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In order for people like you or I to get web pages put onto the Internet, we need to have access to a web server. This is basically a computer which is continually connected to the internet and is capable of supporting many websites contained on its hard drive. Essentially, it can be quite expensive to run because a special internet connection (other than the broadband connection that you are accustomed to) is required. Should a connection go down, then someone really needs to be on hand to get it running again. Therefore, unless you are technically gifted in this area, it is better (and cheaper) to get someone else to do the web hosting for you.

The web hosting can be done by any web server in the world so it does not have to be on your own doorstep. This is great news for you because it means that you can shop around to find a service right for your needs and your own pocket. Having said that, you can use the services of a free web hosting provider if you are new to building websites. The downside to this is that you have no control over any advertising that they may place on your website (after all they need to recoup their money from somewhere).

The web hosting provider will have their computers set up so that all your web pages are stored safely and that anyone typing in your website address onto a web browser will automatically find your website (ie www.your-website.com). However, if you are using a free service, your website address might end up something like www.free-web-hosting-provider.com/homepages/personal/your-website/index.html! So you really need to think about what the purpose of the site is before spending a lot of time putting it together.

You can also purchase your own dedicated domain name (ie www.your-website.com) which can also vary in price depending on which web hosting solution you choose. There are many good ones to pick from (and, unfortunately many not so good ones too. When you purchase your domain name, you pay an annual fee (anywhere between '2 and '10, depending on whether it ends in com, co.uk, org, org.uk, biz, info etc). A good web hosting provider will give you sound advice on which one to choose from.
The good thing about using a web hosting provider (as opposed to setting up your own server) is that it frees up your time and resources and can be very cost effective to run.

What has been discussed so far is shared hosting. This means that the web hosting provider can keep your running costs down by having many websites on one server. This can mean that anyone accessing your site will sometimes have to wait a few seconds longer for your web pages to open. This happens when more than one or all of the websites on that one server are being accessed at the same time. If your your web presence is critical to the operation of the business, then you will need to opt for what they call dedicated or managed servers.

Although both types of web hosting means that you will have a whole server to yourself, there is, however, a slight difference between the two. A dedicated server means that you (or whoever you appoint as your website's webmaster) will have full control of what goes on behind the scenes (known as the backend of the server). A fully managed hosting plan means that you have full technical support which includes the server maintenance and back up support if or when the site runs into technical difficulties.

In conclusion, you need to decide on the following before getting started:

Does it matter if you have third party advertising placed on your site? If it does, then do not for the free website option.

Is it necessary to have your own domain name? If it does, then do not for the free website option.

Is the website absolutely critical to the overall success of your business? If it is essential that your website does not slow down during peak times then do not go for the shared hosting option.

Do you or any of your staff know enough about web servers and how to maintain the backend of the domain? If not, then do not go for the dedicated server option.

If all of the above solutions are unacceptable, then paying a little more money for a managed hosting solution.