Website 101:
Basic Information About Websites

Website Hosting

A website consists of a group of files on a computer which is hooked up to the internet. The computer that stores or "hosts" these files is called a web server. A web server can run Windows, Linux or even the Mac operating system.

When you set out to get your own web site, you need to obtain space for the site on a web server. In other words you must obtain web hosting for your site.

With a lot of computer knowledge and a cable or DSL internet connection, you could host your own website. But for the rest of us, it's best to pay someone for web hosting, someone who knows what they are doing for web hosting.

When you pay for web hosting, you are paying for:

• The space your files take up on the hard drive of the server. The space your files (your site) takes up on the server is referred to as storage space. Nice when a name actually makes sense, isn't it?
• Use of the interface software which allows you to control the functioning and activity of your site easily. The website interface software, often called the control panel, allows you to get information about visitors to your site, move and protect files, and manage email accounts, among other functions.
• Use of the interface software which allows you to control the functioning and activity of your site easily. The website interface software, often called the control panel, allows you to get information about visitors to your site, move and protect files, and manage email accounts, among other functions.
• The input and output data capacity (via the internet connection) that your site will use. An internet connection is like a highway, only so many cars can be on it at one time or traffic comes to a standstill. With internet connections, only so much data can be flowing in and out at any time, or access to the website can stop. This input and output is referred to as throughput.

There are hundreds of hosting packages available at all different price points. Just search the web for "website hosting." You'll find plenty of offerings.

It can be confusing.

At CircleWebWorks, we encourage our clients to purchase hosting from us. We, in turn, purchase hosting from a large provider, one who offers ultra fast internet connections, dependable state-of-the-art servers, and excellent control panel software. We manage your site hosting for you, deal with all the technical stuff, and provide tech support to you, ourselves. So you don't have to wait on hold, or get frustrated by tech support people who talk over your head. You talk to someone you know.

The servers we use run the Linux operating system, with a web interface control panel.

Windows based servers are also available if you specifically require one.

We don't put limits on storage space or throughput. If your site needs more than we can offer, we'll help you find another plan that will work for you. All CircleWebWorks clients share the space we buy in bulk. We bill you once a year, in advance, for your site hosting. We charge $120 a year.

If you have more questions about web hosting, just contact us.