Why Do I Need Web Hosting?
- Updated on: 2017-08-01
- Read original article here
You can’t have a website live on the Internet without the need of web hosting.
If you want to build a website for your business, then you need to invest in a solid host. There’s no way around it.
Below you’ll learn about what web hosting actually is, why you need it, and the various types of web hosting that are available.
You can think of web hosting as a home where you store all of your things. Except, instead of storing furniture and household goods, you’re storing all of the files necessary for your website to function. These files usually include your HTML and CSS files, documents, media files, and more.
The web host you end up choosing is the company that sells server space for you to rent out. Web hosts manage these servers and make it easy for you to host your site so visitors around the world can access these website files.
But, in order for your website to actually be online, you also need a domain name. Think of your domain name as the addresses on houses. It would be very hard to find your house without an address people could remember.
If you want to have a website that you can call your own, then you need to invest in hosting. Fortunately, it doesn’t even cost that much to have your very own piece of online real estate.
When you have your website on a free platform like Blogger or Tumblr, you’re taking a risk. In order for your website to remain online you have to agree to their terms and conditions.
There are plenty of horror stories online about site owners having their profitable websites taken down for breaking a certain rule or condition. If you’re serious about building out your website, then this is a risk you can’t take.
Even if your website does get back online you’ll end up losing crucial sales during that time period, and can even annoy some of your site’s visitors.
Another issue with free hosting platforms is co-branding. In other words, your website shares branding with the free host. This lessens your credibility with customers, and impacts the overall look and design of your site.
When you use a free option you won’t be able to expand or customize your site as you wish. You’ll have limited access to plugins and tools and the growth of your site will be limited as a result.
When you host your own website you’re truly in control. You can customize your site as you see fit and you’re only limited by your own creativity.
When you don’t host your own site you can never be too sure about the overall security of your site. When you can choose the CMS, the security plugins, and other measures you can be sure that your site has a higher level of security.
Plus, many web hosting companies (HostGator included) offer 24/7 expert support too, so you have someone you can contact immediately if you ever run into an issue.
If you’re building a website to sell your products online, write and profit from your blog, or promote your freelance work, you need your own web host.
Having your own web host provides you with customization, control, and scalability over your website and online presence.
When you begin your search for hosting, you’ll notice that there are various hosting options available. The style of hosting you choose will differ based upon storage, technical knowledge required, support, speed, and reliability.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the most common hosting types.
Shared hosting is typically the cheapest hosting option available. With shared hosting you’re renting server space with dozens or hundreds of other sites. The resources on a single server are then shared between all the sites hosted on that specific server.
Since there’s little technical knowledge required to get it up and running, shared hosting is generally a great entry-level option for those just getting started online.
Cloud hosting offers you a network of servers, known as the cloud, to host your site. This is great for sites that receive a high volume of traffic as the server load can be distributed over a number of different servers.
Cloud hosting is very flexible and great for large websites that have a more global audience.
With VPS hosting, each private server is divided into individual servers that act in a similar manner to a dedicated server. The server resources are generally shared with other sites, but the number is much smaller than shared hosting.
This is a solid choice for sites that need more control and server resources, but don’t want to invest in a separate dedicated server.
Dedicated servers offer you ultimate control and customization. Your website is the only website that’s stored on the given server. This gives you more access to server resources and higher site performance overall.
This style of hosting is generally more expensive, but is a must have for more resource-intensive and high-traffic sites.
When you’re getting started online it can be tempting to use one of the free options out there. But, if you’re serious about building a profitable site or service, then you need to take your hosting into your own hands.
HostGator all the web hosting types outlined above, with 24/7/365 expert support, a 45-day money back guarantee, and free email marketing through Constant Contact.
