This is a follow up from my article on having an online business. When a company or a person decides to have an online presence or other internet based project they will use a service called Web Hosting. The service they provide is normally chargeable, for obvious reasons but it is possible for personal websites to be hosted for free.

Free hosting deals are great for those who want to ‘dip their toes in the water’ for example but the range of services available to them will be limited. There are many limitations to free web hosting services and they are not generally regarded as an option for serious web users as the amount of storage space is limited along with many other functions a web user may require.

Most people and companies start their hosting by using a shared server system which means your files are on the system with other peoples. However, it is often a good idea to see if the company is reliable before this more costly option of a dedicated server is taken. A web hosting plan is no good unless you have a registered domain to use, then you can use this in conjunction with the storage space to save your files, website etc.

When you have a paid Web Hosting package it will allow you to have an email address using your domain name unlike those that are offered free with the likes of Google, Yahoo or MSN for example where their name is at the end of the email address. Many people take you more seriously if you have your own email address and not one supplied free by the myriad of other companies who have an online presence. The more information that is transferred from your website over the internet, the more bandwidth is used so it is important if you have a great deal of information stored to ensure you have a hosting package that will easily cater for your bandwidth usage.

This point becomes more important when you have a site that provides large video, audio and image files to its visitors as all of these use up the bandwidth you have been allocated as part of your package. In almost every case it is a wise decision to use a web hosting company and not consider using your own computer as a host due to the risks, especially for those unfamiliar with internet security.

Having tried free hosting early on now would recommend that you go straight to a paid web hosting service. For just a few dollars a month you can have the security you need for your site Plus the 24/7 assistance you may need to answer any questions that may come up. I have recently started using Blue Host as my previous hosting company now now longer has live chat, a feature I find a real bonus when you need an answer now, and not in the next 48 hours by an email that may or may not answer your question.