Affordable Website Hosting
People who want to have a website, blog etc. will need a web hosting organization which provides an Internet storage facility. Sometimes it is part of the service an internet service provider supplies as part of their package when you sign up with them and can be supplied at no charge. The hosting company has a number of servers, or data centers, where each person is provided with varying amounts of space to store their digital media, including websites; others can then access these files (web pages for example).
Free hosting deals are great for those who want to ‘dip their toes in the water’ for example but the range of services available to them will be limited. Many restrictions exist with free web hosting but that is to be expected and for some it is an ideal situation but for only a few dollars per month, a paid web hosting service is far superior. Hosting packages vary enormously and do not rely purely on the storage capacity available so the decision should be made relative to your particular needs.
Most people and companies start their hosting by using a shared server system which means your files are on the system with other peoples. This will enable you to see if you have chosen a very good company; then change to a dedicated server with your company when you’re comfortable with their services. With web hosting you get your own web space, but you do need to have a registered domain before you can use it, then you are allocated with enough storage to keep all your files for online publication. All companies will allocate a certain amount of space for your website and any other files required to be stored there (photos and MP3 tracks, for example) and this can be anything from 500Mb or more, depending on the host and package you are paying for.
Web hosting also provides the facility to have your own email address unlike those supplied by Google and Yahoo for example, this means, your e-mail address is exclusive to your website. Having your own email addresses are an important sign that a person or company is serious about their internet presence and provides a sense of credibility which cannot be achieved with the many free service providers available. The amount of data that is viewed on your site each time someone accesses it is called bandwidth; it is an extremely important aspect to consider and the main reason why buying the cheapest hosting package is not always best.
Problems will occur in the form of an inaccessible website if the bandwidth is exceeded so if the web host cannot provide the bandwidth you require you will need to use another company. Sites that contain mp3 audio tracks or video files require more storage and a greater bandwidth allocation (amount of data that can be sent) if they are to be used. You may have your own web host in your PC, but that can be too risky; the best option is to settle for paid web hosting, even if you’re new to the internet.
