A web hosting control panel is a collection of tools which you can access from a browser to manage your online content. Since you'll get a graphic point-and-click interface, you can use these tools to do various tasks easier than if you have to type complex commands inside a command line. All control panels allow you to do some basic things such as managing your files, emails and databases or accessing stats and logs, but a few of them are a lot easier to use than others and include more features which could save you time and efforts. In this light, the control panel that you will acquire with a new web hosting account can make a difference, therefore you should check it and see if it'll suit your needs before you get the service.