All you need to achieve Web superstardom is a domain name and a small amount of space on a Web server. There's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to finding a Web host. Instead, you choose the right hosting company based on your budget, what you want your Web site to be able to do, and your own capricious whims (let's face it—some Web hosting companies just have way cooler names than others).
Finding the right Web host can take a bit of searching, and it may require making a few phone calls or some browsing around the Web. Before you start tapping away, it helps to take a look at the big picture.
Nowadays, Web hosting packages come in three main flavors:
Simplified Web site creation. In this case, the Web hosting company offers special software that promises to help you create a Web site in two or three easy steps. These tools range from terrible to awful (see Figure 3-9). After all, if you're content to create the same cookie-cutter Web site as everyone else, you probably aren't interested in learning XHTML, and you wouldn't have picked up this book. Instead, go for standard Web site hosting and unleash your inner Web artiste.
Note
There's one case where simplified Web site creation makes sense—if all you want to do is create a blog (a personal site that consists of short, chronological postings about anything that interests you). Chapter 17 shows how you can create a blog on your own Web site, or how you can set one up at a free blogging host so you don't need to buy a domain name or pay for Web space.
Standard Web site hosting. Here, you're given a slot of space on a Web server to manage as you see fit. You create your Web pages on your own computer, and then copy these files to the server so others can view them. This type of Web hosting is all you need to use this book.
Web program hosting. This option makes sense if you're a programmer at heart, and you need a Web server that can run Web programs. Web programs do quite a few nifty tricks—they can perform complex calculations, read vast amounts of information from a database, and spit out made-to-measure XHTML on the fly. However, creating a Web program is far from easy. In this book, you'll focus on creating ordinary Web sites and using third-party services when you need more complex features, like an e-commerce shopping cart. That means Web program hosting is overkill.
Web hosting packages usually charge a monthly fee. For basic Web hosting, this fee starts at the reasonable sum of $5 to $10 per month. Of course, it can escalate quickly, depending on what features you want.
Figure 3-9. Page-design wizards give you a quick and easy way to make mediocre pages. This tool-generated example (on the AOL Hometown site), includes plain formatting and an ad banner you can't remove. Another major limitation is the page-creation software. Although it's quite good for a browser-based program, it's still slow and awkward, and lacks most of the features and conveniences you'll get if you use full-fledged Web design software, which you'll learn about in Chapter 4.
Before you decide on a Web host, ask yourself one important question—what features do you need? Web hosts are quick to swamp their ads and Web sites with techie jargon, but they don't tell you which services are truly useful. Here's a quick overview that describes what Web hosts sell and what you need to know about each offering. If you'd like to keep track of which features you need, there's a Web host checklist you can fill out on A Web Host Checklist, or you can download it from the Missing CD page at www.missingmanuals.com.
Web space is how much server space you're renting to store your Web site. Although XHTML pages are extremely small, you may need more space to fit in images or files you want others to download, like a video of your wedding. A modest site can easily survive with 20 MB (megabytes) of space, unless you're stuffing it full of pictures or videos. Most Web hosts throw in much more, knowing you'll probably never use it.
Bandwidth (or Web traffic, as it's sometimes called) is the maximum amount of information you can deliver to anyone who visits your site in a month. Usually, you can make do with the lowest bandwidth your hosting company offers (with 1 GB being more than enough). For more information, see the box on A Web Host Checklist.
A domain name is a custom Web site address, as in www.HenryTheFriendly.com. If you decide to get a personalized domain name, you don't necessarily need to get it from the same company that hosts your Web site. However, it does make life easier, and hosting companies often throw in one or more domain names at a discounted price when you sign up for a Web hosting plan.
Email addresses. Odds are, you already have some of these. But you may want an email address that matches your Web site address, especially if you're paying for a customized domain name. For example, if you own www.HenryTheFriendly.com, you'd probably like to use an email address like Hank@HenryTheFriendly.com. Web hosting companies give you different options here—some may just forward the email to your everyday email address (which you'd need to supply them), while better packages give you a dedicated email inbox with plenty of space for receiving and storing messages.
Upload-ability. How easy it is to transfer files to your Web server is another important detail. As you saw in the previous chapter, you can perfect your Web pages on your own computer before you upload them. But once your Web site is ready for prime time, you need a convenient way to copy all the files to your Web server. For greatest convenience, look for Web hosts that offer support for something called FTP (File Transfer Protocol), which lets you easily copy a number of files at once (for details, see FTP). Some Web hosts may also provide integration with popular Web design tools like Dreamweaver, letting you upload pages without leaving your Web editing program.
