Hosting Your Website
A web host is a company that stores web sites for their customers. Web hosts have banks of special computers called’ Web Servers’. These servers are specially configured to allow Internet users to connect and view websites stored on them.
Your website must be stored on a server so you need to find a host who will offer you access to their web servers. Once your website is stored on the host’s server, they will be viewable by you and your visitors.
How do I know which one is for me?
Finding a web host these days can be difficult if you are not sure of your needs. If you are planning on putting up a basic personal homepage, you won't need anything too exotic as far as 'extra's' go. A free host package will probably fill your basic needs nicely.
If you are planning on putting up a business related site, or a more complicated type of page with special scripts or databases, then you will need to go directly to a paid web host like 310k Internet Solutions to provide those special items.
Free hosts will provide you with limited space to store your website, at no direct cost to you. However, someone has to cover the expense of providing this service and almost all free hosting services generate their income by
- Placing an advertisement on each of the websites stored on their servers. Advertisers pay the free host company to put banner advertisements on websites, and that money covers the cost of running the hosting service.
- They usually have restrictions on what you can do, starting with limited file storage space.
- Another drawback to free hosts is the address that you will get. For example, Yahoo! offers free website hosting, but you will get a long URL or web address that may not be very attractive.
- They offer very limited or no technical support.
Remember, with free hosts, you only get what you pay for!
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Companies like 310k Internet Solutions, on the other hand, can offer you much more and the price has been steadily dropping for years. Note that if you are planning to have your own Domain Name www.yoursite.co.uk, you will need a paid hosting plan.
There are various paid hosting companies on the Internet today, so making the correct decision on which one is right for you can be daunting. However, with a little help from 310k Internet Solutions, we can cater for your hosting needs.
Do I have to have my own domain name?
A domain name is a special Internet address that you can register and purchase for your use only. For example, 'www.310k.co.uk' is a domain name that we have registered for our use. No one else can use that name and it gives us a unique and easy to remember web address.
If you want to put a business online, your own unique domain name is absolutely essential (see our Fact Sheet on Choosing a Domain Name). Your Internet address is like your shop front sign. It should attract customers and help them find you. Plus, businesses listed under their own domain name are viewed as being a lot more 'legitimate' than a business without a domain name.
There are other benefits to registering a domain name. You will have a professional email address that matches your domain name. For example when using 310k Internet Solutions hosting package if your domain name was www.carsforsale.co.uk then you could setup an email addresses with a number of aliases that looked something like this 'service@carsforsale.co.uk', 'sales@carsforsale.co.uk', ‘parts@carsforsale.co.uk’, ‘your name@forsalecars.co.uk’ etc.
There are three basic steps to finding the right Web Host:
- Take an inventory of your needs - Prepare for the future growth of your site by knowing what you need now. This will save you a lot of time, work and money down the road.
- Decide on the type of hosting you want - Choose the hosting solution best suited to the type of site you have, or hope to become. Laying the groundwork early on will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
- Choosing and registering a Domain Name. This is the easiest and fastest way to establish a credible and legitimate presence on the Internet. This is absolutely essential if you want to create an online business.
Web Hosting- What Do I Need?
To make it easier for you, 310k Internet Solutions has a list of features available including prices on it’s website under the Services Page (click here to view). However, if you are not sure of your needs then 310k Internet Solutions is here to help you through the technical jargon, so you can make an informed decision.
So let's take a look at the most common features you will need to understand:
Bandwidth
Every time a visitor looks at your website, the server computer uses some of its resources to send the page (graphics, text, etc) to their computer so they can see it. That transmission is called the bandwidth. The more visitors you get, the more of that available bandwidth is used up.
Every file that gets loaded into a visitor's browser adds to the total amount of "bytes transferred." For example, if you have a 50 KB web page, and you get 1,000 visitors who view that page once, then you have transferred 50,000 KB (50 Megabytes). This adds up very quickly when you have a website with many pages and lots of file content. Every file that gets transferred adds to the final total ... graphics, html, java applets, the works.
So, it is very important to get the highest amount of bandwidth you can for your money, especially if you plan for growth (and who doesn't?).
NOTE: Be sure to read the fine print regarding bandwidth. Most Web Hosts who claim to offer unlimited bandwidth, unlimited traffic or unlimited hits, have restrictions that you should be aware of.
