What is a web server?
Your website is a series of files that reside on a special computer, called a web server, which is connected to the Internet. For customers to visit your site, they must actually connect to that web server via the Internet and view the files. Web servers and the Internet connections that link them to visitors must be fast and powerful enough to quickly respond to all the visitor requests to view your site.
Where to host your website?
Many businesses prefer the complete control of purchasing, setting up, and managing their own web server hardware and software. Other businesses prefer to turn to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or web hosting company, instead of investing in the hardware, software, and infrastructure necessary to get online. Smart companies leave it to their digital marketing agency to look after the whole thing for them.
Why do you need a good web hosting company?
For a monthly fee, ISPs and web hosting companies will connect your site to the Internet at high speed via one of their web servers, allowing the site to be viewed by anyone with an Internet connection and a web browser. The host provides your site with space on a server, and also offers Web server software, access to its high-speed Internet connection, tools for managing and maintaining your site, customer support, e-commerce features, and more.
Which web hosting company should you choose?
There are hundreds of ISP and Web hosting options to choose from, so look for one that can meet all your needs. Or do what all of our clients do, and that is to leave it to us. Download speed is very important, and when things go wrong you need to know what to do and say to get the right support. Making the right choice for web hosting is a very important decision.
What to Look for in a Web Hosting Company
Shared hosting or dedicated server? Shared hosting is when your site sits on the same host server with several other websites. This is an economical solution for smaller sites. Paying the host for your own dedicated server, a solution used by larger and busier sites, could provide faster access. Does your ISP or Web hosting provider offer both options?
Hard-disk storage space. Smaller sites may need only 300-500 MB (megabytes) of storage space, while busier e-commerce sites may need at least 9 GB (gigabytes) of space or their own dedicated web server. As your site grows, your ISP should be able to accommodate you with a range of options.
Availability. If you run an e-commerce business, your site must be accessible to customers 24 hours a day. ISPs and web hosts maximize the availability of the sites they host using techniques like load balancing and clustering.
E-mail accounts. E-mail accounts that match your domain name are often available from your ISP. Are they included with your monthly access and hosting fee?
SSL Encryption: The security of the credit card numbers and other personal information customers send you should be a top concern. Does your ISP or web host protect your site with an SSL Certificate?
Support. A big part of the value Flow offers is that we work with the best people to give you the right solution for your business.
Here is a post on how to secure your website.
