The Perfect Host

This Article will deal with finding the right host for
your site; from the free to the very expensive, we will
discuss what your options are so that you can find your
“perfect host”.

A host is a server which provides a home for your website on
the World Wide Web. Just as your computer contains all your
files, so a host contains all the files needed to run your
website.

Why can’t you just keep all those files on your own
computer? Because that would mean users would have to
connect directly to your computer to see your website. Not a
good idea—it wouldn’t be secure and it would make your
machine run like a tired snail.

With a host, you can simply
upload everything you need to the server and your users can
then connect there to see your site. It lets the site run
faster and allows it to have all the security and extras it
needs.

Selecting a host is the first important step towards
building your Internet business.

Hosting services and companies vary from totally free,
shared servers to large-scale dedicated machines. You’ll
have to decide which is right for you and your business. To
help you make that decision, study the following tables:

Free Servers



Advantages		Disadvantages

------------------------------------------------------------

No Cost.	      |	Search engines view free hosting

		      |	services as inferior and 

		      |	sometimesd do not include them in 

		      |	their index.

------------------------------------------------------------												

You manage the server |	Some free hosting services do not

software and network. |	allow you to use a custom domain

	              |	name.

------------------------------------------------------------

		      |	The bandwidth is restricted and may

		      |	cause difficulty for	visitors

		      |	attempting to access your site.

------------------------------------------------------------												

		      |	Because the service is free, some

		      |	providers do not strive for 100%

		      |	uptime which could result in your

		      |	site being frequently inaccessible.

------------------------------------------------------------												

		      |	Software availability is limited,

		      |	and free hosts do not generally

		      |	provide database options.

------------------------------------------------------------												

		      |	Disk space is sometimes limited;

		      |	ensure that you are getting all the

		      |	room you need.

------------------------------------------------------------												

		      |	Poor response time for support.

------------------------------------------------------------												

		      |	Very limited support.

------------------------------------------------------------												





Cheap Web Hosting





Advantages	        	Disadvantages

------------------------------------------------------------

Server, software and  |	Bandwidth restrictions.

network is managed and|

supported for you.    |

------------------------------------------------------------

You can select a      |	Shared processing power

custom domain name.   |

------------------------------------------------------------

Search engines don’t  |	Limited software.

view you as second    |

class if you have your|

own domain name       |

------------------------------------------------------------

Improved response time|	Potentially limited disk

for support	      |	space

------------------------------------------------------------

Uptime is improved    |

------------------------------------------------------------ 	

Technical support is  |

provided, generally 24|

hours a day.	      |

------------------------------------------------------------





Mid-Priced Web Hosting—Shared Servers





Advantages			Disadvantages

------------------------------------------------------------

Server, software and 	|Shared processing power.

network is managed 	|

and supported for you	|

------------------------------------------------------------

You can select a 	|

custom domain name	|	

------------------------------------------------------------

Search engines don’t 	|

view you as second 	|

class if you have	|

your own domain name 	|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Improved response time  |

for support		|

------------------------------------------------------------

Uptime is improved and  |

generally guaranteed 	|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Technical support is 	|

provided, generally 24  |

hours a day		|

------------------------------------------------------------

Generally offer a wide  |

range of software 	|

options and 		|

configurable bundles	|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Improved bandwidth	|

------------------------------------------------------------	





Expensive, Dedicated Servers





Advantages			Disadvantages

------------------------------------------------------------

Server, software and 	|The cost is higher than any other

network is managed and  |options

supported for		|

you 			|

------------------------------------------------------------

You can select a 	|

custom domain name	|

------------------------------------------------------------ 	

Search engines don’t 	|

view you as second 	|

class			|

------------------------------------------------------------

Improved response time  |

for support		|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Uptime is improved and  |

generally guaranteed	|

------------------------------------------------------------ 	

Technical support is 	|

provided, generally 	|

24 hours a day		|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Generally offer a 	|

wide range of software  |

options and 		|

configurable bundles	|

------------------------------------------------------------ 	

Improved bandwidth	|

------------------------------------------------------------	

Processing power is 	|

not shared 		|

------------------------------------------------------------	



Your choice of server will depend on how much money you have

available at the beginning and how much you plan to grow in

the future. In my opinion, for commercial sites, free

hosting is a waste of time. Your users are going to get

blasted with annoying pop-ups every time they surf to your

page, it’s going to be impossible to get a decent position

in a search engine, and you don’t even get a real business

URL. 



Remember: No one’s going to remember your Web address if they

have to type www.freehosting.com/my_site.  But it is

possible to choose a cheap host at the beginning and move up

as your business begins to bring in money.