| If you are new to the wonderful world of | | | | You will select the most appropriate disc space |
| websites, you may have come across the term | | | | allocation based on how big your site is likely to |
| web hosting, but perhaps not fully understand | | | | be. The more pages and files you have the more |
| what it is. Every website needs a web host in | | | | disc space you will need to store it. Certain file |
| order for it to be available online for visitors to | | | | types, such as images, take up a lot more |
| see it. If you create a website, you can do this | | | | storage space than others. You choose how |
| on your own computer at home, but if you want | | | | much bandwidth you need based on how busy |
| it to be seen on the internet you have to upload | | | | you expect your site to be, and what type of |
| it to a server, which is a powerful computer | | | | data is going to be downloaded. For example, if |
| where all your web pages are stored. From here | | | | you have a website that contains lots of video |
| anyone with your website address can find it and | | | | files, that is going to require a lot of bandwidth. |
| view your pages. The company who provide the | | | | When looking for a web hosting company, you will |
| server for you are your web host. | | | | obviously need to check what packages are |
| Web hosting is a specialist business that involves | | | | available and look for an appropriate level of |
| the provision of computer space where people | | | | bandwidth and disc space, but there are other |
| can pay to have their websites stored. As well as | | | | important considerations too. The most important |
| the basic storage of web pages, the web host | | | | of these is how reliable the web host is in terms |
| has to enable your pages and files to be | | | | of keeping websites online and in dealing with |
| downloaded by visitors to your site. This service | | | | queries and technical problems. With any web host |
| is known as the provision of 'bandwidth'. | | | | you are going to have to contact their support |
| Whenever someone views a page on your | | | | staff, even if just to answer questions or queries, |
| website, they are downloading the information | | | | and how good this service is can make all the |
| stored on the web host's server, so there is a | | | | difference to your experience. An unreliable host |
| transfer of data. Bandwidth is just a measure of | | | | could leave you with your website frequently |
| data transfer over a certain period of time. | | | | off-line and no quick answers or solutions when |
| There is a direct cost involved in both storing | | | | you ask for help. |
| your pages and allowing them to be downloaded, | | | | The best way to check out the reliability of |
| so web hosts will charge you based on how much | | | | hosting companies is to seek reviews or |
| storage and data transfer you require. If you look | | | | recommendations based on previous customer |
| at the various packages available on any web | | | | experience. Whatever they say they will do for |
| hosting site, you will see that there are normally | | | | you counts as nothing compared to what an |
| different options which include varying amounts of | | | | existing customer tells you they have actually |
| 'disc space' (storage) and 'bandwidth' (data | | | | done. |
| transfer). | | | | |