So you have created a website and you are ready to put it live on the internet. Well if you don't already know you should understand that websites have to have their files hosted somewhere. You can host it yourself on your own pc but you have to have a specific internet connection and some firewall settings that if not set up properly can kill your computer. I would recommend using an external host when you are first starting out just so you make sure that everything is done right and you can later think about hosting on your own.

So who is the best host online today? Well that is a good question. You first need to understand what constitutes a good host. What exactly to you need and then who provides what you need the best? I for example I want people to come to my site so I will need a host that won't shut down when a lot of people visit my page. I also want to have a email that shows myname @ mysite.com that way I look a little more professional then my competition who has a yahoo or gmail account. I would prefer to have a host that doesn't cost me an arm and leg as well.

So once you have your specific criteria it will be easier to narrow down exactly what you want in a web host. Here are a few companies that I have looked into and I do currently use one of them.

The first company I use is mediatemple They charge me $20 per month for hosting and can handle up to 100 domains. I have 24 hr access to my files and rarely have down time. I have had up to 60,000 visitors in one day and the server handled it pretty good. I like this host and so far I plan on sticking with them for a while.

Another good host I hear about is Hostgator. I have never used them but they are much cheaper than mediatemple (I think around $9 per month). I think they have the same functionality as mediatemple but like I said I have never used them so I am not completely sure how they work.

The last company I have used before but don't anymore is 3ix.org. They have cheap hosting around $12 per year which is nice but they can't handle much traffic. If you want to play around with a site these guys are good simply because they will get you up online and if you start getting traffic later you can always transfer over later.

These are just a few web hosting companies I have used and would recommend. There are hundreds online today but the best way to pick one is to first decide exactly what it is you actually want and then find a host that fulfills the need.

Joseph Stevenson is a Web Developer and freelance writer for Las Vegas Website Designers http://www.las-vegas-website-designers.com/. Currently he is a SEO best practices advocate and professional nerd doing freelance work at Employed Online.