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You can't have a website without web hosting. Your hosting service provides you with space so that you can store and relay information on the Internet.
Web hosting providers use several servers that hold the information and relay the information for you. Web hosting is not something that should be taken lightly.
By using the right service you may be able to give yourself more exposure on the Internet.
If you do your research and go about this process wisely, you will be able to find a web hosting service that provides you with affordable and accessible hosting.
What Type of Web Site Do You Have?
When you begin your search for a web hosting service, you will want to recognize what type of website you have. Is the site personal or is it for a business?
Do you want a few fun pages or do you need several pages for business information? How much your site will grow over time will help you determine your needs for space from your web-hosting provider.
What Are Your Web Hosting Requirements?
Depending on the type of site that you have, you may have different server requirements. There is not necessarily a one size fits all web-hosting package, so you need to determine what you need. Do you need Perl, PHP support, or MySQL? Do you need email accounts as well?
It is important that you discuss these requirements with your web designer so that you are paying for services that you need and not for services that you don't need. You also have a few options when it comes to platforms. Most web hosting service providers offer Unix or NT.
Either one will work if you are using a standard HTML site without any server side scripting or database support. If you do intend to use databases or ASP on your site, then you should choose NT hosting. If not, Unix will work perfectly well.
What Web Design Program Are You Using?
The web design program that you are using will make a difference in whether or not your site will work. If you are using Microsoft FrontPage, then you will need to ensure that the web hosting service provides FrontPage extensions. If they do not then the scripts in your website will not work properly. Macromedia Dreamweaver is a good product and is more compatible with web hosting services.
How Much Space Do You Need?
Space will determine how much traffic your site can handle. For many sites this is not an issue and the majority of websites only require a few megabytes. Although, many web hosting services will be able to provide you with several gigabytes. You may need to take this into consideration if you are going to be employing a lot of Flash and multimedia in your site. Some web-hosting providers will have penalties if you exceed your space.
Email
Email has become the basis of communication for the majority of online businesses. If you are going to be using your web hosting service's email, then you will need to ensure that they are able to provide you with all of the email accounts that you require. It can be expensive if you need to pick up additional accounts
Action Steps For Finding A Web Host
1. Assess your website's needs and what you will be doing with the site.
2. Discuss your requirements with your web designer. Many designers are able to set you up with hosting as well.
3. Set aside a good amount of time to invest in researching several web hosts before making your final decision.
Important Points About Web Hosting
- You can always buy what you need now, and upgrade later. •Ask about security if you are going to be selling anything on your websites.
- What may be a good web hosting service for one person may not be for another.
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