Web hosting is a huge business these days, and this is no surprise whatsoever when you consider how much the world relies on e-commerce. That being said, it is very important that you choose your web host carefully. There are plenty of hosts to choose from after you take care of your domain registration, but you need to ensure that you are indeed making the right choice.

But what's the difference? It's all webspace, isn't it? Well in a way, but not quite. Each provider offers the same basic service, but the way in which they offer it is different. There are many different services and components that go into hosting a successful webpage. For instance you have your basic HTML webpages that do not take much work to host, but then you have your higher end pages that require flash, CSS, Java, and other resource consuming protocols. You would think that a basic HTML page would serve the purpose, but with so any businesses going the CSS route, it is impossible to compete if you do not show a few signs of advanced scripting.

When you are choosing your web host, check to see what types of features they offer. Do these features come with their basic hosting package? It may be that you have already designed a website and are simply looking for a place to upload it to. If you did not design it yourself, make sure you have a long detailed talk with your web designer to find out what he or she used in the design. Once you know this, you can make an effective decision as to what features you need.

Keep in mind that some web hosting services provide add-ons that have nothing to do with site components. Some of these addons have to do with web development, and some of them of course have to do with the amount of space you can use at a time. Before you choose to utilize any of these there are a number of questions that you will need to ask yourself.

The first and most obvious question of course is whether or not you really need the add-on. There are times when we think we need something, but down the road we reflect on it and realize that it was a complete and utter waste of money. If you need more space for your webpage, then it is probably a justified expense, but there are other bells and whistles that you may or may not need.

If you need a chatroom or forum for your webpage, keep in mind that you do NOT have to buy this feature from your hosting provider! There are many free, open source programs that will allow you to have a decent chatroom. There was a time when it was incredibly expensive to have a Java chat front end for IRC or even a standalone chatroom, but the users became fed up with this and released several different open source alternatives that you can use.

If they are offering web development software, try to find a free alternative. Yes, there ARE alternatives out there and some of them are just as good if you take the time to sit down and learn them! So finally this brings us to the question of whether or not you have to buy add-ons from your web hosting service. The answer is maybe.

There may be times that your web host is proving an SSL certificate or even features that only they can provide. These proprietary services may not be necessary but they can certainly be useful. You need to take a look at what is being offered, and if you determine that you need a great number of these web hosting features, you should buy them one at a time rather than going all out on them. While the web hosting fees are a huge part of your business, they should not be the only part of your business.

So you may need to buy add-ons from your host, but it should be a decision made by you and everyone else who is involved with the website. It can take some time to decide, but it is time well spent! So take a look at your provider and see what they offer.