What is Hosting for Your Website: Here’s What You Need to Know

Hosting for your website is needed to make your website available online. This is basically were your website and all of the file, scripts etc. live. They are all stored in once place on a server. All website you see online, are on a server. They have to be for you to be able to visit them. The files and scripts for your website are connected to the internet and can then be found on popular search engines like, Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Duckduckgo.

You can host your own website but most people opt to use a hosting service provider. Generally, only big companies will host their own websites. Hosting service providers give you access to all the hardware and software you need to get your website online for a very low cost.

How Does Web Hosting Actually Work?

When it comes down to it hosting really is a basic service. The hosting company provides storage space for the server. This storage space is in a secure location. They provide the electricity to run the servers and to keep them cool. The host company not only provides physical security for the servers but also provides customers with web security as well. They store your data on these servers. They also keep the servers connected to the internet 24 hours a day, so you can always access your website.

What is a Server?

At its most basic form and for an easy way understand, you can visualize a server as a computer. This is the hardware aspect. The second part of the server is the software. The software is the operating system that is running on the hardware (the computer). This software is set up to store your files and data. These files and data display as your website on the world wide web (the internet). This software is also set up to receive requests from internet users. It basically lets people access your website,

Why Use a Hosting Service Instead of Hosting Yourself?

Back when I first started out I did consider doing my own hosting for my website. It is possible if you have the time and you want to learn. The draw backs of hosting your own website is the initial hardware costs and electric bill (your hardware will always have to be turned on). You will have to perform all of your own maintenances and security. If you are interested in setting up you own hosting, I have written and article on how to get started CLICK HERE to read. The reason I have never done my own hosting personally is because you will have to stay in one spot (no traveling).

Most people and companies do decide to pay for hosting through a service. The main reasons are the same as why it is complicated to do your own hosting. Going with a hosting service means the hosting service is providing all of the software and hardware for you. The whole system is already set up for you to use. They also provide all the maintenance and security. Not to mention they provide the electricity that the server needs to operate and stay cool. Most of the time, it just makes sense to focus on your business and not have to worry about all of these extra things.

What Type Of Web Hosting Do You Need?

So now that you know what hosting is, it’s time to choose what type of hosting is going to best fit your business needs. There are four main types of hosting services that you can purchase to host your website on. Below I have defined each of the four main types of hosting so you can better understand what they offer and choose the right one for you.

Shared Hosting

Shared Website hosting is where most new websites will start out. This is by far the cheapest hosting option and the best choice for your new blog or start up business website. You can get started with a very low investment to get your website online. Shared hosting is basically just what it sound like, your website is on a shared server with other website where you share resources and bandwidth. Hosting service providers can keep the cost low for customers on shared hosting because the cost of maintaining the server is spread over many different customers. This is a greet option for a new blog. I have written an article about shared hosting click here to read.

VPS Hosting

VPS stand for Virtual Private Server. When you have VPS hosting you are still technically sharing a server with other customers. The difference is, with VPS Hosting the server is split up and a certain amount of resources are dedicated to your hosting account and cannot be accessed by others you are sharing the hosting with. This is why VPS is better than the shared hosting option he down side because on shared shared hosting resources can be taken up by others on your server and slow your website down. With VPS you have a lot more control and a set amount of resource you can monitor and optimize. VPS Hosting is a good option for a heavier site, like a membership website, or a script website.

Dedicated Server Hosting

A dedicated server is just what it sounds like. When you have a dedicated server as your hosting plan you have an entire server to yourself. This is a hosting plan you would need for a website with some serious traffic and bandwidth needs. This would be something a large company with 300 plus employees and dealing with a lot of data would need.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a little bit different then the other 3 options. Basically, instead of your information being stored in one single space, shared, VPS, or Dedicated servers – your information is stored in different locations. This give your website the agility to use different resource from different servers when needed to optimize speed. This is a great option and is used a lot by e-commerce stores. It offers more security than VPS and is still slightly cheeped than a dedicated server.

Conclusion

If you’re new to web hosting and starting your first website it can all sound a little overwhelming at first. What it really comes down to is a hosting provider is storing your information and keeping your website online for internet users to find, your potential readers, customer, etc. Before choosing a hosting plan I would recommend you really think about what your current needs are and what your future needs will be. Keep in mind, with most hosting companies it is very easy to upgrade. So there is no reason not to start out with a small plan and get yourself going before spending big on your hosting.