How to choose a Web Hosting provider? Explained for beginners

Selecting a web hosting provider can seem overwhelming due to the numerous claims of offering top-notch service from thousands of hosts. However, you can effectively evaluate your options by considering key factors such as speed, support, cost, security, and scalability. The priority of these factors may differ depending on individual needs.

What services does a Web Hosting provider offer?

A web hosting provider offers access to sophisticated web servers that host and manage your website's files. They also ensure a fast and dependable internet connection for global access to your site. Hosting providers offer a range of services to their customers, which we'll outline in this section.

Provides domain name

Your domain name is your identity on the internet. Although hosting a website with just an IP address is possible, it's impractical as people wouldn't be able to find or remember your site. Most web hosting companies assist in registering and managing your website's name. If they utilize cPanel, a popular site management platform, you can easily handle your domain through its tools. Even if your provider doesn't use cPanel, you can manage your domain with minimal assistance from technical support.

Provides your server

Even more crucial than your domain is the server or computer that "serves" your site to the public. Your site needs to have server software installed and a robust, high-bandwidth connection to the internet.

While it's technically possible to set up something similar at your home or office, doing so would require significant effort and expense. A web hosting company handles the heavy lifting and ensures your site is accessible to the public.

Provides storage space

Your website consists of numerous files, including simple HTML pages or scripting pages in languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and others, which are typically small in size. However, if your website includes multimedia content such as images, audio, or video, you will need a significant amount of storage space. These files are stored on the server provided by your web hosting provider, which then serves this content to the public.

Reputable hosting providers also offer backup services, which involve making a copy of your website's files and storing them separately. This ensures that your website can be restored in case of any unexpected events.

How to select the ideal Web Hosting plan for your website?

There are numerous factors to consider when choosing a web host, and the importance of each will depend on your specific needs. Below are some key variables to keep in mind before selecting a web hosting provider.

Predict the traffic volume your website will receive

The volume of traffic your website attracts will heavily influence the hosting solution you require. For instance, shared hosting is suitable for small sites with minimal traffic, while a virtual private server (VPS) is more appropriate for sites experiencing higher traffic.

Certain websites may experience substantial traffic, particularly e-commerce sites aiming for a large customer base. In contrast, others may cater to a smaller, more dedicated audience that doesn't necessitate extensive bandwidth. The amount of traffic your site receives can significantly impact its performance and success.

Decide the type of hosting that suits your requirements

The cost of hosting is mostly determined by the type of hosting you choose, each with its own pros and cons.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

VPS hosting represents a technological advancement in web hosting. Although you still share the physical server with other websites, you are allocated a distinct virtual server and IP address, ensuring your site's separation from others on the server.

Opting for VPS hosting grants you greater control over your server and reduces the risk of blacklisting that is associated with shared hosting. While there are traffic handling limitations with VPS, most individual or small business websites will not approach these limits.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting involves multiple websites sharing the same IP address and server. This type of hosting is cost-effective, as the hosting provider divides the cost of the physical server among the sites.

The primary advantage of shared hosting is its affordability, but you are vulnerable to the bandwidth usage of other sites on the server. If another site experiences high traffic, it can significantly slow down your site.

Moreover, if a site on the same server engages in malicious activities and gets its IP blocked, your site may also face consequences. While reputable hosting providers take measures to prevent this, it's important to be aware of the potential risks.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting services expand on the dedicated server approach by distributing your site across multiple servers. This setup can manage unexpected surges in traffic and harness the cloud's capabilities to keep your site operational.

Providers like AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and others bill you based on your resource usage, making it cost-effective initially. However, as your site gains popularity, the costs can rise accordingly.

Many smaller web hosting firms also provide excellent cloud hosting packages, some with a fixed monthly fee, ensuring predictable costs.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting assigns physical servers exclusively to your website. While this type of hosting is more costly, it offers the highest reliability.

For large enterprises needing guaranteed uptime and security, dedicated hosting is essential. While it's the most efficient option, it's also the most expensive. However, payment options like Amazon Web Services (AWS) allow you to pay as you go, offering better cost control.

Get SSL security

SSL security, which verifies a site's authenticity, is crucial on the internet. SSL (and its successor, Transport Layer Security or TLS) ensures that sensitive data remains secure during transfer between two systems.

Even if you don't intend to transfer sensitive data, SSL (which upgrades your site from HTTP to HTTPS) is visible in most modern browsers. Many browsers block insecure sites, and Google ranks unsecured sites lower in its results, making it harder for visitors to find your site. Most web hosting companies offer this service for free.

