Web Hosting is rented space where your web content lives.
When you’re looking at a web page, the images and text you see are created with code (HTML and other varieties). Your browser translates that code into something you can understand. But that file, that code, has to live somewhere so your browser can find it. Purchasing web hosting is essentially renting space on a powerful computer that is accessible via the Internet, 24/7.
You can imagine the data centers: buildings that are refrigerated, filled with giant racks of servers, housing millions of files that make up websites. These servers are connected to the Internet with data lines that are many times faster than DSL or cable. They’re backed up and climate-controlled and protected in many ways against the webmaster's worst nightmare: server downtime. It does happen, but good web hosts have uptime guarantees of over 99%.
Essentially paying a web host is like renting a little virtual apartment where your code can live.
Combine your web host with a web address (the most important component of which is a domain name, as we learned in Essential #1, ) and content (Essential #2), and presto! You've got all 3 Essentials for Web Creation.
3 Good Reasons Not To Be Your Own Host
You could host a page on your own computer. However,
1. You’d have to have your computer on 24/7. If you own a laptop, you couldn’t really travel with it anywhere. It has to be turned on and connected at all times.
2. Asking people to come to your computer to view your website poses some serious security risks. If people are coming to your computer to view your webpage, it's only a short hop from there to the private information on the rest of your computer.
3. If thousands of people were to access your computer at once, it might crash your computer. And nobody can access your website when your computer is down.
To lower your risk, provide you more protection, and to back up your website files regularly, a web hosting service provider is the best way to go.
Can I Afford Hosting?
Yes, you can.
You can find places that will host your site for free. Some of them are “free” because they’ll actually show ads above or on your website. You get to decide whether or not you are willing to have ads on your website in order to have your site hosted for free.
Or you can pay less than $10 per month for ad-free hosting, and you can pay more or less depending on what features you need. Since we're essentially talking about renting space, the first question will be: How much space do you need for your files? How much space do your images and code take up? Probably less than you think!
Anybody can become a creator or a publisher! It's in your hands. Blogger takes care of ALL 3 of the web-presence essentials for FREE. Save money and be in full control of your own content.
Mynde's helps people expand themselves or business with an optimystical approach.
She works with people who aren't sure how to do "it" (technology) or have no idea where to start. You learn how to do technology-related "stuff" (like how to build your own website) and get to finally feel smart and empowered so you can grow yourself and your business.
Find out more here: www.MyndeMayfield.com.