Things to look out for in a website hosting company and package. An extension of the technical features you need when buying a website.

 

Web Hosting Providers and Packages

 

What to look for when looking for a web host and web hosting package

 

In order for people to view (download) your website design charlotte nc content on the Internet, you need a web hosting provider , also known as a hosting company, to host (store and view or save and run) each website file from which your Website consists of content. A website file can typically be an HTML file, CSS file, PHP file, JavaScript file, image file, audio /video file, and so on.

 

For example, although an HTML file is referred to as a web page, as is a PHP file, a group of website files (ie, an HTML file, a CSS file, and an image file) are also referred to as a web page. …usually by the general public.

 

What is a website?

 

Behind the scenes, a website is just a folder on the web hosting provider’s computer (server) named after your domain name (e.g. websitecreationhelp.com). Inside this domain name folder (aka your webspace root folder) is a subfolder called public_html . It is the contents of this public_html subfolder that the general public will see through their web browser (ie Internet Explorer), with your permission of course.

 

Because even though your domain name points to (connects to) your web space root folder, the folder named after your domain name (e.g. websitecreationhelp.com), a web browser and especially a website address can only see on ( Look at the contents of the public_html subfolder …under normal circumstances In other words, when you type your domain name into Internet Explorer, you will be referred to the contents (ie the main web page) that are in the public_html subfolder of the Web Space root folder is not displayed.

 

Which web hosting provider?

 

You’ll know which web hosting provider to use once you’ve looked at the prices of their web hosting packages and the features that come with them (e.g. PHP scripting and MySQL database). A web hosting provider has two main jobs to do.

 

The first task is to maintain your web space (main folder) which houses certain web hosting system files as well as your public_html subfolder so that the content of your public_html website is visible to everyone on the internet 24/7….. with your permission of course. This job also involves taking care of their own computers (servers) and making sure your website content is safe and secure.

 

The second task is to maintain your control panel (set of tools) that comes with the web hosting package so that you can create MySQL databases, email accounts, etc. (depending on the web hosting package features).

 

Shop Around – Avoid FREE & Cheap ‘N’ Nasty

 

If you’re looking for a web hosting provider to host (represent) your website on the internet, and more importantly, if you’re looking at the features in their web hosting plans, it’s worth looking around. The old adage “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” should come to mind.

 

Drop the sales pitch over features like “Unlimited Bandwidth”, “Unlimited Web Space”, “1002 FREE Templates” and “Website Builder” because these tend to be gimmicks – a company doesn’t give for free unless it takes somewhere else and/or someone else. For example. “FREE templates” that everyone else uses (so your site isn’t unique/tailored to you). “A website builder” that claims to do everything for you (leaving you with a useless/limited control panel).

 

Many “FREE Website Hosting” plans do not allow you to create a MySQL database or use PHP scripts for example. Other packages host (display) your website content “FREE” on the condition that your web pages contain the selected ads. Some restrict control panel functions, bandwidth, etc. These are usually hosting companies that advertise “FREE Website Builder” and “FREE Templates”.

 

In other words. They give you software that builds and publishes your website, which is suitable for the absolute beginner, without you realizing that you should get a better control panel, for example. There are many free and very affordable templates and tools on the web that can help you create a website in minutes. So don’t pay for something like a website builder to have a limited control panel.

 

Affordable – with essential features

 

A good web hosting package should be affordable, but definitely not “FREE” and definitely not “Cheap ‘N’ Fies “. Above all, it should contain YOUR basic requirements. So consider spending £5 to £10 a month on a standard web hosting package. This should give you the basics. Ask yourself the following questions:

 

Do I need 10, 20, 40 or 80+ email addresses ?

 

Do I need a forum (Q&A board), blog (diary articles), guest book and/or media (audio/video) gallery?…..requiring a MySQL database and/or a PHP script. One thing to note here is that these features may take some time to build and may require ongoing management time as well.

 

How much space on the website do I need ?….. for my web pages (HTML files – text, images, audio and video), forum, blog, guest book and so on.

 

How many website visitors do I expect each month? The more visitors you get, the more bandwidth (download units) you need.

 

Below I have explained the most important features in a standard web hosting package so that you can answer the questions above and give you a better idea of which features you should be using. At the bottom of each description I’ve given the standard to look for if you’re paying £5-10 a month. These are based on quality web hosting providers (see quality below).

 

The control panel

 

Although all web hosting packages come with some sort of web-based control panel, the control panel is overlooked. A good control panel is key to a good web hosting plan and most importantly, to an easier life when it comes to managing your website. The more tools there are in a panel, the better.

 

Aside from the features titled Bandwidth, Web Space, and Quality (below), all other features mentioned below should be accessible from one panel. The control panel itself is installed and updated by your web hosting provider. Many use the popular CPanel (cpanel.net) control panel.

 

Bandwidth (monthly data transfer)

 

Bandwidth (aka monthly data transfer) is the amount of data that can be downloaded each month from your public_html subfolder to a customer’s computer via Internet Explorer, for example. It’s measured in gigabytes – A standard web hosting plan should give you at least 2 gigabytes of bandwidth per month. Bandwidth can also contribute to uploading your files to your public_html subfolder, meaning bandwidth is really your upload and download usage.

 

What does it all mean? For example, if a customer website design charlotte north carolina downloads a 4MB music file from your public_html subfolder, it will cost you 4MB of bandwidth. So if ten customers download the 4MB music file, or one customer downloads the 4MB music file 10 times, that will cost you a total of 40MB of bandwidth in both cases. However. It’s not that easy, because every website you visit costs bandwidth.