What A Web Hosting Service Does
Web hosting services are an absolutely essential aspect of owning and maintaining a web site. Without a web host, your web site will not exist on the world wide web.
A web host does what the name implies: "host" your website on their own computers called "servers". When you sign up for service with a web host, they give you the ability to upload the files for your web site onto their server where they are hosted for you.
Web Hosting Services Provide A Home For Your Site
When someone on the internet types your domain name into their address bar, or they click on a link to your site, their browser requests the files from the IP address associated with your domain. The IP address tells the browser where on the internet the files are located, which is the directory in the server your files are hosted on. Your web host essentially is providing a home for your site, with an internet address for people to access it.
What Paying For A Host Gets You
When you pay for a web host service you are paying for both storage space on their servers and the bandwidth that is used when people visit your site, downloading all the necessary files to view it. You are also paying for things such as backup generators, (used to keep the servers running in the event of power loss to prevent loss of data), regular upkeep and maintenance of the servers such as software updates, etc., and a whole host of other things that you would simply not want to do from your own personal computer.
No Web Host, No Money
Web hosting services provide a valuable and absolutely necessary service for any and every web site. They are one of the few expenses associated with running a web site, but it's a small sacrifice to make because otherwise, your website will not exist and thus not make any money.
Get A Web Host Now
If you're ready to find a web host for your web site, skip ahead to our top ten web hosting services page and find the host with most.