Intro to Web Hosting By Matt Alland From

Intro to Web Hosting
By Matt Alland
From: www.hostcompare.com

What is Web Hosting?
A web hosting company rents out web space on a server which is paid for on a monthly basis just like apartment property. In order to run a web site you need to have a server. A server is simply a computer that web space is stored on. Some people buy their own servers, however this is costly and time consuming to maintain. The practical choice is to pay for web hosting, which can help you concentrate on your web site rather than trying to technically operate a server. Servers are easily accessible over the internet using web publishing tools. A web publishing tool allows you to access your server space online, and add files such as HTML (the format web pages are made in). Web hosting has an incredible range of services from free, to thousands of dollars a year. Knowing what kind of services you need is the first step in looking for a web hosting company. Once you know what you're looking for, you can use our tools and resources to find a web host that fits your needs.

Terminology:
If you come across a word you don't understand try looking it up using Webopedia.com. They offer a great selection of computer/Internet related definitions, complete with links and articles pertaining to each term.

Getting a domain name:
Well, lately every successful web site seems to end in "dot com" (with the ".net" and ".org" exceptions). If you want your web site to grow, a domain name is great investment. Running for $15 a year at dotster, domains are very affordable, and can be reserved before finding a web host. Most web hosting companies will reserve a domain name for your through an accredited ICANN registrar when you start a new account. Sometimes you may simply want to reserve a domain name before finding a web hosting company. A great site that reserves domain names quickly and efficiently for you is dotster. It's very useful, and allows you to secure your name before finding a hosting company. Until you find a web host they allow you to secure your name for future use.

For more information read our Domain Registration Guide.

The 3 Kinds of Web Hosting:
Web hosting packages, come in all shapes, and sizes, with a wide array of combinations. There are basically 5 kinds of web hosting, ranging from the basic personal homepage, to the large corporation web site.

Shared Virtual Hosting Specialty Guide
Shared web hosting is where your web site is given a portion of a server, shared with other web sites. Shared server web hosting offers a huge range of plans most around $20 per month. Virtual web hosting allows you to have your web site hosted on your own domain name such as: http:// www.yourname.com. Most web hosting resources primarily compare these types of services. It also frequently referred to as "virtual hosting", and "budget" hosting.

Dedicated Server Hosting Specialty Guide

This is virtual web hosting taken to the next level. Instead of simply sharing server space, you rent an entire server just for your web site. With this, you are given much more control of your web space. You can choose the software you want to use, you can choose setup of your server, etc. Dedicated server web hosting is more reliable, can hold more content, and can handle more visitors (bandwidth) than shared server web hosting. With privileges however, comes responsibility. The more you get, the more you have to handle, and this may not always be convenient. Also keep in mind prices for dedicated servers start at around $150 so it can take a good chunk of change out of your pocket. For more information, tools, and tips about dedicated server web hosting see the WebServerList.com.

Colocated Server Hosting Specialty Guide
Being the most advanced level, this is when you own the server, and they simply provide maintenance for it. The most advanced level of web hosting, colocated gives you full, and entire control over the setup of your server. Maintenance costs start at around $100 and can go up from there. For more information, tools, and tips about colocated server web hosting go to WebServerList.com.

Reseller Web Hosting:
Did you know that many web hosting companies, have a web hosting company host their servers? Reseller web hosting plans make this possible. Large web hosting companies will allow smaller companies to resell web hosting services under their own name for a reduced fee. However, in order to make more profit the company may add additional specialized services such as web design, free tools, advice, etc. One common misconception is that reseller web hosting companies won't be quite as efficient as the actual backbone web hosting provider. This actually shouldn't make much of a difference in the services a web host provides. Because of their expertise in customer support, and discounted hosting plans many will say that reseller web hosts are often better than the backbone web hosts. Overall, don't pay to much attention to whether or not a web host is a reseller. Pay attention to factors such as good pricing, reliability, support. For more information on reseller web hosts, and how to resell web hosting packages visit our Reseller Specialty Guide.

