Web Hosting provides the space for your website files and incoming e-mails to live on the Internet.
Your web site is made up of files very similar to those found on your home computer except written in a language used by Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Opera.
As your own files live on your computer, the files for your web site need hard drive space to live on, and this space needs to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months of the year. Additionally, your web space needs a a fast and powerful connection so that thousands of users every hour can log on and see your web site.
YOUR WEB SITE LIVES ON A "WEB SERVER"
The specialized computer, known as a "web server", that stores your web site files and keeps your incoming e-mails until you access them, is more than just a standard personal computer. It also contains hundreds of software programs that support and add to the way your web site functions. Some of these functions track visitors to your site and protect your site from harmful attacks. Other programs add functions to your site, such as the ability to run a database or back up your important files.
When you register a domain name, part of the information you add to your registration are the "nameservers". This is the information, recorded around the world that tells your browser where to go and find the files associated with your domain name.
Web hosting has two main factors in providing for your site, "disk space" and "bandwidth".
WHAT IS "DISK SPACE"?
Disk Space is the amount of space on the web server hard drive allocated to your site, both for your web site files, and to store e-mails that come to any accounts set up on your domain. If you regularly download your e-mails to a program such as Outlook Express or Mac Mail, the space needed for e-mails is very small. However, if you leave your mails on the server, expecially if you receive a lot of spam, you may need a bit more storage space.
A good web server, such as ours at Wilmington Web, can help you filter out spam, either as it comes onto the server, or by flagging it so your home e-mail program can filter it out at that end.
Your web site will probably use a suprisingly small amount of server space. The files that make up your web site have to stay small and compressed in size so they download quickly to a visiting computer, even on a slower Internet connection.
Our advice is to rent a modest amount of disk space as you start, and increase over time as your web site grows. You don't rent a warehouse to store two boxes, and the same rule applies to your web site files.
WHAT IS "BANDWIDTH"?
Bandwidth, measures the amount of traffic to and from your site. When people visit your site, the files that make up your web site are sent down wires and through the air to get to their computer anywhere in the world. The more visitors your site gets, the more capacity for traffic you need to send out files. Bigger files, such as videos or music need more travelling space, and so they use more bandwidth every time they are transferred.
Every web hosting account has a bandwidth allocation which measures your use and allows you to only pay for the amount of traffic you are actually receiving. Bandwidth is measured by the month, and your allocation resets at midnight on the first day of every month of the year.
OUR WILMINGTON WEB "DEDICATED SERVER"
Wilmington Web hosting is on a dedicated server. This means that our entire computer power on the Internet is ONLY used by Wilmington Web clients. Many other providers share space with other companies to keep their costs down but this can slow down access to your site and limit the services your site can provide. At Wilmington Web our Internet power is working only for you, which allows us to give your site exactly what it needs at all times and keep it fast and accessible for thousands of visitors all over the world!
HOW MUCH HOSTING DO I NEED?
Although we have "standard packages", which suggest usual combinations of web space and bandwidth used by many types of site we are always happy to custom supply any account provision you need. Some clients, for instance, need lots of space to store large files for download, but only have a select group of traffic accessing their online space. That client would need a lot of disk space but a smaller amount of bandwidth. Other clients may have a slick site with no large files, but have thousands of visitors every day. That client would need a small storage space but lots of bandwidth to handle the traffic.
At Wilmington Web we work with every client to provide the resources THEY need and make sure they are only spending money on capacity they really need.
If you have any questions about Wilmington Web Hosting why not call us today. Phone and e-mail answers are always free and if you need to meet in person remember our first consultation is always free and without obligation!
We look forward to hearing from you!
