A website is a vital internet real estate that several businesses and individuals own. It gives them exposure beyond their geographical location as they can be accessed anywhere in the world through the internet. Do you want to publish your website online to grow your brand or build credibility among your customers?
In this article, you’ll learn how to host a website by following some of the simple steps outlined in this article to help you accomplish this. These steps which include deciding on the type of website to build, finding the right hosting provider and selecting a hosting plan will be reviewed in detail.
Steps to Host a Website
Are you ready to get started? Let’s explore in detail four steps to follow to know how to host a website.
- Decide the Type of Website to Build: The first step is to decide what type of website you want to publish online. Websites can be grouped into two major types, static and dynamic. The purpose of your website would be a determining factor when choosing either of the two types.Static websites display fixed content to users and are less interactive. Apart from contact forms, most static websites do not receive input from users. Meanwhile, dynamic websites are more interactive and content is served to users programmatically. Content on dynamic websites can vary based on location, user preference and interaction with website components.
- Research Hosting Providers: After deciding on the type of website you want to build, the next step is to find the right hosting provider. A web host leases out their server space to you so that your website can be easily accessed via the internet.It is important to research web hosting providers to find one that fits the purpose of your website and budget. The server resources your website needs and the price you’re willing to pay for hosting would streamline your options for a web hosting provider.
Based on popular reviews, Hostinger offers one of the most affordable web hosting services in the industry. The quality of service is commendable even though it offers affordable web hosting plans. - Select a Hosting Plan: There are a variety of web hosting plans to choose from which include Shared hosting, Cloud hosting, WordPress hosting and VPS hosting.Shared hosting is the most affordable of the web hosting plans. Your website will be sharing server resources with other websites, it is also beginner-friendly with less technical demands. If your website will be receiving a low volume of traffic this is an option to sign up for.Cloud hosting is an upgrade to shared hosting as you have multiple servers available, when one server is down your website will still be up and running. This option is best suited for websites that are having a rapid growth in traffic and need to scale accordingly.WordPress hosting is a specialized form of hosting for WordPress websites. Much of the backend services are managed for you by the hosting company. This plan is ideal for small portfolio websites, personal blogs, simple web directories etc.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is suited for businesses or organisations that have grown beyond Shared hosting and Cloud hosting. More server resources are made available for users of this hosting plan to boost scalability and performance.
- Get A Domain Name for Your Site: A domain name is a unique human-readable name that internet users can use to access your website and its resources. Domain names are internet addresses and they consist of a word or phrase and an extension.
It can be likened to the physical address of a business or residence. Without a domain name, it becomes very difficult to gain access to your business or organisation’s website. Besides being used to locate your website online, domain names are useful for branding purposes and search engine optimization.There are a few tips you might want to consider when creating a domain name for your website:
– Use unique names that befit your business and brand.
– Your domain name should include your industry or niche-related keyword(s).
– Keep it short and memorable.
– Use popular domain extensions like (.com., .net) to maximize organic traffic.
– Avoid using double letters, numbers and hyphens in your domain name.To purchase a domain name for your website, visit any reputable domain name registrar. Use the domain name search tool to check if your chosen domain name is available for purchase. If your chosen domain name is available, purchase it and verify ownership.If you’re unsure of a registrar to use, Hostinger is an accredited domain name registrar, you can use the domain checker tool to check the availability of your domain and purchase seamlessly.
However, you can get a domain name for free if you purchase any of Hostinger’s web hosting plans. You can also point your domain name to Hostinger’s nameservers if it was registered elsewhere.
How does web hosting work?
Web hosting is a process whereby the content of a website such as text, pictures, code and other resources is made available online for easy access by internet users. A web hosting service provider provides server space for your website’s content to be published online.
When a customer pays a hosting provider for server space, the hosting company provides the necessary technological and cybersecurity infrastructure to maintain the customer’s website online and ward off cyberattacks.
By default, most people would use the service of a hosting company to host their website, however, you can opt for self-hosting.
Self-hosting involves you setting up your own web server to host your website locally on your computer. Anyone who wants to set up a web server locally must have the following:
– Hardware and software requirements.
– Enough network bandwidth
– Technical skills to set up a local server and how to host a website locally.
Hosting your website on your own web server is often considered expensive when compared with using a hosting company. This is not limited to the cost of purchasing required hardware and software alone but also providing conducive space, cool and power for the hardware 24/7.
Whether you choose a web hosting service or opt for self-hosting, when your website is successfully deployed online, any internet user can access your website through its URL. Your website content which is now available on the web server would serve requested content or web page to a user that types the URL into a browser via the internet.
Why You Need Web Hosting
Publishing your website online exposes your business or brand to billions of internet users around the globe. All they need to do is use the correct domain name to connect with you.
Web hosting is necessary because it serves as a storage point for files, images, code and other resources associated with your website. Hosting providers provide tools for website owners to better manage their digital assets.
What to Look For in a Web Host
Before you finally make the decision to buy a domain name and sign up for a web hosting service, there are certain things you should look out for in a web host.
Here is a checklist of things to consider:
- Reliable Performance: An important metric you should look out for in a web host is its server uptime and high-performance score. Sometimes the unexpected happens in web hosting however, your reliable web hosting provider should be able to minimize downtime.
- Guaranteed Security: Before you choose your web hosting provider make sure that the company has very solid security measures in place against cyberattacks, like DDoS. 24/7 server monitoring, firewall protection, regular data backups etc., should be implemented.
Hostinger has solid security measures implemented and an extra layer of security from Cloudflare a popular CDN. Content delivery networks like Cloudflare monitor incoming traffic to a website and block suspicious requests preventing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. - Comprehensive Features: No matter the plan you choose with a hosting provider, there should be freebies that are offered to all tiers of customers, some of the popular ones being SSL certificates, WordPress updates, free migrations, drag-and-drop website builders, Google ads credit etc.
- User Experience: Setting up your website within your web host should be as frictionless as possible. The user interface should be intuitive and easy to configure for use. Reviews from third-party sites should show positive feedback from users of your preferred web host explaining how easy it is to use the available tools.
- Value for Money: As you set out to host your website for the first time, you might want to stay within budget. Seek out web hosting companies like Hostinger that have some of the most affordable plans for customers no matter what their needs are.
- 24/7 Customer Support: A good customer support system will ease the stress on you during downtime or service interruptions. Your preferred web hosting company should also have resource materials and knowledge base articles that are helpful for troubleshooting any commonly encountered issues.
- Scalability: You want to use a web hosting company that has servers that can scale during a traffic spike. During periods of high traffic volumes new servers, extra storage and bandwidth should be deployed to ensure a smooth experience for users.
Conclusion
These days, many individuals and businesses want to have a presence online and also own a piece of the internet real estate in the form of websites. For people like these, understanding the concept of web hosting and how to host a website is very important.
With the numerous resources online, you can learn how to host your own website. We have broken down the steps you need to follow to successfully accomplish this task. We have also listed out what you should consider when choosing a web hosting company for your website.
Always remember to decide the type of website you want, estimate your budget and also research popular hosting providers before settling for one.
It is increasingly important to own a personal or business website so that you can unlock the endless opportunities the internet provides.