Be Demanding... Very Demanding:
When you're looking for a web hosting company, be demanding. You're the customer who will be paying, month after month for web hosting services, so don't be shy to ask the most from your web host. Always remember, your web host shouldn't be your chain and ball, it should be your key to success. If a web hosting company is ever holding you back from opportunities don't just settle. Shown below is a list of features that your web host should always provide, and if they don't provide these services consider looking elsewhere:

24 Hour Support- If your web host can't even help you, who will?

Money-Back Guarantee- If you're unsatisfied with their services you can simply cancel your account. Always demand at least a 30 day money-back guarantee.

99.9% Uptime Guarantee- Unless you enjoy losing potential visitors to your web site, always look for a company with servers that are up and running, with top notch performance.

Fast Connection Times- Look for fiber optic T3 lines (DS-3) with redundant backbone connections. Anything else could mean slow, or even frequently unconnected requests.

High Levels of Bandwidth- Bandwidth is the amount of information that flows from your server. In other words it's how much traffic your web site can handle. Click here to learn more about bandwidth. Watch out when companies claim to have "unlimited bandwidth". There is no such thing. This is merely a marketing strategy used to lure customers in.

Be Cautious:
Signing up for web hosting is major transaction, and is definitely something that you should be careful about. Don't get yourself stuck into a contract with an unreliable web hosting company. There are scams out there, and companies sometimes lie about the services they provide. Always try to read the fine print, and always make sure that the web hosting company you choose is reputable. Our tools can help you find out if a web hosting company really is what it claims to be. Even though there are lot's of reputable, sincere web hosting companies, there are fair number of scams out there as well. Always keep this in mind. You can never really be fully sure of the reputability of a web host until you've hosted with them, however, its best to minimize doubt as much as possible. For more information on web hosting disasters read A Webmaster's Web Hosting Nightmare. The concept behind our site is to give you information compiled from various resources to ensure validity, mainly because most people need more than one source to be convinced about something, whether it be shopping for a new car, or looking for a web host.

Do Your Research:
Our selection of tools and resources will allow you to do extensive research on web hosting providers with ease. One very useful research tactic is to ask a web host for a list of current customers with the same types of web sites as you. Then personally email the customers asking what they think of their web host's services. Also, read customer reviews, and be sure to read various articles on web hosting for second opinions. Don't base your decisions simply on one resource's reviews, opinions, ratings, etc. Make sure that the information you find is reliable, and consistent through a variety of resources. Also be sure to read the fine prints, and analyze every aspect of each web hosting plan your considering.

Identify Your Needs:
When you were a kid did you ever ask Santa for a million dollars, and end up with a new plastic toy horsy? Well, the same type of mentality applies to web hosting. There isn't any perfect web hosting company, and if we set our standards too high, we're going to end up becoming disappointed. The reasonable way to go about looking for a hosting company is to find something within your price range. As your site grows, and your needs expand you can always upgrade a notch or two. Expecting to get incredible services for absolutely nothing is a simplistic attitude, and isn't going to work too well when trying to find a web hosting plan. You need to find a web host that offers the essential services your site needs, rather than the little goodies you'd like to have. Always remember to prioritize. Think about the most essential services you need to launch your site. A new web site needs to start with a solid foundation before adding all sorts of little advanced functions such as numerous email accounts, CGI scripts, etc. Features such as lots of data transfer, fast connections, and lots of space are some of the most important features for most web sites. Sometimes knowing exactly what you need can be difficult. Try to keep in mind not only what you currently need, but what you're site will need in the future. Shown below are two great web sites that can help you further identify your needs:

PC Magazine- Editor's Choice Web Site Hosting Services
An excellent article, and detailed comparison chart written October, 10, 2000. The article compares such respected hosting providers as Interland, DellHost, Microsoft bCentral, AT&T, and more.

Cnet's Interactive Web Host Chooser
This incredibly useful tool allows you to type in your web hosting needs. The result is a brief, customized, web hosting guide.

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