Web Hosting empowers sharing information, selling products and services, and interacting with people through a web site, so, a reliable Web Hosting Service that gives fast loading, 24/7 tech support, client owned domain name, minimum 20MB - 50MB server space, back-up system, Unlimited free access via FTP/Telnet, email accounts, Easy access to log files should be chosen.
Web hosting platform should be selected according to required operating system (unix or windows) depending on the website functionality. Unix/Linux based hosts provide PHP, Perl/CGI, FrontPage, and very limited ASP functionality. If running an Application that requires ASP, .NET, MS SQL, SBS or Access, the need will be for a Windows based web host; usually a little more expensive.
Types of web hosting server that can be selected:
Shared Web Hosting -
One server (CPU time, memory, OS, applications, bandwidth, etc) is shared with a number of clients of the hosting company. Usually, this is the cheapest web hosting solution, good for small to medium size sites.
Dedicated Web Hosting -
Hosting solution especially attractive for large high-traffic websites, custom development projects creating complex web based applications, and web sites that require a high degree of uptime and total control of the hosting environment.
Managed Hosting -
It takes the dedicated web hosting features and adds extra services from technical point of view. More expensive than dedicated hosting, as it can be difficult to operate technically and requires certain knowledge about server maintenance and system administration.
The Virtual Private Server (VPS) -
Very attractive hosting solution for web hosting clients who would like features of dedicated server on a smaller scale in cheaper rates. The resources are setup in such a way that each person in spite of sharing CPU, memory, and bandwidth, are allocated their own file system. It is safer than sharing, if a website on the server is hacked; the hackers will only have access to that particular file system and would not harm the other Websites. It is cheaper than dedicated hosting, more expensive than shared.
Co-located Hosting -
Allows complete control of the server and its resources. Allows its clients to use customized hardware and software for hosting Usually the most expensive hosting solution.
Reseller Hosting ?
Allows appointed members to earn an income by re-selling web hosting and services Good for multiple domain hosting Usually comes with helpful control panels to manage all the sites. A reseller account can be a good start for those having network of websites or those interested in reselling web hosting services.
Free Web Hosting -
Gives banners, popup, and advertisements with limited web space in exchange of free hosting. This could be the case for times when someone builds small site as an experiment, a hobby, as a test platform, or as a backup for other sites. Hosting on a free web host does not give a very professional impression, especially if the website is an e-commerce or business site.