2.2 Types of Web Hosting
The Internet can be a confusing place, especially where web hosting is concerned. Here will will explain some of the basic types of web hosting here is out there.
Free Hosting (best avoided)
Hosting companies are available (e.g. webs.com) that will host your website for free by giving you space in a directory under their domain, for eample: www.theirwebsite.com/yourwebsite/. The main drawback is that you may have to display some of their adverts or mention their company name / logo somewhere on your site. Also they don't perform well in the search engines (nothing beats owning your own domain).
Shared Hosting (most common)
Shared web hosting allows you to host a website using a domain name that you own, giving a more professional image to your website. You will be allotted a set amount of web space, usually measured in Megabytes (Mb), on a server you share with other people. The most common package is for hosting a single website but there are multiple hosting packages out there now. This is the one you will typically use when starting out, and is all that most people ever need.
Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated server hosting is where you rent the use of a whole server to host one or more websites, giving total control over what software will be installed. One major benefit is that this allows increased traffic to your site(s).
Reseller Web Hosting
Reseller web hosting allows you to become a web hosting company (most web hosting companies out there have a web hosting company who host their server). Some hosting companies provide services where small companies can resell space on their servers for a small fee, the attraction to customers using these smaller companies being that they may add on certain features to make their plans more attractive. The important factors to consider are support, reliability and pricing.
