What is Web Site Hosting?
Posted by megri @ Thursday, September 18, 2003
What is Web Site Hosting?
by Hal Wirtsen
http://www.hosting-us.com
After you have a graphic designer and programmer create
your web site, you will need a web site hosting company. In
order to make an informed decision about what web hosting
company to employ, you must have a general idea of what web
hosting is.
Hosting a web site basically means there is a computer that
stores the files on a server that is connected to the
Internet.
There are companies that exclusively offer only web hosting
services. You can also find what is known as a VAR, or an
Added Value Reseller. A VAR will often give you an entire
package, including designing your web site, advertising it,
and doing the bookkeeping. The benefit of using a company
that offers all these services in addition to also hosting
your web site is that they tend to be smaller companies and
offer a more personal approach. A smaller company will be
more likely to stay in close touch with their clients, to
monitor the sites, and to update the sites periodically.
Whether you go through your web designer for web hosting or
directly to a large web hosting company, there are a number
of factors to consider before choosing a web hosting
company. Of course, you want a company with an outstanding
record of service and reasonable prices. However, price
should not be the deciding factor. Look for a record of
speedy connectivity and reliability. If your web site does
not come up on a viewer's computer fast, or if the server
is always down, your bargain will quickly turn into a
nightmare!
A large, commercial web hosting company will usually offer
more services and greater reliability than smaller, local
Internet providers will. Large web hosting companies store
your files on a major Web server. This server is connected
directly to the Internet through multiple main feeds. The
room in which the server is housed has strong security
devices and safeguards, and the room itself is usually
staffed around the clock.
The bigger the server, the better the back up plans in the
event that there is a problem, such as a power outage.
While it is true that all servers, big and small, have
instant power backup units attached, a larger server will
have a back up unit that can handle an extended power
outage. The large web hosting company also has a server
with multiple feeds, which means that if one connection
fails, another connection immediately kicks in.
Additionally, larger web hosting companies with larger
servers back up your data every single night. This assures
you that your files are protected from power outages, loss,
and file corruption. If you've ever experienced a file
corruption, you will immediately appreciate how valuable
this safeguard is!
Of course, in order for your marketing campaign to be a
success, you must have an excellent web site first. This
means that it must be designed beautifully and dynamically,
and it must function smoothly. You must monitor your
customer needs and motivation frequently, and adjust your
web site accordingly. You must strive for high search
engine positions and good link popularity. And you must
figure out how to drive targeted quality traffic to your
web site.
Of course, once this quality traffic arrives at your site,
they need to view a clear, quality version of your web
pages. That's where a good, reliable web hosting company
comes into play. No matter how brilliant and beautiful your
web site is, if it comes up on the viewer's screen blurry
or difficult to see in any way, you will lose customers.
It is essential to find a web hosting company that monitors
their servers regularly and has the capability to fix any
problems rapidly. That's why you must make sure that your
web hosting company offers excellent quality service and
connectivity. Add to that a good track record of customer
service, extra services such as regular reports, and a good
price.
About the Author: Hal Wirtsen is the webmaster of
Hosting-US.com, which is a free informational website about
web hosting. For more information, please visit:
http://www.Hosting-US.com
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