What is Web Hosting and why your Business needs one.

web-hosting

Simply put, it is an internet service that allows you to publish your website online.

Without hosting your web files, your website will only be a bunch of beautiful files that no one can find or interact with online.

Does this mean that the only way for your website to be available or found online is for you to host it? Yes and no.

I will explain what I mean in a bit. Meanwhile, I have broken this post into edible bite-sized chunks to help you fully understand what web hosting is. Keep reading so as not to miss out on any vital information.

What is web hosting and how does it work?

web

As I explained above, your website is a bunch of files. For it to be accessible online, you need to store it on a powerful computer that connects to the internet. This computer is a “server” because it serves up your web files when people search for it.

However, the server you have hosted your web files on will not be able to serve up your website to people who may be searching for it if you do not have a domain name.

A domain name is your unique identity on the internet. It takes people who search for your web address directly to your website. So, while your web files may be on a server, you need to give people its’ location. This location is your domain name.

To host your website and get a domain name, you will need to purchase these services from businesses that provide them. Businesses that provide hosting services are called hosting providers. Whogohost is a perfect example and is the largest in Africa 😉.

What are the different types of hosting?

There are various kinds of hosting services that satisfy different website, software or application needs. Some of them include:

hosting

Shared Hosting

This is one of the most economical ways to host a website because the cost of maintaining a server is covered by more users. You get to share one physical server and its resources with other users, however, other users cannot encroach on your hosting resources.

Cloud Hosting

A nest of servers that work together is called “the cloud”. The resources required for maintaining your website on a cloud hosting plan are spread across these nest of servers. This means your website does not rely on one server. This reduces downtimes in case of a server malfunction and is ideal for software developers, people who have a lot of traffic, and people who want to own their server, without having to pay through their nose.

Virtual Private Server (VPS)

A virtual server is a physical server that is divided into multiple Virtual Servers. Each individual virtual server can be managed as though the owner has complete control over the Physical Server. Resources are shared by multiple users who each have control over their allocated spaces.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting is a service for WordPress websites. As most websites are on WordPress, it is important that WordPress websites get special services. This type of hosting is one that keeps your WordPress installation up-to-date and can protect your site from security threats that may give hackers access to your website.

Local Hosting 

As the name suggests this service allows you to host your website locally i.e in your country. Hosting your website in the country where your business is located makes load time faster. How so? Signals do not have to travel far to reach your server when people load your website on their browsers.
This is especially beneficial if your target audience is also within your geographical region.

Email Hosting 

This is a professional service that allows you to own professional email addresses and host your emails on a secure server. This service is very useful to people who do not own websites for their business yet but still want to be professional when corresponding with clients or staff. To use this service, all you will need is a domain name with which you will then create as many email accounts as you need.

I am sure you are wondering where all of these types hosting fall where it concerns having your website online without a hosting plan. The only way to own a website that will be published online without you purchasing a hosting plan is by owning with a Blogger or free WordPress site.

If you own a Blogger or WordPress free blog, your domain name will look like this – myblogname.blogspot.com or myblogname.wordpress.com. In order to keep your audience from knowing that you are using a free website, you can get a custom domain name like; yourwebsitename.online

Now that you know what types of hosting services exist, let me help you understand what some of those geeky terms like bandwidth, web space, subdomains, and more mean.

What are the basic features of a web hosting service?

web-hosting-server

It is very normal for you to get confused when you visit a hosting providers’ website for the first time (Trust me, I have been there). Especially if you do not know what some hosting terms mean. These features are not your everyday flat screen tv or smartphone features but they are very understandable. Check out what some of these terms mean below;

Webspace is the total amount of space your website gets on the server. You can use this space to store files used for creating your website like website scripts, email, etc. In plain English, this is space allocated to you to save/store your website’s content in.

Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer that takes place between your website and its visitors. The amount of bandwidth your website will need is dependent on how large your web pages are and the amount of people that visit your website daily. So if you upload videos or audio files on your website and people stream these contents, your website will consume a lot of bandwidth. 

Parked domains These are placeholder domains. When you park a domain on your hosting account, it displays the same content on the website you park the account on. They are especially useful if you have common misspellings of your domain name that you have registered.

Want to know what more of what these interesting hosting terms mean? Learn more here.

Benefits of web hosting?

web-hosting-benefits

Want to know what benefits you gain from hosting your website?

  • You will be able to reach a vast number of people interested in what you do at all times.
  • The business continues even after you have closed for the day at your brick and mortar store.
  • You get 24/7 customer support should you run into any difficulty or need help with troubleshooting website-related issues, domain or hosting renewal and more. The provider ensures you enjoy a stress-free hosting experience so you can fully focus on your business.

Conclusion

Web hosting can be either expensive or inexpensive depending on the type of hosting you choose to get. Irrespective of which type you choose, we have you covered. When you host with us, you have the liberty to choose whatever billing cycle that works for you. We will notify you when you need to renew plus we are available 24/7 to help you resolve whatever issue you may encounter in your hosting journey. At Whogohost, we offer a variety of services that help businesses go online as quickly as possible. Check us out on whogohost.com.

I really do hope you have all the answers to your questions after reading this piece? If you have further questions regarding this topic or just want to say thank you or leave a comment, please feel free to do so in the comment section below. I will be more than happy to respond. I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers!

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