So, you want to create a presence on the Internet and are wondering what web hosting options you have for making your website available on the World Wide Web?
Firstly, you have to create your website. This can be outsourced to a website developer/designer or you can attempt it yourself, if you have the time, software and skills required. This task may be simplified if you have access to point-and-click software provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or web hosting company. The software I am referring to is generally called a 'website builder'. This article is not intended to discuss website creation, however.
Secondly, once you have created your website, you have to make it available or accessible on the World Wide Web. You do this by uploading your website to a web server. This is sometimes referred to as 'publishing your website'. The web server stores your website on its hard disc and makes it accessible to a web browser when someone types the website's address or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the browser's address bar. So, once you are ready to publish your website you need to consider web hosting options, i.e. which web server are you going to upload your website to?
There are four web hosting options and each have their advantages and disadvantages:
Options 1 and 2: Use the free web space provided by your ISP or use a free web hosting provider.
Advantages: Zero cost, adequate for very simple websites.
Disadvantages: You will not get all the features available from stand-alone web hosting packages, unwanted advertising, very limited disc space and bandwidth (amount of data that can be transferred per month), and you may be limited in the number of websites you can host.
Okay, these options come at zero or no extra cost. So why not make use of the free web space provided by your ISP or one of the many web hosting companies offering free hosting? Well, that all depends on the type of website you intend to put up. These options are fine if you are creating a simple personal website comprising of a few pages and you don't mind the advertising that comes with 'free web space', but it would be totally unsuitable for business purposes. Basically, you get what you pay for and if you are paying nothing... well, don't expect much! However, if you really want free web hosting and your ISP doesn't provide it, simply Google "free web hosting" with the quotes. At the time of writing, the number of results obtained from www.google.com was 9,050,000 - so it shouldn't be too hard to find a provider!
Option 3: Purchase a web hosting package/plan from a reputable web hosting provider.
Advantages: You will get all the bells and whistles that come with this type of package/plan, no advertising on your web pages, very generous disc space and bandwidth, you might be able to host an 'unlimited' number of domains and websites, you will have access to better technical support than is generally provided for free hosting from your ISP or free web hosting provider.
Disadvantages: You pay a monthly or annual fee.
If you have decided that your website(s) deserve a better web hosting environment than 'free', then you need to do some research to identify a suitable web hosting company that will meet your needs. You could start with a search for web hosting comparison sites. However, the information provided by such sites is often very biased, as the companies they recommend pay the site owners a nice commission for referring you to them. You would be better off searching for web hosting forums, preferably those that don't permit the use of affiliate links. Comments made on such forums are likely to be unbiased if there is no monetary gain to be made by the forum's posters.
Option 4: Set up a server at home or at the office.
Advantages: Total control of your web server.
Disadvantages: Need to be very technically savvy, need a permanent Internet connection, need to provide adequate security to prevent hacking, costs associated with running and maintaining the server.
This option is not really one that I would recommend. The only advantage is that you and you alone have access to your server and are able to configure it any way you like. However, you have to have the right technical knowledge to set up your server properly and ensure it remains protected from hackers. You also have to keep the server running around the clock to ensure that your website remains accessible to your visitors. Also, depending on the amount of traffic you expect your website to receive, you may have to upgrade your Internet connection at a cost far higher than what you would pay a web hosting provider. There are many technical issues that need to be taken into consideration if you choose this option, too many to discuss in this short article.
In closing, I hope this brief introduction to web hosting has provided sufficient information to get you started in your research for evaluating web hosting options suitable for your needs. Make your choice wisely and remember 'free' generally comes at a price.
Copyright 2008 Dick Grant in association with Must See Promotions (dot) com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You have permission to republish this article as long as the author, article title, article body, and article resource box (author bio) remain intact. Visit http://hostgator.mustseepromotions.com and find out how you can try a professional web hosting package for only 1 cent (first month). You will also receive FREE software and other bonuses, too. Time limited offer - hurry before you miss out! |
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