The internet has been part and parcel of our daily lives in such a way that if you take it away, our world would grind into a halt and become a lame one. There are millions of websites driving the internet, from social media sites to entirely business related ones. Given such a scenario, "website hosting" has become a relatively common term. But what exactly is website hosting?
Website hosting is all about 'publishing' a website on the internet, at a space provided by a website hosting provider. Every website needs to be hosted on a web server before it can be viewed in the browser. It works as if you are renting a digital space where you can set up and format your web pages and from where people can access those pages via the internet. There are practically thousands if not millions of website hosting companies in the United States alone. They can be divided into various classes according to individual needs. There are free website hosting plans which have sponsored advertisements on your web pages. That's how servers earn their money, they can't let you use the space out of charity! There are others who offer their services at a very affordable cost while retaining all the features that you may need. Finally, there are reputable servers who offer premium fee based web hosting plans which are normally acquired by big businesses and organizations.
There are several factors to consider in choosing the right web host for your website. You must examine your options and make a checklist before opting for the perfect server where you will be much better off in the long-run. Check the bandwidth and disk space which would largely depend on the type of website that you are to launch. Security and privacy are also essential, especially if you plan to use the website hosting provider for business purposes. You may have to contact the service providers and inquire about their security and privacy features, and then compare them with other website hosts. In addition, you need to know server speed and uptime for efficient functioning of your new website.
The next stage would be picking the appropriate hosting type. There are many types of hosting, among which are shared hosting, virtual private web server, and a dedicated server. Shared web hosting, as the name suggests, has many users who are using the same machine and share the same server resources. The concept behind shared web hosting is not entirely new and this market appears to be the strongest in the sector. It is an affordable option for beginners or the ones that do not require too many resources. A virtual private server (VPS), also called collocation basically divides one single server into multiple web servers through a concept referred to as virtualization. It is a bit more expensive than shared hosting and is best suited for clients who want power and security but can't afford a full blown dedicated server. If the first two types don't appeal to you or simply doesn't fit your needs, then a dedicated server is the likely solution. A dedicated server is owned by a single user and is accorded complete rights over it. This simply means that you would be given a complete web server dedicated to your web site. You have the right to fully utilize the CPU or RAM resources on it. This type is typically used if you plan to have a website with tons of content, images, and videos. However, the main drawback is that dedicated servers are more expensive and will cost you up to 10 times more than the average web hosts.
The next step would be the actual choosing of the web hosting plan. There are several types of website hosting plans, each type catering to the demands and specifications of every type of website. Personal web hosting plans are generally intended for personal websites and for starters. The rate of data transfer is low that is why personal plans come with lower bandwidth and disk space. Business plans, as the name imply, are used in corporate settings wherein a higher bandwidth and larger disk space are required to accomodate high levels of traffic.
This is basically an overview of website hosting. You may need to conduct further research and dig into the core of website hosting so that you can make the right choice as to your host, hosting type, and your hosting plan. Once you become familiar with the entire concept and you become well equipped with its intricacies, then you will realize that website hosting is enjoyable and profitable.
Website hosting is all about 'publishing' a website on the internet, at a space provided by a website hosting provider. Every website needs to be hosted on a web server before it can be viewed in the browser. It works as if you are renting a digital space where you can set up and format your web pages and from where people can access those pages via the internet. There are practically thousands if not millions of website hosting companies in the United States alone. They can be divided into various classes according to individual needs. There are free website hosting plans which have sponsored advertisements on your web pages. That's how servers earn their money, they can't let you use the space out of charity! There are others who offer their services at a very affordable cost while retaining all the features that you may need. Finally, there are reputable servers who offer premium fee based web hosting plans which are normally acquired by big businesses and organizations.
There are several factors to consider in choosing the right web host for your website. You must examine your options and make a checklist before opting for the perfect server where you will be much better off in the long-run. Check the bandwidth and disk space which would largely depend on the type of website that you are to launch. Security and privacy are also essential, especially if you plan to use the website hosting provider for business purposes. You may have to contact the service providers and inquire about their security and privacy features, and then compare them with other website hosts. In addition, you need to know server speed and uptime for efficient functioning of your new website.
The next stage would be picking the appropriate hosting type. There are many types of hosting, among which are shared hosting, virtual private web server, and a dedicated server. Shared web hosting, as the name suggests, has many users who are using the same machine and share the same server resources. The concept behind shared web hosting is not entirely new and this market appears to be the strongest in the sector. It is an affordable option for beginners or the ones that do not require too many resources. A virtual private server (VPS), also called collocation basically divides one single server into multiple web servers through a concept referred to as virtualization. It is a bit more expensive than shared hosting and is best suited for clients who want power and security but can't afford a full blown dedicated server. If the first two types don't appeal to you or simply doesn't fit your needs, then a dedicated server is the likely solution. A dedicated server is owned by a single user and is accorded complete rights over it. This simply means that you would be given a complete web server dedicated to your web site. You have the right to fully utilize the CPU or RAM resources on it. This type is typically used if you plan to have a website with tons of content, images, and videos. However, the main drawback is that dedicated servers are more expensive and will cost you up to 10 times more than the average web hosts.
The next step would be the actual choosing of the web hosting plan. There are several types of website hosting plans, each type catering to the demands and specifications of every type of website. Personal web hosting plans are generally intended for personal websites and for starters. The rate of data transfer is low that is why personal plans come with lower bandwidth and disk space. Business plans, as the name imply, are used in corporate settings wherein a higher bandwidth and larger disk space are required to accomodate high levels of traffic.
This is basically an overview of website hosting. You may need to conduct further research and dig into the core of website hosting so that you can make the right choice as to your host, hosting type, and your hosting plan. Once you become familiar with the entire concept and you become well equipped with its intricacies, then you will realize that website hosting is enjoyable and profitable.
About the Author:
Web page hosting is definitely one of the many factors affecting a website's performance. To avoid any hassles, you must make sure you can rely on your webhosting company before you subscribe to their website hosting service. Click www.active-venture.com to find out more.
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