What’s a Web Host and How Do I Choose One?
You have a business and you’ve had it for some time now. You think that the next logical step is a website! Get your name out to the masses. You’ve heard about web hosting, but you’re unsure of what it is or why you need it. Here’s a brief summary on the basics of web hosting.
Web Hosting is like a home for your website. You’ve purchased a domain name and you need a host to get things set up. The web host provides storage for all your data. Usually a web host houses one or more websites. The web host provides maintenance on a regular basis as well. So if you didn’t have this home to store your information, you wouldn’t have much of a website!
So now you know the basics of what web hosting is all about. Now you need to how to choose a web host. There are many web hosts out there, so feel free to shop around. One of the big things to think about is how big you want, or need, to go. Many web hosting companies provide packages at many different tiers. They usually start from lowest (a smaller amount of space) to highest (most amount of space) and the prices accommodate.
Another factor, especially if you’re a business that centers around selling a product (or products), is what kind of shopping carts are available to use. Many hosts have a variety of options to give its customers. And for the customer who doesn’t have a cart, there are many different scripts out there (i.e. WordPress for a blog) to make your website pop.
Now, there is a lot of things for you to consider. And you’re thinking, “I know nothing about code or scripts or design. What do I do”? Well, another thing to look for in a host is what kind of help they can provide you. Many web hosts do offer these services for a fee. If you can afford it, you won’t have to “lift a finger” so to speak!
So now you have a basic understanding of what a host does and some things for you to look for when chosing a web host. Good luck on your journey!
