When it comes to finding a good and reliable web host for your website, there are hundreds of different companies to choose from. Web hosting is a huge industry, and with more and more websites being developed on a daily basis, there will always be the need for somewhere to host them.
The type of web hosting that you use will depend on the type of website that you have. The traditional types of web hosting are shared hosting, VPS (virtual private server) hosting, or a dedicated server.
You might also find some hosts offer WordPress hosting, which is where they have configured their servers in order to offer better performance for sites that have been built with the WordPress CMS (content management system).
What hosting is best for me?
If you are looking for web hosting, then you should have some idea about your website. If your site is a relatively small one, then the shared hosting option will be the best choice. It’s the most affordable hosting option and one that should be just fine for your site in terms of performance and server resources.
For websites that expect a large flow of traffic, or something that is a little more complex than a basic website, such as a membership education site or an e-commerce store, then VPS hosting is going to be the better option.
But if you have a huge website that is going to have a large amount of traffic, and will need a huge amount of storage space and processing power, then you may want a dedicated server. A cloud provider setup can also cater to small to large sites.
What does the hosting jargon mean?
If you’ve ever paid a visit to the website of a host, then you will have come across a list of all the features that are offered with their web hosting packages. A lot of this may look like a totally different language to you, but it isn’t that difficult to understand.
Comparing the features of various web hosts is a great idea, and these web hosting comparisons are a great way to find the best deal for your hosting.
We will look at the most commonly used terms and expressions regarding web hosting so that the next time you compare the features of different hosts, you’ll have a much better understanding of what they are actually talking about.
Disc Space
This refers to the amount of storage space you will allocate on the server. If you are going with a shared hosting option, then the disc space will vary from package to package. Sometimes you’ll be offered a limit of up to 2GB. Other times it could be unlimited.
The disc space is the space on the server where all of your website files will reside. These include everything that makes up your website, such as the HTML file, CSS, JS, and also your images. Most small websites won’t need more than a few hundred MB, so if your capacity is 2GB, this will be more than sufficient.
Bandwidth / Data Transfer
This refers to the amount of monthly data that can be transferred to and from the server. This will include the files you are uploading for your website and the data transfer of your site files to each visitor who clicks on your website each month.
Many shared hosting packages will often have a limitation on the data transfer, which can be anything from 5GB to 20GB a month. However, there are also web hosts that have unlimited data transfer, so you won’t need to worry about using more than your allocated amount. It’s a good idea to try and find a host that offers unlimited bandwidth and disc space.
CPU / Processing Power
Some web hosts will allow you to select the number of CPU cores that you want to use. In layman’s terms, this is the amount of processing power. The more power, the better the performance of your website. If you have a basic single-page website, then you won’t need to worry too much about CPU, but if you have multiple websites, or are running e-shops, then you’ll most likely need to select a hosting package with greater CPU power.
Not all hosts will give you the ability to choose your CPU cores, so if you know that you are going to need a hosting account with a little more power, then it’s a good idea to speak to the host first and explain to them what you are looking for. They might be able to create a custom package for you based on your requirements.
Add-on / Unlimited Domains
With shared hosting, the packages the host offers will often have limitations placed on them. One of these limitations is the number of websites that you can host. If you see that you are allowed 1 domain, then that means you can only host a single website.
If you are planning on making more than one website, it’s a good idea to look for a web host that offers you unlimited domains. This means you can add as many domains as you want without encountering any problems.
Databases
The number of databases that your host offers will depend on the package you select. Most hosts won’t limit the number of databases you can create, though you might come across a few who do place limitations on them.
For a single website, one database will be fine, but for more than one website, you’ll most likely need more, especially if you plan on hosting websites built with WordPress.
SSL Certificate
A number of hosts will offer you a free SSL certificate when you sign up for a hosting account. Web security and privacy is a very important topic these days, and nearly all websites are now operating under the HTTPS protocol. Installing an SSL certificate on your website is always a good idea, even if you aren’t an e-shop or collecting any customer information.
Some final words
Picking a good web host for your site can take a little time and research, but it’s important that you spend some time looking at the various options available and comparing the features and prices of various web hosts.
At the end of the day, you will want a host that offers a high level of performance, good pricing, and great customer support, just in case you run into any issues.
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