Some Web Hosting Basics
Web hosting allows individuals and companies to reap the benefits of internet publishing and marketing. In order to publish content in any format, be it text, images, videos or music, or for even uploading files to be downloaded later, seeking a web hosting facility is a must.
There are professional companies that specialize in providing web hosting via offering space and accounts on web servers that they maintain. Their clients can then upload their websites on these servers, which are located in a data center—well-connected to internet backbones via high-speed lines.
Web hosting is of many different kinds and comes with different type of tools and packages. The basic web hosting facility, which many companies either call cheap web hosting or budget web hosting, comes with a web space quota, FTP access, and email accounts.
Users are able to upload their web pages via the File Transfer Protocol software and can send or receive emails through the provided email account. This kind of simple arrangement works fine for many businesses where the requirements are straightforward.
However, for websites that are not as simple as that and require the availability of particular software or support for a programming language on the server, special web hosting plans need to be selected. For example, if your website includes a database part which is built on MS Access, and ASP scripting language has been used throughout the code, you must opt for a special Windows based web hosting plan.
For websites that take direct orders from customers, providing transaction security is a must and hence the requirements will include either the ability to install, or availability an SSL certificate. Web hosting plans that are called ecommerce web hosting plans often include the availability of an SSL certificate.
Apart from these web hosting plans that are specific to the tools and software available on the server, you’ll also come across many other types of web hosting plans. The most searched for is free web hosting. However, as they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and free web hosting also comes with banner or text advertising on your website by the host firm. The features provided on free hosting plans are also very minimal.
Image web hosting, which is also offered for free by many providers, not only allows you to store images on the web, but also arranges them in a gallery-like fashion. It’s the ideal way to share pictures with family and friends or to display your photography portfolio.
Shared web hosting refers to the set-up where multiple websites are hosted on the same server, resulting in low cost of operation for the hosting firm and reduced hosting fee for the customer.
Overall, the options for web hosting are good in number, and you should research your choices well before making a decision on your web hosting provider and plan.
