Who’s Hosting Your Web Site?
When you invest time and money into developing a great web site, you need to be sure your web host is someone you’re comfortable with. Web hosting is like a buffet of options: there’s free hosting (usually paid for by ads you may not want), package hosting deals, where your web host is also your internet service provider; commercial web site hosting; and there are those brave souls who try web hosting themselves. The easiest way to go is with a commercial provider Hosting a Web Site with a Commercial Provider First, you pay. Sometimes a lot. But you should get a lot back from that. Your web site hosting provider should be sensitive to your needs. If you have any kind of financial transactions on your web site, your host should provide you with a secure site link to carry those out (these are specially-coded data transfer systems that make it literally impossible for hackers to intercept financial data in transit). If you provide special downloads, need space for PDF images or pictures, or you expect heavy site volume, your commercial web site hosting provider should be ready and able to manage it. You can find commercial providers online and in the phone book, or you can talk to your own internet service provider to see if they provide web site hosting services as well as internet access; generally the answer is yes. Often, your own ISP will be able to provide you with the hosting service you need at a reduced price. If you prefer a different commercial provider, browse sites similar to the one you plan to have, and contact the web site designer at the bottom of the page; chances are, you can work out hosting with the same company, and you will probably have access to everything you want. It’s also a great way to find a web site designer who will already understand your needs and whose taste in design you already like. Look for package deals. Use a web site hosting provider who will also register your domain name at a discount – or who will provide design service and site maintenance as well as search engine registry at a reduced rate. Always shop around. And try to find a provider who’s responsive to your needs. If they can’t adequately answer your questions, they probably aren’t the best web site hosting provider for you. Free Web Hosting You can get web hosting for free if you’re prepared to accept a few inconveniences. For instance, Angelfire and Tripod provide free web space – but your web site visitors pay for the privilege by viewing ads that support the free host. This is a really bad idea if you’re planning to make money from your visitors; a few discreet ads are fine, but pop-up windows and floating boxes will lose customers for you. If you are offering something like a free web ezine, this may be acceptable – but web surfers are getting more and