An Easy To Understand Introduction To Web Hosting

Creating a web site is no longer the domain of the uber-geek, hunched over their computer pounding away at the keyboard for hours on end.

Today, building a web site can be as easy as using a word processor but once you've created your site, you need to make it available for the world to see. This is where web hosting steps in.

A web host basically "rents" you storage space on their server, and all the necessary services for your site to be available to anyone connected to the net. Technical issues aside, web hosting runs 24x7 so your website is available to view at anytime, from anywhere in the world.

There are thousands of web hosts vying for your business, so choosing the right one can sometimes be confusing. They range in price from free to hundreds of dollars a month. There are many services and features, all of which can be intimidating if you're not familiar with what it all means.

Why Pay For Hosting?

There are lots of free web hosts on the net, so one of the first questions many people ask is why would you pay for it? The old cliche "You get what you pay for" applies here - free web hosts have some serious limitations.

Most free web hosts add advertisements to your web site. They're not charging you but they still need to make money. They do this by placing ads on every page on your web site. You have little or no control over what these ads say, and they will detract from your web site.

Free hosts also restrict the type of content you can put on your web site. They usually limit the amount of multimedia like music and video - if it's allowed at all. You also might not be allowed to sell anything from your website.

Free hosts come and go, so your web site could disappear in the blink of an eye. If the free web host cancels the service or goes out of business, your web site goes with them.

If your website is at all serious, it's worth paying for a reliable web host. You can find plans as low as $2 a month so they don't have to be expensive. Be careful when making a choice however - the cost isn't always the best indication of quality. High priced hosting plans may not always be the best.

In general, the more you pay the more features and services you'll get. Higher priced plans generally include more disk space, higher bandwidth and other extras like databases, email accounts, autoresponders, and custom scripts.

John Lenaghan writes about very cheap web hosting, and other website hosting topics on the Hosting Report website. Find out more at http://www.hostingreport.org

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