Starting your own website is a significant investment of time and money. Web hosting is the most fundamental component in making your website accessible to others online, which means you need to do your research and find a company that's reliable and offers all the features your business site needs.
Choosing a hosting provider is one of the most important decisions to make when starting a business site. A lot of factors go into this decision such as price, server speeds, uptime guarantees and customer support.
However, many new entrepreneurs don't know much about web hosting or how it works. In this article, we'll explain what web hosting is and break down some common terminology in order to help you feel confident in choosing a provider for your business!
What Is Web Hosting and Why You Need It
Web hosting is the process of storing and serving content on the web. This includes everything from images, videos, and text to audio files or even other websites that are linked together in order to form a network.
This process is necessary because, in order for content to be accessed on the web, it needs a server. If you're hosting your own site, this means renting or buying space on an existing server and installing all of the software needed to serve your website. But if you don't have the technical ability or time to do that, your best bet is to find a company that will provide web hosting for you.
Web Hosting Terms to Know
Web Hosting Types
The type of hosting solution you’ll need depends on the type of website you have, the resources you need, and the expected traffic. Here are some main types of web hosting to consider:
What a Good Web Host Will Provide
Website Security
A good web host will have security features in place to protect your site from hackers and malicious attacks. It's also crucial your host backs up all data regularly so you can recover your data in case the servers go down or are hacked.
Speed
Having a fast site is important for improving your SEO and conversion rates. A good web host will provide fast site speed, as well as optimization tools to ensure it stays that way. Make sure to check out the server's location - the closer it is to your target audience, the faster your loading speed will be.
Customer Support
Technical issues will often occur, and being able to have someone on the other end is invaluable. A great host will provide 24/hour phone or chat support, as well as live online tutorials.
Uptime
Websites that are constantly going down can cause a lot of stress and lost productivity for both the owner and website visitors. It's crucial to make sure your site stays up at all times so you never lose potential revenue due to downtime. Your web host should guarantee at least 99.9% uptime.
Scalability
It's important to consider whether your web host can accommodate your business as it grows. You want to be able to upgrade your hosting plan once your traffic increases without having to switch web hosts.
Conclusion
Web hosting is a complicated subject that's difficult to understand without some research and experience. The tips in this post should help you make informed decisions about your web hosting needs, but it is always best practice to consult with an expert before signing any agreements or purchasing anything.