cheap hosting services

Computers have become so much a part of everyday life and they have become the hubs around which we organize most of our activities. The internet in particular has become one of the most powerful medium of information exchange available today. It is basically the world's biggest encyclopedia. This virtual world contains millions of websites which provide information on all aspects of human life. The huge volume of data that we sprawl across the web requires to be stored some where. Cyber experts save the information on computer hard disks and then link them to the internet so that they can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This 'computer' is generally referred to as a 'web server' and the data stored on it is said as being 'hosted' thus the term web hosting.

Website hosting is all about 'publishing' a website on the internet, at a space provided by a website hosting provider. Every website needs to be hosted on a web server before it can be viewed in the browser. It works as if you are renting a digital space where you can set up and format your web pages and from where people can access those pages via the internet. There are practically thousands if not millions of website hosting companies in the United States alone. They can be divided into various classes according to individual needs. There are free website hosting plans which have sponsored advertisements on your web pages. That's how servers earn their money, they can't let you use the space out of charity! There are others who offer their services at a very affordable cost while retaining all the features that you may need. Finally, there are reputable servers who offer premium fee based web hosting plans which are normally acquired by big businesses and organizations.

There are scores of website hosting options, plans or packages that are out in the market today. There are free website hosting plans which are suited for individuals or for new businesses with a small budget for their presence in the internet. There are others who offer their services at a very affordable cost while retaining all the features that you may need. These are called paid website hosting which is great for established businesses or organizations, and provides more storage and features for the hosted website.

The next step would be choosing the appropriate hosting type. There are several types of hosting which include shared hosting, a dedicated server, and collocation or virtual private web server. For newbies, shared website hosting is the best option. This type involves many users who are using the same web server and share the server resources. A dedicated server is owned by a single user and is accorded complete rights over it. With this type, you can install your own software, use your own programming language, and as the name suggests, it is entirely dedicated for your website/s specifications. Dedicated servers will be useful for enterprise-level sites, dedicated hosting resellers, web designers and developers, corporate intranets, intricate sites with high traffic and secured information, and for sites with restricted content. However, dedicated servers will cost you 8 to 10 times more than the average web hosts. If you cannot afford the expenses of a dedicated server, then a virtual private server is the likely solution. Collocation is best suited for websites that require advanced functions such as custom software and hardware configurations, load-balancing and clustering.

The next step would be the actual choosing of the web hosting plan. There are several types of website hosting plans, each type catering to the demands and specifications of every type of website. Personal web hosting plans are generally intended for personal websites and for starters. The rate of data transfer is low that is why personal plans come with lower bandwidth and disk space. Business plans, as the name imply, are used in corporate settings wherein a higher bandwidth and larger disk space are required to accomodate high levels of traffic.

The next step would be the actual choosing of the web hosting plan. This is by no means an easy task because there are literally thousands of website hosting plans out there. Website hosting plans come in several types, each type catering to the demands and specifications of every type of website. Personal web hosting plans are generally intended for personal websites and for starters. The rate of data transfer is low that is why personal plans come with lower bandwidth and disk space. Business plans are the perfect type of hosting if you run a small or medium sized business. The plans come in reasonable prices but it does not mean quality and package options are compromised. This is something that would be greatly appreciated by small businesses as every saved expense is very important.