How to host a website for beginners

How to Host a Website?

The first thing to consider when starting your website is to choose a web hosting provider (if you already have a web domain¹). The web hosting provider provides the web space

These spaces are known as servers, and they can be rented, acquired through a free website hosting provider, or built locally. Servers keep your site files safe under a unique address that allows online traffic to reach it easily.

In this section of content, you’ll learn a comprehensive overview of how to host a website on the internet.

Steps to Host a Website:

1. Decide which type of website you are building

You will typically find 2 types of websites:

• Static or Basic Websites: Simple static websites can be built using a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) application and then transferred over to the hosting account. 
• Dynamic Websites: Dynamic sites are mainly application-driven and make use of scripts, databases, and other tools to generate some portions of the site on the fly. WordPress and Joomla are examples of common Content Management System (CMS) apps that are popular today. Others such as Magento and PrestaShop are used for eCommerce websites.

Your web host selection depends on the type of website you are building. A budget web host like Hostinger ($1.99/mo) would be sufficient for a simple static website; whereas dynamic sites will require more server resources.

2.Compare Web Hosting Types

What is a web hosting?

A web hosting is a computer where people store their websites. Think of it as a house where you store all your stuffs; but instead of storing your clothes and furniture, you store computer files (HTML, documents, images, videos, etc) in a web host.

As the type of web hosting scales up, so too does the cost involved and often the complexity of managing the hosting account. For example, in VPS hosting you would need to manage not just the hosting details but also environment that it is being hosted in.

There are three main types of web hosting:

Shared hosting: allows website owners to share a server with others in order to minimize operational costs. Each user can easily manage their site through their own separate account, but cannot access advanced controls. Furthermore, this type of web hosting has trouble handling high traffic volumes.

VPS / Cloud Hosting : is more expensive and very versatile.  A powerful physical server is divided into several virtual components that are used by different website owners. Each VPS component can function independently and one of the preferred options if you have high-security concerns but don’t want to invest in an expensive dedicated server.

Dedicated hosting is the most complex and expensive type of web hosting, as it provides an entire server for a single user. This type of web hosting is the go-to choice for large companies because it allows for maximum customization, flexibility, and security. In real estate terms, dedicated hosting is like a house where the owner controls every aspect of the space.

Cloud Hosting

If you have a big and quickly growing website, you should choose the Cloud type. You will get the power and performance of a VPS with the simplicity of the shared type. This type is really easy to set up and is completely managed by you alone.

Get a dedicated IP address with a slice of RAM, CPU, and SSD Disk Space. The provided resources are fully dedicated to you.

3.Select a Web Hosting Provider

Once you know the type of web hosting you need, it’s time to consider the different platforms available. The web hosting platform you choose will play an important role in all aspects of your website, from stability to page load speed.

Bluehost for beginners makes them a solid choice for beginners into the world of website hosting. Their prices are also one of the most affordable in the industry, ranging from $9 to $120 a month depending on the type of web hosting service you choose.

Hostinger is one of the most popular web hosting providers due to their affordable price, with plans starting at just $0.99/month for single shared web hosting. If you’re willing to pay a little more, while still staying below the industry average cost, you’ll have access to unlimited bandwidth and databases.

A2 Hosting: Some web servers also offer other advantages over more expensive plans such as special optimization or improvements. A good example of this is the hosting plans shared on A2 Hosting. The most expensive plan on that series comes the 20X ‘Turbo’ speed.

4.Select a Web Hosting Provider

Now that you understand the different types of web hosting, it’s time to really choose a web hosting provider.

To make sure you’re choosing the right web server for your website, there are a number of technical requirements to keep in mind:

Upload: Upload speed is one of the main factors in determining the speed at which your website will load. You can use a third-party reporting service like HRank to determine the upload speed of each hosting provider when compared to other services. For comparison, industry standard upload speeds are usually higher than 100 MB.

Bandwidth is the amount of data your website can transmit to visitors over a certain period of time. You can calculate the bandwidth needs of your website based on the traffic you expect and the average size of your sites. You’ll want speeds ranging from 250ms to 750ms as these are typical industry standards.

Cost: Most hosting providers have multiple monthly subscription models based on the types of hosting offered. In most cases, shared hosting will be the cheapest option, while VPS will be slightly higher and managed servers will be the most expensive.

Additional services such as being able to get a custom email address, integrate an online scheduling software, or access advanced SEO features should also be taken into account. Since the technical specifications of different web host service providers can be quite similar, use these additional features as a tie-breaker.

Support: A good support team is very important. Most hosting providers give you access to 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat. If you need help setting up your website, connecting your domain, or having any questions around hosting your website, a support team will help you.

5. Get a Domain Name

When choosing a domain name, you need it to be short and reflect the nature of your website. In addition, you should be interested in international expansion. If you use .com or .net extensions for your domain, your users will be more confident in your site and you won’t be associated with fake resources. For example, likeweb.net or google.com

Nearly every web hosting provider includes domain name registration during the registration process. Sometimes it is included as a freebie in your chosen plan (Bluehost, for example). With others, you’ll have to pay for it separately (SiteGround and HostGator). Alternatively, you can buy your domain name from expert domain registrars like Domain.com and link it to your hosting account.

It is very important to set a reminder of the domain name expiration date. Of course, the provider will send a notice of the need for an extension, but none of us are immune to mistakes. That’s why a reminder in the calendar about renewing domain activation won’t be redundant.

Otherwise, you run the risk of losing the domain name and all the effort worked on your website.

If you don’t want to register a domain name with a provider, you can use the domain registrar’s service. However, this option is not safe for you when hosting your own website. Therefore, it is still advisable to choose a web hosting provider.

Finish

It’s simple, isn’t it?Follow these steps and you will be enrolled in a web hosting service that is ready and waiting for your website.

If you’ve made your decision with an eye on the future – which you should – the plan you’ve chosen will have great support and can be easily expanded. Now you can focus on what’s really imported – your website!