How to Host a Website

Decided you need a website but need help figuring out where to start? You'll first need to learn how to host a website. 

For newcomers, this may seem daunting. But before you run for the hills, don't worry. It's simpler than you think.

This guide will cover how to host a website from start to finish. If you're building a website for the first time or starting again with a website redesign, this guide is for you. 

By the end, you'll be an expert and ready to launch your shiny new website.

Skip to:

• What is Web Hosting?
• What Are the Benefits of Using a Website Hosting Service?
• How to Host a Website (in 5 steps)

What is Web Hosting? 

Web hosting is like renting a spot on the internet where your website lives. It's where all your web files and content are kept, so when someone types in your company name, those friendly servers ensure your site shows up. 

These servers are where all your files, data, and website content are stored and connected to the internet 24/7.

Basically, web hosting makes your website a reality and allows users to visit it. Why do you need it?

Well, building a website involves lots of files. These include coding files, text, images, videos, and more. People can't access these files if they are only stored locally on your computer. It won’t exist on the World Wide Web. 

To get these locally stored files online and accessible to others, you must host them on a server. 

Web hosting providers give you the online server space to house your website. There are lots of providers to choose from that charge a small fee to handle your website hosting needs. 

It is just as important whether you have an eCommerce site or a website detailing how to create a fitness app.

Years ago, hosting a website required a large budget and some technical knowledge. But now, you can be up and running in days—and that’s without needing to learn all the website hosting jargon. 

What Are the Benefits of Using a Website Hosting Service? 

Website hosting providers offer many benefits for your website. It includes maintenance, analytics, admin changes, and technical support. They've got you covered. 

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of using a website hosting service below. 

• It’s affordable.

Using a website hosting service is much cheaper than self-hosting a website. 

For a small annual fee, the service provider handles everything for you. That includes ongoing maintenance and any updates. 

• It’s easy and efficient to set up.

When you use a website hosting service, all technical aspects are taken care of. It saves you the stress and time spent learning everything yourself. It also means that you can quickly iron out any potential bumps in the road. 

Say you launch a site for the new VoIP call center solution you’ve been developing. 

Suddenly, the website goes down, and you don’t know why. You can’t immediately fix the problem; it takes weeks to get sorted. 

Having a website hosting provider means you’ll avoid such fates. They usually have in-house technicians at hand to help, sometimes 24/7. 

• It’s easy to grow your website.

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Website hosting plans make it easy to grow your website whenever required. You can upgrade your plan to a higher package or switch hosting provider. 

For example, your website gains more traffic, and you want better analytics. You could upgrade to a higher package. 

It will help handle the increased traffic. It will also let you track key metrics for customer satisfaction. 

• Support team access

Most hosting providers have support teams available at all times. If there’s a problem with the server, you can rely on a support agent to fix the problem right away and keep you notified. 

• Optimized for maximum performance

Website hosting providers bring the tools and wizardry needed for optimum website performance. 

Using their service is a great user engagement strategy. The better your website, the more likely people will engage with it.  

• Security

A good hosting provider will have multiple layers of security in place. 

Your website will be safe with a hosting provider. Their service includes physically secured server buildings and firewalls, among other things. 

And if you become a victim of a domain hijacking, your support team will be there to get it sorted. 

• Domain name and email address

One of the greatest feelings when launching a website is seeing your domain name online. But it’s not just for show. Domain names have real value for targeting your audience and boosting your SEO. 

You can set up domain names for anywhere worldwide to better target local segments. For example, businesses targeting Qatari customers might register .qa domains to ensure they appeal to the local market.

You’ll also get a shiny new domain-associated email address to use. You’ll appear much more professional in emailing customers from your domain. 

How to Host a Website (in 5 steps) 

1. Research the available web hosting providers.
2. Work out your budget.
3. Choose a type of hosting.
4. Choose your hosting plan.
5. Register your domain name.

Now that we’ve explored the benefits, it’s time to learn how to host a website. As we’ve seen, launching a website is much easier today with the help of a hosting provider. 

Let’s take a look at a step-by-step process for how to host a website.

1. Research the available web hosting providers. 

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The first step is to start researching different web hosting providers. 

It’s a bit like buying a house. You wouldn’t buy the first house you look at when dozens more are on the market. 

Different web hosting providers will have different pros and cons. For example, some providers will specialize in website speed. Others will prioritize customer support. And so on. 

Been considering redesigning your website to fix page speeds? Try a new host with an emphasis on speed. 

On the other hand, if you're a small business needing extra support, select a host provider with 24/7 support.  

But how do you begin your research? Checking out online reviews for each hosting provider is an excellent place to start your research. 

2. Work out your budget. 

Get the features you need without breaking the bank. 

How much does website hosting roughly cost? Typically, web hosting plans can sit between $10 per month to $1000 per month. It depends on the type of hosting you need. 

For example, you run a niche blog page for data warehouse management. A plan between $5 - $10 monthly will be more than enough for a small amount of traffic. 

On the other hand, larger businesses and ecommerce websites may need a higher package. 

However, a higher price doesn’t automatically mean a better service. You need to begin this process with research into the different available providers. 

