Table of Contents
Web hosting is a product that companies use to provide users with online space and access services like e-mail, file storage and websites. There are many factors when choosing the right web host for your needs such as price, availability of features and more.
Web hosting is the process of using a web server to store and serve content over the internet. There are two types of web hosting, domain-based hosting and shared hosting. Domain-based hosts allow you to host your website on their servers and share the same IP address with other websites. Shared hosts provide more resources for less money, but they require that you share an IP address with many other websites. Read more in detail here: what is web hosting vs domain.
Web hosting is a service that allows websites to be accessible via the internet by storing their content online. If you develop your website using a site builder, web hosting will most likely be included in your plan; but, if you use WordPress, you will need to pay web hosting separately. We’ll go over what web hosting is, why it’s important, and how to find the best hosting service for your small company.
Pro tip: If you’re intending to develop a website using WordPress, get a web hosting plan first, since many plans include a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and one-click WordPress installation. Not sure what goes into creating a website? To have a better sense of what to anticipate, learn more about website fees.
Why Businesses Need Web Hosting & How It Works
A company may hire a commercial space and then open its doors to the public if it wished to be available to consumers in a physical place. Similarly, in order for websites to be viewed by the general public, they must be linked to internet-accessible servers.
Consider web hosting as a service that allows you to rent space on a web hosting company’s server in order to provide clients with access to your virtual shop. It’s similar to renting virtual commercial space on the Internet.
Web hosting is a set of services that store web pages (collectively known as websites) on servers before uploading them to the internet and making them accessible. Servers, in more technical terms, store web pages as well as communicate with and respond to requests. These servers identify and display the relevant website page when a user puts in a web address, commonly known as a URL.
A diagram depicting the display of a web page throughout the web hosting process.
As complicated as it may seem, the top web hosting providers make getting and connecting web hosting to a website straightforward and inexpensive for everybody. All-in-one website builders, such as Squarespace and Wix, incorporate it with all of their sites, so you won’t need to buy a separate web hosting plan or link it to your domain manually.
How to Pick the Best Web Hosting Provider
There are many factors to consider when choosing a provider for small business website hosting, from overall cost and add-on services to security, reliability, speed, uptime guarantees, contract length, hosting package specifics like storage and bandwidth, and extras like a domain name and business email.
It might be tough to choose the finest web hosting company and plan for your business website since there are so many options. Here are ten aspects to look at while looking for a web hosting service for your company’s website:
- What are the different kinds of plans available and how much do they cost?
- Is a free domain included in the plans, and how much do more domains cost?
- Is there a free SSL certificate included or can I buy one as an add-on?
- What is the length of the contracts, is there a discount for paying in advance each year, and what happens if I need to switch providers or end my contract?
- What is the storage and bandwidth capacity?
- Is there a guarantee of uptime?
- Is there a money-back or customer satisfaction guarantee?
- How can I contact support in the event that I need assistance, and what types of assistance are available?
- Are there any plans that provide free business email addresses or the option to add on corporate email services?
- What are the opinions of current users?
Why is it Important to Pick the Right Web Host?
While it may seem that all web hosting plans are the same, they differ significantly from one provider to the next. Choosing the incorrect web host may cost you time and money, provide a poor user experience for you or your site visitors, hurt your site’s search engine optimization (SEO), and jeopardize the security of your site and its users.
Here are a few reasons why you should take the time to choose the best web host for your needs:
- Speed: Long load times result in a poor user experience and high bounce rates, both of which are bad for SEO.
- Features and inclusions: Not all hosts provide extras like a free domain, SSL certificate, or business email, so choosing one that doesn’t will cost you more.
- Convenience: Connecting your own domain, getting your own SSL certificate, and manually connecting your server will cost you time in addition to money.
- Low-quality hosting services are more likely to expose you to higher security concerns.
- Uptime: If your hosting service isn’t up to par, your website may go down, essentially shutting down your company online since clients won’t be able to access it.
What if I told you that Squarespace, for example, makes picking a web hosting provider easy by included it in their plans, along with a free domain name and an SSL certificate for site security. Find out more about Squarespace and the other site builders for small companies that we recommend.
Web Hosting’s Most Popular Types
When it comes to web hosting, the three most prevalent alternatives are shared, virtual private server (VPS), and dedicated. You’ll probably have questions if you’re like most small company entrepreneurs. Is it too good to be true that the low-cost shared plans are such a wonderful deal? What is a VPS, and is dedicated hosting worth it or a waste of money?
Let’s take a deeper look at the three main forms of web hosting that small companies will most likely utilize to assist you answer those questions:
Comparison of the Three Most Common Types of Web Hosting
While shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting are the most common forms of web hosting for small businesses, you’ll also come across reseller hosting and cloud hosting. Reseller hosting is explained by HostGator, one of the firms on our list of the top hosting solutions, or you can read these articles for a more in-depth look at how the three major options compare:
Small companies will find shared and VPS hosting plans to be enough for their requirements and well within their budget, with prices as low as $3 per month from major providers like Bluehost. Find out all you need to know about the finest web hosting providers for small businesses, including features, price and plans, and customer reviews.
Do you have a limited budget? Learn why the top free website builders may be a better option than setting up web hosting and creating a site with WordPress.
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I get started with web hosting?
Setting up web hosting is surprisingly easy. Choose a provider after determining whatever sort of web hosting package you need. Choose the package that best meets your requirements and buy it. If you don’t already have a domain name, get one from your web host and then use your web host’s installation tools to link web hosting to your website.
Are you putting up a WordPress site? Follow these step-by-step steps for hosting a website if you’re a WordPress user.
Is Bluehost the best blogging web host?
Bloggers commonly advertise Bluehost’s low-cost, feature-rich plans, and although it is one of the finest web hosting services for bloggers, it isn’t exclusively used to host blogs. Many small companies like Bluehost because it provides a variety of month-to-month web hosting options that allow you to quickly increase your hosting as your company and website traffic develops. Read our in-depth Bluehost review to learn more.
What’s the difference between a domain & web hosting?
You’ve undoubtedly heard that you need a domain and web hosting if you’re just starting started with constructing a website for your company. While they’re often given by the same firm, distinguishing between the two might be difficult when they’re mentioned together. A domain is your website’s address (for example, “yourbusiness.com”), while web hosting is the service that allows visitors to access your site through the internet.
Conclusion
Building and maintaining a website or blog requires the use of web hosting. Although web hosting is often inexpensive, not all hosts are made equal, and selecting a high-quality host makes a difference. For example, for as low as $2.95 per month, you can receive safe, dependable hosting with a slew of value-added features like a free domain name, corporate email, and more. Bluehost is a great place to start.
Bluehost is a great place to start.
You Might Also Enjoy…
Web hosting is a service that allows websites to be hosted on the internet. There are many different types of web hosting, and it is important to know the differences between them. Reference: types of web hosting and their differences.
Related Tags
- examples of web hosting
- types of web hosting
- best web hosting
- free web hosting
- what is hosting
