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Shared Web site hosting is the easiest way to get your site up and running. With it, the hosting service provides all the equipment, software, and Internet connections. All you need to do is provide the HTML files and images that make up your site.

As the name suggests, you share this equipment with many other companies. Once you sign up, you're given private access to a folder that holds all your files. The number of files the folder can actually hold depends on the amount of storage space specified in your contract. Generally, site hosting service packages max out at 100 megabytes (MB) of hard drive space, with additional space available at a premium.

Other features that you'll find with shared Web sites include one to 15 plus e-mail accounts, daily backup, and Web site reports that give you the details on your site traffic. And if you have a domain name, the service will usually help you request the changes needed so your domain name points to pages at the new location.

While the shared hosting option is quite convenient, it can be quite limiting if you don't choose carefully. You're often left having to work with the applications that the service provides. Hosting customized interactive or e-commerce applications like a searchable database or shopping cart software can be difficult if not downright impossible.

Pricing, which can range from $10 to more than $100 per month, primarily varies according to the amount of storage space and file transfer bandwidth you need. The bandwidth counts both the amount of data transferred to the Web site by you and the data transferred to the browser by your site visitors. Free hosting services are available as well and can be appropriate for companies with very limited needs.