Essentially, a Web site is a way to present yourself online. Your Web site is a place on the Internet where anyone in the world can visit whenever they want to find out more about you, ask you questions, give you feedback, or even buy your products. Think of the Internet as the world's biggest trade show, and your Web site is your booth.

Why do I need a Web site ?
Five years ago having a Web site was a vanity.
Two years ago having a Web site was trendy.
Today having a Web site is a necessity.

People are using the Web for everything from researching schoolwork to buying dinner. It's quick, it's convenient, and you never need to leave your desk. Even people who prefer to shop off-line are researching products on the Web. These days when people are trying to find you, the first place they look is on the Web - and if they don't find you, they will probably find someone else!

What can a Web site do for me?
Your Web site can be used for a large number of tasks such as:

• Making public announcements
• Providing support to your customers
• Receiving feedback from your visitors
• Sharing/distributing files and images
• And, of course, selling your products

Those might not sound impressive, but don't forget that you'll be able to do those things for people around the world at any time of day or night. You have the potential to become a house-hold name 10,000 miles away.

How does a Web site work?
A Web site is simply a collection of files that reside on a computer connected to the Internet. When someone visits your site, they are actually contacting that computer, and that computer (called a Web server) gives the visitor the files they want to see. It sounds very simple, but most normal computers don't have the power or the software needed to constantly respond to all the requests made by all the visitors to a site. And even if they did, they'd need an extremely fast connection to the Internet to keep up with all the requests. Most people and small companies don't have the resources to run a Web server, and that is where Web Hosting comes in.