Hosting and Domain Names
So you're convinced you need a web site, but you're still unclear about what happens when the web site is finished. What do you do with it? Don't worry! It's not as complicated as it seems. Let's cover the basics.
Hosting
What Is Hosting?
A Web Host is a company that takes your finished web site and puts it "live" on the Internet (called hosting; your web site can now be seen by anyone with an Internet-connected computer). Without hosting, your web site would not be on the Internet.
How Is Hosting Done?
Servers
A web host places your web site on their computers (called servers) that are permanently linked to the Internet. The servers are programmed with the web site address (e.g. www.YourClinic.com - also called a domain name) for your web site when it is first placed on the server.
www.YourClinic.com
When someone types your web site address (e.g. www.YourClinic.com) into their browser (e.g. Internet Explorer), the browser sends a request to the Internet for the web site associated with www.YourClinic.com. Your web host's server responds to this request and sends your web site to the browser so the user can see it.
Domain Names
What Are Domain Names?
A Domain Name is the web site address your web site is located at (e.g. www.YourClinic.com). Domain name allows people to easily find your web site by typing words into their browser (instead of numbers - computers work exclusively on ones and zeros. Not very easy to remember!).
Domain Names can be divided into two types: shared and private.
Shared Domain Names
Shared domain names are those that are shared by a number of people and have a common element to them. For example www.yahoo.com/YourClinic is a shared domain name since a variety of web sites are found at www.yahoo.com/…
Cheap, But With A Catch
Shared domain names are usually much cheaper (even free) when compared with private domain names, but they tend to be much more limited in the types and sizes of web sites that can be hosted on them. Shared domain name web hosts also often place advertisements directly on your web site.
Private Domain Names
Private domain names are those that are owned exclusively by one person or company. For example www.ibm.com is a private domain name because any web page found within www.ibm.com/… contains content exclusive to IBM.
The Professional Choice
Private domain names (e.g. www.YourClinic.com) tend to be more expensive than shared domain names, but offer much greater flexibility in the type and size of web site that can be hosted on them.
Also, private domain names offer a more professional feel to a clinic's web site, especially when the clinic's email address is at the same domain name (e.g. info@YourClinic.com). A number of customizable email address are usually included with private domain names.
We exclusively choose private domain names for our web sites.
Hosting and Domain Names Summary
So to sum up: the web host is the computer your web site sits on so it can be accessed from the Internet; the domain name is the address needed to find your web site on the Internet.