Server-side scripts are miniature programs that can run on your Web site. They use one of a variety of programming frameworks, which have catchy acronyms like CGI, JSP, PHP, and ASP.NET. Although these features are powerful, they usually require programmer credentials. Occasionally, you might find a ready-made script that can perform a helpful task, like emailing you the information your Web visitors supply (More reliable forms with server scripts). But for the most part, server-side scripts and other types of Web server programming are beyond the scope of this book.
Note
Although this book doesn't cover server-side programs in depth, you'll learn about client-side scripts in Chapter 14; they run right inside Web site visitors' browsers, and are much more limited in ability than server-side scripts. Client-side scripts are commonly used for special effects like animated buttons. The nice thing about them is that even programming novices can drop a simple script into their Web pages and enjoy the benefits. But you don't need to worry about any of this right now, because unlike server-side scripts, client-side scripts don't require any special support from your Web hosting company.
Frills. In an effort to woo you to their side, Web hosting companies often pack in a slew of frills. For example, sometimes they'll boast about their amazing, quick-and-easy Web site creation tools. Translation: they'll let you use a clumsy piece of software on their Web site to build yours. You'll end up with a cookie-cutter result and not much opportunity to express yourself. Steer clear of these pointless features. More usefully, a Web hosting company can provide Web site statistics—detailed information about how many visitors are flocking to your site on a daily or monthly basis. (In Chapter 11, you'll find out about a free visitor tracking tool that runs circles around what most Web hosts provide.)
✓ Web space. 20 MB is acceptable if you're getting free Web space from your ISP. If you're paying a monthly fee for Web space, you'll almost certainly get hundreds of megabytes or more. This is far more than you'll ever be able to use, even if you want to include photos, audio, or other large files. Many Web hosts offer gigabytes of space, knowing that almost no one has the time to upload that much information.
✓ Bandwidth. You don't need much. 1 GB works for most text-centric Web sites, but look for 5 GB or more if you want to provide large files or are expecting to create a popular Web destination. See the box on A Web Host Checklist for tips that can help you estimate your bandwidth requirements.
✓ Domain name. This is your identity—www.You.com. Ideally, your Web host will throw in the domain name for free.
✓ Email addresses. These go with the domain name. Look for at least one POP mailbox. It's better to have five or more, because it lets you give separate email addresses to family members, or use them for different purposes. Also look for Web-based access to your email.
Note
POP stands for Post Office Protocol, an email standard your computer uses to communicate with an email server. When you have a POP email account, you're able to use desktop email programs like Microsoft Outlook and Thunderbird.
✓ FTP access. This lets you easily upload your files.
✓ Tech support. The best companies provide 24-hour tech support, ideally through a toll-free number or a live chat feature that lets you ask a tech support person questions using your browser.
✓ Server-side scripts. Although Web server programming is too complex for most ordinary people, this feature gives you some room to grow. If your Web site supports a server-side programming technology (like CGI, ASP, or ASP.NET), you could conceivably take someone else's script and use it in your Web pages to carry out an advanced task, like collecting visitor information with a form (XHTML Forms).
✓FrontPage extensions. If you create your Web site with Expression Web (the successor to FrontPage), you can use FrontPage server extensions to get a few extra frills. For example, FrontPage server extensions include server-side scripts that count the number of visitors to a certain page and let visitors upload files to the Web server.
Now that you have your requirements in mind, it's time to start shopping for a Web host. The following sections take you through your options.
As you may have already realized, your ISP—the company that provides your access to the Internet—may have its own Web hosting services. In fact, these services are sometimes included in your subscription price, meaning you may already have a dedicated amount of Web space that you don't even know about. If you're in this situation, congratulations—you don't need to take any extra steps. If you're unsure, a quick call to your ISP will fill you in. Make sure you ask for "personal Web space," as many ISPs also provide large-scale Web hosting packages for a monthly fee.
Note
In some cases, your ISP may provide Web hosting that you decide not to use. For example, they may not give you enough space, or they may force you to use their limited Web site creation software (which is a definite drag). In these cases, you'll want to use one of the other Web hosting solutions described later.
