Do You Need a Web Host?

If you own a business of any size, web hosting is a necessity; it isn’t a luxury. An internet-connected world demands that businesses have websites, even if the pages simply detail locations and hours of operation.

Why? Word of mouth only gets you so far in the internet era. People discover new businesses — even local business — via Bing, Google, and Yahoo. The days when they’d just look you up in the yellow pages are long gone. If you don’t have a sharable website address, your chances of building online word of mouth via social networking plummet, too. In other words, no website, no discoverability, no money. Of course, web hosting isn’t just for businesses. You may want to host a personal website or blog, too. Either way, the services here have you covered.

The first step in building your online presence is finding a web host, the company that stores your website’s files on its servers and deliver them to your readers’ and customers’ browsers. Bluehost, chetHosting Business Choice winner, is a reader-recommended option.

Web hosting services offer varying amounts of monthly data transfers, storage, email, and other features. Even how you pay (month-to-month payments vs. annual payments) can be radically different, too, so taking the time to plot exactly what your company needs for online success is essential. Many of these companies also offer reseller hosting services, which let you go into business for yourself, offering hosting to your own customers without requiring you to spin up your own servers.