What is a 'host'?

This is the term given to the company that actually puts your Website into cyberspace.  Think of the Website as a newspaper advertisement a copywriter has produced for you.  You then need to place that advertisement into a newspaper for it to be effective—that's the same as your Website host.

Like newspapers, there are some good hosts and some that could be a little better.  The important aspects to know about your host are a) can they cope with the 'type' of site you have, b) will their system be able to cope with the number of visitors your site attracts, and c) do they provide back up service in case of problems?