A Fit Small Business study reveals over 71% of businesses have a website. If you’re among the 29% yet to build a business website, you’re missing out.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to design and operate a spectacular business website without thinking of reliable web hosting. The best one on the market provides the technology and servers you need to run the website and protects the site from external threats.
Getting started on website development and web hosting can be daunting, which is why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide. So, let’s get to it!
How does Web Hosting Relate to my Website?
Web hosting allows businesses to publish a website on the web. It’s one of the crucial considerations when building a business website. The other important thing to consider is a domain name.
Web hosting is like a store where all your business-related information is stored for reference. This may include; the products and services page, contact page, about us page, and blog page. In addition, more advanced websites use landing pages for sales and lead generation. These web pages are files stored in your web hosting service provider servers.
There are three ways a user can access your business on the internet. One, they can type in your domain name (online address), or two, use a combination of keywords on search engines. They can also find you directly through social media platforms. In all these cases, the web host service provider serves them with the relevant information they’re looking for.
Why is Web Hosting Important?
Your choice of web hosting is one of the most critical decisions you’ll ever make when building a website, which is why you want to take your time before rushing this step. Web hosting is vital because your security on the internet matters.
You also want someone you can turn to for help when things get too technical for you. In addition, a web host helps you cut downtime losses. Most servers operate on a 99.99% up-time policy, meaning your website will always be online no matter what.
Types of Website Hosting
You can leverage different types of website hosting when building a business website. Below, we take a deep dive into the common types of web hosting!
1. Shared
Shared hosting is an entry-level web hosting plan where many users share a single server. Entry-level web hosting is the best choice for new websites with little to moderate traffic. It’s also a sure deal for simple sites on a budget.
2. Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
The virtual private servers web hosting is split into several virtual spaces used to host single websites. This web hosting is a sure deal for large businesses with huge traffic volume to their websites. In addition, it’s costly and works for sites with a budget beyond entry-level web hosting.
3. Dedicated
Dedicated web hosting is more advanced and is characterized by a single server rented to a single site. It’s the best deal for businesses with massive daily traffic that needs more web hosting resources. In addition, dedicated web hosting cost is pretty high and may not be suitable for businesses on a budget.
4. Managed
Managed web hosting uses a dedicated server with limited administrative options. This way, a website owner can only control the content while the website hosting services provider manages security and maintenance.
5. Cloud
The could web hosting operates on a virtual server running in a cloud computing environment. In addition, the data is stored across several interconnected servers. It’s the best deal for small to medium-sized businesses and sites needing more hosting resources.
6. Colocation
Colocation hosting is a way to buy your space in servers rather than using a web hosting service provider’s server. It’s more secure and guarantees more up-time.
Is Web Hosting a Requirement for my Website?
Web hosting is mandatory for your website because you need the servers to store all your site data for easy access on the internet.
Can I Buy my Own Hosting Server to Host my Own Site?
You can use the colocation and dedicated hosting plans to buy your space in servers rather than co-share servers.
How much does Hosting Cost?
Typical hosting costs between $2.49 and $730 per month depending on hosting type, available features, and resources. For example, Shared hosting falls on the lower end of the spectrum and costs between $2.49 and $15 per month.
What are the Best Web Hosting Companies?
With so many web hosting companies on the market, choosing the best one for you can be a hassle. However, you can’t go wrong if you compare the best web hosting services. But, before that, you need to consider access options, uptime, technical support, reviews, and security.
That being said, below are the best website hosting service companies to consider.
- WP Engine
- Siteground
- Amazon Web Servers
- InMotion Hosting
- Ionos
- Google Cloud Website Hosting
What is Web hosting? | Wrapping Up
Web hosting is crucial when developing your first business website. Moreover, a business website has never been so necessary in the internet age. We’d love to help you out if you’d like to get started but don’t know where to begin. So, be sure to contact us here!
