If you want to have your own website you need to host it on a Web Server. Whilst it is possible to do this yourself there are a number of issues that you need to overcome. For almost everyone is is preferable to use a web hosting company to provide this service.

What does Web Hosting entail?
Web hosting involves installing or copying your site or multiple sites on to a web server maintained by a third party which is connected to the internet. You connect to the server using FTP to upload files and maintain your site. You don’t have to worry about internet connectivity, security and maintenance of the server (although you may choose to do so if using a dedicated server).
 
You usually have choice between Linux Hosting and Windows hosting. This relates to the OS running on the server and the supporting software, such as the web server itself. It does not relate in any way to your PC operating system. The majority of the web is powered by Linux and the best advice is to go for Linux unless you have a specific reason why you need Windows.  
 
Varieties of Web Hosting

  • Shared Web Hosting - This is the service most people use and involves a hosting company putting many sites on the same server. Whilst there are potential problems with this a reputable company will manage them as far as possible. The big advantage is that shared hosting can be offered at very low prices. You will frequently see shared hosting sold with “Unlimited” resources such as storage, domains, bandwidth and databases. This has the benefit of simplicity and for most users is fine but “Unlimited” is, of course, meaningless because a host has to avoid one user on a shared server taking resources to the detriment of others. So there will always be some restrictions.
  • VPS Hosting - In this case software is used to divide a physical server into a number of virtual servers. To users it appears as though they have their own server with its own resources and there is much better security than with shared hosting.
  • Dedicated Hosting - Here users really do have a physical server for their own use. Apart from having greater resources available and there being no chance of being affected by other users, you can have an unmanaged service where you are in total control. This does though require significant technical expertise.
  • Cloud Hosting - Here a site is hosted on a network of computers rather than on an actual server. Resources can be added as required so it is good if requirements are expected to grow. However there are some issues to consider.
  • Reseller Web Hosting - There are many people selling web hosting who are simply reselling the services of another company. Generally the technical service is provided by the main company with the reseller able to set their own prices, deal with billing and provide support. If buying from a reseller it is the support aspect you need to be watch. Resellers can provide good value hosting but normally cannot offer 24/7 support like the big hosting companies so be clear what you are buying.
  • e-Commerce Hosting - Provides additional support for sites which are selling goods or services such as a shopping cart.
  • SEO Hosting - This is aimed at site owners who want to get more than one site ranking with the search engines. A key element in search engine ranking is backlinks but backlinks from sites with the same IP address are not counted. This service allows sites to be hosted on separate IP addresses.

Web Hosting companies vary in the services they offer. Some such as Bluehost offer just one shared linux package. Offers such as HostGator provide a range of Linux and Windows hosting options which offer a future upgrade path.
 
If you look through user comments about web hosts you will see that the majority of complaints are support related. A good reputation for support is the key element to look for.

Please visit our site Website Hosting Plans where you will find articles covering all of the above in detail.