Most people who use the Internet have heard of web hosting. However, unless you have needed to use a web host, many of us do not actually know what a web host does. As more and more people want to set up their own web based business or personal website, it is a good idea to at least have a basic grasp of when a web host is needed and what a professional web host can offer you.
So, here are the basics:-
What is a web host?
A web host is exactly what the name suggests. If you have or want to set up a website, then you will have to have a host to look after and store the information (data) used for that site. To do this, you will have to rent a server from a web host.
What is a server?
A server is just a name for another computer. However, this computer will have a massive hard drive (where the information is stored) or even more than one hard drive. These servers are rented out to you, the customer if you have or are setting up your own website. It doesn’t matter how small or large your company is, everyone has to have a web host. The individual server is identified by a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, which comes in the form of a long number.
To understand what services a professional web host offers, it is important to look at the different types of web hosts around. First of all, you have to understand exactly what you are looking for in a web host and only then you will be able to choose the type of web host that is right for your circumstances.
Types of professional web hosting.
Dedicated web hosting
This is the most expensive type of hosting. This is usually the option chosen by larger companies who have a great deal of complex information on their websites with a large amount of traffic and information that will need to be stored. A dedicated web hosting service will usually offer:-
- A server solely for the dedicated use of the customer.
- Increased speed
- More power
- Higher efficiency
- Masses more storage space
Shared web hosting
This option is more economical than a dedicated host. A single system is still used, but its allocated resources hosted on the server are shared between other users. A shared host offers the following:-
- A limited amount of email accounts, databases, disk space, traffic etc, but usually more than adequate for all but the largest companies
- The most economical way of hosting a website as the costs per machine is shared amongst more than one user.
Free web hosting
As the name suggests, this option is free. A great choice when starting up your own, small web-based business or a personal web site, you will be given a sub domain or a directory. A free web hosting service offers the following:-
- A web host at no cost to the customer
- Restriction on space – usually in the region of 2-5MB
- A very basic service
- Usually supported by adverts
Which service is best?
All three of these options have pros and cons. The option that you choose will be dependant upon the needs of your website. When starting out with your own small business or setting up your own personal website, it is a good idea to choose one of the free web hosting options. That way you will not incur any costs whilst your business is in its infancy and you are probably on a very tight budget.
As your business grows and the traffic and data requirements increase, then moving to a shared host will probably be a good idea. This is the most popular choice for all but the largest of companies, as it offers everything that you need to run a successful website, whilst keeping the costs down to a minimum. You will also get rid of the annoying adverts that are a necessary part of using a free web host.
If you are in the fortunate position enormous chances of your website becoming incredibly popular and successful, this is the time to move up to a dedicated web host to give you the space and increased services that you will need.
Whatever option you choose for your professional web host, always do your researches before choosing the company you want to use. Ensure that they have a good reputation and do not lock you into a long-term contract.
This article is written by James Franklin. He is a freelance writer and tried to describe here the offers that a professional web host proposes to their clients. For writing this article he got some valuable information from iPageReviewGuides.com, which is providing iPage reviews for their clients. He wants to show his heartiest thank towards them.
