You can’t have a website without having a place for it to live. Think of the hosting as a home. It’s the server where all the files, words and pictures that make up your website live and call home. Most hosting is actually on a shared server with other websites so technically, it’s more like an apartment than a house.
So what’s the domain? That’s the address of your site. It’s the www that you type in the browser to pull up a website. When you type in the www address, it goes out to that “apartment complex” and finds the site. Once it finds the site, it pulls up the files, words and pictures from the server and displays them on your screen.
That being said, where’s the best place to have your website hosted? What are your options?
MY PREFERENCE:
Through my research and experience, I use A2 Hosting. What do I like about them? I like their costs: about $85/year for their most popular option. Their customer service is outstanding. Anytime that I’ve needed to contact them they’ve been fast to respond and great to work with. I use them for all my websites and recommend them for new clients as well.
LOCAL OPTION:
If you want to have someone local here in the Bitterroot Valley, I recommend Grizzly Broadband (formerly known as CyberNet1). Not only do you have your website hosted locally but they have a great staff to work with too. They’re easy to get a hold of by phone, email and in person. It’s great having someone like Ed on your side to help you out.
OTHER OPTIONS:
A few other well known hosting providers include:
DOMAINS:
If you’re curious about buying a new domain, you can check GoDaddy’s website or you can also use domains.google.com to see what options are available.
Questions about domains, hosting or what the best options are for your business and website, please let me know. Always happy to help.
