Types of Web Hosting Services
A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Colleen Wilkinson
Types of Web Hosting Services
Now that I've spent many hours figuring out how to professionally generate my web site, I discover that there's absolutely no point in having it on my computer - I need the services of a web hosting company. If my brain wasn't boggled by all the techno-speak before - it certainly was after doing a search for a web hosting service!
While sifting through the countless number of companies offering web hosting services and all they did and did not offer, I eventually narrowed it down to a list of five basic types:
Free Online Web Hosting
With free web hosting, the host will either place third-party adverts on your site, or have advertising pop-ups appear when your web site is accessed. They also usually advertise their web hosting facilities on your web page. Many of these web hosting services do not allow you to upload your own design, but provide online templates for you to build your site from. If your web site is not commercial and you're just looking for an online presence, this could be the type of web hosting service to consider.
Free Space from Your Service Provider
Many people don't even know about this facility. Many internet service providers (ISPs) offer their customers free web hosting. The allocated space is quite limited (usually between 5 and 10 megabytes), but, again, if its nothing more than web presence you're looking for, why not take advantage of what your ISP is offering you?
Keep in mind that the above two types of web hosting service will not give you a unique domain name. Generally, your url address will include the web hosting company's domain name, e.g. http://site_location.web_hosting_company.com/your_id.
Space Provided by a 'sub-Host'
This is not an official term - but refers to someone who has purchased space from a main stream web hosting company and 'sub-lets' the space. Thus you will enjoy the benefits of being able to upload your own design and not have any advertising on your site. However, your url address would still be a combination of your web host's identity and yours, e.g. http://www.web_hosting_company/your_id.
Low Cost Web Hosting
Move over Star Trek, here comes Cyber War! There is huge competition out there for web hosting! You will have to register your own domain name (which most of these web hosting companies offer to do for you). This is a good option to go for if you're a small business just requiring a presence on the internet. Your web site can be your own design, and your url clearly identifies who you are. Various factors should be considered when looking at the low-cost web hosting companies, such as traffic limitations, e-mail address availability, etc. However, this is subject for another discussion.
Main Stream Web Hosting
Now we're talking big guns. These web hosting companies are the drivers of the big sites - banks, commercial portals, etc. They do also cater to the 'little guys' and have different package options to choose from. One would be inclined to believe that these web hosting companies would be the most reliable and worthy of investigating. Their costs may be higher, but they would be more likely to provide the better facilities.
The bottom line is: What type of web hosting is suitable for you? What type of web content do you have? Don't disregard any of these web hosting options until you've done your homework.
