any web site you upload on to your hosted web space. Domain names must be registered in order to be used, and for your convenience many hosting companies will also sell you a domain.
Many web hosts provide domain registration services that allow you to buy and use your domain name, but be aware that their charges may be higher than hunting around for registration elsewhere.
Some would say that it is also a good idea to register your domains separately. This is because, if for any reason you have a problem with the hosting service, and sometimes sites do get banned for a variety of reasons, you will be able to move your site more easily if the registrant is a third party.
Don’t let the idea of the cost of domains put you off starting a web site, Domains are very affordable, and registration is very simple.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the most popular form of hosting due to its low cost.
Shared website hosting permits more than one site to be hosted on the same server. Here, the web hosts provide system administration on up to say 1,000 sites on the same server. Shared hosting is the most basic level of hosting, and usually works very well. However, where numerous web sites are shared on one server there is always the chance that the burden on the processing capacity by other users may slow your site.
So, although we like the low cost and this is an economic solution, these types of sites typically cannot handle large amounts of storage or traffic. So, if you are successful with your site you may need to move up to using a dedicated server which a web host can buy for you and locate in their data centre. This will be a natural progression for any successful web site creator, and the cost will not normally be an obstacle as by the time your traffic rises so that you need a dedicated server, you will be able to make more than enough money from the site to pay for a dedicated and colocated server.
Nowadays, shared hosting comes with its share of convenient features. Many Web hosts offer powerful control panels that make it easy for users to upload their files, check with statistics, add small functionalities and handle other such small tasks easily. Indeed a lot of the time spent in choosing a web host package will be consumed in assessing the bundle of features provided.
Website hosting can be cheap, but also reliable and fast if you choose wisely. Read reviews and look for complaints on forums and in places like Yahoo Answers. Many low cost web hosting plans come with full email (pop3/smtp and imap) support and some even have unlimited email aliases and responders. However, if they appear to offer too much in value, they may simply be unable to provide other things such as reliability or speed.
Website-related software for creating and optimizing your web site is getting better and easier to use. Already, many people that possess very little technically-savvy are enjoying running their own websites and email. As time goes by, the bar to doing so will continue to get lower and lower.
Yes, website hosting and editing has never been this easy, writing good looking pages, adding or deleting pages, changing navigation labels, and adding links wherever you need them, requires no special skills. So, now is the time to start your new web site, and becoming a respected expert in your favorite subject. Also, earning additional income through this route has never been easier.
Steve Evans is a successful web site creator and marketer. He has over 40 web sites and uses a number of web hosting services. As a consumer of web site hosting services since 1997, he has a great deal of experience from which he has provided consumer reports on more than a dozen web hosting services. He hates poor service and just as strongly likes to encourage the best of services. See his independen