Many Web Hosts will give you a set amount of available bandwidth your visitors can use in one month. For example, you might be allowed 8 Gigabytes of files transferred per month. Then you'll be charged extra for each Gigabyte of bandwidth over the pre-set maximum that you use. This can lead to some nasty surprises, since you have no control over how many visitors come to your site.
Storage Space
Web hosting companies assign a certain amount of space for your website. Most hosts will provide about 25MB of space. 310k Internet Solutions basic hosting package comes with a massive 1Gb of web space so if you choose 310k Internet Solutions for your hosting needs then you should not be overly concerned about the amount of space allocated.
Technical Support
Another important element of choosing a web host is the level of support. How many hours a day are technical support staff available? How quickly do they respond? Find out in which formats the company offers tech support (e.g. phone, fax, email, etc.).
If you need a higher level of support you can expect to pay more. People are more expensive than computers; however, you may find the ability to get fast support well worth the additional fees.
Scripting
If you plan on running ASP or PHP scripts or CGI, then you need to find a host who will set up your account with the necessary infrastructure. ASP usually requires a Windows NT Server, while PHP requires a Linux or Unix Server. In order to process scripts, servers require special programs to interpret the script commands, and these must be installed on the server.
CGI (Common Gateway Interface) programs require that a special 'CGI-Bin' folder be installed on the server and not all web hosts support the use of CGI scripts. You should pay attention to these considerations, especially if you want to support database-driven or heavily scripted sites. If you are not sure ask 310k Internet Solutions for advice.
E-commerce
If you are planning on taking online orders or credit card numbers over the Internet, you do not necessarily need a Secure Server, depending on the shopping basket solution you choose. If you want to host the shopping basket on your server, it MUST be secure.
Databases
If you plan on running a script in conjunction with an online database, make sure your prospective web host has the required software. MySQL and MS Access are two of the most popular databases used in website applications.
Some hosts limit the number of databases you can use, some don't. Make sure you choose a host that can give you the amount of separate databases you need, and be aware of hidden charges for database functionality.
Mail and Auto Responders
As your website grows, you may find a need to create numerous email addresses to help manage and organise your information flow. Find out how many email accounts you are allowed with your host package.
An Auto Responder automatically sends the contents of a simple text file as an email message to anyone who completes a response/enquiry form on your website. These are simple tools that can be used very effectively as FAQ’s, automated client follow up messages thanking the visitor for their enquiry and that someone is looking after them and much more.
The more mail functionality you can get with your host account the better off you will be.
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Web Hosting Servers Explained
One of the hardest parts of finding a web host is determining what sort of ‘Server’ you should be looking for. There are many different server plans available to you, but they all generally fall into 3 different categories:
Virtual Servers - A virtual server is basically one computer split into parts that hosts several websites, just as if each site had its own individual server computer.
This server solution is probably the most cost-effective but keep in mind, if your website is hosted on a virtual server you are competing for that computers resources (bandwidth) with many other sites on the same computer.
Dedicated Servers - Many web hosts will offer to build a ‘Dedicated Server’ computer, to your own specifications, and lease it to you for a monthly charge. The advantage with this solution is that you don't have other sites on the same machine competing for resources.
Unfortunately, this solution can be very expensive and is generally not a viable alternative for small business or hobby sites.
Server Hotels (Co-Location) - A server hotel, or Co-located Server can be a great solution if you have a server machine of your own but no Internet connection to plug it into. A web host will charge you a small fee for storing the server machine on their site, and for the use of their Internet connection.
There are a lot of advantages to this solution.
- You have as much storage space as you want;
- You maintain control over the machine and the hardware you put in it
- It can be configured to your own needs.
This method is generally more expensive than a Virtual Server but less than a Dedicated leased server.
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Web Hosting - Getting Your Domain Name
In the beginning there were just IP addresses - long, cumbersome strings of numbers that represented computers on the Internet. (22.106.123.4, for example) In 1984, a system was introduced known as DNS which translates easy to remember words and phrases into IP addresses.
Domain names are used as a form of identification on the Internet. Domain names are easy to remember, easy to type alternatives to the obscure IP addresses. That means more hits, more return visitors, less bounced emails, and the chance to make a lasting impression on the Internet.
Establishing your own unique identity is crucial for online businesses. Visitors and potential customers will be much more likely to purchase your goods and services via the Internet if they perceive you as a legitimate, credible entity.
Another benefit of using your own Domain name is that regardless of how many times you change your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or web host, your email and website address will always remain the same.
Click here to see our Hosting Plans and Prices