The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

If you are new to the world of websites, you might have overheard the expression ‘Web hosting’ and questioned its meaning. In its simplest form, a website host is really just a computer connected to the Internet that offers space storage, connectivity and typically enables websites to be viewed by Internet users 24 hours per day.

By virtue of this platform, all websites have to be stored somewhere. Therefore, storing websites on the Internet via a domain name is essential. And, even though a professional hosting company has lots of hard disks and memory, any computer can be used to host a website - even the one you are using presently.

How web

hosting works:

Once a website is completely developed, its pages must be connected to the Internet, so that when a user types www.domain.com, the pages are revealed to the users.

Web hosting essentially involves two steps: Booking a domain name and buying a web space. www.domainame.com is called a domain, which is nothing but an address. The domain name is just a pointer to your webpages, while web pages are actually hosted on the web hosting server.

Types of Services:

Typically, with the many hosting services available, it is easy to get lost in the Internet tubes. If you are a new business, a shared hosting plan is usually fine, as it is much cheaper than other hosting plans. Nonetheless, for a better selection, let’s look at the different platforms available:

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is when a web site is hosted on a server along with other customers’ web sites. Users are not privy to this, as all websites are configured separately on the server with their unique domain names.

The benefit of shared hosting is that it is low-cost as opposed to a ‘dedicated server’, which costs a lot more. Moreover, unless you expect lots of traffic, it is not necessary to invest in a dedicated server.

Dedicated Servers

A dedicated server hosts only your web site (or web sites). This offers more control over your web site and ensures that other customers’ web sites will not impact your own.

Using a dedicated server is more expensive than shared hosting, but if your site receives lots of traffic or requires other requirements or security, a dedicated server could be a good choice. This model offers the freedom to log in to your own computer, make installments and configure software as you wish.

Virtual Dedicated Servers

Also known as virtual private servers, these are low-cost and accommodate many virtual servers on each machine, therefore reducing costs. This typically functions as though you are using a private dedicated server (even though other virtual servers are probably running on the same machine).

Managed Hosting

A managed hosting solution is a form of dedicated server hosting, where you have a dedicated server and the web site hosting provider manages your server for you.

The hosting provider will usually be responsible for the hardware, operating system, virus protection and patch management, but you are still in charge of your own web site content. Managed hosting is usually a lot more expensive, and in some cases, costs will be negotiated between both parties.

Free Hosting

Free web hosting can be a good choice if you just want to build a non-critical website for fun. But often, in a free hosting environment, connection speed can be slow, websites can be down frequently, and advertising banners are automatically popping to your website.

Moreover, some hosts require that you purchase your domain name to receive free hosting services from them, while others offer you a free subdomain under them, such as [yourname.webhost.com]. Nevertheless, be careful as you will not be able to transfer these free subdomains.

What to expect from a good

hosting company:

Constant support,; 24/7 FTP access (so you can update your website); a number of email accounts (i.e, yourName@yourDomain.com); online control panel for managing your website; online traffic statistics (so you can see how much traffic your website receives etc.)

It is very important to choose the correct package for your business and ensure that your Web host provides some sort of statistical data on visitors to your web pages, such as how slow the site is during peak hours. Does the high volume site slow everybody else down, etc? This kind of information may be difficult to ascertain except by asking current customers.

Nonetheless, the best advice is to know the service you really need and only pay for those. So until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a professionally trained graphic designer/marketing coordinator with qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.