First, let me clarify something. There are many reasons why you would want to have your website professionally hosted. However, people in certain situations are better off hosting their site themselves. For example, if you are starting a new business or playing with an idea that you are not sure will work, you might not want to pay a hosting company to host your site, at first. Hosting the site yourself will allow you to save money that you can use to grow your business. Once your business starts growing and your site starts getting a lot of visitors, then you will find it necessary to pay a web hosting company to host it for you, but until then, you need to test the waters.

If you have a computer and a high speed internet connection (DSL/Cable) you can host your own website. You will need to keep your computer on and online 24/7, which should be no big deal. Besides this, you need only to follow the 7 steps I describe below, to make your website available to users on the internet:

1) Install a web server: Most Windows operating systems either come with a web server, or one can be downloaded for free depending on the version of Windows. The web server is the program that runs in the background on your computer listening to requests from people on the internet. It's the software that finds your pages in your computer and sends them to the users requesting it.

2) Configure the web server: In this step you simply tell your web server where to find your website that is sitting somewhere in your computer.

3) Get a domain name: In this step you decide on the name that you want for your site and buy it from a provider. Domain names are cheap and you pay the fee only once a year.

4) Configure DNS: This is where you associate your website name with the IP address of your computer so users are transferred to your computer when typing the name of your website.

5) Configure your router: Your router needs to know about the computer that has the web page so it knows where to forward users to.

6) Dynamic IP solution: Most people have a dynamic IP address given to them by their ISP. This means the IP address of your computer might change. This is a problem because DNS needs to know the IP address of the computer that people need to be forwarded to when typing a domain name. There is a way to solve this problem without having to pay your ISP more money for a static IP. There are applications that will automatically update DNS when your IP changes.

7) Securing your server: The last step is to make sure your computer is protected from malicious programs on the internet by having the necessary software installed and configured.

Whether you are in a band that is just getting together or you are in a place where you are already touring and making some waves, you'll find that you aren't going to get very far without a web presence. Too many bands think that they'll be able to make it on word of mouth, but you'll find that having a page up online can bring you to the attention of the people who matter. Take some time and think about the question of band website hosting and what you need to know.

When it comes to band website hosting, you are going to find that you need a place that will both let you host your music as well as give you an opportunity to chat with your fans. One of the most important things that the Internet has given us is the ability to really move forward and connect with the people who are important to us. You'll find that when you can put your name out there as well as samples of your work that you will be able to reach a much wider audience than you ever thought you would be.

What do you need when it comes to getting good band website hosting? In many ways, wouldn't it be great if you could find a site like Facebook or MySpace, but dedicated entirely to bands? Then you wouldn't have to worry about lots of false accounts cluttering up the site. You could work in an environment of musicians, djs and other music professionals. No matter where you are at in your band's development, you'll find that looking into a way to get terrific band website hosting can do a great deal for getting you where you want to be.

Make sure that you look for a site that provides the services that you want. The issue is that bands, even ones who are just starting out, have quite a few needs. You need a place to host your music and any videos that you have created, and you also need to look into how to produce fan email lists. Also look into a place that will let you put up pictures and other things that will allow you to work with your fans, to coordinate performances and to spread important information.

There are lots of great advantages to be had when you are looking at getting band website hosting, remember to think about your resources are. Are you in a place where you can pay for webhosting, or do you prefer to take it easy on the costs? The truth is that getting a band off the ground is an endeavor that takes time and money, even if you work hard and make every penny stretch. This is why it is a great time for you to look into great free band website hosting. Such a thing really exists, so find out what it can do for you and your work!