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For many people using the internet is a daily occurrence, whether it be for work or leisure, shopping or gaining information. While many of these people are confident in how to use the internet, and what it can do for them, there are also many people who have no idea of how it works, or what they would need to do to get their own website.
Every single website on the internet, be it the one page site of an individual or a huge, multi-page website of an international company, has the same principle behind them. In order for their website to be visible to the millions of internet users it must be displayed through the services of a web hosting company. Web hosting is basically the process of providing a service which enables your website to be viewed online. This can only be done by these service providers as it is only them who have computers, much like your own, which are directly connected to the internet. These computers are used solely to serve up websites onto the internet, lending them their official name of “servers”.
The web host will generally host many thousands of web sites and as such they require a very fast connection to the internet. They have a set amount of access to the internet, which they rent out to people who want their own online web site. As the internet has grown in popularity, the renting of space has become financially rewarding. As such, more companies are trying to get involved in it. You may find that you are dealing with the company that owns that main server directly, or you may find you are renting your space from a company who, in turn, are renting their space from a larger web hosting company. In this case, the server of the smaller company is linked to the server of the larger company, so it is the larger company who actually enable your website to be viewed online. It is really inconsequential to the website owner whether they are dealing with the main company directly or a smaller subsidiary as the end result is the same.
This information is just the basics of how the internet and web sites work. In order to have your own web site you need to do more than just rent space from a web hosting company. For example, you will need to create the site itself, either personally or by hiring the services of a professional. However, whatever you do to make your web site vibrant, attractive or interesting will be totally useless without ensuring you have paid a web hosting company to actually put it online for you.
What is web hosting: In the simplest words, web hosting is putting up your website or domain on the World Wide Web (www) Network. ‘Putting up' is termed as hosting. Web hosting is done in order to give access to the world to your site (your page or the contents). Web hosting is done with the help of a server, which is connected to the internet.
In order to have your page/site connected to the web, you will have first to name it. The page/site name is called domain name. There are free domains where you need not pay for hosting, but here you have very restricted services. Hence, it is good if you have a low cost domain hosting if you have a low budget, but paid is preferable to the free services. Domain names usually end with .com. However, there are other suffixes like .org, .edu, .info, .in, .net and so on, which are as popular. Some suffixes indicate the business they are in like .edu will definitely be educational; .au is from Australia, .ro from Romania, and so on. When you choose a domain name, you must keep in mind that it will represent you on the web. So, choose a simple and concise name, preferably one that reflects or is your brand name. Simplicity is as important as accuracy as people will need to remember it to get back to you. It should not be too difficult to remember.
Once you decide on the domain name, you will have to turn your attention to the other factors required for a good web hosting decision, i.e. capacity of storage for your domain, traffic transfer capacity, customer support services, and reliability of the servers.
For storage capacity, you will need a minimum of 500 MB, which will be up gradable by your web host when you feel you need it. This usually involves a hike in the web-hosting price as well. With regard to traffic transfer or bandwidth, most web hosts offer about 100 GB traffic transfer per month which is okay for a small to medium website. Please take care that this is included as without the traffic to your website, your site will be dead. Some web hosts who charge very less for hosting will have additional prices for traffic transfer. Be sure you know about it and agree to it. Once you are with a web host, changing is cumbersome.
The most critical factor is service support. In order to have a good traffic and build good rapport your website should be always functional. In case there are some problem in accessing, opening of pages, or downloading, the web host should be able to settle the problem as fast as possible as time will cost you money and business rapport. Ideally, they should provide you with round the clock, seven-days-a-week service for paid services.
Last but not the least; their server's reliability is synonymous with the reliability of your site in the eyes of your customers. If your site throws up ‘server not available' all the time, your customers will shift their business elsewhere. Hence, you have to ensure that your web hosting is done by reliable and up-to-date servers, which can and will provide round the clock service with adequate back up in case of any interruption. They have to assure you to deliver 99.5% uptime, and their backup plans.