In addition to creating a web site, the next thing you'll want to be able to do is have your web site hosted. As a matter of fact, these things go hand in hand. A web host is what is needed to have your site on the Internet. Basically, it's your home on the web.
There are two basic ways to go for web site hosting; a virtual server and a dedicated server. The odds are that you are only going to need a virtual web hosting server. Here are the differences.
Virtual web host
When you choose a virtual web host you are getting just a small part of a big server. As such, you only pay a small fee. The good news is that for almost any site you can conceive of, a virtual web host will be more than sufficient (and even if you grow like crazy you can start out with a virtual web host and grow into a dedicated web hosting server).
You can have your web site virtually hosted for around $100 a year (you'll see a lot of web hosting packages for $25, $35, or $45 a month, but for the most part these companies are just trying to take advantage of your naivety as a new Internet entrepreneur). For the most part, most web hosting companies also throw in free domain registration as part of your package. That's a great deal.
Just to recap, if you decide to create your web site yourself using FrontPage and host it on a virtual server, you start up costs are approximately $269. Think about that for a second, you can start your own business with real profit making potential for all of $269. Not that that isn't a lot of money, but when you consider the possible return on investment, it's amazing.
Dedicated web host
If you're going to be getting a TON of traffic you can get a dedicated server. Rather than sharing a server with a lot of other people (and sharing the costs) you get one for yourself.
If you do go this route it'll probably cost you $300+/month. However, if you're just starting out there is very little chance you will need to start with a dedicated server.
Our advice is to start as small as you can get and then, when you need to, upgrade to a larger package. This is a good idea because by the time you need to upgrade from the smallest web hosting package available, you'll probably be making more than enough money to pay for the upgrade.