This is the 2nd of 4 articles about having your own web site
(to see the previous articles, please go to: http://baliadvertiser.biz/articles/index.html)
Getting a hosting service
A company that hosts websites provides computers that are
connected to the Internet and makes its contents available
to everyone on the Internet. These computers are known
as “public servers” or “webhosts”
and they are computers that are specifically setup to allow
outside users to access the information on them. When
you type in a web site address (like: www.baliadvertiser.biz)
you actually go to one of these computers to see the site.
The type of webhost you require depends upon what your website
has to offer. If you are simply looking to create a small
personal website you may already have space set aside for
your use from your current ISP (Internet Service Provider).
AOL, MSN and virtually all ISP’s provide some space
as a part of the monthly charge for access, so start by checking
with your current ISP. Hundreds of companies provide
free hosting space that is advertiser supported if you don’t
have a current ISP. You can get the Yahoo! list for free web
pages by going to http://www.Yahoo.com and searching for ‘free
web pages’.
If you are a business, the free options are not a good idea
because you can’t control which ads will appear on your
site and you won’t have your own unique web address
(ex: www.yourcompany.com). Businesses should start by
registering a domain (see previous article in this series)
that can be used for marketing purposes.
Once you have acquired your domain, you must find a hosting
package that will provide all the services that you will need.
If you are simply posting a website that gives out basic information,
like your phone number, address, and a little about your products,
you won’t need very much in a hosting package.
If you want to use your website for marketing purposes, features
such as traffic analysis, e-mail forwarding and databases
could be needed. If you want to sell things through
your website, credit card processing, shopping carts and auto
responders may be necessary.
Most hosting companies charge based on the amount of space
you require and the amount of traffic your site generates.
Most websites are rather small unless you are using lots of
photographs or streaming media, so your content will have
a lot to do with your hosting needs.
If you need a professional hosting package, start by checking
with your current ISP as it is always best to do business
with someone that you already have a relationship with.
If your ISP does not offer the proper level of hosting, you
can research hundreds of web hosting companies by http://webhosts.thelist.com/business/
