Web hosting is the internet service that enables businesses and individuals make their online presence in the form of a website which is accessible to the public. It is a physical location of your website on the internet, an online storage centre that houses the information, videos, images and other content that comprises your website.
Web hosting is typically provided by a web host with businesses that maintain, secure, configure and run physical servers that can be readily accessed by a web browser like Google Chrome or Firefox. For any website to be available online, it has to be stored on some server or computer that is connected to the internet.
Web hosting allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible via the World Wide Web (WWW). It allows you to rent space on a server to store your website data such as HTML and CSS files, media content and other documents on your website that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.
Web hosting services work by maintaining stable and secure storage spaces, while web hosts provide more than just simple data storage, it is a core part of their functionality to store data on hardware called web servers.
How does web hosting work?
To make a website accessible to everyone, it must be stored on a server that is connected to the internet. Once the web hosting company host website, users can access it by typing your URL into their browser and their computer then connects to your server. The server in turn serves the website to your web visitor, that is, the server will send them the files that make up your website.
Why is web hosting important?
Good website hosting is essential so your brand can offer to the public and can also be used for many applications, such as systems, virtual stores, blogs, and websites, with advantages ranging from better performance to greater security. A reliable and high-performing web host is a crucial part of any successful website; therefore, neglecting to choose the right host can have a disastrous effect on your website and business.
Web hosting provides you with a place to store your website files. When you create a website, you will need a place to store the individual file and images that make up your website. These files are stored on a web server which is provided by a web hosting company.
Web hosting services give you access to certain tools and services that can make creating and managing your website easier, for example, some web hosting companies offer website builder services without any programming design experience.
Types of web hosting services
There are three main types of web hosting services; shared, virtual private service (VPS) and dedicated hosting. Other types are cloud, collocated, managed, grid, clustered and reseller hosting. Each type offers different features and benefits that can be beneficial for your website.
Shared hosting
Shared hosting is where your website is stored on the same server with multiple other websites and domains share the same server resources such as processing power, storage and memory. The cost of shared hosting is relatively low and therefore making it best for personal and small businesses which have low to moderate traffic and CPU needs.
Virtual private server (VPS) hosting
With VPS hosting, virtualization technology is used to partition a computer into multiple servers. Each website is hosted within its own space on the server though it shares still shares a physical server with other users. It gives users the freedom to install whatever they want on the server.
Users are given more privacy and security than shared hosting. It is ideal for website owners that need more resources than what is offered with shared hosting. It is also more expensive than shared hosting but less expensive than dedicated hosting.
Dedicated hosting
Dedicated hosting gives you absolute power and control over a server that is dedicated to your website. With dedicated hosting, you can configure the server, choose your desired operating system and software, and customize the entire hosting environment to your specification.
You also do not share a server with other websites. It is the most expensive type of web hosting and is best for large businesses and organizations whose websites have heavy traffic and CPU needs.
Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting allows you to have your website hosted on multiple servers. Thus, if one server gets faulty, the other servers take over and maintain the website. This means that you can have your resources whenever you need them. It is best for websites that have varying or irregular resource needs.
Colocated hosting
Colocated hosting has similar features to dedicated hosting. It allows you to place your server at the service provider’s location. Thus, it is like placing your own server at a special place designed for servers.
Managed hosting
With a managed server, the website owner gets a server for himself to manage all his data but does not have full control over it. With that, service providers prevent users from potentially changing configuration or modifying the server.
Grid hosting
Grid hosting uses several servers that act like a grid and is made up of multiple nodes. In this way, different parts of the website can operate independently.
Clustered hosting
Clustered hosting uses several servers that host the same data of your website. With that, when one server goes down or needs to reboot, website visitors would still be able to access your site.
Reseller hosting
This type of web hosting allows you (client) to be a web host yourself. This means that you buy a provider’s service and sell it to a third party. This type of web hosting requires you to have IT skills since you will be a host and solve all hosting problems.
What is domain hosting?
Domain hosting is a service provided by domain hosts who provide and manage your domain name. A domain name, also known as a website address, is the name people type in their browsers to open a certain site. That is to say, if your website was a house, your domain name would be its address. It can be a combination of words and numbers.
Domain hosts use Domain Name System (DNS) records to connect your domain name with emails, websites, IP addresses and other web services.
A domain’s IP address is a series of numbers that helps computers identify each other online but it is challenging for humans to remember, for example; 66.249.66.1. So, with DNS, people can access a site on their browser without knowing its associated IP address.
