Your Web site is a series of files that reside on a special computer, called a Web server, connected to the Internet. For customers to visit your site, they must actually connect to that Web server via the Internet and view the files. Web servers and the Internet connections that link them to visitors must be fast and powerful enough to quickly respond to all the visitors' requests to view your site.
Many small and medium sized e-commerce businesses prefer to turn to an Internet Presence Provider (IPP) or Web hosting company, instead of investing in the hardware, software, and infrastructure necessary to get online. For a monthly fee, IPPs and Web hosting companies will connect your site to the Internet at high speed via one of their Web servers, allowing the site to be viewed by anyone with an Internet connection and a Web browser.
The host provides your site with space on a server, and also offers Web server software, access to its high-speed Internet connection, tools for managing and maintaining your site, customer support, e-commerce features, and more. There are hundreds of IPP and Web hosting options to choose from, so look for one that can meet all your needs.
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