The world wide web is a network of millions of computers worldwide. Connected by a series of wires, lines, and radio waves, fiber optics, and other devices. But where do all of these websites live?
Each web site exists - or in order TO exist - on an actual computer, hard drive, or server "somewhere" in the world. I say somewhere because there are a lot of web hosting companies globally and literally scattered all over the place.
Imagine each web site like a file cabinet, and there are millions of file cabinets all over the planet, each connected by a wire. That's pretty much what's hapening. And then each file cabinet is of different sizes and may have certain colors, functions, and additions to them (like fancy handles, pretty colors, or spinning banners hanging off of them) this is like having special features on your web site (aka file cabinet).
To create, or house your file cabinet (web site) you need to either create a hosting account on your computer (which can be done but is semi-complex) or buy a "hosting plan" in one of hundreds of web hosting companies.
Along with those, are many good ones - and of course more bad ones.
Bad ones (if I may use the file cabinet metaphor) are like hobos (bums, street people, etc...) telling you they'll put your file cabinet up there. What they do is use old, rusty, small coffee cans and tie a fish line to the world wide web (essentially). You end up with poor connections, lack of good quality support, and your web site just isn't working properly. Or worse sometimes...
An example of a "good" web host, is a company dedicated to creating safe (forgot that one - safety and security are SUPER important!), clean, powerful, and RELIABLE web host packages. They'll make it easy for you to create this virtual folder (file cabinet) for your domain (your web site).
You will most often have a location, user name, and password. You then have full access to your web site. Period. And typically pay reasonable costs to have that hosted. All normal and expected. And it doesn't cost much... Figure averaging about $50 per year to host your web site.
There are companies out there (MANY!) that claim that they provide or offer web hosting but it's sort of a hidden process where they take care of that and you have no idea of how, why, or what they're doing... The danger there is that its' YOUR web site. You should have access to it, and it should be easy. Back to the file cabinet, you should have the key, knowo where it is, and know how it works!
I have had clients who have called me and panicked when their website (in one example Joomla web site, another on WordPress) just stopped working... gone.
It does happen on occasion in any web host by simple negligence. Forgot to pay the bill, forgot to renew the hosting plan, etc... But hey, that's all normal right?
Anyway, let's be careful in how we set up hosting plans. Use solid choices (like GoDaddy, 1and1, and FatCow). Simple, easy, expandible, safe, and very affordable. Very...
Avoid most others unless you really have a solid understanding of how it works and what your getting. A good web design company also will be able to help you figure that out as well.
If you have questions, or comments, please contact me. We provide free web hosting help, free web hosting for any design projects done with Mitchell Creative Group... contact todd@mitchellcreativegroup.com.