WordPress Hosting

Professional web hosting companies offer WordPress hosting services, allowing you to fully manage your site using the popular WordPress CMS.

You can log in to the site similarly to how you would on your local machine and manage everything through What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editors. WordPress is highly popular and powers a significant portion of the internet. Web hosting providers that offer WordPress hosting make managing and maintaining these sites easy.

Estimate the resources you require

There are numerous additional factors to contemplate besides speed and security when selecting a web hosting provider.

How many professional email addresses will you require?

Many web hosting providers offer customized email addresses using your domain name. However, if your company has multiple employees, it's beneficial to provide each employee with a professional email account, along with a few generic email addresses.

Many providers include a few email accounts in their packages. If you require more than a few email addresses, you should consider a provider that offers unlimited email accounts.

How much storage space do you require?

Storage is another crucial factor to consider. While most websites don't require much space (a typical web page is essentially an elaborate text file), if you intend to store multimedia or image files, you'll need more storage capacity.

You can estimate the space you need by looking at the files on your hard drive. If you have a complete site built on your local machine, you can add up the resources used in the folders designated for your site to determine the required space.

If you plan to allow user-generated content (as on a social media site), you'll need a significant amount of storage. It's advisable to choose a host that allows you to easily increase your storage as your needs grow.

How much data transfer capacity does your website require?

When selecting a web hosting plan, especially if you anticipate a high volume of visitors, consider the bandwidth. For websites expecting only a few thousand visitors monthly, less expensive hosting plans may suffice.

To estimate your bandwidth requirements, calculate the total size of all media served by your site and multiply it by the number of users. For instance, if your site is 500MB in size (most are smaller) and receives 20,000 visits, the estimated bandwidth usage would be 10,000GB. This is a maximum estimate, as most visitors do not browse every page, resulting in lower actual bandwidth usage.

What to consider when choosing a professional Website Hosting provider?

Here are some additional important considerations to keep in mind when choosing a web hosting provider.

Beware of unlimited bandwidth claims

At times, hosting providers advertise "unlimited" bandwidth. However, this claim can have limitations, especially with cheaper plans, where the provider might throttle your site's speed, leading to a subpar experience for your visitors.

Price discrepancy between signup and renewal

It's crucial to note that many hosts provide highly enticing introductory offers (often less than $5 a month). While this initial price may seem like a great deal, it's important to pay attention to their long-term pricing.

After the initial sign-up period, you might find that the rates have increased. While it's possible to switch your web host, doing so can be quite a hassle. Therefore, it's wise to read the fine print, be aware of your costs in a year or two, and ensure that these costs fit within your budget.

Technical needs

The complexity of your website will dictate the necessary web hosting features. If you are running a site that uses a specialized programming language, not all hosts will be equally equipped to meet these requirements.

Most hosts support PHP and WordPress. However, if your site requires Joomla, Drupal, or other open-source software (OSS), you'll need to verify that the host can accommodate these platforms.

Additionally, consider the number of databases you'll require and whether one or two will suffice. Your hosting needs may vary among providers depending on the complexity of your site.

Configuration and user-friendliness

It's crucial to assess the user-friendliness of a web hosting provider's management features. While many providers use cPanel or similar interfaces, which are generally adequate, you should consider your own level of expertise before making a decision.

Support services

You might require technical support, so it's important to understand the level of support your host offers. While most providers offer basic account support, requesting assistance with coding your site, for example, may be challenging as most providers do not offer this service.

Additionally, consider the support methods available. Does the company offer chat support or only email? Is there a phone number for direct contact?

Customization

Many web hosting providers offer website-building tools, but customizing these to fit your needs can be challenging.

While WordPress may function well initially, working with a developer can unlock additional capabilities. It's crucial to determine if your web hosting provider allows you to customize your site, including not just its content but also its structure.

Ease of setup

If you're not experienced with web hosting services, you might prefer a drag-and-drop functionality to simplify setting up your site. For example, if you're using WordPress, make sure your web host provides tools like "help wizards" to assist in managing your site.

Cancellation terms

It's prudent to thoroughly review the terms of your web hosting service, as with any service. Failure to read the fine print could result in being locked into a multi-year contract with no refund option upon cancellation.

Some providers offer discounted rates for upfront payments, which obligate you to pay for a certain period, even if you switch to a different provider. If this concerns you, consider a provider with a more flexible cancellation policy.