Web Hosting Plans
Putting Your Site On The Web

So you've finally finished your website and it's time to publish it (get it from your computer on to the web). But first you need a web hosting plan. A Web Host is a remote computer to which you upload your web pages so the whole world can enjoy the wonder of your new site.

There are a few options when it comes to web hosting. If you're making a personal site, you could find a company that offers free webspace. The upside of doing it that way is (obviously) it's free. The downside is that you'll have a funky address as an URL (i.e. freesite.myweb.com) which is a no-go if you want your site to be taken seriously by visitors and search engines. There are also limits on how much you can upload and restrictions on what can be run on it.

The way I look at is, use a free space for experimentation and for personal sites that you don't expect strangers to find, but get a proper hosting plan when you're ready to have a "real" website.

What to look for in a web hosting company?

Customer Service--You want prompt replies to problems and if the web hosting company has a forum, that's always a big plus, too.

Cost--they run the gamut, no need to spend an arm and a leg. And on that note, stay away from your ISP's hosting, as it's always way more expensive than at a dedicated hosting company. One thing to remember, you don't need the biggest plan to start. It takes a good amount of time to get placed in a search engines, much less be riproaring busy. When that time comes, you'll ask your host for an upgrade.

To start, you'll want "shared hosting" where you share your domain with a bunch of other customers. When your site hits it big, you'll want to move to "dedicated hosting" but for now...shared.

Control Panel--I LOVE CPs, they let you do numerous tasks yourself (adding email accounts, checking logs, adding subdomains, etc). Speaking for myself, this is a must when I choose a hosting plan.

Plan Comparisons--Look at the different plans offered, make note of the space alotted, the bandwidth, the number of email accounts, databases if you need, all the bells and whistles. Write it down somewhere, then you can make sure what you're comparing is apples to apples.

Related Article: Domain Names

Finally, it's time to learn how to get your website online:
Web Publishing