When developing websites and personal blogs, the need for reliable web hosting is considered an absolute must. By allowing individuals and businesses to make their websites more accessible to users and offering unlimited traffic, such web hosting services are beneficial and provide the functionality they need.

Web hosting servers can provide better connectivity and cutting-edge technology. They are said to bring amazing benefits to both website users and website owners. So, here's a web hosting guide just for you.

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is a paid or free service that allows you to host websites on the Internet. You can order it from hosting companies that provide the necessary hardware and technology. All sites available online are stored on powerful computers called servers.

When users want to buy something from an online store or read an article on a blog, all they have to do is enter the domain in the address bar of the browser - the alphanumeric address of the site. This will signal the server to display the web pages. In addition to renting a web hosting service, most hosting companies provide an opportunity to buy a domain name. 

Types of Web Hosting Services

There are different alternatives when choosing a web hosting service since all the services they offer are not the same. Here are the most common types you can opt for:

Shared Hosting

It is a type of hosting where several websites share the same server, sharing their RAM and processor, among others. Each site has its own IP, but the actions of the other websites can affect the operation. 

When ordering this service, your site will be hosted on a server computer next to other sites. Iron resources are distributed among those who rented shared hosting on one machine. If one of these sites experienced a sharp jump in visits or multi-threaded file downloads are used, which requires significant resources of RAM and processor, the speed of loading web pages would decrease on other sites. In addition, another drawback of shared hosting is the low level of security. The only advantage of this service is the minimum price. 

Shared hosting is the # 1 option for hosting sites for:

• Beginners who are just learning to create websites;
• Small sites;
• New blogs.

Dedicated Hosting

It mainly hosts one website and is generally used for a page that has a large amount of content and traffic. By ordering it, you get a separate server computer at your disposal. There are no "neighbors" in this type of hosting. Any OS and software is installed on a dedicated server, as many sites, mail accounts, and databases are hosted. The security of this type of hosting is also the highest compared to VPS and shared hosting. Its main drawback is the high price and the need to have deep knowledge of server administration or enough money to hire a sysadmin.

Dedicated server is often the option # 1 for huge sites, online corporate resources, international marketplaces, etc.

Virtual Private Server

One or more websites share the same server, but it is divided into several parts to provide a private space for each website. What one does is not going to affect the other. VPS is the # 1 option for site owners who need all the benefits of their own server with low maintenance costs and management flexibility and reliability.

WordPress Hosting

This is a special type of hosting designed for WordPress websites and is optimized to meet such sites' security needs and performance. Everything has been simplified for those running such websites. One of the benefits you can enjoy is one-click installs. 

Characteristics of a Good Hosting Service

• Storage capacity: Without a doubt, it should be the first characteristic since it is especially important depending on how your website is. You have to think medium and long term to choose the plan that best suits our calculations.
• Data transfer: You must consider the volume of data that your website can generate depending on the visitors and their interactions. Therefore having a limited data transfer can be a problem if you have a large volume of data traffic.
• SSL Certificate: You must make sure that your site has the SSL certificate, this is very important for Google, and also, in many browsers, it does not allow you to access if they are not encrypted. You can choose to use free SSL, if your service provider offers with a package, or paid SSL if you so choose. More on Paid vs Free SSL.
• General security: The security that it offers you since all the data of your web is there, normally all web hosting services have different simpler or more complex security measures but take a look before. One of the most underlooked feature is a Backup solution, that allows you to backup your website contents. Here at HostingMaster we provide free backups up to 12hs, or paid that keeps your oldest backup up to 30 days.
• Domain and webmail: You have to consider if your company's emails will be inside the server or in an outsourced service such as GSuite, etc. If you are going to create many email accounts and they are going to consume a large amount of space, it is best to take a dedicated hosting for emails or external solutions.
• Server hardware: If you don't want to have problems and also make your website go faster, pay attention to the CPU, RAM, or the limit of incoming processes.
• Backups: you should consider the frequency in which backups are made since it is an essential backup for both the web and emails.
• Technical support: Technical support and advice since doubts may arise, and it is always good to have good support to help you.
• Control panel: confirm what type of control panel your web hosting is offering you. We recommend that you always check if your website has access to cPanel or some other similar option. Ours is a bespoke management panel which you can test before you commit.

How to Pick the Right Web Hosting Package

You may notice different providers offer various packaged for their hosting services. The rates may vary depending on the product or service you get on a specific package. A perfect example is HostingMaster, the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Windows Magic Packages. You should first identify your needs to pick what is suitable for your website. 

If you are setting up a website for your company, you should go for a package with additional security options. You can also consider how you intend to use your website to choose a package with enough space. You should also consider your budget.

Choosing the Right Host

In addition to the price factor, which plays a decisive role for many people interested in web hosting, other criteria should be considered when choosing a web host. Due to the high competitive pressure of the numerous web hosting providers, they try to outdo each other, especially in terms of price. The range of services often suffers as a result, which is why the monthly operating costs of the server should not be the final decision criterion. 

On the one hand, you should, for example, pay more attention to how many different free domains are contained in your webspace. You can often purchase web space from a provider, but you have to pay extra for the domain you want. Server location is also essential because you will enjoy fast data transfer and quick loading speeds if you have one closer to you.

Conclusion

Finding the right Web Hosting service is crucial if you want to grow your website and ensure that you have the best speed and uptime. Checking reviews, testing the server speeds and assessing the features you need will help a lot. Don’t hesitate and take your time to study every service that’s interesting for you, then pick the one that truly delivers on all fronts! If all the above helped and you feel ready to go forward with your website, have a look at our Web Hosting plans and see if they suit your needs.