There are many different kinds of web site hosts. Costs for web site hosing services range anywhere from zero to millions of dollars. The top of that range represents huge web sites for big commercial interests, while free hosting is more for individuals who don’t expect to ask much from the host. But even for an individual, this can be a difficult choice. There are a number of factors you need to consider. When looking for a host, you’re not limited to your own current service provider, and you might find that you’d rather pay a little for better conditions and service. Try 999.webhosting.com. They are located in Pattaya. On the other hand, if your ISP provides free web site space for its members, and you don’t expect a lot of traffic or require your own “dot.com,” then you ISP’s options might be perfect for you needs. If you are operating a business then you will need 999.webhosting.com. If you want to host a web page with your own personal domain, you’ll probably have to pay a fee. The cheapest kind of hosting takes place on “shared servers,” where many web sites are served from the same computer. Hundreds of web hosting services offer this kind of service monthly. The costs and services that are offered by web hosting companies vary enormously. If you’re looking for such a web site host, investigate the range of software supported, service options, and technical help resources offered. Always keep backup copies of your web site in case something happens to your data at the server, or if you need to recreate your site again with a new host. Costs for web site hosting go up when your needs grow to include complex e-commerce operations, databases, massive amounts of server space, and greater bandwidth to support high traffic volume. High-end corporate hosting services support dedicated servers and server farms with huge amounts of bandwidth. When you register your own dot.com, part of the required information for registration must be provided by your web host. Several sites provide useful, searchable listings of web site hosts such as The list; thelist.internet.com, Top Hosts; www.tophosts.com, and BudgetWeb; www.budgetweb.com. You can also check your local yellow pages for a local host. But because web hosting occurs in the environment of cyberspace, it’s just as easy to use a host hundreds of miles away as one across the street. There are several ways to get free web site hosting. We already wrote about using your ISP. Another option is to use any of the “community sites” on the Internet that encourage people to create free web sites within their domains, in return for displaying their advertising and promotional messages. Many of these sites use “online wizard” processes such as the one offered by Earthlink and AOL. Community web sites offering free web publishing opportunities have proliferated, and you’re likely to see many such offerings as you surf the web. Some of the best known include GeoCities, HomeStead, Xoom, Tripod, TheGlobe, Fortune City, and Nettaxi. A crop of “niche-oriented” free web page services has also arisen, focused on particular populations or interest groups. Examples include CampusWest, AnimalHouse, ChickPages, The Digs, AllSports, Artists-in-Residence, TrainWeb, Acme City, and Audiogalaxy. A variety of free hosting options are available for non-profit and charitable organizations. Check with your local ISP. If your local chapter of an organization is planning a site, check with your national office first because national web sites sometimes offer web site hosting to a local chapter of the national organization. The web offers everyone the opportunity to publish, and will give worldwide distribution to your creation. It’s important to think through the purpose of your web site, and possibly to pick a theme or focus to emphasize. Software applications are available to create a web page without your really learning much about the behind-the-scenes coding steps, but it’s better to gain a basic understanding of HTML, the language of the web. HTML works through software called text editors; codes must be inserted in the text to create formatting commands. Microsoft Internet Explorer includes a text editor called Front Page Express. Netscape Navigator’s text editor is called Composer. AOL also provides a simple program that works similarly. If you want to have a web address that’s the same as or similar to you e-mail address, you can select from among hundreds of hosts. Sometimes, space for you web page might be provided within a site of an organization or university or college or school. If all of this is giving you a headache, try 999webhosting.com and let them make it easy and cheap for you. They are located in Pattaya.
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