There are many different websites that offer free web pages or sites for individuals. They generally offer a page or two with an ability to post photographs. Some are free or close to free. They are also very user friendly. You do not have to be a computer genius to use one of these servers.
Think about a website like MySpace. You can get a website there that is totally free. You can add photographs, blogs, messages, videos and even music. The stipulation is that this is for social purposes only, or is supposed to be. This is a good example of a free website.
In the meantime, MySpace uses your webpage to post their own ads. You are limited to space and what type of content you can post. The website does not belong to your, but MySpace.
Now suppose you want to sell products online. You can use a cheap shared server that offers you an opportunity to set up your website for free. They may even provide templates. You will have to get a domain name, such as myfavoritecurtains.com You will register the domain name and then be able to upload your website on the shared server.
In the case of a free shared server, you will be sharing your website with other websites. You will be limited to space as well as bandwidth. You cannot have thousands of people visit your site in an hour as it will take up too much bandwidth. This can be ideal for small business that sells very little products online. In the meantime, your website will probably have a number of ads that are placed on there by the provider to earn the revenue needed to maintain your site.
Shared Server
A shared server is just like a free server only you have to pay a little bit each month to maintain your website. You have a bit more freedom when it comes to ads and can even generate revenue by signing up for Google Ads to be put on your site. You will still have to come up with a domain name.
Dedicated Server
A dedicated server hosts only your website and no others. You have all the space you need to make your website as large as you want. You have enough bandwidth to accommodate all the traffic you can get. You have total control over the ads that you place on your website. You can even have several little affiliate websites to make up for the difference in price.
A dedicated server is the ultimate in web hosting. You are actually hosting your own website. You have space, bandwidth and freedom to what you want. A dedicated server, while costing more money to use, may actually end up saving you money, or adding to your revenue, if used correctly.