A domain can also be used as a tool to support a site’s branding other than being a website address. It is the first thing people see when visiting a site and therefore crucial to spend time picking a domain name that suits your business or project. Here are a few suggested tips for choosing the right domain name for your website:
- Choose a short name that is easy to remember.
- Pick a unique name that is not similar to other sites.
- Make sure it is easy to type and pronounce.
- Choose a popular top-level domain (TLD) like “.com”.
- Avoid numbers and hyphens.
- Love your domain name to make it your brand.
- Use domain name generators to help get domain name ideas.
You can also purchase a domain name from your web hosting company; which allows you to manage both services under one account, thus, no need to worry about changing the webserver settings for your domain.
What to look for in a web hosting company
When upgrading your website, you need to find a web hosting service that can offer the tools, space and support you need. Here are some things to look out for when choosing a web hosting service.
Reliability and uptime
Uptime is the measurement of the time that tells how much a machine is available and working. It is usually expressed as a percentage. Reliability and uptime are considered the most important thing to look for in a web hosting service.
Your website has to be up and running at all times for your business to run smoothly, therefore, any web hosting service that offers an uptime below 99.9% should not be considered.
Loading speed
Speed is also important for a website. If your website takes too long to load, users will prefer to actively remain on other sites consuming their content than to be annoyed by delay and still stay on your site. Therefore, check to see if the web hosting service provides a fast loading speed.
Customer support
A web hosting service must also be available and efficient in assisting you. When something goes wrong with your website, you will need technical support to help solve your problem. Get a web hosting service that offers support 24/7.
Check how the support of the web hosting service you are choosing works and the channels the company offers for contact. Also check for the availability of the web hosting service by emailing them at midnight, weekends or on holidays.
Pricing
The price of a web hosting service should guide our choice when choosing an ideal service. An expensive service does not guarantee it is high-quality, just as a cheap service does not guarantee it being bad. Know your needs and look for a service plan that suits your needs and budget, and also offers a good value for the price.
Security
Trusting the host of your website is not a simple task. Make sure you choose a service that can protect its customers. The web hosting service should offer security features like DDoS protection and malware scanning and also provide constant backups.
This will help keep your website safe and active at all times. Always research and check for all these things and more when choosing a web hosting service to ensure a safe, active and successful website.
Free vs paid web hosting service
When it comes to hosting your website, there are a lot of choices to make. One important choice is choosing between free or paid web hosting services.
Free web hosting services offer website templates that are ready-made, all you need is just to add your content and visuals, and adjust the site’s menu. With free web hosting, you do not need IT or coding skills.
Its cost of entry is very low giving you the opportunity to try out a few designs to get familiar with the complexities of building a website. It gives you the opportunity to easily develop your website. It is best for people with little or no experience in web design and development.
Paid web hosting service has more features that require payment to unlock. It gives enough storage space to store your content and also gives easy access and use of your website which creates a favourable user experience.
There are some advantages and disadvantages with both free and paid web hosting services, making it important to weigh your options before making a decision. Here are some few things to consider when choosing either a free or paid web hosting service.
Cost
As the name implies, free web hosting is free and does not require any sort of payment. This makes it a better option if you are on a tight budget. But with paid web hosting, you are required to pay for some features to be unlocked. This makes it a bad option for people on a tight budget.
Features/ customization
Free web hosting usually limits its customization options and website templates. And with your domain name, the host’s name is usually included. It is ideal for beginners. Paid web hosting offers a lot more customization options and web templates. You get to try out numerous styles and designs on your site.
Your domain name is personalized and even allows you to modify your CSS or HTML codes. You also get to have enough storage space, maximum customer support, and other web services.
Security
An attack or hack on your website can cause a huge loss and setback to your business, which is why security should be the biggest factor when choosing a free web hosting. Although some free web hosting companies provide security, it is not as tight as it should be.
Paid web hosting companies provide maximum security for their members because it is paid for. This gives web owners the assurance of the safety of their websites.
Customer support
Free web hosting provides less to no customer support for website owners. So, website owners are left to their fate when they encounter a problem. With paid web hosting, however, customer support is provided 24/7. This means website owners can request help and be supported whenever they encounter a problem.
Branding
Free web hosting does not allow website owners to personalize and customize their sites. This is because they share the space and resources with others and also share their domain name.
Paid web hosting allows you to personalize and brand your website according to your likes and needs.
