Back to Basics: How Web Hosting Works

Web hosting is what makes websites available online. Here, we go back to basics to explain how web hosting works, what this means, what happens behind the scenes and why a website won’t work unless it has web hosting.

Web Hosting Explained

A web hosting service is more than just where your website is located; it’s a crucial part of how the internet works. The web host takes your website live online. It also stores everything that makes up your site: the files, images and videos you’ve chosen to give your content more substance, and the code that lets you take the site online.

Consider web hosting like renting a house where your website lives. The website’s “house” is space on the internet, a space on a special computer known as a server that keeps everything on your website ready to load the moment someone decides to visit. When a person types your domain name (your URL, or website address) into their web browser, your computer is then connected to your hosting server, who sends the website to the person’s computer so they can see it and interact with it. That’s the server’s job: to keep your website online and visible to anyone who wants to visit from anywhere in the world.

How It Works

A web host stores all the pieces that comprise your website safely on its server and then shows these pieces together as a whole. It also stores all the pieces (content, images, video and code) on its server, an extremely powerful computer that is always connected to the internet that is safe, runs 24/7 and delivers your website intact to whoever types in your domain (address). Basically, you sign up to a website hosting service to rent space on one of these servers.

Here’s a step by step look at what happens:

1.  A person types your domain name or URL in their browser. Their computer, mobile phone or tablet then requests permission from the host to view your website.
2.  The host’s server quickly links to the device, and your website appears on its screen.
3.  Basically, the host links your website to people who want to visit.

The 5 Web Hosting Types

There are five web hosting types, and each one works differently. What type you choose depends on the size of your site, how much traffic your site gets (i.e. how many visitors you have) and how much control you want.

Each website hosting type has its advantages, and choosing the best one for your website depends on your business, what it needs, how much money you can spend, and how tech savvy you are.

Let’s compare at each web hosting type:

1.  Shared Hosting: In this scenario, your website shares a server with several websites. This is the most cost-effective choice, so it’s perfect for small businesses and beginners. It’s worth noting that when you share hosting, your website may take longer to appear online, depending on how much traffic each website gets.
2.  Dedicated Hosting: When you choose dedicated hosting, the server is only used for your website. Of course, this makes your site faster to load, offers better performance and gives you full control. Businesses who choose this type of hosting usually have larger websites, want more security and wish to load faster. But this costs a company more, and you may need to have more technical knowledge, or a team member who is tech savvy to operate the site.
3.  VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: This hosting type is between shared and dedicated hosting; your website shares a server, but each website owner or user has its own part of that server. This way you have better control over your site, and it’s faster than on a shared server. As a result, it’s a little more expensive for a VPS, but not as expensive as if you had chosen dedicated hosting.
4.  Cloud Hosting: In this case, the Cloud has more than one server, which means that, if a site is busy or goes down, another server is there to handle the load. Cloud hosting is extremely reliable and ideal if your website often has traffic spikes or may grow quickly.
5.  Managed WordPress Hosting: If you use WordPress as your content managing system (CMS), this is the perfect type of hosting for you. Not only does the hosting server manage all the technical bits involved behind the scenes, but it helps with everything related to WordPress, managing it for you so all you need to focus on is your website content and your business.

Choosing the Best Hosting for Your Business

Start by looking at the type of website you have, and what its purpose is:

Is it: Your personal blog? A business website? An online shop?

Depending on the type of website, you can decide how much storage you need, how fast the site needs to be (obviously, an online store would need a very fast site and a blog with only content would require the slowest). You also need to consider website security. A blog site would certainly not require as much security as an online store, which deals with customers’ personal data, such as banking details, addresses, etc.

Another important point to consider is the number of visitors you expect to receive. A blog site will have far less traffic than a business site, and a successful, popular online store will need the most speed and security.

Consider all these points before deciding on the type of web hosting you need. Remember: the cheapest option may not offer all the options you need for an online store, so it may be worth spending more to keep your customers secure.

It’s also good to check reviews about each hosting provider, so you have an idea of the types of businesses that use it, and how they feel about its services.

Once you have researched the host, their reputation, how they operate, and what their customers say about them, it’s easier to choose which will work for you.

What to Look for in a Hosting Provider

A good hosting provider will offer its customers the following:

•  Plenty of Storage Space: Consider how much content your website will need, so you can ascertain how much storage space you’ll need.
•  The Right Amount of Bandwidth: Bandwidth is what controls how much information your website can send and receive. If you expect plenty of visitors or have lots of content, say, for an online store that describes each product, you need more bandwidth for your site to run smoothly.
•  An Uptime Guarantee: Uptime is the amount of time your site remains online. If a host can offer you 99% uptime, this means your website is constantly available to visitors whenever they visit.
•  Good Customer Support: Great customer support will certainly help your website, especially if you’re able to offer customers this support day and night through various mediums, including chat, email, SMS and on social media.
•  Excellent Safety & Security: It’s essential your site is well-protected against hackers, spam and malware. Check what type of security is offered, especially firewalls, SSL certificates and regular security updates.

Choosing Web Hosting Easily

Do the following step by step to simplify the process:

·       Register a Domain Name:

You cannot go online without having a domain name (URL), the address people type into their browsers when they wish to visit your site. The domain name should match your brand; it should be short and catchy. Register your name with a domain Registrar for a year or more, and ensure you renew it before it’s due, or you could lose it.

·       Select the Right Hosting for Your Business:

We’ve already explained what you need to consider when choosing a host. Think about the type of website you have, the amount of visitors you expect, how fast the site loads and how secure the site needs to be. Your hosting plan must have enough bandwidth, storage and features to support your website. Choose a host that suits your business, and how tech savvy you are. Some offer beginner-friendly plans that are easy to install and offer various tools to help you set up.

·       Upload Website Content:

If you designed and built your site yourself, you will have to upload all the content to the host server using the hosting control panel or an FTP client. If you use WordPress, it’s likely your host will automatically install the content for you.

·       Configure the DNS Settings:

Configuring your DNS (Domain Name System) involves connecting your domain name to the host’s server. If you have purchased the domain name and the hosting from the same company, this is all done for you. If not, you’ll have to update your DNS records, so they point to your host’s server or servers. This can take a few hours before it’s done.

·       Launch Your Site:

When everything is ready, it’s time to test your site by opening it in various browsers and on several different devices. This is how you ensure it loads well, and fast. Once you know that everything is working properly, your website is ready to be taken live.

Looking After Your Hosted Website

The most important thing to do once you have your website online is to regularly maintain it. Ensure it loads fast enough, is secure for customers and visitors and that you provide a good user experience (UX).

Regularly update your CMS, whether it’s WordPress or another one, as well as your themes, plugins and core software. Remember: these updates often include new features and security fixes, so they are essential. Also, regularly back up your site to ensure your files are safe. Most hosting services offer automatic backups for you, but keep a copy of your site somewhere case, to be sure.

Monitor how your website performs using tools or built-in features, to ensure it stays online and is secure. Regularly scan the site and sort out any weak areas such as malware, outdated software or anything that could harm your website.