Let’s say you want to build a website, well, finding a safe place to host it is one of the most important things on your to-do list. So, where do you find this service? Thankfully you don’t have to look far and wide. The Internet is loaded with tons of web hosting providers. All you have to do is find the most suitable solution for your current needs. There is also no need to worry because this article will help you understand different Web hosting services to help you confidently select a plan and publish a website online fast.
Understanding Web Hosting?
First on our agenda is the term ‘web host’. A host, or web hosting service provider, offers its powerful supercomputers (otherwise known as a web server), storage space, technologies and services required launching a website or blog online. Only then is an internet user able to view and browse this content. The specialized service is what we call website hosting. In fact, a web hosting provider store your site on their servers which are always connected to the Internet. So ideally, the website can be accessed 24/7s.
How to find the best Hosting Provider
Today a wide variety of web hosting options exist. While some are relatively cheap hosting, others can range from a few euros to a hefty 100+ euros. Prices vary because not all hosting packages are made equal. Sometimes finding the correct Hosting provider can be a problem. So, ensure you put some thought to it, and determine what hosting needs your business needs. The best way to do this is to conduct your own research. To assist you, we have put together this overview of the four main categories of hosting services. These are the main services offered by all major website Hosts.
Shared Web Hosting:
With a shared hosting plan, numerous websites share a single web server, splitting the cost to host and use server resources. The main advantage of shared hosting is that they tend to be the cheapest hosting plan on the market. They typically fit the budget of new website owners, small companies and upcoming bloggers. On the downside, since shared webhosting plans stores multiple websites’ data on the same server, websites tend to compete for server resources. For instance, if a website on a shared server suddenly experiences a peak in traffic, from a viral article this excessive traffic can eat up all the server resources and bandwidth, consequently slowing down your website. This brings us to the next hosting plan, a Virtual Private server. It solves some of the issues related to bandwidth, CPU, disk space etc. that might be of concern to some users.
Virtual Private Server:
A virtual private server abbreviated VPS, is a virtualized web server. VPS hosting environment mimics a shared hosting server, since it also houses several servers on a single web server. However, that’s as far as the similarities go. It functions like its counterpart Dedicated server, a more robust form of web hosting. In fact, experts often say that VPS hosting is the best of both worlds. It remains affordable like shared hosting and come with virtual isolation features like a dedicated server. Plus, these servers offer clients with more control over server software similar to dedicated servers. Install all fundamental software you need, run custom security checks and oversee the management of your website’s portfolio at your leisure.
Dedicated Server Hosting:
Earlier VPS was mentioned and dedicated server said to be the big-brother plan. In dedicated hosting, you have the whole server in your hands. Well, not literally, but you have access to the server and all its resources. You don’t share with another website. That means, no shared resources. No shared server fees and no shared software – you have the freedom to add what you want. The outcome is a faster performing website, with little to no security risks from shared sites. This is the perfect choice for websites that require a great amount of system resources and the highest level of security for their site. Plus, on dedicated servers the risk of hard drive crashes and data loss is significantly reduced the because you have no competition with other users for server space. This service is often the first choice for websites with advanced users with high data needs, high traffic websites, and large businesses. A major factor for this plan is the prices, dedicated server are prices are the highest on the webhosting spectrum.
Reseller Hosting:
Reseller hosting, popularized ‘white label hosting‘, is the ideal product from those looking to make money off web hosting. As websites become a common need, so does website hosting. Especially for small business owners looking to start their own hosting business or add a supplementary feature to their existing technology business. The beauty of reseller products, and reseller hosting in particular, is that the end-customer (the general public) will never know that you are indeed a reseller. You in their view, have a business enlisted under a unique brand. First, a reseller buys webhosting services from a hosting company at wholesale rates. Then the reseller, using the allotted hard drive space and bandwidth, sells web hosting services to other websites. Each reseller account is equipped with cPanel, for easy web management and WHM (Web Host Manager). WHM allows you to manage and provide customers with their own user control panels (cPanel) too. Allowing your customers to create, host and modify their own individual website. When a customer signs into cPanel they can access a dashboard and manage their hosting plan, email addresses, domain(s), passwords and so on.
Domain Names
Whew! So, much to cover in so little time. However, we can’t talk about web hosting and not mention domain names. In addition to creating a hosting account you will also need a website domain name. This is a virtual address name where your website files will be stored. “Domain is your website’s current address online.” Each time someone looks you up in a search engine, which is like an online directory, the results pull up your domain name and a specific page that corresponds with the search. No two domain names are exactly the same, and these names actually represent a server IP address. IP, Internet protocol address are numerical addresses that look like this 295.168.45.1. Here are a few examples of different domain extensions that you can select from, .com, .net, .co.uk, .lu etc. A domain represents your website and brand so take the necessary time to choose something that stands out.
Hosting in a safe environment
Cloud computing is exposing businesses to new dangers and data “in the cloud” is sometimes far from safe and secure. In fact, all these data exist in a physical form somewhere on this planet, with a rising number stored in some of the world’s riskiest places in the world. Recent study with up to 3,5 trillion IP addresses spanning across 170 countries – has created a revolutionary, one of a kind data privacy and security map. The analytical findings of key risk factors, places Luxembourg as one of the world’s safest nation for data privacy and storage in the European Union, with a data risk average score of 2,6%.For this reason, many high securities seeking companies host with Luxembourg data centers like Luxhosting.com, a pioneer in the industry.
Managing Your Hosting Account with cPanel
As soon as you’ve selected your web hosting plan and identified your websites needs log into your cPanel (Control Panel). As we mentioned before, the cPanel provides a graphical space for you to control your web account. Typically, web hosting plans offer a free basic cPanel or an advanced cPanel as standard. Meanwhile cPanel is optional for advanced users its often available as a supplementary service.
Tips to setup your Hosting Account
We’ve covered the fundamentals, that is understanding web hosting and essential services. Now, how about we walk you through the steps of setting up your account. This process is pretty easy and can be executed in 5 simple stages.
Step 1: Sign up for a hosting account
Create an account and log in to your user space. Here’s a quick video to help you to login to your user account.
Step 2: Register your domain
After registering your account, choose your domain name. Register that domain name with your preferred TLD extension, for example .com, .co.uk, .uk, net, etc.
Step 3: Select your hosting plan
Select the type of web hosting plan that you need according to your budget and website specifications.
Step 4: Transfer/Create your website
Should you already own a website you can upload it now and check it in your cPanel. If not, you can use an innovative website builder tool with pre-made themes to quickly design and edit your website. Ensure that you add all the correct links/URLs to your buttons and test them before advancing to the next stage.
Step 5: Publish your site
Congratulations should now be able to publish and share your site with the world!
In a nutshell
Web hosting is vital for any individual who needs to start a website. Obviously, the best web hosting plans incorporates a straightforward control panel to manage domains, email accounts and different elements in your web hosting plan. Choosing a great domain name that identifies you to your clients and represents your brand is extremely important. Finding a safe web hosting company means that you want to get the most out of your hosting plan with innovative technology and ultra-fast page load times for your website. For more on the best hosting features check out our services here.
