The infrastructure allows your website to be accessible to the public on the Internet. Your search for “what is web hosting?” indicates that you are attempting to figure out how to get your website up and running. To get your website online, web hosting is a necessity. You can use this guide to understand better web hosting, why you need it, and how providers like us can help you get started.
How much disc space a website receives on a server depends on the hosting chosen. Generally, shared, dedicated, virtual private server, and reseller hosting are the four most common service forms. The server technology employed, the extent of management and the availability of ancillary services set them apart.
Simply put, web hosting involves securing server space on the Internet to store websites. All the files that make up a website need to be stored somewhere, and the most common places are servers.
Building an audience online requires stable web hosting. There are countless web hosts, each offering many plans and features. Prices for business-oriented web hosting services range from relatively inexpensive to prohibitively, depending on the plan’s features. Your hosting needs and available funds will determine which package is best for you.
When you have the correct hosting package, you can guarantee that your website will always load swiftly and reliably for your users. When you think about it, many companies today rely heavily on their websites for both sales and new leads.
Customers won’t wait around if they land on your website and encounter an issue, such as slow loading times or an inaccessible page. In quest of one that does, they’ll quickly abandon it for another that has no issues and provides what they need without any hassle.
Web hosting and its terminology might confuse someone new to running a website. Numerous inexperienced website proprietors make the mistake of going with the lowest choice or making do with whatever was free when they bought their domain name, thinking all hosting alternatives are essentially the same.
This is the kind of mistake that may add up. Information on web hosting and why it matters for your website’s success is provided in an easy-to-understand format here.
How Does Web Hosting Work?
A company like Hostinger provides services and technology to host your website on the Internet. You’ll be able to view your website once you’ve picked a domain name and signed up for a hosting package.
Your web host ensures that your server is operational when using web hosting services. In addition, the hosting company is responsible for ensuring the security of your files, assets, and databases and storing them on the server.
In addition to hosting your website, we offer several other services to enhance and safeguard it.
Most Popular Web Hosting Providers
| HOST | PRICE FROM (MO.) | TRAFFIC | DISK SPACE | FREE DOMAIN | UPTIME | LOAD TIME THE US | EU | ASIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $0.69 | unmetered | 10 GB | ✅ | 100% | 0.95s | 0.30s | 0.23s |
| Bluehost | $2.75 | unmetered | 50 GB | ✅ | 100% | 1.05s | 0.31s | 0.3s |
| InterServer | $0.99 | unmetered | 50 GB | ✅ | 99.96% | 2.04s | 1.26s | 2.91s |
| WP Engine | $20 | 25,000 visits/month | 10 GB | ❌ | 100% | 1.2s | 2.34s | 2.96s |
| DreamHost | $2.59 | unmetered | 50 GB | ✅ | 99.41% | 1.4s | 2.36s | 3.2s |
| Kinsta | $25.00 | 25,000 visits/month | 10 GB | ❌ | 99.99% | 1.7s | 2.68s | 5.63s |
| Namecheap | $1.58 | unmetered | 20 GB | ✅ | 99.89% | 0.60s | 1.14s | 1.65s |
| InMotion | $2.29 | unmetered | 10 GB | ❌ | 100% | 1.11s | 1.63s | 2.69s |
| Flywheel | $13.00 | 5,000 visits/month | 5 GB | ❌ | 100% | 0.14s | 0.13s | 0.22s |
| Cloudways | $10.00 | 1 TB Bandwidth | 25 GB | ❌ | 100% | 1.15s | 0.31s | 2.01s |
| A2 Hosting | $2.99 | unmetered | 100 GB | ❌ | 99.92% | 2.04s | 3.25s | 4.98s |
| IONOS | $0.50 | unmetered | unmetered | ✅ | 99.99% | 0.99s | 1.56s | 2.42s |
| HostGator | $2.75 | unmetered | unmetered | ✅ | 100% | 1.18s | 2.16s | 2.63s |
| GreenGeeks | $2.49 | unmetered | unmetered | ✅ | 99.92% | 2.08s | 1.38s | 2.99s |
Types of Web Hosting
- Shared hosting – multiple websites reside on one server and share the same resources.
- VPS hosting – one physical server is split into multiple virtual servers, allowing each website its resources.
- Dedicated hosting – one website has a physical server with access to all its resources.
- Cloud hosting – instead of hosting your site on one server, you can use resources from multiple virtual servers to help maximize uptime.
- Reseller Hosting – businesses purchase a large amount of storage space and bandwidth from hosting providers and then sell space to other businesses or individuals.
- WordPress Hosting – hosting specifically optimized for WordPress sites, offering many tools tailored to the software.
Shared Web Hosting
Shared hosting is putting multiple websites on the same server simultaneously. Shared hosting is the most common type of hosting web service.
It is a suitable choice for new sites that don’t expect a lot of traffic in the short term; it is inexpensive and easy to set up. Personal websites and those belonging to small and medium-sized organizations are best suited for use with this platform.
