What is a Web Host and How to Get Hosting?
A web host is a must have if your want to have your own website. You can think of a host as being the “house” where your site lives. It contains all the files and data that are related to your site. You can also access and control these files through your host.
When you first get started it can all seem very confusing. This is especially true if you don’t consider yourself very tech-oriented. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to get started hosting websites these days. You’ll feel like an old pro in no time.
The first thing you need to do is chose a web host. There are many of them out there; all serving different purposes at different prices points. Generally, most people will want to get hosting on what is called a shared server. That is just a fancy name that means many other people also have their hosting on the same “block” you do. It makes things less expensive for you when you first get started.
Some popular options are:
• HostGator
• Bluehost
• 1and1
• Dreamhost
When you go to these different web hosts you’ll find that they list several different packages that you can choose from. These are all different prices that increase with the amount of space you need, the number of domain names you have, and so on. Most people can choose the smallest plan to start out with.
Actually, the cost for hosting at even the highest package levels are usually less than people expect them to be. New technology really has put website hosting into the hands of many. That’s why you should definitely get started with your own as soon as you can. There is really nothing to lose with prices as low as $6 per month.
Another great thing about hosting these days is that many of them contain what is called cPanel. Your cPanel is your control center that your host sets up for you to access everything related to your hosting. You can add on new domains that you buy, upload and download files to and from your web sites, and even do one click installs of free open source software.
If you want to start a blog you definitely want to make sure your host has Fantastico. This is a little blue smiley face you’ll see once you’re inside of your cPanel. You can install WordPress and other blogging software with ease. There is definitely no need to feel like you need a degree in computer science, since really anyone can get started.
As soon as you buy your hosting package the company will work on putting it together for you. Many hosts will also start out by offering you a free domain name and setting it up for you. This is a great way to make sure you don’t have any issues pointing the DNS of your domain to the right host; you can ease yourself into that as you become more familiar with creating websites.
It’s a good thing that web hosts allow you to have many domain names these days because creating sites can get very addicting. It’s never been so easy to get started with your own websites as it is today. It’s also so inexpensive that it’s a no-brainer to want to get started.