You may be a total novice when it comes to running a website and not even know what “web hosting” means. In simple terms, web hosting means a company provides you space on their server which will keep your web site up and running properly. If you want to learn how web hosting benefits you and your website, keep reading for solid advice about web hosting.
When deciding on a host for a large site, you need to figure out how much bandwidth you will use. Depending on the amount of traffic your site gets, you need to make sure the host can accommodate large files and downloads. If you have a host that cannot handle large amount of traffic, then you will experience a lot of downtime.
Be sure to back up your website and information to your computer as often as you can. Your host may not back up your site so if they experience extensive technical difficulties or are even shut down for good, your site will practically be gone forever and you will have to start anew.
If you have a small to mid-sized company and want to cut hosting costs, you should go with a shared server. If you do not get lots of traffic or do not wish to have control over your server resources, then go with a shared host. Just keep in mind that you will be sharing CPU, disk space, and bandwidth.
If you are going to have a website that mentions products and services that you offer, you need to have e-commerce hosting available in order for the customers to make purchases. You do not want to push your customers, but at every opportunity, they need to have the ability to make a purchase at their disposal.
If you will be using more than one domain name or run more than one website, it’s important to select a web host that allows add-on domains. You can find hosts that allow you to have up to 20 different websites on one account for free which should allow you plenty of options.
When reviewing potential web hosts, look for one that can give you detailed analytics about your site’s traffic. Add an automatic counter to the site so that you have something to compare with the numbers your host provides you. When you run an online business, this data will help you customize your strategy in reaching out to your audience.
If you are new to web hosting, you should get open an account with a free service and create a small website. This will allow you to practice and understand how uploading content is done. Once you feel more comfortable, it is time to invest in a better service and upload your real website.
So basically a web host is an entity that allows you to hold your information online at all times, so that people can access the content on your site. You’re paying for a server. This article should help you understand the intricacies of the web hosting business and help you choose the hosting service that fits your needs.