To begin, let’s answer the number one question, “what is web hosting?” If you want to build a website, finding a somewhere suitable to host your site is an important place to start. Web hosting is a service that allows you to publish a website on the internet.
A web host, or web hosting service provider, offers a platform, storage space, technologies and services needed for the webpage or website to be viewed on the internet. These hosting providers store your website on their servers which operate on smart computers and are always connected to the internet.
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Find a Hosting Provider, and not just any Host
Today a variety of fast web hosting options exist for clients that are more affordable than let’s say ten or fifteen years ago. On the downside, finding the right one can be a hassle. So, it is best to do your research to have an idea of what is best for your business. To help, we have outline the top four hosting services that you can choose from. These services are typically offered by all major hosting companies.
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Shared Hosting:
In a shared hosting environment, multiple website owners share one server. This includes sharing the physical server and the software components within the server. A huge advantage of shared hosting is that plans are affordably priced to fit any budget. This is because the cost to operate the server is shared between multiple website owners.
Unfortunately, since shared hosting stores many websites data on a single server, sites tend to compete for certain resources. This can result in slower server speeds since the server, disk space, bandwidth and other resources are shared. Nevertheless, shared hosting is still perfect for small businesses, private individuals & bloggers who need reliable web hosting connected to powerful servers, delivering fast speeds at an affordable price.
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Dedicated Hosting:
In a dedicated hosting environment, you have the entire server, meaning no other website owner shares the server with you. The result is a faster performance for your website, as you have complete access to the physical server and its software components. Which means you are completely responsible for the cost of the server. This is an excellent choice for websites that require a lot of system resources and a high level of security.
Dedicated server hosting reduces the risk of hard drive crashes and data loss because you have no competition with other users for server space. Many top hosting companies offer the best Dedicated Server Hosting solutions with tier IV data centres – the fastest and most powerful servers on the planet. Dedicated server hosting is perfect for websites with high traffic, advanced users with large amounts of data and large businesses.
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VPS Hosting:
This is a virtual private server and is a virtualised server. A VPS hosting environment mimics a dedicated server within a shared environment giving you the best of both worlds. It is technically both a dedicated and shared server. VPS hosting gives you the affordability of shared hosting while at the same time giving you more power and control like a dedicated server. With us, you are the boss. Install all essential software, run security checks and better manage your website’s portfolio right from your account.
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Reseller Hosting:
Reseller hosting is idea for small business owners if they wish to start their own hosting business. This is a form of web hosting where the account holder has the ability to use his or her allotted hard drive space and bandwidth to host other websites on behalf of third parties.
First, a reseller (a person with an amazing idea and drive to start a hosting businesses) purchases services from a hosting company wholesale and then sells them to customers under his unique brand. After signup, a reseller gets access to his personalised reseller control panel, WHM (Web Host Manager). WHM allows you to manage and provide customers with their own user control panels (cPanel) too. That way, your customers can create, host and modify their own websites. Once your customer logs into cPanel they will be able to control sub domains, email addresses, passwords and much more without requiring any assistance!
Domain Names
Whew! So, we’ve covered what hosting is and the types of hosting that is available, but now we need to talk about domain names. A domain name is a part of the network address that identifies it as belonging to a particular domain. It is also the name users see when they search you’re your website and it represents a unique IP- Internet protocol address like this one 185.185.84.2.
Basically speaking, the domain is the address where internet users can access your website.
Once you’ve decided on a hosting package, you can brainstorm your domain name and then purchase it with the TLD extension (.app, .net, .co.uk, etc.) you wish to use.
Choosing a domain name can be hard, but you don’t want to rush this process. Think long and hard about what you want your brand to be and embody it in the name you choose. Be simple, concise, and make it catchy.
Securing your site with HTTPS
In order to have a secured website with the trusted HTTPS, you must purchase a SSL Certificate (Secure Socket Layer Certificate). When you purchase web hosting and a domain without security certificates enabled, your website address begins with HTTP as opposed to a secure server HTTPS. HTTPS is the industry standard for secure website encryption. The good news is that setting up a SSL Certificate is quick and easy, and once it is completed, your users will automatically be routed to a secure address using HTTPS and not an unsecured HTTP address.
SSL certificates are more than just protecting credit card numbers. Alarming rates of fake websites make online users vulnerable. Security savvy users demand more security before disclosing any private information about themselves. This is why website owners should invest in the right SSL certificate for their business needs.
Managing Your Hosting Account with cPanel
Once you have selected a web hosting plan that suits your budget and website’s needs you can then log into your cPanel (Control Panel). The cPanel gives you full control through a graphical web browser interface. Most web hosting plans offer a basic control panel or an advanced cPanel as standard. To ensure that you benefit from easy web-based management from your host opt for this easy to use web-based management tool.
Daily Automatic Backup
(Source image: Elements.encato.com)
It is important to protect your sites files. Keep in mind that just one corrupt file can threaten a website and it can even take down an entire site. Fortunately, many hosting companies offer daily, weekly or even monthly site backup as a security net for their customers. In addition, supplementary website backup options exist that can help to protect your site’s data should disaster strike. Have a look at your hosting provider’s backup plan and don’t hesitate to check out their daily backup option.
Setting-up your Hosting Account
Now that we’ve covered all the basics, you understand what hosting is and the various types of hosting available to you. So, let’s walk you through your account set up. This process is quick and easy and can be done in 5 steps.
Step 1: Create an account
Create an account and log in to your user space.
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 hosting plan that will serve your website’s needs.
Step 4: Create/Upload your website
If you have a website template already you can upload it now in your cPanel. If not, you can use this site maker tool to create your website quick and easy.
Step 5: Publish your website
Congratulations you can now publish and share your website with the rest of the world.
The following video provides help to login to your hosting account:
Recap
Web hosting is necessary for anyone who wants to own internet real estate. Of course, the best web hosting plans includes a simple control panel to manage your account. On the other hand, a highly efficient panel like cPanel is the standard which gives users can easily manage multiple website, emails and other services in your hosting plan.
Web hosting plans are perfect for businesses, private individuals & bloggers who need reliable web hosting connected to powerful servers, delivering fast speeds and high uptime that includes daily automatic backup.
Choosing the right domain name identifies you to your clients and represents your brand. A great website ensures that it is secure with HTTPS. Finding the right web hosting company ensures that you get the most out of your hosting plan. Not to mention the technology and overall service that these companies offer.
