What exactly IS hosting, anyway? Once you have a web site, you will want to store it in a place where viewers can access it. A host provides computer space on which to store web sites. These computers run all of the time, are open for everyone to access, and are called “servers” because the files on them are “served up” to a browser when requested.

You can usually have your site hosted at your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The price for this varies widely; there are an unbelievable number of hosts available with every conceivable option. Here are some things you should be aware of:

• Free hosting is available at a number of locations. If you are interested in free hosting, you may be expected to share your space with advertisers. Don’t let that be a surprise—find out how much advertising is expected, how big the banners are and where they will be placed, etc. Also make sure they are offering enough space for your site. This will be given in megabytes (MB), and will only really be a concern if you have a very large site, large graphics, animations, or music files.
  
  
• If you are using FrontPage, you will need a server with FrontPage Extensions. Check this with potential hosts.
  
  
• You do not need to have your site hosted by your internet service provider. Your host will provide you with mailboxes (you may have to pay extra for additional mailboxes for all employees—make sure you know up front) and a way to check those boxes. You may also have your mail forwarded from one set of mailboxes to another.
  
  
• Some hosts provide services at very low prices expecting you to do the work—set up your mailboxes, mail forwarding, mailing lists, etc, for example. If you aren’t comfortable with this, make sure you can get help from your host.

Here are some links to hosting options and reviews:

hostindex.com

thelist.com

www.free-web-space-page.com

Free Web Hosting Sites Review