When a web host provider allocates space on a web server for your website, they are essentially hosting the website for you. The allocated space in the web server helps store the website files, and then, the host makes the files of a website available for viewing to the visitors. Any website that exists is hosted on a server somewhere. 

Now, how much space and power you will get from a hosting provider to store your website’s content depends on the hosting plan you choose. Four of the most popular hosting types as of now are:

1. Shared Hosting

• You share a server with multiple other websites in this hosting method. It is cheap and suitable for small businesses that are starting. 

2. Dedicated Hosting

• An ideal hosting method where you do not share your resources without anyone. The whole server belongs to you, and you get to utilize all of the resources. One big downside is that it is pretty expensive. Look to providers like Hostkey if you want to opt for dedicated hosting. 

3. VPS Hosting

• This solution falls in between Shared Hosting and Dedicated Hosting. It is better than shared hosting and allows the user some of the benefits of dedicated hosting. The pricing also falls between shared hosting and a dedicated hosting plan. 

4. Reseller Hosting 

• If an account owner allots his spare resources for a third party, it is regarded as reseller hosting. So, for example, if you buy a dedicated hosting plan and do not need the additional horse-power and choose to let another person host their website on your server, then it’s regarded as reseller hosting.  

The distinction between the four is mainly made through the providers’ technologies.

Understanding Servers

A server is hardware (often a computer) that allows web users from all around the world to connect to your website. The web hosting providers usually have a few offers in a place like connectivity, servers, space, etc. In addition, they provide several hosting solutions and help smaller companies or agencies operate their businesses at a cheap cost. 

A reliable web hosting platform is rudimental if you want to have a good online presence on your website. There are many options when choosing a web hosting service provider, and some are even free. The free ones are not recommended as they come with too many limitations. Depending on the size of your website and the number of visitors you get along with the type of website you wish to run, your hosting needs will vary significantly. 

Things to Consider when looking for a host

You need to find a hosting provider that provides the right amount of allocation of space for your website as well as its proper maintenance. Most companies and businesses these days operate in the online platform, which is why you need to get a website that is well maintained and not slow and clunky. You will lose potential customers if your website loads slowly or often crashes, which is usually caused by bad hosting solutions. 

Choosing a proper hosting provider as well as the proper service plan is an important step when it comes to a proper online presence. Hosts offer services other than just making you available online; they provide software, space allocation, support, bandwidth, and so on. 

Bandwidth and Upkeep

First, it is important that you take a look at the bandwidth allowance that is provided by the host. Bandwidth allowance is often loosely referred to as” traffic .”It is the number of bytes that are required to transfer when the visitors are browsing your website. It is hence essential that you understand how much space you need. A rough estimate of the traffic data for a website that does not offer music or video can operate on as low as 3gigabyes of space per month. If you are looking to expand your storage or include video, sound, audio, and such, consider going for premium options as most free options and their utility end at this point. 

Upgradability and Futureproofing 

Look for hosts that provide you with options to upgrade down the road, especially if you are opting for a free option at the beginning. Most of the new websites would first start on shared hosting as it is the least expensive. It is a good option for most startup websites that do not get too much traffic, but as you get more traffic, it is better to shift to a more powerful option like a VPS hosting solution. 

Why Pay for Hosting? 

Reliability is a very important aspect when it comes to hosting your website online. There are both paid and unpaid versions of hosting, but online reliability exists on the paid ones. If you want a website that is able to decently operate 24/7, it’s a no-brainer that you will need a paid hosting plan. 

Before you decide on picking a host, check out their uptime backlog or history, which will show you how many times the servers might have crashed in any given month. You can check various user reviews to get an idea about the uptime history as well. 

Having additional bandwidth is extremely important if you want to add videos or music to your site. Things like audio and video take up a lot of space compared to other media files usually put on a website, so you must find a hosting provider that allows you enough bandwidth or has the option to choose to expand storage down the line. Unfortunately, most free host providers will not provide you with enough space to host audio and videos on your site. 

With hosting, things can go wrong very quickly. This is because there are so many variables to look at when there’s a problem. One has to first assess the situation and work accordingly to fix the problem. It is time-consuming and comes at an opportunity cost which is why having technical support at your fingertips allows you to operate your site without a lot of headaches, as they are the ones taking up the bulk of problem-solving work. Free hosting providers will rarely ever give you technical support, if any. 

EndNote

If you want to run a website for your business, be it small or big, it is better to opt for paid hosting solutions. The free ones simply do not cut it and are only there for people who want a website as a hobby, and even then, it often falls short in multiple dimensions to satisfy the user’s needs. If you are extremely new to the matter, opt for shared hosting and slowly move towards VPS hosting when you are comfortable. 

If you own, manage, monetize, or promote online content via Google Search, this guide is meant for you. You might be the owner of a growing and thriving business, the website owner of a dozen sites, the SEO specialist in a web agency or a DIY SEO expert passionate about the mechanics of Search Engine. You should build a website to benefit your users, and gear any optimization toward making the user experience better.