A Beginner's Guide to Web Hosting

A Brief Definition of Web Hosting

Briefly, a hosting provider sells their clients an allocation of space and computing resources (RAM, CPU, etc) on their web server, so that a website can store files (such as images, code files, etc.) and be accessible on the web. Every site you've ever visited on the web is hosted on some form of server.

The specific type of hosting would determine the amount of space allocated on a server. The main types of hosting include dedicated, shared, reseller, and VPS. Each type is unique in terms of the level of management (and support) provided, the technology used for the server, and the additional services on offer.

In a nutshell, web hosting refers to the process of buying or renting space to house a website on the World Wide Web. In order for any website content like images or CSS and HTML files to be viewable online, it has to be first housed (or 'hosted') on a server.

So what exactly do we mean by a 'server'? A server is a computer connecting other web users directly to your website from various locations around the world. As evident from the name, web hosting service providers offer connectivity, servers, and other related services to host websites. They cover the spectrum of hosting needs with a variety of hosting plans applicable to anything from small personal blogs to large organisations (although often larger organisations will run their own web servers and hosting altogether).

If you are looking to build an online presence, it is crucial to choose a reliable web hosting provider and the right plan. Nowadays, you can find hundreds of web hosting providers offering thousands of different services. Hosting plans could range from free with limited options to expensive ones that are highly specialised for specific business needs. The ideal plan for you will depend largely on your budget and how you plan to use the website.

Choosing the appropriate hosting plan will ensure you have access to the resources your website needs to remain reliable and quick‑loading for your website visitors and users. Just think about how many companies operate primarily online, with business leads and sales coming from their website. If someone visits your website and encounters a problem such as long loading times, potential customers will often be turned off by this and leave. They will quickly bounce off the site, instead looking for another (competing) one that works and can seamlessly deliver what they are looking for.

If you are new to running a website, web hosting and related terms can get confusing. Many beginner website owners have chosen the cheapest option or something bundled with the purchase of a domain name, believing that all hosting options are nearly identical.
However, this could be a costly mistake. In this article, we are going to go over everything you need to know about web hosting and the importance of choosing the right hosting option for the success of your website.

How Does Web Hosting Work?

There are any number of mechanisms that allow you to upload files from your local computer (or CI pipeline), to the web server. This is where 'hosting' occurs, and in order for this to happen the server's resources like hard drive space, RAM, and bandwidth must be allocated to the website to use.

The type of hosting plan selected will determine the division of server resources. To choose the right hosting plan, you first need to have a decent understanding of the variety of plans out there, and what your individual project needs are. Whilst this may sound complicated, it doesn't have to be: choosing web hosting is quite similar to looking for the right office space.

So, how would you decide on the right type of office space for your needs? Would you be satisfied with a workstation in an open co‑working space or would prefer to have an office within a business centre? Are you planning on quick expansion or expect to see a lot of visitors coming and leaving? Would you prefer renting an entire building or even constructing your own space?

In addition to the style of office you need, there are other factors to keep in mind: the overall cost, how accessible are the rooms, which functions they provide, and where they are located. These aspects will determine your needs and help you choose the ideal type of office space for you.

Now, let's take a look at how this selection process can be applied to choosing your web hosting type. I will go into more detail on each a little later on in this article:

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is much like renting a workstation in a noisy, busy, open‑plan co‑working space or office. You will have all the needed conveniences, like a desk, wi‑fi, and some stationery, but you will share common spaces like the kitchen, restroom, and printer with other co‑workers. You won't be able to make any changes to this space, such as installing additional whiteboards, for example. This may be a good option for launching small websites but is unlikely to be appropriate for large‑scale commercial projects.

A Virtual Private Server (Vps)

A VPS (virtual private server) is a definite step up from shared hosting. For medium‑sized businesses, it may be better to rent an office within a business centre. With virtual private servers, users will be isolated from each other. You will still have neighbours, but you will have more independence from them, and you can conduct customisations as you wish.

A Dedicated Server

Having a dedicated server is comparable to renting out an entire office building. It is definitely a more expensive option best suited for websites that place emphasis on high performance and reliability, or niche requirements that cannot be fulfilled via more generic hosting options. Since you will be in control of the entire space, you will have lots of room and more say over specific configurations. However, dedicated servers are not worth investing in if you won't need to use the entire space and can be extremely expensive to both buy and maintain.

Web Hosting and Domain Hosting

At this point, I feel it is also important to quickly touch on domain hosting and the difference between purchasing a domain, versus purchasing hosting. This area is perhaps muddied further by the fact that you will often purchase your domain name from the same supplier as your web hosting.

After you purchase a domain name, the files containing your website's assets (in the simplest form: HTML, images, and CSS code, maybe a database too) would need to be stored together in a location that has internet access ‑ a web server. Once the website files are uploaded to the hosting server, the host will then be responsible for delivering the files to website visitors.

I've already mentioned that hosting is what makes a website available for users to visit through a web browser, but how does it work exactly? The DNS, or Domain Name System, is what makes sure that the website browser connects to the correct computer or server that stores all of the files for your specific website.

