Let’s think of the internet as a very big plot of land that is up for rent. A website hosting services allows you to rent a little space or even a house on that plot of land, either alone or with other people.
Nowadays, there are literally hundreds of web providers offering thousands of different kinds of web hosting plans. Plans vary from pricey website hosting services to free plans with fewer features.
The plan you select will mostly depend on your hosting budget and how you intend to make use of your website. Selecting the appropriate hosting plan will determine how many resources you will have access to to ensure your website loads quickly.
In this article, we will be answering all your questions about website hosting service, their types, examples, and how to pick a hosting plan suitable for your business.
What is a website hosting?
Website hosting is an online service that makes the contents of your website available on the internet, or the World Wide Web. When you buy a website hosting plan, its like purchasing a space on the internet for your website files to be housed in.
Features of a website hosting service
A hosting plan usually comes with a number of features and resources to make sure a website runs smoothly.
The following vital elements are often found in website hosting service:
1. Server Space
The files, information, and multimedia components of the website are stored on servers. These servers are allotted a specific amount of space by the hosting company. The hosting plan you choose will determine how much space you need.
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is simply the quantity of data that can be sent back and forth between a website and its users. Different hosting plans have different bandwidth limitations.
It is always advised to know the bandwidth of your hosting plan and avoid going beyond its limits to prevent impaired functionality of the website.
3. Domain Name
This is the name given to your website. This can only be done when you register with a hosting plan. It is the online address given to users so they can access a website.
Think of it like this- You rent a house on a piece of land, and you sell a product, so your potential clients need to know your address so they can come and make purchases. I hope this makes sense. An example could be www.loveme.com
4. Email Accounts
A lot of hosting plans come with email services that let customers create unique email addresses that are connected to their domain (like [email protected]).
5. Security Features
To secure websites and user data, hosting plans frequently include basic security features like firewalls, malware protection, and SSL certificates for encrypting data transmission.
6. Support Services
Hosting plans also provide customer support services, which are essential for addressing technical problems and providing information about the hosting environment.
7. Database Support
Website hosting plans in order to store and retrieve data dynamically, many websites need databases, so they frequently include database support, including PostgreSQL and MySQL.
8. Backup Services
Hosting plans have these backup services for disaster recovery. Regular backups of website data are crucial. Automated backup services are included in several hosting plans to guard against data loss.
9. Scalability
Most hosting plans have the option for scalability. This enables customers to ramp up their hosting resources as their website expands, depending on the hosting provider and the package.
Examples of website hosting platforms
Hostinger
With Hostinger you are guaranteed a cheap website hosting for starter websites. There’s no need to be wary of this hosting platform because, even at its price, it still offers highly effective, PHP, FTP, and MySQL hosting solutions. It is best used by small businesses and developing business owners, as well as individual website owners.
Features
- Free Domain
- Limitless disk space and bandwidth
- Unfettered access to premium support
- Free SSL certificate
- Cloudflare integration for enhanced security and performance
Pricing: Pricing starts from $2.99 per month
Blue Host
Bluehost is also very effective for small and large scale businesses. The company also provides reseller hosting, dedicated services, VPS and shared hosting, and reseller hosting. It is the top choice for simple setup and management, according to WordPress.org, and the two businesses work together to give you the greatest hosting experience possible at no cost.
Features
- WordPress installation with just one click
- One year of free domain name registration
- SSL certificate with round-the-clock client service
- Infinite data transfer
- Personalized email addresses
- Tools for building websites
Pricing: Starts at $4.55 per month
Site Ground
Allows you to elevate your online presence 24/7. They have developed security plugins, site optimization, lightning-fast PHP and MySQL databases, as well as other cutting-edge technologies for website performance. It is ideal for starting small companies and businesses. It also has affordable plans tailored to your site’s needs.
Features
- WordPress hosting that is managed
- No-cost SSL certificate; Regular backups
- SSD storage
- Free website transfer
Pricing: Pricing starts at $3.99/mo.
Dream Host
Dream Host started way back in 1997 and was one of the first hosting platforms. It offers shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting to its users. It is really good for small businesses due to its affordability and the number of hosts it has. What makes it stand out is the remixer feature, which allows you to attach a fully functional website to the internet without using any other services.
Features
- Free SSL certificate
- Automatic WordPress updates
- 24/7 customer support
- Hosting optimized for WordPress
- SSD storage
- Infinite data transfer
Pricing: Starts at $2.59/mo.
HostGator
HostGator also offers shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. It started in 2002 and is still among the leading website hosting providers today. HostGator provides sophisticated security and free migrations with their built-for-speed plans. HostGator provides unlimited bandwidth and storage for even the most affordable plans.
Features
Pricing: Starts at $1.99 per month.
In motion Hosting
professional and basic hosting packages, which include VPS and dedicated server hosting. It is a good choice for a website host because of its variety, range of pricing options, and improved security. It is a great option for small businesses and websites that want to start their journey with only one webpage and dashboard.
