Web hosting is a popular service that allows customers to have a website accessible on the World Wide Web. Companies providing this service store website data on servers, high-capacity computers that have connections to the internet. There are many other components that go into the operation such as web server applications, operating systems, databases and much more. In order to provide a reliable service, the host must have an infrastructure equipped with the necessary hardware and manpower to keep it running seamlessly.
Free Web Hosting
There are many different types of web hosting available but all revolve around two basic models: free and paid. Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) offer these services to customers at no charge. Whether it is provided by an ISP or another company, free hosting is essentially only suitable for running a simple homepage and it is not recommended for running a business. Why? Because of all the disadvantages. Let’s start with the domain name. With free hosting, you get a long and complicated name that literally ties you to the provider. The name is generally difficult to remember and composed in a manner that limits your potential. Another drawback to free services is the presence of third-party advertisements. Many of these companies don’t have the financial resources needed to run a professional web hosting business so it is revenue from third-party ads that keeps them afloat. While this is all good for someone who doesn’t want to pay for hosting, it equals bad news for the individual trying to establish themselves online.
Paid Web Hosting
Paid hosting is an alternative that frees you of the restrictions that come along with the free version. With this type of arrangement, you can express individuality with your own domain name and don’t have to deal with any advertisements. Whereas free hosting leaves you limited in terms of features, paid hosting opens up the gamut with options that allow you to drastically enhance your web presence. Some of these features include email accounts, databases and building tools that enable you to create a professional site even with little experience. Those who are proficient with web technologies can truly excel with support for development tools such as PHP, Python or Microsoft’s Active Server Pages. The best thing about professional hosting is that even though you have to pay, service is affordable for the most part.
The Price of Web Hosting
Although the price varies among companies, you will find that cost of web hosting is usually competitive within certain niches. With traditional hosting, more commonly known as shared hosting, you can easily find yourself a nice feature-rich package for under $10 a month. However, the price starts to go up when factoring in advanced technologies such as virtualization and dedicated servers where you lease your own hardware.
Conclusion
The web hosting business is an integral part of the internet and one of the most successful online industries in existence. These services are relied on heavily by the individuals, small businesses and enterprises who constantly serve the fast moving internet world.
January 22nd, 2010 at 7:47 am
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