How Does Web Hosting Operate?

If you have decided to set up your very own website, but are not very sure about what a web site is and are unfamiliar with the phrase "web hosting", this article is dedicated to defining these concepts in plain terms.

What precisely is a website?

A web site is a collection of web pages brought together in a systematic fashion. It has a special web address, also known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). A website may have only one web page and sometimes may even contain as many as one thousand pages.

What is a web hosting server?

A hosting server permits you to upload your web site onto it. In some instances, there might be even 1000's of sites on a single hosting server. The web hosting server essentially is a computer with special hardware, which is housed in a datacenter facility with special cooling systems, whose purpose is to safeguard the smooth operation of the server and all the websites accommodated on it.

To summarize, a web hosting server will be really a launching pad when the time comes for you to launch your web site. It could be any sort of web site - a corporate website containing numerous webpages, or a site, which contains only several web pages and which you have developed just for your acquaintances and relatives.

You've reached a decision about what your website will be, now what?

Once you have made a decision about what sort of website you wish to make, the next step is to discover what type of web hosting service you must choose for your web venture. Essentially, there are two types of website hosting services - free-of-cost hosting services and professional paid hosting services. The charge-free website hosting solution is normally used by users that do not have a business site.

Positive and negative sides of the free-of-charge web hosting solution

You will not get a lot of features with a free-of-cost hosting plan. Features like traffic, RAM memory and disk drive storage space are limited and insufficient for a complex online shop or a business site, or even for a web site with lots of graphics. What's more, there are a lot of banner advertisements embedded on your website by the web hosting supplier. These ads occupy plenty of space on your web site and are extremely frustrating.

Shared hosting

The paid shared hosting services are more stable and include numerous sophisticated features in addition to the high-quality web hosting server that will accommodate your website and its content. Even so, it is essential to know which features your web site needs prior to purchasing your web hosting package. You should not hurry and end up investing in something that your site does not demand.

Choose your web hosting distributor

It is not difficult to find a hosting packages provider. You need to simply conduct an online survey in order to find a web hosting company that meets your site's demands. Before you take your actual choice, have a peek at the features of the hosting packages provided by the hosting service providers that have caught your attention. We, for instance, are among the premier hosting vendors on the market these days. The extensive assortment of hosting services and our prices are what renders us an enticing option. However, you must verify what sort of web hosting service you require and whether the price fits your budget. Also, you must always remember to take a look at the web hosting vendor's Terms of Use prior to opening an account to make certain that your site is not violating them.

Signing up for a hosting account

Once you have determined what features are best for your site, the next step is to open an account with the hosting company of your choice. You will be given all the needed tools for handling your website files and databases. With us, for instance, you will obtain a Control Panel, which comprises domain name, web site, database and email account administration sections. You log into the hosting Control Panel using your unique user name and password, which gives you safe access to the portion of the hosting server where your site will be located.

Uploading your website

You can either upload your web site through an FTP program or, as is with most hosting companies, through a web-based tool that is included within the Control Panel. With us, the File Manager is rather easy to use and offers features similar to those encountered in Windows Explorer, which renders file manipulation exceptionally easy. We offer also a website building tool and a PHP-driven script installer, which you can use to set up your site if you have no programming abilities and are making your first steps in web design. The online site building tool, called SiteStudio, will also spare you the time and effort of making a website on your PC and then uploading it via FTP client software or the File Manager interface.