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Loading...Tip From the Experts:
Your web host stores your website and displays it to the world.
Your website isn’t any good if people can’t see it.
This makes it ESSENTIAL that you find a reliable hosting company with a strong uptime guarantee.
At the most basic level, a web site is a set of files. These files need to be saved on a computer somewhere.
This computer that stores your website files is commonly called a server. This computer, your server, is then hooked up to the internet. Whenever someone wants to view your website, your server displays your files, your pictures, and your text.
Your server can be located anywhere. It could even be your computer at home!
The problem with using your home computer, however, is that your website would go down if you ever turned off your computer, or if the power went out, or if the internet communication was interrupted to your home.
To avoid these problems, website owners rent computer space outside of their home to store their website files. The facilities with these rental servers often have back-up computers, contain generators (in case of electrical difficulty), and have multiple redundant communication lines (in case one internet service provider is temporarily unavailable).
The companies that provide these rental servers are call web hosting companies. The service that they provide – renting you some of their computer space for your website – is referred to as web hosting.
As you understand by now, a reliable web host is essential to the growth of your online business. Having the best website in the world won’t do you a bit of good if people can’t access it. So how do you choose a good hosting company?
When making your decision, you need to consider price along with the following factors:
Up Time. Some hosting companies provide a guaranteed up-time, or a promise about the percentage of the time that your website will be fully functional and accessible to the public. Use a host that has a high Up Time Guarantee — for example, Green Vine Designs provides a 99.9% Up Time Guarantee.
Disk Space. Disk space is the amount of storage space you will have available for storing your website files, expressed in terms of bytes. As a ballpark figure, most 10 page informational websites will use less than 100 megabytes of disk space.
Bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of data you can transfer in a give time period, typically expressed in terms of bytes per month. The amount of data your site will need to transfer depends on the number of people viewing your site and the type of content that your have. For example, transmitting text requires much less bandwidth than transmitting video. A 10 page informational website with moderate viewership will use less than 1 gigabyte of bandwidth per month.
Email. Another important consideration is whether the web hosting company includes email services as part of your hosting package. Also be sure to check how many email accounts they will permit you to open.
Visitor Tracking. Another crucial feature included with some web hosting packages is the ability to track the activity on your website. In order for you to build a successful online business it is essential for you to be able to see how many people are visiting your website, how these people are finding your site, and what they are doing on your site. The tracking software included with our hosting packages allows you to see all of this information.
These days, most web development companies offer hosting services. The significant advantage of hosting through your developer is that they will have an easier time setting up and trouble shooting your site. The disadvantage is that their hosting services are typically much more expensive than you can find elsewhere.
But not all developers use hosting as a money making tool. For example, here at Green Vine Designs our Basic Hosting is only $5.95 a month. This includes email service, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and visitor tracking software. To view all of our hosting packages, visit our Web Hosting Page.
So if you are planning to host through your web developer, be sure that you understand the rates and what services are included in their hosting before you sign the contract for your website.