In Part one I shared with you what a domain name was and how to go about setting up your own personal domain name.

In part two of this series I’ll take you step by step through the process of finding and selecting the perfect web host to fit your needs. I’ll also give you my recommended feature list when selecting a web host and then we’ll wrap up with showing you how to connect your domain name to your new hosting service.

WHAT IS A WEB HOST
In a nutshell and to make things simple, a web host or server, is simply a computer that lives in a data center remotely someplace else in the world. Though possible to setup your own web server locally, I recommend opting to pay a reputable hosting company to serve up and manage your site unless you are the ultimate control freak and have a budget to hire a server administrator at which point I still say opt for having someone else host it and save yourself a world of headache.

A web server is the place you store your website, blogs and online galleries, when a web surfer types in your url such as www.prophotoresource.com a DNS Server (explained later in this article) re-routes them to your web server and subsequently the browser displays your page. I know it all seems like magic doesn’t it.

Most hosting companies offer a variety of choices when choosing a new account, the most important at this point are whether to choose a Windows or Linux based server. My personal preference is Linux. This isn’t the place to get into a deep heated debate with all the Microsoft fans out there who think Windows is a superior hosting environment, both have their advantages and disadvantages, but for my personal needs the Linux platform offers everything I need to get the job done. Do your research, talk to your web developer and find the best solution for your needs. (more…)