Features
- Free registration of domains
- SSD storage to enable quicker loading times
- automated backups
- Drag-and-drop website constructor
- WordPress hosting with themes and plugins already installed
- Utilizing Max Speed Zone technology to enhance server efficiency
Pricing: Starts as low as $7.50 per month.
Go Daddy
GoDaddy is a well-known hosting firm and the biggest domain name registrar in the world. It offers reasonably priced SSL certificates that ensure the security of every user’s data. GoDaddy provides a drag-and-drop website builder with ready-made themes called GoDaddy Website Builder and now provides easy website construction tools and advanced DNS control in addition to website hosting.
Features
- Services for registering domains
- Hosting for WordPress
- Tools for email marketing
- Options for SSL certificates
- Round-the-clock client assistance
- Plans for scalable hosting
Pricing: Pricing starts at $7.99/mo.
Wix
Wix is an Israeli software company and a hosting platform developed in 2006 that can launch different types of businesses. It is easy to navigate and is recommended for small businesses. It can also be used for larger organizations. Wix hosting is dependable and hassle-free thanks to multi-cloud hosting with AWS, Google Cloud.
Features
- A drag-and-drop website constructor featuring editable templates
- Using a Wix subdomain, free hosting
- Online store builder integrated with eCommerce functionality
- App Market for integrating new features
- Tools for search engine optimization and email marketing
- 24-hour phone and chat assistance
Pricing: Starts as low as $4.50/mo.
WordPress
WordPress comprises a well-liked and adaptable content management system (CMS) for building blogs, websites, and online commerce. It is the engine behind more than 40% of all websites on the internet and is renowned for its flexible, user-friendly interface and wide range of customization possibilities.
Features
- Customization
- Plugins
- Community support
- Themes
Pricing: It has a free plan, and paid packages start as low as $4/mo.
Interserver
Michael Lavrik and John Quaglieri, two high school students, started InterServer, a web hosting firm, in 1999. InterServer also offers a free website builder, but it is only available for free when you buy one of their regular plans. It expanded its product offering to include colocation services, shared hosting, cloud hosting, quick servers, and dedicated servers. It is available to both domestic and foreign clients.
Features
- Excellent Customer Support
- Free Website Migration
- Unlimited Resources
- Free SSL
Pricing: Starts at $7.55 per month
Types of website hosting?
Shared hosting is not just budget-friendly; it is also advised for beginners. In shared hosting, more than one user uses a server.
Remember the piece-of-land analogy? Let’s say you want to buy a portion of the land but it exceeds your budget, so the land owner says everyone who is struggling to pay should bring 20% of the money and share the land with the other buyers.
In the case of shared website hosting, about 1000 users can be on one server.
Websites that are not too large or rarely receive more than a few page visits are a good fit for shared hosting. It can also be used to run test websites.
VPS hosting
VPS stands for virtual private server. On this popular server, the actual server will still be shared by a few other users, but each user will have their own set of resources.
Users who require additional resources in the future will find great reassurance in the fact that VPS is also scalable.
VPS hosting allows many virtualized operating systems (OS) to run on a single physical server. Users can benefit from all the advantages of a dedicated server at a far lower cost because each virtual operating system functions just like a dedicated server.
Dedicated hosting
A dedicated hosting plan is very suitable for individuals whose websites generate more than 1000 visits per month. It allows the user to rent a server that is used exclusively by them. There’s no need for them to share, like in shared hosting.
With security features like firewall setups, biometric authentication, anti-virus software, and other physical security precautions, websites hosted on dedicated servers are typically safer than those hosted on shared servers.
Also, dedicated hosting may receive round-the-clock support from its provider.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a bit different from the other types of hosting. It uses the services of other servers that are clustered together and gets their processing power from a complex chain server network.
How does a Website hosting plan work?
For those who are not techies or who are just getting started, this concept might be somewhat challenging. I will be using a simple analogy to explain it.
Think of your website as a cool club that you want to share with other people. To share your club, you would need a place to host it so it could be online.
That place is called a server. It’s like a super powered computer. Your server is your hosting provider; you’d need to pick a plan from it that meets your club’s needs.
Your club must already have a name; it is called a domain name. For illustration purposes, the name of the club would be www.maestro.com. This is your website address, so others can easily find it.
When you tell people about your club and they search for it, it takes them to your server. This is known as a connection (domain to hosting).
Your club has nice images, videos, and designs and you have them uploaded to the server. The hosting company has a tech wizard configuring the server, so everything is running smoothly.
When someone types in the domain name www.maestro.com, something called the DNS (domain name system) translates it into the club’s secret number, called the IP address, so the club can be found.
When people search for your online club, the server shows them all the pictures and videos you uploaded. There is a security guard in place to keep out unwanted visitors. This refers to security measures.
The hosting plan also provides something called Uptime– which allows your club to be open and ready for visitors.
If the club also gets really popular and grows, the hosting company can also make the space bigger to accommodate more visitors.
