choosingWebhosting for Newbies

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Disclaimer

This e-book has been written to provide information about web hosting.Every effort has been made to make this ebook as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes in typography or content.Also, this e-book provides information on web hosting only up to the publ ishing date.Therefore, this ebook should be used as a guide- not as the ultimate source of web hosting information.

The purpose of this ebook is to educate.The author and the publ isher does not warrant that the information contained in this e-book is ful ly complete and shal l not be responsible for any errors or omissions.The author and publ isher shal l have neither l iabi l ity nor responsibi l ity to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or al leged to be caused directly or indirectly bythis e-book.

Trademarks are copyright of their respected owners.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Web Hosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Types of Web Hosting and the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Shared Web Hosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Resel ler Hosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

VPS Hosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Dedicated Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

What to Lookfor in aWeb Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1

Working with cPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Howto PointYour Domain Name to YourWeb Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Getting YourWebsite Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

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Introduction to Web Hosting

The Internet or World Wide Web is a huge expanse of countless websites. These websites can range from onl ine shopping to photo sharing, social networking to government related information. People can hop onl ine and check their bank account balance or talk to a relative from far away, or post a photograph of the day‟s events.They can read the news and checktheir local TV l istings.Whi le big websites that are wel l known most l ikely use a dedicated web hosting service,smal ler websites might use a different type of web hosting program.Essential ly, the web host provides the memory needed as wel l as the bandwidth al lowancethat is used upwhen peoplecl ickon a website.An idea for a website might seem easy at the moment, and the layout and design could already be embedded in yourmind. But none of it is possible without the web host helping it along the way. For newbies who are just venturing out into the world of web design and website publ ishing, choosing the right web host can be a daunting task. It is essential to understand the inner workings of web hosting as wel l as know what to look for when you make your decision.Otherwise, you might not get as much as you pay for, and could end up sabotaging your own website with lack of memory, bandwidth, or server capabi l ity.For people venturing out into the world of Internet business, or for those who simply want to create a website of their very own, it‟s essential to know what is involved when it comes to web hosting. If you have a smal l business or a brand new site that you‟re publ ishing just for fun, free web hosting might be the way to go.

These services are often advertisement driven,which means you‟re basical ly at the mercy of the host‟s advertisers, and they can put banner ads, pop ups, and other ads whereverand however they see fit.These free sites often look a bit cluttered, and can sometimes drive visitors away but they get the job done: a free website for the publ isher or customer in exchange for lots of advertising revenue.These types of web hosting programs are free of charge but they do not usual ly presentyourwebsite in the best l ight possible.

A shared web hosting service is a sl ight step above, and is much more commonly used. This term means that the website is on the same

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server as several other websites, and is sometimes hosted with a resel ler.

There can be thousands of shared sites underone web hosting plan al l at the same time.These plans offer more bandwidth and some more options for programming the website, but their bandwidth and memory al lotment might be on the lower side. These types of web hosts are usual ly for people who are just starting out on the web and simply need something that works but that does not cost too much.A dedicated server web hosting plan basical ly means that the website is on its own stand-alone server.This is good for websites that perform a lotof volume and isoften used by much largercompanieswho need as much server room as possible in order to host the best site they can.Dedicated web hosting is usual ly what large websites run on. These have theirvery own servers and each website might even have its own server room where the server is kept cool and under lock and key.Dedicated web hosting al lows for much more memory and bandwidth,and the web designer can change and add much more without worrying about it being too much volume for the server,which can in turn override the website and cause it to practical ly shut down.Whi le the price of dedicated web hosting is usual ly much higher, the stabi l ity and flexibi l ity is definitely worth it.