Obviously, ISPs differ in whether or not they provide Web space. You're more likely to get a small amount of Web space if you have a high-speed broadband connection (cable or DSL) rather than a dial-up account. The space is always far smaller than what you receive from a Web hosting company, and it almost never includes a personal domain name (although you can purchase one separately).
Before continuing any further, it might be worth it to make a quick call to your ISP or visit their Web site to see if they provide Web hosting services.
Technically, any company that provides Web space is a Web host, but there's a class of companies that specialize in Web hosting and don't do anything else. You can find these companies all over the Internet, or in computer magazines. The disadvantage is that Web hosting companies always charge by the month. You won't get anything for free.
The sad truth is that it's almost impossible to research Web hosting companies online, because the Web is swamped with more advertisements for Web hosting than for cut-rate pharmaceuticals. Fortunately, there are many good choices.
Table 3-1 lists just a few good ones to get you started. If you're curious, be sure to check out these Web sites and start comparison shopping.
Table 3-1. A few of the Internet's many Web hosting firms
Name | URL |
|---|---|
Brinkster | |
DreamHost | |
GoDaddy | |
HostGo | |
Insider Hosting | |
Pair Networks | |
Sonic.net |
It's quite difficult to find honest Web host reviews on the Web. Most Web sites that claim to review and rank Web hosts are simply advertising a few companies that pay for a recommendation. Popular computer magazines like PC World and PC Magazine haven't reviewed Web hosts in years, because a thorough analysis of even a fraction of the Web hosts that exist would require a massive amount of manpower. Their old reviews aren't much help either, because the quality of a Web hosting company can change quickly.
However, the Web isn't completely useless in your Web host hunt. You can get information about Web hosting companies from a Web discussion board where people like you chat with more experienced Web hosters. One of the best is WebHostingTalk, which you'll find at http://tinyurl.com/5zffwp/. The WebHostingTalk discussion board is particularly useful if you've narrowed your options down to just a few companies, and you'd like to ask a question or hear about other people's experiences. If you want to continue with still more research, check out www.consumersearch.com/www/internet/web-hosting/review.html, which does a respectable job of pointing out more discussion boards and a few Web sites with general Web hosting advice.
As you consider different Web hosting companies, you need to sort through a dizzying array of options on different Web sites. In the following sections, you'll learn how to dig through the marketing haze and find the important information on the Web sites of two Web hosting companies.
Figure 3-10 shows how you can assess the home page for the popular Web hosting company Aplus.Net. The company offers dedicated servers, standard Web hosting, domain name registration, and Web design services. All four options are designed to help you get online, but the Web hosting option is what you're really looking for.
Figure 3-10. There's a lot of information packed into this page. Click the Web Hosting heading to find out about the hosting plans that Aplus offers (Figure 3-11). In the top-right corner of the page, you'll find toll-free numbers and a Chat Now button. Click this, and a chat window appears where you can type your question to an Aplus technician and get an immediate answer. If you're serious about signing up with Aplus, it's a good idea to give both these options a try so you can evaluate its technical support.
The dedicated server option is a premium form of Web hosting. It means that your Web site runs on its own server, a separate computer that doesn't host anyone else's site. This is primarily of interest to large business customers with high-powered sites that chew up computer resources. Most personal and small-business Web sites run on shared servers without any noticeable slowdown.
The domain name registration option is for people planning to reserve a name for future use. You'll get one as part of your Web hosting package when you sign up. And the Web design option is mainly of interest to XHTML-phobes. It lets you pay a Web design team to craft all the XHTML pages and graphics for your Web site. But where's the fun in that?
The choices don't end there. Figure 3-11 shows you the range of Web hosting plans you can choose from. As with most Web hosts, you can do perfectly well with the cheapest plan that Aplus provides. But there's another wrinkle—not only can you choose the type of plan, you can also pick the type of operating system used on the server where your Web site lives. Unless you're a programmer planning to create software that runs on the server, there's no reason to care what type of operating system runs on the server. Assuming the hosting company does its job and distributes the Web sites they host over multiple computers, your site will be just as fast and reliable on any operating system. Think about it this way: When was the last time you asked yourself what operating system runs eBay (Windows) or Amazon (Linux)?
Figure 3-11. At the end of your search, you've discovered that the cheapest option is currently $6/month for a 500 MB Web site with 40 GB of bandwidth. A free domain and 50 email addresses are thrown in for good measure, along with FTP support. The Supported Languages and Databases section has information that's tailored to computer programmers—if you're going code-free, you don't need to worry about it. Scroll down for the sign-up links.