Built explicitly for newbies/fewer traffic websites, it is an excellent alternative for anyone serious about digital marketing or having an online business.
In addition, shared hosting isn’t a good choice for sites with a high volume of visitors. This site requires a dedicated server to provide enough resources to ensure a high level of performance.
VPS Hosting
Each client sees a dedicated server, even if the server is servicing numerous websites. This virtual private server (VPS) is also a virtual dedicated server (VDS).
Because of this, VPS hosting is seen as a bridge between shared hosting and owning a dedicated server.
Unlike shared hosting, VPS clients have complete control over their virtual machines, which is closer to dedicated hosting.
VPS is a popular choice for smaller businesses and organizations who desire the flexibility of a dedicated server without the high expenses associated with that option.
Dedicated Hosting
It is possible to rent an entire server, referred to as “dedicated hosting” or “managed to host.”
Compared to shared hosting plans, this type of hosting is much more expensive; therefore, it is only utilized when a website receives a lot of traffic or when more server management is needed.
In addition to delivering a single website with the complete server equipment hosted in a data centre, dedicated hosting is about more than just a single website. This feature provides increased self-service server administration capabilities.
This is a more flexible design because the server, software, and security methods can all be controlled. However, you must have the technical know-how to operate the platform independently.
Cloud Hosting
Recently, there has been a surge in the popularity of cloud hosting, a new sort of hosting. One of the advantages of this web hosting is its affordability, scalability, and reliability.
Unsurprisingly, many significant enterprises are migrating to the cloud because cloud hosting plans often offer limitless bandwidth and unlimited disc space for unlimited domains. If your website has many photographs or other significant amounts of content, this can be an efficient way to manage it, but it can also be very costly.
Reseller Hosting
Various web hosting types allow the account holder to host websites on behalf of third parties, such as reseller hosting. In this case, the reseller is the original account holder.
Reseller hosting is a good option as long as some of the allocated resources may be shared with another party. The opportunity to earn a recurring income while sharing disc space, bandwidth, and CPU resources.
Hosting companies make reseller hosting plans available to entrepreneurs interested in this type of business. Anyone who owns many domains can benefit from a reseller hosting service. If you have a reseller hosting account, you can create hosting plans for your clients or your websites. You can also opt for a CMS management platform like 10web.
Web hosting and domain hosting
Consider your website as a house made up of a collection of files. There is a house (website) and a domain (address) on the land of web hosting. For a browser to find and download the files of a website, the domain name must be entered into a web browser or clicked on a link.
Your website’s content (HTML, CSS, photos, databases, etc.) must be stored in a centralized location, accessible through the Internet (a web server) once you’ve registered your domain name. When a website owner uploads files to a hosting firm’s web server, the hosting provider makes those files accessible to site visitors.
We’ve indicated that hosting allows individuals to access websites via a web browser, but how does it work? The DNS ensures that visitors to your site are redirected to the correct server.
This means that when someone enters your domain name into their browser, their computer establishes a connection with the web server where your website files are stored over the Internet. It looks for the IP address of your domain (which is registered on the DNS) and sends users to the correct location. As a result, users can view your website whenever they like, as their browser will include all the data necessary to render your pages.
Conclusion: This is all you would need to know when you are just about to start your online journey, just in case you need to explore more – Try reading our Hostinger Review to deep dive on what you should be looking for in a new hosting service.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is web hosting?
Web hosting refers to the process of storing and publishing a website on a server connected to the internet. It enables individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible to online visitors.
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Why do I need web hosting?
Web hosting is essential for making your website available to users on the internet. Without hosting, your website won’t be accessible to anyone. Web hosting also provides the necessary infrastructure, storage, and bandwidth to handle website traffic and deliver a seamless user experience.
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What are the different types of web hosting?
There are various types of web hosting available, including shared hosting, virtual private server (VPS) hosting, dedicated server hosting, cloud hosting, and managed WordPress hosting. Each type has its own features, advantages, and cost considerations, catering to different website needs.
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What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting involves hosting multiple websites on the same server. It is a cost-effective option suitable for small to medium-sized websites with moderate traffic. However, since server resources are shared among multiple users, the performance of your website can be affected by other sites on the server.
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What is VPS hosting?
VPS hosting offers a virtual private server dedicated to your website, providing more resources and control compared to shared hosting. It combines affordability with scalability and allows you to customize server configurations based on your specific requirements.
What is dedicated server hosting? -
What factors should I consider when choosing a web hosting provider?
When selecting a web hosting provider, consider factors such as reliability, uptime guarantees, security measures, customer support, scalability options, pricing, and any additional features or tools that align with your website’s needs.
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How can I migrate my website to a different hosting provider?
Website migration involves transferring your website from one hosting provider to another. Many hosting providers offer migration services to assist you with the process. It typically involves moving website files, databases, and configurations while minimizing downtime for your website visitors.
Rajat Singh, a versatile author with a decade of experience, explores every niche with unique insights, from tech and health to lifestyle and business.