There are a few other forms of web hosting, and al l require some sort of registration or membership, so that the website and domain being hosted is registered properly onl ine.There is a cost for web hosting,but this cost can vary greatly depending on a few different factors.Price is important, but there real ly is no “one size fits al l”when it comes to web hosting providers. Some of the factors for pricing include the form of web hosting, the cost of server space, any advertising costs associated with it, as wel l as domain name registration. For smal ler companies or individuals with web hosting accounts, there is usual ly a monthly fee of some kind in order to maintain the site and pay for the costs. Lager companies may charge an annual one time membership fee, or can even charge usage fees that depend on how much memory and bandwidth your website requires.

Depending on whatyour needs are,you can opt for a higher end web hosting service that offers forms customers or visitors can complete and submit, flash presentations, and even interactive chat.

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The most basic web hosting services usual ly only offer a simple website with graphics and l inks, and typical ly cannot or wi l l not support the extras that a higher end hosting service would. An interface that al lows the host or web designer to log in and make any necessary changes is essential to making sure you have control over the content and the amount of times the website is updated. Being able to reach customeror others wheneveryou l ike through the site is essential .

If you‟re new to the world of web design and maintenance, it‟s important to know what you‟re looking for when you choose a web hosting plan.Without this knowledge,you can end up with a site that crashes, slows down, is not secure, or simply does not provide you with the memory and speed you need to maintain a professional website. There are many different things that work hand in hand to make up a sol id web hosting plan. Be sure you are aware of what these things are in advance, so you can make the best choice foryour needs.

No matter what you choose for a web hosting provider, the amount of downtime vs. uptime is extremely important. Basical ly, you want to find a hosting service that has maximum uptime,which in turn means thatyourwebsite is up and avai lable forvisitors any time they wish to go to the website.

Understandably, many web hosting services do require some downtime for maintenance or for them to make some adjustments, but in these cases the downtime is usual ly planned, and theytryto choose a time that is “off” the peak visiting hours of their customers‟ sites.Any web hosting plan that promises 100%uptime is probably not being honest. Al l hosts have times where maintenance needs to be performed, and during those times your website might not be functional . It‟s the length of time that the site is down that real ly matters.

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Types of Web Hosting and the

Differences

(captured from HostGator.com)

No two web hosting services are al ike. Free web hosting is a great concept, but it‟s real ly only designed for the novice web designer, or someone who just wants to have their own l ittle niche on the web.Free web hosting sites are usual ly bombarded with pop up ads, banner ads, and other advertisements, which are al l usual ly a turn off for visitors. If you‟re creating a website to make money, it‟s a good idea to steer clear of free web hosting services, since they wi l l most l ikely cause you to lose sales.Most people see websites with tons of ads on them and cl ick away to something else, since their first instinct is that the website must be a scam.

Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting is one of the more common forms of hosting, but it‟s also not quite as effective as some others. Shared hosting basical ly means that the website is on a shared server that “shares” space with other sites.Whi le this is effective for more simple sites, it might not work wel l for larger, database type websites or web pages with tons of visitors. Some more wel l known companies now sel l server space for web hosting purposes, and make a good choice for people who want to set up a website but don‟t have the resources or funds to do so on their own dedicated server. Shared server web hosting is a good starter hosting service to get your feet wet.

Reseller Hosting

Resel lerhosting has everything a shared hosting plan has, but it‟s only major difference is that as a resel ler plan account holder can sel l web

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space, as if they are their own web hosting company.Another major difference is that a resel ler plan al lows unl imited domains.A resel ler is able to create accounts for them sites or their customers using the WHM(Web Host Manager).

(Reseller Webhosting Plan at HostGator.com)

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VPS Hosting

A VPS, or virtual private server, is a different option for web hosting that al lows each server to run on its own, with its own dedicated machine. If someone needs to perform some updates to one particular server, this can be done easi ly without interrupting any other servers.Most website owners also have much more detai led access to their interfaces, since on a VPS server, each one has its own operating system as wel l . This is also a great choice for web designers and webmasters who want to have a lot more security.Without having to share servers, the risk of information getting into the wrong hands is definitely lessened.

(VPS Hosting Plans as featured in LiquidWeb.com)

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