Website Hosting Terminology

If you are planning on purchasing a web hosting package from a web hosting provider, then you really should consider taking some time to familiarize yourself with web hosting terminology.  Before you select the web hosting provider that is going to provide you with ongoing web hosting service, you need to make certain that you understand the terms and conditions set forth in their policy—the only way you can accomplish such a task is by understanding the various terms they use to describe their web hosting packages. Let’s take a look at some of the basic web hosting terminology below:

When familiarizing yourself with web hosting terminology, you will commonly see references to the word “bandwidth”.  Bandwidth is what determines how many visitors can view your website at any given moment.  In fact, the more bandwidth you are allotted, the more visitors that can visit your website and download files at the same time.  Further, some web hosting companies allow you to add extra bandwidth to your account if you should run over the month’s allowance of bandwidth, while other web hosting providers may not.

Another popular web hosting term is “domain name”.  Essentially, a domain name is the address where people can locate your website.  If you select a domain name when you sign up for a web hosting package, you will have that address as long as you continue to pay for domain name fees.  Conversely, if you do not get a package with a specific domain name, you are likely to wind up with a lengthy web address that is relatively difficult to remember.

If you sign up for a web hosting package, you may find packages that offer and “HTML editor”.  HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and it is a special language that computers understand.  Webmasters use HTML to create fantastic looking websites.  However, if you are unfamiliar with HTML you will either need to learn the HTML codes to create a website or you will need to purchase a web hosting package that provides you with a website builder where you can upload, and drop and drag your graphics and information.

You will also notice that you are allotted specific disk space.  Disk space is the amount of storage made available to you to upload graphics and files.  Obviously, the more disk space you have provided to you from a web hosting provider, the more graphics you can have on your website and the more files that you can make available for use.  Thus, when signing up for a web hosting package, be sure to get enough disk space for the type of website you plan to create.  For example, if you plan to have a web site with a lot of images, you will need a web hosting package that will accommodate your needs.

In the end, familiarizing yourself with basic web hosting terminology will make you a wise web hosting shopper.  In understanding your own needs, you will be able to successfully find a web hosting company that can provide you with exactly what you need to run a successful website.  Finally, in understanding web hosting terminology, you will feel more confident about your web hosting package purchase.