Web Hosting 101: You can’t start a website without a web host. Here’s everything you need to know about web hosting and which type is best for your business.
Web Hosting 101: Everything You Need to Know
If you want to make a proper online presence, you need a website, and to run a website the right way, you need web hosting. A website doesn’t work without hosting, so choosing the right host and plan should be done thoughtfully and carefully.
Hosting companies might also enable you to make an additional income. Is a web hosting business profitable? Absolutely yes. Click here to learn more about how you can make money from web hosting services using their reseller hosting plans.
So, how do you choose the right web hosting company, and what features does your plan need to provide? The decision can get overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time hearing about hosting. Luckily, in this article, you’ll learn all the basics about web hosting, so it will be easier for you to make your choice.
Introduction To Web Hosting
A web hosting provider is a company that grants you all the features you need for a website to be live on the Internet. A provider is a secure place where you can store all the online content, from images, videos, text, and code. All your website’s valuable content is kept on a server, and anytime visitors open your website, they immediately connect to the server and access your files.
Web hosting is like a real estate agency. You can purchase a piece of land from the agency and start building your home there for a certain amount of money. With web hosting, you can buy “a land” on the world wide web, where you can build your website.
Features a Web Host Needs to Offer
It’s not only enough to purchase the land, but you need to ensure that the land is stable enough for building. When looking for the right web hosting, there are some features you need to consider.
Let’s look at some key features your website needs to run properly.
6 Key Features To Have a Well-Optimized Website
#1: Speed
The key to a successful website is speed. If your web host provides a low rate, your website’s SEO will be negatively affected, and customers will hate it when a site takes too long to load. Look for an SSD and CDN to ensure your speed is excellent.
#2: Domain Name
Every website needs a domain name. Choose a hosting service that includes registering a domain name in the package to prevent additional costs.
#3: Storage
Work with a host that can accommodate the server’s size to the size of your website. For instance, shared hosting is enough for sites with a couple of pages, while huge sites require a dedicated VPS server.
#4: Scalability
Everyone starts a website with the intention of it growing. Once your site starts attracting more visitors, you will need more resources. This is why you need to choose a web host that provides scalability.
#5: Uptime
A great web host guarantees an uptime of 99.9%. This ensures users that there are only slight chances of the website crashing.
#6: Technical Support
If you experience any trouble with your site, you would want to be able to solve the issue in no time. The web host must offer top-notch technical support 24/7 to give you a hand when needed.
Types of Web Hosting
Different websites have different needs, so choose a hosting type that suits your needs perfectly. There are various web hosting types available, so let’s check them out and see what features they offer.
Shared Hosting
This hosting is the most affordable among the crowd. Shared hosting is when you use a server that’s been shared among multiple users; thus, the price is so low.
It’s a great option for beginners, people with small budgets, and simple sites with moderate traffic.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting has become extremely popular in the last couple of years. The website’s data isn’t stored on a single server but on a network of connected physical and virtual servers.
This type of hosting is best for small to medium websites that need more resources than shared hosting.
VPS Hosting
A Virtual Private Server is a single physical server divided into multiple virtual spaces and used to host individual websites. This type of hosting gives users more resources and control.
Although expensive, VPS hosting is excellent for larger businesses with lots of traffic.
Dedicated Hosting
If you purchase a dedicated hosting plan, you’ll get a physical server dedicated to your website only. You’ll get full control over the server and optimize it how you need it.
This hosting is a great option for websites with large traffic and a lot of resources. Considering that the additional resources aren’t exactly budget-friendly, make sure you can afford a higher price.
eCommerce Hosting
If you plan to transform your site into an online store, eCommerce hosting is the hosting plan you need. You’ll get features specially designed for online stores, such as inventory management, shopping carts, and payment processing.
Reseller Hosting
This is the only type of hosting that enables users to earn money from it. You can purchase the server space, divide it into your designed plans, and then re-sell it to your customers.
Conclusion
Choosing the right web hosting service and provider seems complex, but it’s pretty simple. To make the decision even easier, we covered all the information you need about web hosting. If you read the article carefully, you’ll be able to choose the best type for your business hassle-free!