3. Choose a type of hosting. 

Now you’ve researched providers and worked out your budget, let's explore types of hosting. 

There are four options to choose from: 

• Shared hosting
• VPS hosting
• Dedicated hosting
• Cloud hosting 

Let’s look at the differences to determine which one is for you. 

• Shared hosting

Shared hosting is the best option for beginners. It’s affordable and doesn’t require any technical knowledge. 

As the name suggests, shared hosting is where you share the server with other websites. In other words, you won’t have your dedicated server. Shared hosting plans are perfect for websites that don’t expect too much traffic. 

However, shared hosting plans risk server crashes and performance problems. While unlikely, you’ll need to consider this as a possibility. 

However, your web hosting provider will do their best to get you back up and running in no time. 

• VPS hosting

VPS is short for virtual private servers. It is a hosting type that uses virtualization technology. It gives you dedicated (private) resources on a server with multiple users. 

VPS is one level above shared hosting because you don’t have to share your resources with other websites. 

It will see an improvement in your site’s performance. You’ll benefit from more disk space, bandwidth, longer uptimes, and quicker page speeds. 

A VPS hosting plan is perfect for websites expecting moderate-to-high levels of traffic. With VPS, you’ll have enough resources to handle the extra visitors. 

For example, if you run online training courses with many applicants, VPS hosting will be more reliable. 

These plans also give you greater control over your server settings.

• Dedicated hosting

A large enterprise with consistently high traffic may need dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting plans are also better for those wanting greater control. 

A dedicated hosting plan will give you the most resources and the best performance. However, the drawback is cost. 

Dedicated hosting costs significantly more than other web hosting types. Therefore, we don’t recommend dedicated hosting unless it’s a must. 

• Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is a more recent addition to the web hosting family. But it’s quickly growing in popularity, just like cloud PBX service providers. 

Cloud hosting makes sense for websites that expect growth and need to scale up. 

If you hope to see 50,000+ website visitors monthly, you’ll probably want to look at cloud hosting. 

Cloud hosting is a level above shared hosting but is usually cheaper than VPS. It makes it a solid solution for businesses that need more from their website.

If you opt for a cloud hosting plan, your site runs on multiple cloud servers. It reduces the chances of downtime and server crashes due to high usage. 

I recommend cloud hosting for new businesses with lofty projections going forward. You can upgrade to a higher plan if required with a cloud hosting plan. 

It is more likely if you follow good SEO tips and practice and expect to see growth. A cloud hosting plan will prevent the hassle of swapping hosting types or providers later. 

4. Choose your hosting plan. 

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You’ve looked at the different providers. You've worked out your budget. You've explored the other hosting types. Now, it’s time to choose a hosting plan. 

You’ll need to find a provider that aligns with your business goals, budget, and ambitions. 

Here is a list of considerations: 

• Uptime 

Uptime is the most critical aspect of web hosting. It refers to how long your website is live on the internet. It is the opposite of downtime, a term when your website is down and inaccessible. 

Most hosting providers give uptime guarantees. You should look for a provider with a 99.9% uptime guarantee to reduce the chances of server downtime. 

Reputable providers will offer moneyback for not reaching their uptime guarantee.

• Resources

Your website hosting plan needs enough resources to handle your content and traffic. 

The first resource to identify is the available RAM. 4 GB of RAM is the recommended minimum for most websites. 

The second consideration is the amount of bandwidth provided by your plan. 120 GB of bandwidth is enough for most websites with average use. 

• Customer service

Customer service is super important for your website hosting plan. After all, you will rely on your provider to help you with maintenance, upgrades, and fixes. 

Ideally, everything will go smoothly, and your website will run perfectly. But in reality, this won’t always be the case. Issues can arise anytime, so choosing a provider with 24/7 support is a sensible option. 

If 24/7 support isn’t an option, you should pick a provider with helpful resources and guides on their website. Most hosting issues are common, so there’s probably an answer to your query already. 

Remember, you’ll get more support from a ‘managed’ plan but have to pay more for the service. 

• Additional features 

Many providers throw additional features into the mix for an enhanced experience. Here are some of the most common other web hosting features: 

• Free domain name included
• Free SSL certificate included
• Google Ads free credits
• Website builder
• Website migration service
• Frequent website backups
• Email accounts

These features are standard across the board today. However, it’s worth double-checking whether they are available in your chosen plan. 

5. Register your domain name. 

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Your domain name is your online identity. It’s how people will find and connect with your brand online. 

For example, a website for advice on AS/400 modernization could be www.as400.com. Your domain name is essential for discoverability and awareness. Choose wisely. 

There are two ways you can register your domain name. You can do it through a third-party supplier of domain names. Alternatively, most website hosting providers include domain name registration in their service. 

You’ll need a domain name to go live on the internet. So, this is the final and most crucial step in hosting a website. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has given you an idea of how to host a website or optimize your existing website. With some know-how and confidence, you’ll be up and running quickly. 

Remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid web hosting question, so don’t be afraid to research. 

Here’s a quick recap of the five steps on how to host a website: 

1. Research the available web hosting providers.
2. Work out your budget.
3. Choose a type of hosting.
4. Choose your hosting plan. 
5. Register your domain name.