blog hosting

In order to host a dynamic database-driven website created with Dreamweaver, you need to find a web hosting company (sometimes referred to as an "Internet service provider" or "ISP") that supports one of Dreamweaver's server-side technologies: ColdFusion (CF), Active Server Pages (ASP), ASP.NET, JavaServer Pages (JSP) or PHP. Not all web hosting companies offer support for all of these server-side technologies, therefore some research should be done before choosing a hosting company.

Note: Special application server software needs to be installed on the web hosting company's web servers in order to process the server-side application logic and database connectivity. Examples of application server software include: Macromedia ColdFusion MX, Macromedia JRun 4 Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), Apache Jakarta-Tomcat, PHP, etc.
HTML websites

If your website does not use a database to generate dynamic content, which most likely means you are not creating ColdFusion, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP or PHP pages, then this TechNote may be too limited in its scope for you. There are numerous resources available on the web to help you find a web hosting company that will host traditional HTML sites. The links in the web hosting opinion and advice sites section below may help you in your search.
Databases

In addition to application server support, another factor to keep in mind is database support, especially if your web application is utilizing a server-based database such as Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL or Oracle. Not all web hosting companies support all databases. If you are using a Microsoft Access database, it is recommended to go with a web hosting company that uses Windows servers versus UNIX servers, since it is difficult to find Access database drivers for UNIX.
Research

Research the web hosting company that would best suit the needs of your web application. Macromedia technical support has prepared a list below of web hosting companies that we have come across through our own research and by word-of-mouth. In addition to the list below, we recommend using a search engine or a web hosting advice site to research the different web hosting companies. There are a wide range of services offered by web hosting companies, and some will even host your site for free. Another good resource for researching web hosting companies is the Dreamweaver newsgroup. You can post a question on the Dreamweaver newsgroup or search among the archived newsgroup postings usingGoogle Groups, to find out what other Dreamweaver users have to say about the various web hosting companies.