What Is Website Hosting?
Website hosting is like “rent” for the server space your website files use.
Every website is made up of files. Html or php files, image files, script files and more. Those files need to be stored on a web server so they can be accessed by the public.
Big websites like Google and Amazon generally own their own servers, but most small business owners would not want to absorb the cost of an entire dedicated server for their website. So, hosting companies offer “shared” servers. A server is sectioned into storage units and shared by several small businesses. The space that’s alloted to your website is like your website’s home on the Internet.
Hosting Myths
- There is no such thing as “unlimited” space or bandwidth
You’ll see hosting companies offering “unlimited” space or bandwidth. That’s a marketing ploy. There is no magical server that has an unlimited supply of disc space or bandwidth. When a hosting company partitions a server, they need to assign how much space each site has, and how much bandwidth (data transfer) is allotted to each account. When hosts offer “unlimited” space or bandwidth, you’ll usually find a disclaimer in their terms defining what “unlimited” means. Usually if you exceed the allowable amount, your website will get shut down immediately. And, usually the fees for going over are much higher than you’d pay for a reliable and reasonable hosting account.
- Uptime; 99% isn’t good enough and 100% is a lie.
Uptime refers to the percentage of time a server is online and accessible to potential visitors. You’ll see some hosting companies advertising 100% uptime, others advertising 99% – and others offering amounts somewhere in between. Any hosting company that claims 100% uptime is flat out lying. Servers need to be rebooted now and then, which means their uptime is not 100%. A host that guarantees 99% uptime can have the server – and your website – offline for 7.5 hours every month and still be within their guarantee. Would you want your website offline for 7.5 hours per month? I know I wouldn’t.
Fact is, when it comes to choosing a website host, it’s not about 99.8% vs. 99.9% uptime. It’s not about an extra 250 MB space or bandwidth. It’s about reliability and customer service. It’s about knowing your webhost offers reasonably priced upgrades and won’t gouge you if you need more space or bandwidth.
It’s about knowing your host will increase your bandwidth and keep you online if you land on the main page of Digg or Technorati instead of shutting you down for using “too much” bandwidth. It’s knowing that you chose a webhost that maintains their uptime month after month and year after year instead of chasing the dollar hosts that use consistently slow loading servers that go up and down like a seesaw.
Any webhost can put your website online. Not all of them can (or will) keep it there.