That way, when the user enters your web address into the browser, their computer will connect through the internet to the server containing your website's files. It will locate your domain's IP address (the location where it is stored on the DNS) and direct the user to the correct website. Their web browser will then display your website's information so that they can continue browsing your website pages.

How to Pick a Web Host?

It is fair to say at this juncture that I do offer hosting to all of my clients on my own dedicated server. Nevertheless, the following is as impartial as I can make it. It is far better for everybody that my clients are well‑informed before deciding to use my offering!

Choosing a reliable and appropriate web hosting provider is a crucial step to establishing an online presence, especially if you are looking to launch a website for your business. Hosting providers not only make sure that your website is available to be viewed by others, but they also offer related services to help you manage these servers and their support, software, speed, bandwidth, and more.

Free Web Hosting Comes with Restrictions

Bandwidth Allowance

Bandwidth allowance, sometimes called "traffic" or "data traffic," is the total number of bytes needed to transfer your website to the users when they browse your content. As such, it is important to make sure that the hosting plan you choose provides sufficient bandwidth allowance for your needs.

To give you a rough idea of the typical bandwidth needed for a site: most new websites that don't include video or music use below 3 gigabytes of bandwidth per month. If you expect a rapid future expansion of your needs to include video, sound, and more, then consider going for a paid hosting provider offering the extra space.

If you are thinking of going with free hosting, evaluate the size of your website and the number of visitors you expect to see per day. Many hosting providers will impose monthly or daily limits on the amount of bandwidth a website can use. And, if your content includes videos and images that attract the amount of traffic that exceeds the "agreed" amounts, the host will have the right to disable your website for a contract breach or send you an additional bill.

Another factor to consider before choosing free hosts is that they often impose restrictions on the maximum size of files you can upload. If you wish to share high‑resolution images or software, a paid hosting provider will provide you with the ability to load the larger file sizes that you will need.

Advertising

Many, but not all, free hosts will include advertising on your website to compensate for the costs of providing you with free webspace. Most website visitors will be put off by commercial pop‑ups and banners, and websites full of adverts are often considered spammy or low‑quality, which is an immediate repellent. To stay on the safe side, make sure to read the fine print to see whether you can expect to see advertisements in exchange for free hosting.

Upgrade Options

Pay attention to whether a hosting provider offers an opportunity for your website to grow. Most websites will start on shared hosting, which can be quite powerful. However, as the website grows over the years, you might need to look for a more powerful server, such as VPS or a dedicated server. Make sure that the hosting provider has suitable plans to upgrade to and that the process is simple and straightforward.

Advantages of Paid Web Hosting

Uptime (Reliability)

Reliability is equally important for both paid and free services, but only a paid hosting plan can provide real reliability. Chances are, you will want your website to run 24/7, and you can get that exclusively from a hosting provider with stable network connections and reliable web servers. Before you make your final decision, check the host's uptime history. You can also check their advertised guaranteed uptime and read relevant reviews on the web.
A site that is often down or is difficult to reach will lose customers and visitors, which could hit your revenue hard. If somebody searches your site only to see that it isn't available, they won't hesitate to move on to the competitor's website. Slow loading times are also very frustrating for the visitors (and for you when uploading content).

Bandwidth/traffic

Review and understand any bandwidth limitations and choose the appropriate plan. If you are planning to incorporate audio, video, or other heavy elements on your website, you want to have a plan that matches your bandwidth requirements.

PHP, Ssh, MySQL, .htaccess, FTP, Etc.

• If you need to install Perl or PHP, make sure that you will be able to do this without getting approval from your host. If not, you will need to wait for their response before you can implement the new feature on your website.
• SSH access is important for maintaining databases like MySQL, as well as when you want to run a content management system or a blog.
• If you want to customise your error pages, password‑protect your folders, or protect your website from hotlinking and bandwidth theft, you will need the ability to create and modify your .htaccess files.
• FTP is a common method for transferring web pages or other files from a local computer to the server so that they can be viewed by anybody around the world. However, some hosts may not allow you to design and upload your own pages and request that your pages are built and uploaded through their online site builder. Unless you are a complete beginner looking for a very basic website, make sure that you will have FTP access and the ability to upload your custom‑designed pages.

Control Panel

A control panel enables you to manage various aspects of your site hosting account by yourself. Commercial hosts generally provide a control panel, so that you can perform daily maintenance tasks without having to request help from technical support, which could be time‑consuming or require an additional panel. Instead, a "cPanel" offers an easy‑to‑use dashboard to manage account passwords, email addresses, and basic server configurations.

Multiple Domains Hosting

It isn't uncommon to own multiple domains, as they are very affordable these days. In this case, you will need to allocate extra hosting space for your extra domains.
To make the hosting process easier, it is possible to host several domains simultaneously in a single account; each individual website within the same account is called an add‑on domain. While most hosting providers allow you to have add‑on domains, I recommend always checking in advance for any associated fees.

Cost

Naturally, you will get what you pay for when it comes to web hosting features. If you have a simple website and not expecting a lot of traffic, you can expect to pay anywhere between £10 and £150 for shared hosting. If you are looking for a higher capacity hosting plan, you can expect to pay £150 and higher.

