If you are launching a new website, one critical decision is where to have the site hosted. A web host is the location of where your web site actually resides on the internet. It may help to think about this in relationship to a human family. They have many options where they may live, and there is just a single place that is there home at any given time. Websites reside on web servers, which are computers attached to the internet which keep website pages and serve them up when people want to view them. A computer which stores websites is called a web host.

One major decision is whether to use a free or paid web host. Using one of the free sites is tempting, because not only are they free, they often include easy site building tools. While using a free site can be quick and easy (not to mention free!), you should not rely on them. Not only do many of them display ads, but you also do not have control over whether they decide to delete your site or shut down the service tomorrow. That being said, using a free site can be an effective marketing strategy. Some popular services include Blogger.com and Weebly.com.

If you hire a web designer, they may provide web space to you in a package, or you might purchase a hosting plan on your own. You should think about the following when selecting a web host:
Price: what is it going to cost you to host the site, not only in base service fees but also for any additional services you may require?
Reliability: do they guarantee uptime? One of the best ways to determine reliability is to ask what others' experience has been. The least expensive web host will not be worth it if you cannot count on it being available when your customers or readers need it.
Administration: most web hosts today use "cpanel", short for "Configuration Panel" to administer the site. Cpanel is an industry standard these days and you should not sign up with any host that does not offer it.