Web Hosting: All You Need To Know
Many people realize they need a web host to put their sites online but do not understand exactly what a host does or why they simply cannot do this themselves. This article will address the basics of web hosting and hopefully answer many of the questions you may have. With personal and business websites becoming a must have for people and corporations worldwide, it is important to educate yourself on how hosting works. This will prevent issues down the road when you are ready to unleash your website presence to the internet audience and garb your own little corner of the world wide web.
Since most people and businesses cannot afford the servers necessary to place their websites on the internet themselves, they sign up for a host. The host is simply a server dedicated to storing your information in a folder and making it viewable to those who visit your website. The hosting company also provides many of the tools needed to operate your site, such as page templates to build your site, email packages as well as technical assistance when necessary. It really isn’t hard to understand what a host does but it is something that most cannot afford to do on their own.
There is quite a bit of equipment necessary to host a site which is why most simply do not do it anymore as the cost will never be recouped. The first item you need is a redundant power supply. These are single units with multiple power supply’s inside. This means that if their is a power failure on one, the other kicks in to make sure the system continues running and websites stay online. You will also need redundant servers that ensure that the site is always up and accessible if one server fails. The same goes for communication lines to prevent failure. You will also need the software to run a web server as well as firewalls that protect the system from attack.
The web hosting market is extremely crowded as there are a lot of competitors vying for clients to host. They will often undercut each others price which is ideal for someone looking for a new host. You do need to verify that the host you choose has been around for a long time as many companies are here today and gone tomorrow, leaving you in a bind.
Everybody needs a web host to get their site online. As mentioned, it is too costly to do so yourself and a huge headache to maintain. It is always suggested to simply shop around for the best deal available that meets your requirements at the lowest cost to you.
Web hosting companies often offer discounted packages to attract clients or offer special additions to their packages that a competitor may not offer. This could be something like 2x the bandwidth of others or more storage space. The goal is to find the best deal from the more reputable hosts.
By now, you should have a better understanding as to how a host works and why they are necessary. When you choose to find a host to launch your site, simply understand the expense and focus on comparing packages and pricing from competing host companies to ensure a cost that you can live with.