Most commercial hosting providers offer flexibility to choose between annual and monthly payment plans, with annual payments usually offering a lower rate. Once you are confident that the host offers reliable service, it is a good idea to switch to more affordable yearly payments. On the other hand, if the host doesn't meet expectations, you can quickly switch providers.

Finally, if you are satisfied with the package price, don't forget to check the price for renewals. It isn't uncommon to see lower sign‑up prices, followed by increased renewal rates.

Email

If you want to host email accounts associated with your website, make sure that your hosting provider allows you to set up professional‑looking email addresses on your domain.
However, if emails aren't provided, it isn't a big deal, ‑ there are numerous other ways to create an email account with your own domain name.

Technical Support

Issues can arise at any time, so ensure that your host offers technical support 24/7/365. You will want to ensure that there is someone with the required technical knowledge to help you out when you need it most. Make sure to do your research and read online reviews of real customer experiences.

There will also be times when you have a non‑urgent question that you want to try to resolve on your own. Check whether the host offers a knowledge base or FAQ page to browse to help you deepen your understanding.

Types of Web Hosting

I touched very briefly on the different types of web hosting at the start of this article, here I want to cover the options available to you off in more detail. As technology has advanced, various types of web hosting have been introduced in response to different customer needs. These include:

• Shared hosting
• Dedicated web hosting
• VPS hosting
• Cloud hosting
• Reseller

Let's take a closer look at each of these web hosting types.

Shared Hosting

When a website is hosted on the same server with numerous other sites, you have shared web hosting ‑ the most common hosting type provided by many web hosting companies. It is easy to set up and affordable, which makes it a great fit for new websites that aren't expecting to see a lot of traffic in the near future. It is ideal for small‑ to medium‑sized businesses, as well as personal blogs and websites.

If you are serious about running an online business or digital marketing, you should carefully review the shared hosting option to ensure that your host can provide the services your particular use will need.

Furthermore, shared web hosting isn't suitable for large websites with a lot of traffic. Such websites need a separate dedicated server to accommodate a large number of resources and ensure decent website performance.

Virtual Private Server (Vps) hosting

Virtual private servers (VPS) or virtual dedicated servers (VDS) are virtual servers that appear to each client as a private server, even though, in reality, they are serving multiple sites.

VPS offer a middle‑ground between shared hosting and getting your own dedicated server space. The main difference between VPS and shared hosting is that clients have complete access to VPS configurations, which is more similar to dedicated‑style hosting.

Virtual private servers are often used by smaller organisations or websites that are looking for the flexibility of having a dedicated server without the corresponding high costs.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting, also known as dedicated server or managed hosting, involves renting out an entire server. This type of hosting is relatively expensive compared to shared hosting plans. As such, it is only used for large websites with high traffic needs or when more control over the server is required.

In addition to dedicating a piece of entire server equipment to a single website, dedicated hosting also allows greater self‑service facilities for server administration. This presents a significantly more flexible arrangement, as it allows full control over the server, along with its security systems and software. On the other hand, users wishing to manage the platform themselves will require more technical expertise on hand.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud web hosting is the newest hosting type on the market, but it has already become extremely popular over the past few years. This hosting type operates across numerous connected web servers that supply a reliable, scalable, and affordable infrastructure.

Cloud hosting plans usually offer reliable, unmetered bandwidth along with an infinite amount of disk space for an unlimited number of domains. For that reason, many large businesses choose to turn to the cloud. While it offers an effective method of operating a website with a large number of content assets or resource‑intensive applications, it can have a considerably higher associated cost.

Reseller Hosting

With reseller hosting, the account owner can use the allocated bandwidth and hard drive space to host a website on behalf of third parties. This makes the original owner of a hosting account the "reseller." Reseller hosting is useful when the amount of hard drive space purchased isn't fully used, and some of the allocated space can be shared with other parties. Reselling hosting space allows for sharing CPU, bandwidth, and disk space while receiving a consistent source of income.

Many hosting providers will offer special reseller hosting plans to entrepreneurs interested in this business practice. In addition, buying a reseller plan can be useful for anybody with multiple domains. You may either design your own hosting plans for your websites, or the clients will provide the allocated resources to the reseller hosting account.

My Host Offering: Managed

Of course, after all of this, what I really want to talk to you about is what I ‑ personally ‑ offer to my clients. At this point I hope that it's clear that I don't just offer hosting to anybody: I offer it as part of a more complete package of design, development, maintenance, and hosting for complete projects.

Officially this can be termed 'managed' hosting; for the client, the hosting aspect of their project is entirely hands‑off: I deal with it all for them. This means that I can help guide each client through their specific project needs, and recommend the most suitable solution. Sometimes this is as simple as pointing them at a web host, and sometimes it will be a little more involved.

At the time of writing, I host a little over a hundred individual client websites and manage over 170 domain registrations on behalf of my clients. I own three individual servers: two in London and one in Amsterdam, around forty VPS, and an abundance of ancillary hardware and services covering everything from CI pipelines, email hosting, to backups, to long‑term data storage.