Web Hosting can be difficult to understand, but it is actually the space that you buy on the Internet to host your site. Sometimes this web hosting service includes the domain name and sometimes it doesn’t. Choosing your web hosting service is the next step you take after having chosen your domain name. Most website owners choose a hosting company to host the web page because of several factors including equipment, space on server, etc.
Types of Web Hosting Companies
Generally speaking there are two types of web hosting companies. One is called web hosting on a shared server and the other is hosting on a dedicated server. The difference is the amount of space you will receive for your web site.
Web Hosting with A Dedicated Server
When you decide to host your web site on a dedicated server you get a really large amount of space in which you can store all your web site data, files, images, and information. Using a dedicated server is also a lot more secure than if you use a shared server because you are not sharing the server with any other websites, unfortunately it is expensive and not recommended if you are just starting and uploading your website for the first time.
Web Hosting with a Shared Server
This is the way most new sites choose to host their websites in the beginning. It is really economical and it is given to you at this price precisely because you share the server and the IP address with others. Unfortunately there are a few problems that come up when using this type of web hosting. As an example, the web hosting service may go down once in a while and cause your website to go off line. If any of the other users of that server does anything illegal or unethical then the other websites on that server are also thoroughly scrutinized. When a website gets too big then the server has a problem loading it or the web hosting company may contact you asking you to reduce your website size. This is why large companies and large websites prefer to use a Web hosting dedicated server.
What to Look for in a web Hosting Company?
This is not the area you want to cut costs. A bad web hosting company will cause you some serious nightmares and you will end up spending more time and more money fixing the problems they create.
Make sure you choose a reliable web hosting company. This company should guarantee that you have either a minimal or no downtime at all. Downtime means you are not online and your potential customer cannot find you. If you already have customers and you experience a lot of down time, these customers will stop coming to your site and consider you to be unreliable.
A Web Hosting Company that Offers Back Ups
The hosting company you choose should be backing up all the files regularly so that if you should ever lose any information or in the event of a server failure, your work is saved and can easily be restored.
The Number of Email Addresses
Another important factor when choosing a web hosting company is the number of emails the company offers you. You don’t want to have to pay extra for any additional email addresses you may need in the future.
Web Host Company Speed
It is very important that your web hosting company has a fast connection. If your page loads to slowly you will lose customers. Some Internet users still use dial up and if your web host company is slow then your page may not even load at all.
Customer Service is Essential
Make sure the web hosting company has good reliable and efficient customer service. It is important that you have the support you need when you need it and that they are available to help you when you have problems, so those problems get resolved quickly and efficiently and don’t cause you any major problems with your customers.