How to choose the best website hosting service for You
Find out what your website needs
Is your website going to be a blog? or is it going to be an online store like Shopify? Before you begin the journey of looking for a hosting plan, it is necessary to define what your website will be and understand what it needs.
An online store would need a hosting plan that has a larger storage space capacity than a blog because of the images and videos that would be uploaded. It also needs a hosting plan with very fast page loading capacity because images can delay page loading time.
Would your website generate more than 1000 visitors per month? You should write all these findings down so choosing the hosting plan suitable for your website would be easier.
Do your Research on the available hosting
Research is done when individuals are trying to find out more about something or venture into something new. When on the search for the hosting plan right for you, do proper research on the types of website hosting services and even the different website hosting services.
Not every website hosting service offers different types of website hosting. The different types of website hosting are discussed below in this article.
Another thing to pay attention to while doing your research is the number of plans included in the website hosting service, and if there’s a lot of difference in their packages. If there isn’t, its best to check out other ones.
Check out the features of the hosting plan
Knowing the features of each website hosting service can help you pick the right one for you. You can start by making a list of all the website hosting services and their different features.
Some of the features to look out for include SSL, storage space, bandwidth, the number of sites able to host per package, domain name, organization, backups, and migration. At the point where you’ve listed out the features, compare that list with what your website really needs and make your pick.
Check for speed and reliability
The reliability of a website is determined by its uptime.
Uptime shows the number of hours a website is up and running and available for users. Do you remember how quickly you left those sites that seemingly took forever to open? Yeah, I’m sure you can.
When getting a hosting plan, always be sure to check the uptime. The closer it is to 100 percent, the more effective your website will be.
Speed is one of the deciding factors Google uses to rank a website. Though it may not seem like much, it could be the very reason a potential client leaves your website in annoyance. So ensure the hosting plan you’re choosing has a history of speed and fast loading times.
Check for Customer Support
Customer support is a crucial point to consider when getting a website hosting service.
Examine the customer service procedures of the plan you are thinking about using, as well as the channels the business provides for you to get in touch with them and request assistance.
Ask yourself questions like:
How quickly do they respond to customer complaints? Do you have to wait hours?
Does the customer support personnel answer questions in a satisfying and knowledgeable manner?
A website hosting service needs to be effective in helping you solve problems when they arise, and you should always give this a test run before you make the purchase.
Compare Payment plan with your budget
Consider your budget and choose what would be best for you from the options available. Carefully take into consideration the other factors. Understand what your needs are and match that with your budget.
It is important to note that first time customer prices are always lower than renewal prices, so be sure to pay attention to this so as not to have problems renewing your package.
Remember that pricey isn’t always best in this case. You have to know what your needs are.
Always read the terms of service
Don’t ever make the mistake of agreeing to terms without fully reading and understanding the terms of service. This can save you from a whole lot of trouble. It can save you from knowing the limitations and policies that a particular organization has or even from paying unwanted fees that you didn’t budget for.
Conclusion
In summary, choosing the best website hosting service is essential to the success of any online business. From small startups to huge corporations, a wide variety of hosting plans are available to meet their needs.
Making an informed decision requires careful consideration of elements such as the type of website, estimated traffic, technical requirements, and budgetary limits.
Business owners and entrepreneurs create a strong foundation for their businesses when they select a hosting plan that matches their needs.
FAQS
What is hosting in a website?
Hosting in a website is the platform that allows you to put your website on the internet. Its like buying your own little apartment in the internet space, and you can do whatever you want with it. Whether it’s posting videos, images, writing articles, selling a product or service, or any other thing you can think of,. When your domain name is entered into a search engine, all your files are displayed. It is important to choose the website hosting service very carefully, as it determines how fast your webpage loads and if it is always accessible to visitors.
Which is best to host my website?
We can’t choose for you as this is a process that should be personalized according to your own needs, but we recommend considering the following important factors when selecting a website hosting service: pricing, performance, security, and scalability.
Think about things like customer service, data security, traffic, speed, storage capacity, and uptime. There should be about 100% uptime and enough storage to meet your demands. Different hosting plans—such as VPS for heavy traffic—might be needed for varying traffic volumes.
Google rankings are impacted by speed, so pick a plan with quick loading times. Use redundancy and continuous backup methods to guarantee data protection. Customer service ought to be efficient and easily available. Recognize that expensive isn’t necessarily the best, and base your payment options on your needs and budget.
Can I host my own website for free?
Yes, you can, Some website hosting platforms have free packages, while others do not. These free packages allow you to test out some features of the hosting plan and then decide if you would like to continue with their paid packages. It is important to note that these free packages have very limited features. Features like free domain names, SSL, customer support, high storage, and high bandwidths are not available in the free packages.
More Resources
Website optimisation in Nigeria: Get relevant skills that will help you optimise your website
10 Things Every Business Website Needs (Part 2)
10 Things Your Business Website Needs (Part 1)