Web hosting a part of a general Internet access plan

Web hosting is a service which allocates space for customers to showcase their websites on computer servers that are connected to the Internet 24/7.
Servers are powerful computers that have extremely large hard drives, or an array of hard drives. Space is then rented to those who want a "website presence" on the Internet.
Every server on the Internet has a unique numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address. You can think of servers as apartment buildings with unique addresses. Each apartment unit within each building is equivocal to space rented out for individual websites. And like real apartment buildings, each unit also has an address based on "the building" in which it is located.
The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company.

Features of web hosting
Evaluating and understanding Web hosting features is a prerequisite to choosing a good Web host. A web host is a partner that you do business with for many years or even decades (the life of your website). Therefore, deciding upon a Web host and the web hosting features they offer is a very important process that should be not be taken lightly.


Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to how much data you may use each month. For example, if you have one gigabyte (approximately 1000 megabytes) of bandwidth per month, and each visitor uses one megabyte of bandwidth, you can only serve 1,000 visitors. Once the bandwidth is used up, your website will display an error page. Make sure the level of bandwidth is more than enough for the amount of visitors you expect to receive. To calculate how much bandwidth you need each month, multiply the average expected amount of bandwidth used per visitor by the total amount of visitors you expect each month.

Storage Space
The amount of storage space on a web hosting plan is not always enough. You must decide how much space you need. If you are regularly uploading and distributing video, you need a lot of storage space (perhaps several hundred gigabytes). If you are a simple plain text blog, you probably don't need much storage space at all (less than one gigabyte). Most Web hosting packages have more than enough storage space for the average user.

Statistics Trackers
A good web host has an integrated statistics tracker that records website traffic data. For example, it breaks down your visitors by country, length of time spent on your Web page, and referring website (what page the user was on before they came to your site). This data is important because it helps you evaluate where your visitors are coming from and what they are searching for when they find your site. It helps you target keywords and key phrases. In addition, certain advertisers may want to reach consumers from a certain country--statistics trackers help you see where your traffic is coming from.
Pricing
A low monthly price is essential to a Web host, because a website is an asset that is to be maintained for years. Even a one dollar discrepancy in pricing could mean hundreds of dollars over the life of the website. Most web hosts have some kind of coupon code that you can use to save some extra money. Historically (as of June 2010) most web hosts charge $5 to $10 per month for a basic web hosting plan.