What Is Web Hosting? Types, Features & How To Choose The Right Hosting
When you start out building a website/blog you soon realize there are a lot more things to worry about than just the web address (website). You need somewhere to store your website's files, images, databases and other resources.
If you're a complete novice to the world of websites it's easy to get confused by terms like domain, hosting, server, bandwidth, storage and SSL.
In reality, it's all very simple.
What Is Web Hosting
Web hosting is a service which provides storage and server space for your website so that it can be accessed over the internet.
A website is made of numerous files and resources such as HTML, CSS, JS files, images, videos, documents, databases and more. All of these need to be stored on a server which is connected to the internet.
A hosting provider provides server space and the technologies needed to host your website.
When someone visits your website, their browser communicates with the hosting server to deliver your website resources to them, enabling them to view your website.
A Simple Explanation
Think of it like a physical shop.
You need:
A shop name = Domain
A shop location = Web hosting
Products = Your website's content
Visitors = Website users
This is not an exact science, but it's a good analogy to explain what web hosting is for.
How Does Web Hosting Work
A web hosting company provides servers with the required technologies for your website.
In short, this is what happens
User visits your web address > User's browser communicates with the server > The server delivers your website resources to the user's browser > The user views your website
For a basic website this process is near-instant. For websites with databases or other dynamic content, your server will have to fetch additional information and perform other tasks before delivering the final resources to the user's browser.
Now you know how web hosting works, let's look at some of the key components of web hosting.
What Is A Web Hosting Server
A web hosting server is a computer that stores your website resources and provides these resources to users over the internet.
Hosting companies have data centers with servers and other networking equipment.
Depending on your web hosting plan, your website will share server resources with other websites or have its own dedicated server resources.
What Is The Difference Between A Domain And Hosting
The difference between these two things can be confusing.
A domain is the address that people type into their browsers to view your website e.g. "example.com".
Hosting is the storage space where your website is located on the internet. A simple analogy is that a domain is your shop address and hosting is your shop itself.
In short:
Domain = Website address
Hosting = Website's storage and server space
You'll usually need both a web hosting plan and a domain to run a website using your own domain name.
However, some website building platforms offer hosting and domain services as part of their product so you won't always have to buy them separately.
What Are The Different Types Of Web Hosting
There are several different types of web hosting each with their own benefits and drawbacks. Let's look at the most popular types of hosting.
1. Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is one of the most budget-friendly and beginner-friendly hosting options available.
With this type of hosting, your website shares server space and resources with other websites.
Because resources are shared between websites, shared hosting is usually much cheaper than other hosting options.
Pros
Cons
Great for: Small blogs/websites
Shared hosting can be a great choice for a small blog or website that doesn't expect to recieve a lot of traffic.
2. VPS Hosting
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting plan means that your website is hosted on a virtual server.
A physical server is partitioned into multiple virtual servers and each virtual server hosts a different website.
Pros
Cons
Great for: Medium sized websites
VPS hosting is a good option for websites that have outgrown shared hosting but don't require a full dedicated server.
3. Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting uses multiple interconnected servers (or a grid) to host your website.
Rather than relying on a single server for all of your hosting needs, cloud hosting offers additional flexibility, scalability and performance.
Pros
Cons
Great for: Medium-large websites
Cloud hosting is good for websites with variable traffic as you can scale resources up or down quickly.
4. Dedicated Server Hosting
This is where you get your own physical server for your website.
Pros
Cons
Great for: Large websites
Dedicated servers are powerful and can provide incredible performance. However, these are usually reserved for high traffic websites as they're expensive to maintain.
5. Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress hosting is ideal for WordPress users who want to benefit from optimized and specialized WordPress hosting.
Depending on the provider, these plans often include features such as automatic WordPress updates, caching, backups and more.
Pros
Cons
Great for: WordPress blogs/sites
WordPress managed hosting plans are ideal for WordPress users who want to reduce the technical aspects of running a WordPress site.
Web Hosting Features – What You Need To Know
Now that you're familiar with the different hosting options, let's take a look at some of the key features you should be aware of before choosing a web hosting provider.
1. Storage
Storage refers to the amount of space you have for your website's files.
Most hosting providers will give you a limit of storage space, although some will offer unmetered / unliimited storage.
Storage requirements will depend on whether your website is a text heavy blog or a media heavy website (e.g. videos, images).
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred to and from your website.
A lot of bandwidth is consumed when visitors view media such as images and videos on your website.
The more traffic your website recieves and the bigger your website pages are, the more bandwidth you'll need.
Some hosting providers offer unmetered bandwidth, although it's always worth checking the small print.
3. Uptime
Uptime refers to how much time your website is online and accessible.
Reputable hosting companies will have excellent uptime figures, although it's worth double checking what their uptime guarantee is and what it isn't.
4. SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate helps to encrypt the data between a user's browser and your website. Websites with SSL encryption often show a lock icon in the address bar of browsers.
SSL certificates are vital for any website which requires users to enter any kind of sensitive information.
Most hosting providers offer SSL certificates as part of their hosting plans.
