Web hosting: How it can help your business

Most businesses create their website to reach out to customers. However, you need a web host to ensure your brand’s site reaches your customers without problems and that all information regarding your services and products loads seamlessly. 

Before we dive deeper into what you can expect from web hosting, let’s first look into what it is and what it entails here at QWERTYlabs. 

What is web hosting? 

Website hosting is an online service that makes content accessible. When you purchase a hosting plan, you’re renting a physical server where you can store all of your website’s files and data. The server runs on a computer 24/7, so as soon as someone enters your domain name into their browser, the web host’s server will transfer the necessary files to load your website properly and quickly.

While you can host your website independently, you must have excellent technical skills, infrastructure, and high-level equipment. You will also have to handle all the maintenance, which can be challenging. With that, let’s take a look at what happens during hosting. 

The web hosting process: Step by step

To get started, here are five helpful steps of the web hosting process: 

• Choose your hosting type correctly. It is crucial  since you will have a clearer idea of how your site will look. 
• Select a web host provider. It can be pretty challenging, but as long as you research the best hosting providers, you can select the right one. 
• Pick the best hosting plan.
• Register a domain name for your brand. You can sometimes skip this step, but you will eventually have to register. 
• The final step is configuring your package and finalising your deal with the provider. 

Website hosting: The strongest benefits 

Most people want to improve their website to ensure it represents their brand, and company, accurately. One way to improve your website is by choosing the right web hosting provider and plan for you, since there are many benefits that it offers, as you can see below. 

Dealing with web traffic will be easier 

While there are free hosting services, they usually have a limit on their space and bandwidth. Limited bandwidth and space can be disastrous for your platform, especially with numerous site visitors. These limitations can cause your platform to crash, leading to the loss of potential customers and investors. 

Web traffic increases as your website grows, and it’s challenging to deal with, especially if you don’t have the right platform. It’s why you must make sure you’ll choose the reliable web host that offers all the means and tools to avoid them and improve your platform’s performance. With a web host, you can manage the influx of visitors and prevent slow speed and downtime problems.

Web hosting secures your platform

With a web hosting service, your platform is safer because there is an actual physical data centre rather than relying on an online server that is easier to access and compromise. 

On top of that, these are additional security features you’ll have with a web hosting provider: 

• Security plugins 
• Regular data backups 
• No more troubleshooting when issues arise

What to consider when picking a web hosting provider

Choosing the best provider is a big decision since it is vital to your website’s overall quality and your business’ success. Here are the factors that you need to take into account:

How they can keep the website up and running 

Look at their track record and see if they have kept websites up and running. You should also look at the uptime because they will most likely be a good provider if they have done well with the website. You can check out the uptime scores because if you see anything below 99%, you must avoid these providers since they won’t be good for your business. 

They can add multiple domains

Apart from one website, most people want multiple domains to expand their platform. It allows them to spread the word about their business or content. If you can add multiple domains to one web hosting provider, then it will make it easier for you later.

Their customer service is reliable 

You might have problems with your server that you can’t fix yourself. When you do, here is where the web hosting platform’s customer support can help. Make sure they are always responsive and one call away via telephone, e-mail, or chat. In short, you need to choose a provider with quality reviews of customer service. 

What are the kinds of web hosting?

You have numerous options on different web hosting platforms you can use for your brand. To find out which one works best for your business, check out their differences below.

Shared hosting 

As the most popular form of web hosting, this is the optimal fit for most platforms. It is well known for its lower price point, which appeals to those who don’t want unnecessary expenses. All domains in shared hosting will share the same server resources, which is ideal for businesses with smaller platforms.

Virtual private servers

While it’s not entirely a dedicated server, virtual private servers are the middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated hosts. These servers are ideal for those that want more control of the platform but do not want to commit to a dedicated server. It’s a good server if you wish autonomy over your platform but has access to customer support when necessary.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting allows owners the most control over the website’s server. Owners have exclusive access to the server, meaning they have whole root and admin access. While it’s expensive compared to other options, it’s worth it, especially if your business requires a full-time dedicated hosting service.

Cloud hosting 

As one of the most popular options in recent years, cloud hosting involves numerous computers working together. It is done via a network and enables people to have a hosting service without having to deal with a big set-up for computing. 

Managed hosting 

Lastly, managed hosting is where a company does the work for your website’s hosting and anything else your brand needs. Managed hosting is a great choice, especially since you have experts that will handle your site’s issues quickly and maintain the website. All you will do is choose a plan and pay for it.

How much does web hosting cost? 

The hosting cost is different depending on the type of web hosting service your site needs. However, the base cost for shared and dedicated hosting monthly are below:

• Shared hosting - $2 to $15 monthly 
• Dedicated hosting  - $80 to $500 monthly 

Find the right web hosting provider for you

Picking the right web host is challenging, especially if you’re not familiar with creating websites, which is why you need to know the factors that can affect your site’s performance. If you need expert help on web hosting and design, leading SEO and digital marketing company QWERTYlabs can help make it easier for you! Just contact us so you can have the website your brand needs.