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FAQ
: Web Site Locations (a.k.a. Web Hosting)
What
exactly is "web hosting"?
Web
hosting means purchasing web space from a special company
that has web servers. These special computers will store
your web pages, images, etc. on them so that when someone
types in your domain name your page(s) will come up
on their computer. Companies that have these special
web servers are known as web "hosts" and charge
a monthly "hosting" fee.
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I
have just purchased hosting from a company, now how
do I get my domain name to point so my pages show up?
When
you registered your domain name, you were given information
on how to log onto your domain manager and change some
server information. This information, known as DNS settings,
will tell anyone looking for your domain name pages
that they need to get the pages from the web hosting
computer. Once someone has modified your domain name
registration record to include the nameservers of your
new hosting company, the right page should come up automatically
on any computer when they type in your URL within 24-72
hours.
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How
do I get my HTML files and images to the web hosting
computer?
The
main method of uploading files to your site's account
is by using FTP, or File Transfer Protocol. Your web
host will provide all the necessary information for
access, so make sure that you or your web designer saves
any emails sent from a web hosting company to get that
important information.
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I
have looked and see many different levels of hosting
plans, at different costs. It is completely confusing.
How expensive of a plan do I need?
The
plan that you need depends on the goals of your site
and whether what the hosting company provides meets
those goals. A small non-profit organization site with
no e-Commerce solutions can obtain a less expensive
option than a medium sized business that sells products.
We wouldn't recommend choosing any plan below $5 per
month if you expect to get a reasonable level of technical
support.
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I
am a start up business and I cannot pay for monthly
hosting costs. What options do I have?
If
you are comfortable with advertisements on your web
pages, a free web host may be an option for you. Some
free web hosts do have restrictions, such as no business
sites allowed, so be sure to read their terms of use.
However, do realize that free web space addresses are
difficult to remember, so it may be worthwhile to register
a domain name and then obtain a domain name redirection
service to forward your domain name to the web space
on the free hosting server.
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I
am currently using free web space. Why does my site
not show up in the search engines?
The
answer to this question is a bit complicated, and has
to deal with the complicated technology of search engines.
If you have a domain name attached directly to web space,
then it is more likely that the search engines will
index your site. Search engines are designed to find
web space, but they often do not index when a domain
name is redirected. If you use web space hosted by a
free web host provider, you have no option but to redirect
your domain name because the free hosting companies
do not provide direct DNS settings for your web space.
Using
this free web hosting is an excellent option for some
organizations because of the cost savings. However,
as you can see there are drawbacks. If you really want
to drive traffic to your web site, it is important to
purchase some dedicated web space for your domain name.
KLB Web Solutions can help determine what is the best
hosting service for your company or non-profit organization.
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