Overall, the Aplus.Net search turned up a solid offer at a fair price. Discerning Web shoppers may be hoping to save a few dollars or get a little more space.
Figure 3-12 shows another Web hosting company—Brinkster. Brinkster's target audience includes personal Web site creators, small businesses, and developers, rather than large institutional customers. As a result, you just may find a better deal for your Web site.
Figure 3-12. The Brinkster homepage gets straight to the point with three basic packages. The Rookie package is a good bet for new Web builders. At $4/month, it has space for a gargantuan 200 GB Web site, a huge helping of bandwidth (2000 GB), and a free domain name and email addresses, too. Scroll over to the top-right corner (not shown here) to find a technical support phone number and live chat link.
Now that you've taken a tour of two Web hosting company's sites, you're ready to evaluate some more. Or, if you're really impatient, you can set up your site using one of the hosting companies you've seen. It doesn't take anything more than a couple of mouse clicks, and you'll be online in only a few hours.
Tip
If your Web host is letting you down, don't panic. It's not too hard to switch hosts. The key thing to remember is when you change hosts, you're essentially abandoning one Web server and setting up shop on another. It's up to you to copy your Web pages to the new Web server—no one will do it for you. As long as you have a copy of your Web site on your personal computer (which you always should), this part is easy. If you're still a little skeptical of the company you choose, look for a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
Not yet swayed by any of the hundreds of Web hosting companies on the Web? Not tempted by the offer of a little Web space from your ISP? If you're hoping to save a monthly fee at all cost, there is a solution, but it may not be worth the aggravation.
The Web has a significant number of free Web hosts. Free hosts are companies that give you a small parcel of Web space without charging anything. Sometimes it's because they hope to get you to upgrade to a cost-based service if you outgrow the strict limitations of the free package. Other times, they may just be interested in advertising revenue. That's because some free Web hosts force you to include an obnoxious ad banner at the top your Web pages.
Before you sign up for a free host, familiarize yourself with some of the headaches you can face:
Ad banners. The worst free Web hosts force you to display their advertisements on your pages. If you'd like to crowd out your content with obnoxious credit card commercials, this is the way to go. Otherwise, move on to somewhere new. It's finally possible to find free Web hosts that don't impose the Curse of the Blinking Banner Ad, so don't settle for one that does.
Unreliability. Free Web hosts may experience more down time, which means your Web site may periodically disappear from the Web. Or the Web servers the host uses may be bogged down by poor maintenance or other people's Web sites, causing your site to slow to a crawl.
Unpredictability. Free Web hosts aren't the most stable companies. It's not unheard of for a Web host to go out of business, taking your site with it and forcing you to look for a new Web home in a hurry. Similarly, free hosts can change their requirements overnight, sometimes shifting from an ad-free Web haven to a blinking banner extravaganza without warning.
Usage limits. Some free Web hosts force you to agree to a policy that limits the type of content you can put on your site. For example, you may be forbidden from running a business, selling ad space, or uploading certain types of files (like music, movies, or large downloads).
Limited tech support. Many professional Web site operators say that what makes a good Web host isn't a huge expanse of free space or a ginormous bandwidth limit—it's the ability to get another human being on the phone at any hour to solve unexpected problems. Free Web hosts can't afford to hire a platoon of techies for customer service, so you'll be forced to wait for help—if you get it at all.
Awkward uploads. Many free Web hosts lack support for easy FTP uploading (FTP). Without this convenience, you'll be forced to use a time-consuming upload page.
Despite all these possible problems, many thrifty wallet-watchers swear by their free Web hosts (and the $0/month price tag). If you have the time to experiment, and your business doesn't need rock-solid reliability and an immediate Web presence, you might want to try out a few. Check out www.free-webhosts.com/user_reviews.php for a huge catalog of free Web hosts, which painstakingly details the space they give you and the conditions they impose. You'll also find thousands of user reviews. However, keep in mind that some free Web hosts may pad the rankings with their own reviews, and any free Web host can suddenly change its offerings.
Tip
One thing that you don't get with a free Web host is a custom domain name. Although you can buy your domain name from another company and use domain name forwarding (Domain parking) for a few dollars a year, you can avoid any expense by opting for a subdomain from a free subdomain service, as explained on Free Domain Names.