Before we start, I want to remind you that I am, by my own definition, a Jeweler, a teacher and a Blogger.
This is the defining statement I quote to myself whenever I work on my business and my brand.
At this point in the Series, you should have a firm grasp of your business goals and plans in hand.
Remember to keep your brand and business plan firmly in mind when you make choices regarding your new business website.
It will save you a lot of time, money and frustration in the beginning and the long run.
Knowing what you hope to achieve with your website is key to choosing the right web hosting service and plan.
So what exactly is a web hosting company and what types of services do they offer?
What is Web Hosting
Simply put, web hosts are companies that rent out their services and technologies to host websites on the internet.
Once the hosting company hosts your website, users can access it by typing in your web address (domain name) in their web browser. When they do this, their computer connects to the server your website is hosted on.
The Web Host provides storage for all of your website’s data elements on their servers and they serve it up to the internet every time someone accesses your Domain.
Web hosting includes the databases that hold all your files such as pictures, videos, product listings and much more.
The host provides you with your email services that point to your domain – YourName@yourdomain.com.
The server space holds all the software and settings that you use to build your site as well as the back ups of your configurations and data.
Types of Web Hosting
There are many types of web hosting services on the market but the type you choose should be based on your business needs.
For most small business owners Shared Hosting is the most affordable and desirable option. Your website domain should reflect your business, not the Web Builder hosts.
You can read about all your options below but if you are serious about your business, brand and goals, I strongly suggest you steer clear of Website Builder Hosting, since this option does not provide your business with individualized domain name and branding.
Web Builder Hosting
Shared Hosting
VPS – Virtual Private Server
Dedicated Server
Cloud Server
Managed Hosting
Colocation Hosting
A domain name is your URL and it is your address on the Internet.
Small Business Options
Web Builder Hosting – Website builder services typically provide you with an online browser-based interface to build your website and host the website for you without any additional setup.
This type of service does not provide you with your own domain.
You have little control over your website structure and are limited to the themes offered.
Not recommended for the serious business owner.
Shared Hosting – Preferred for Small Businesses – Perfect for entry-level website hosting. This is where your website will be stored on the same server as multiple other websites.
In most cases, small business owners, community groups or bloggers, will find shared the simplest method of hosting their website.
All domains will share the same server resources, such as RAM and CPU Costs of this type of hosting will be comparatively low.
This type of service often comes with the tools you need like website builders WordPress hosting, email clients etc.
The trade-off is that you’re sharing this with other users, so surges in usage can affect your website’s user experience.
Large Business Options
VPS – A VPS hosting service mimics a dedicated server but is within a shared hosting environment. This one’s for website owners that need more control, but don’t want to invest in a dedicated server.
Dedicated Server – This option gives website owners the most control over the server that their website is stored on. The server is exclusively rented by you and your website is the only one stored on the server
Cloud Server – With hosting, it means many computers working together, running applications using combined computing resources. It’s a hosting solution that works via a network, like the internet, and enables companies to consume the computing resource like a utility e.g. gas or electricity.
Managed Hosting – Hosting companies provide technical services such as hardware and software setup and configuration, maintenance, hardware replacement, technical support, patching, updating and monitoring. Unlike standard dedicated hosting, the hosting provider looks after the day-to-day management of the hardware, operating systems and standardized applications.
Colocation Hosting – Instead of keeping servers in-house or at a private data center, you may choose to ”‘co-locate” your equipment by renting space in a colocation center. The center provides the power, bandwidth, IP address and cooling systems that your server requires. Space is rented out in racks and cabinets.
Now that you know what Web Hosting is and the understand what hosting options are available, the next step is to choose a provider that is right for you.
But how do choose? How do you know who is reputable and reliable?
In the next post, I will answer these questions and more.
By the time we are finished with this half of the series, you will have all you need to make informed and confident choices for your hosting service, your content management system and your other software options.
Make sure to like the posts in this series and sign up to follow my blog so you are notified when new or updated content becomes available.