Web Hosting; what’s it about and what’s Included?

A web hosting service is a service that allows you to get a website up and running and they work quite simply by allowing your site files to be stored within high-powered computers which are already connected to a network…these high powered computers are otherwise known as web servers. When your visitors type in the address of your website, the web server which has your files is connected to the net and then the information which you want to share is sent to the customer’s computer.

There are lots of different services provided along with web hosting in general and these might include keeping the servers maintained, security…to keep the site from being infiltrated with spam or viruses and also to help you keep your customer’s information secure and private…as well as speed and bandwidth provisions.

Before you look at web hosts it’s important to think about domain names; domain names can be considered to be your website’s “internet address” and they’re basically what takes visitors to your site and not to a similar one! Choose a domain name which is easy for people to remember and also relevant to the services or products you offer…snappy names are all well and good but will they show up in a Google search? You can buy your own domain name quite easily or your host may arrange this as part of your package.

Types of Web Hosting

There are a number of different types of web hosting services out there to suit all kinds of needs and you might find that more than one type is suitable for your business…if you’re in doubt, talk to the professionals for more inside information!

• Shared Hosting: This is a simple type of hosting and is cheaper than others due to the fact that one server is shared by a number of different customers. It’s easy to get started with and it’s easy to manage but be aware that if one site on the server has a lot of traffic then all of the sites will slow down…not just the busy one!
• Dedicated Hosting: This is more expensive but more convenient in many ways; the server is yours and yours alone and it can be tailored to meet your requirements exactly. It won’t slow down when other sites are busy and you have full control…but it’s more technical to run and you may need support.
• Cloud Hosting: This is somewhere between shared hosting and dedicated hosting; cloud servers share the hardware of the servers with others but there are certain technological “partitions” in place which allow the users to have their own resources within the cloud and which mean that they are almost enjoying the same resources as those people who use dedicated hosts.
• Certainly web hosting is not a simple business for beginners to grasp but if you’re entering the world of online business as a newcomer then you will find plenty of advice and help out there from professionals who are dedicated to understanding all of the latest technological advances and who will be happy to ensure that you get the best hosting for your needs.

Ask questions, learn how things work and you’ll find that the business of web hosting is far simpler than it may at first appear!

We hope this guide has been of some value and for more advice on web hosting please call us on 01538 750 538