Understanding Web Hosting
Web hosting can be used for family, business, education and ecommerce ventures. Take advantage of free Web hosting or pursue ecommerce ventures with paid plans for Web hosting your site.
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Instructions
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Learn the basics of computer identification numbers. Computers are assigned an identification number referred to as Internet protocol, or IP. Dial-up connections receive their IP number, often called an address, from the Internet service provider, or ISP. One example of a dial-up ISP is America Online (AOL).
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Choose a name for your website. Usually, the name you choose for your website is going to be the same as its location on the Web, meaning the name by which it can be found. This name is called a domain name. The domain name system, DNS, allows computer users to utilize a unique name rather than a number. The benefit of this is more than ergonomic. People can search for your website because it has a letter name rather than a number. Using keywords in metafiles on your websites gives you a greater chance of being discovered by robots searching the Internet.
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Make a plan for your website. Write down the purpose for building a website. Hosting itself is the act of allowing a computer access to a website on another computer. In other words, your website, and the data therein, is placed on someone else’s computer. The host computer, the one that holds your website, is called a server. Servers are much more powerful computers than your home computer, which allows them to host multiple websites. These servers are connected to other servers throughout the World Wide Web all around the globe.
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Determine the cost that fits your budget. Web hosting costs vary, and some are entirely free of charge. The difference between free and paid Web hosting depends on what features are offered. If you want a unique name for your website that is independent of the Web host, you will have to purchase the domain name. Your ownership of the domain name will be valid for a specified period of time, usually a year or more.
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Dive into the details of the Web hosting packages available with each web hosting company you visit. Review the technical aspects of the hosting packages available. Consider bandwidth for your website hosting needs. If you have a website that is potentially going to bring in a large number of visitors, then you’ll want to remove the limit on your bandwidth. To do this, you must pay more money. Some Web hosts do not limit your bandwidth. If you are working on a Web page that is for personal enjoyment, and nothing more, then you do not need to worry about bandwidth. The time you do worry about bandwidth is when traffic is pouring into your website, and the site freezes up. Additionally, your Web host will penalize you for going over the bandwidth limit. Typically 10 MB for bandwidth and 5 GB for email is a basic starting point for Web page hosting. Review the most typical features: transfers, statistics, email, chat room, database support, shopping cart, backup and intrusion protection.
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Hire a Web designer if you are unable to design the website yourself. Take into account the time it takes to build a website. Many Web hosts provide free templates for building your first website, but these often include an advertisement on the template. If you are building a professional website for business, then you will need to design your own Web pages. Hiring a Web designer is a good idea if you want your website to have a professional impression on visitors to your website. As you build your website, you will need to expand your bandwidth capacity, and possibly add other features to your site as technology changes. Contacting a Web designer or graphics freelancer will ensure that your site is up to date with the times. An additional benefit of contracting a designer is that you can call that person any time you need an update to your website.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider other ventures for Web hosting, including selling domain names for profit (see Resources below).
Beware of free hosting sites. If you do not know how they make their money, reconsider what type of information you give them before you apply for a Web page on their servers.