5. Backup
Having a working backup of your website is essential to ensure that you can recover your data in the event of an emergency.
Always check how often backups are made and if you have a working method to restore your backups.
Not all hosting plans feature backups so it's always worth checking.
6. Security
Security features are crucial for any website. Most decent hosting companies will have a range of security features in place and will also provide tools for you to protect your website.
Depending on the hosting provider, security features can include:
- Malware scanning
- Firewalls
- DDoS protection
- Isolated accounts
- Intrusion detection
- Regular server maintenance and updates
Always remember that hosting is only one part of your website's security. A secure and regularly maintained website is key to keeping your website safe.
7. Customer Support
Even the most experienced website owners can have technical issues sometimes.
Good customer support is essential if you're ever having an emergency with your website.
Always check what support options are available before purchasing a web hosting plan.
8. Control Panel
Your control panel will enable you to manage your website, domain, email, backups, SSL certificates, security options and more.
The best control panels are intuitive and make it easy to manage your website.
Control panels can vary across different hosting providers so it's worth looking at a few options before buying a web hosting plan.
How To Choose A Web Hosting Service
Now that you're aware of the different web hosting options and their features, you're probably wondering how you can choose the best web hosting option for you.
Here are a few key factors to consider:
1. Know Your Website Requirements
- The first step is to understand what exactly you need from your website.
- Are you creating:
- A personal blog
- A digital marketing website
- A business portfolio
- A business website
- An online store
- A content / news website
- A basic blog will have very different requirements to an online store.
- 2. Know How Much Traffic You'll Get
- The amount of traffic your website will recieve will dictate what type of web hosting you'll need.
- In the early stages of your website it's unlikely to recieve thousands of visits per day.
- If you're a small business owner and your website is primarily a brochure website, you'll have much different requirements compared to a large e-commerce website.
3. Website Performance
How well your website performs is incredibly important to its overall success.
Ask yourself questions such as:
What speed does the hosting provider offer?
What type of server infrastructure do they use?
Do they offer caching options?
What technologies do they use for storage?
While these are all valid considerations, remember that your own website's performance will have a bigger impact on your website's speed. Your website theme, images, plugins, scripts, coding and more can all affect your website speed.
4. Scalability
As your business and website grow, you'll want to ensure that your website can scale with you.
Ask yourself:
Will I need to upgrade my hosting package in the future?
Does the web hosting company offer different hosting options so that I can easily upgrade?
Some web hosting companies are much better at accomadating growing businesses than others.
5. Renewal Price
Most web hosting companies offer a low introductory price and then increase the price when the plan renews.
Always check the renewal price before making a purchase.
6. Terms
- Always read the terms and conditions of your web hosting plan.
- Some common things to look out for are:
- Storage limits
- Bandwidth limits
- Backup options
- Email account limits
- Number of websites allowed
- Database limits
- Refund policies
- Renewal price
Now you know what to look out for when choosing a web hosting provider, let's take a look at some common mistakes that people make.
Common Web Hosting Mistakes Made By Beginners
Here are some of the most common mistakes you should avoid if you're a beginner when it comes to web hosting.
Making a decision based on price alone
Paying for more resources than you need
Ignoring the renewal price
Not looking into backup options
Not considering plan restrictions (websites allowed, databases allowed, storage limits etc)
Web Hosting And Website Speed
Website speed plays a big role in both your website's performance and its SEO.
While web hosting definitely plays a role in your website speed, there are other factors which contribute towards your website speed.
For example, a fast server is great but it won't overcome the fact that your website has low quality, large images which haven't been optimized. Or that your website has numerous resource-heavy plugins which aren't optimized.
To get the best results from your website it's a good idea to optimize your website files (images), take advantage of caching options and optimize your theme.
Can I Change My Web Hosting Company In The Future
Yes.
You're not stuck with your web hosting provider forever.
If your website grows you might want to upgrade your hosting package or move your website to a new web hosting company.
Migrating your website can sometimes be a complex process involving transferring your website's files, databases, domain, emails and more.
It's always a good idea to create backups before making any major changes to your website.
Final Thoughts
Web hosting is an essential part of any website.
Your domain gives your website an address so that people can find it, while your web hosting provider ensures that your website is hosted securely and is accessible to your visitors.
There are several different types of web hosting with different requirements, technical capabilities and costs.
For the majority of small business owners and bloggers, shared web hosting is a good starting point.
As your blog or website grows, you can look into other web hosting options.
It's important not to purchase a web hosting plan based on price alone, or buy more resources than you need.
The most important thing is to understand the requirements of your website and buy a hosting plan which fits within your budget and your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is web hosting in simple words?
2. Do i need web hosting for a website?
If you're building and maintaining your own website then yes.
3. What is the difference between domain and hosting?
A domain is the address of your website, while web hosting is the server space where your website's files and data are stored.
4. Which type of hosting is best for beginners?
For most small blogs/websites shared hosting is a good starting point.
5. Can i change my hosting provider later?
Yes, your website can be moved from one hosting provider to another.
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