Web hosting is essential for individuals and companies that want to start and run a website. Unless you have a server that is always on and has a static IP address, you will need the services of a web hosting company. You have gone through the domain registration process and web hosting is the next step.

What does a typical web host provide? Well, the most important services they provide are mentioned above. Again, web hosts provide you with a server that is always on and an IP address that does not change. The server must always be on so that people can find your website at any time of the day. The server must have a static IP so that the website can always be located. Beyond these two basics, web hosts provide speed, website space, database access, script ability, email capability, and more. A list of typical web hosting services is provided below.

Typical Web Hosting Features
- Disk Storage
- File Transfer
- Email Accounts
- FTP Access
- CGI
- FrontPage Extensions
- Website Statistics

So what should you look for in a web host? Start by identifying web hosting services that you think are critical. I suggest you look at uptime, server space, database connectivity, scripting ability (.NET, PHP), bandwidth allowance, number of email addresses, support, and the administration interface. Once you have decided on your own list of web host essentials, make a list of 3 – 5 qualified candidates. Take your list of web hosts and find the corresponding monthly rate for each. Now you have apples to apples comparison of web hosts that you can sort by monthly hosting fees. Find a web host that is within your budget and do a further investigation of their web hosting solution. Once you have identified a web hosting company that meets all your needs, then you are ready to sign up. A list of potential web hosting companies can be found below. Perhaps it will help you along in your search. You may also want to get a copy of our summarized web hosting checklist to use in your analysis.

Web Hosts:
- FortuneCity
- BraveNet.com
- Yahoo! Small Business
- iPowerWeb

For more information on web hosting and the companies that provide them, simply run a search for “web hosting” on Google and you will get plenty of addtional information.