Web hosting isn’t an option for small or large businesses; it’s a requirement. When people are looking for products or services, they turn to the internet, thus your company requires a dependable and easily accessible website. Even a simple page with your company’s address, phone number, and hours of operation is beneficial.

Businesses no longer need to be included in yellow pages; if you can’t be located in a search engine, you don’t exist. To establish an internet presence, businesses require a shareable website. Without a website, your company will be difficult to find and earn little money. Web hosting isn’t just for businesses; if you’re looking to host a personal website, blog, or project, hosting services are also quite useful. Whatever your website’s goal is, the services provided below can help.

Finding a web host, or the organization that stores and transmits your website’s contents to your readers’ and clients’ browsers, is the first step in establishing your online presence. A reader-recommended choice is 123hosting, Fbrand Hosting.

Monthly data transfers, storage, email, and other amenities differ among web hosting services. Even how you pay (month-to-month vs. annual payments) can differ dramatically, so taking the time to map out exactly what your firm requires for online success is critical. Many of these firms also provide reseller hosting, which allows you to start your own business by providing hosting to your own customers without having to set up your own servers.

You should also become acquainted with the various web hosting tiers accessible. You’ll come across shared, virtual private server (VPS), dedicated, and WordPress hosting plans during your search. Each tier has its own set of specifications and features that you should research thoroughly. We’ll dissect them.

What Is Shared Web Hosting and Why Should You Use It?

Web hosting in which numerous sites are hosted on a single server is known as shared hosting. For instance, Site A, Site B, Site C, Site D, and Site E all share the same server. On the plus side, because the server costs are shared by several sites, shared web hosting is usually quite affordable. It is a low-cost website hosting service. Indeed, you may obtain a plan for less $10 per month.

Consider the sites that share your server as your housemates; there’s not much that separates you from them. Even if you shut the bedroom door, they might still give you nightmares in the kitchen and bathroom. Because all of the sites share a single server’s resources, large traffic spikes on Site A may have an influence on the performance of the other sites. If the shared server crashes hard enough, another site may be able to take it down completely.

What Is Virtual Private Server Web Hosting?

VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting in that it allows numerous websites to use a single server, but that’s where the similarities end. VPS hosting is similar to renting your own apartment in a larger complex in terms of housing. You’re much more secluded than in the last roommate situation; it’s still possible that a nearby apartment would bother you, but it’s far less likely. Site A’s traffic surge will have a far smaller impact on Site B and Site C in terms of web hosting. VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting, as you might imagine. Monthly payments range from $20 to $60.

On the other hand, dedicated hosting is both powerful and costly. It’s only for sites that need a lot of server power.

Dedicated hosting, unlike shared or VPS hosting, allows your website to be the only tenant on a server. To continue with the housing analogy, having a dedicated server is like to having your own home. This means that your website pays for the pleasure of using the server’s full capability. Dedicated hosting is the way to go if you want a powerful site—a virtual palace for your company. Many dedicated web hosting services, on the other hand, entrust you with resolving backend, technical concerns, just like homeowners are responsible for maintaining their homes, which renters typically leave to their landlords.

Dedicated Web Hosting – What Is It?

Many web hosting companies offer managed hosting in addition to dedicated hosting. In this case, the web host serves as your IT department, taking care of server maintenance and upkeep. This hosting option is generally seen with dedicated servers, making it a business-oriented addition. Naturally, it raises the hosting cost a little, but not enough to break the bank if you have the resources for a dedicated server.

What Is Web Hosting for WordPress?

WordPress hosting is for users who want to use WordPress.org’s popular content management system (CMS) to develop their websites. This free, open-source blogging and site-building platform can be used in a variety of ways.

A self-hosted website provides the most web-building functionality. This usually entails uploading the free WordPress CMS to a server or signing up for a web host’s WordPress-optimized package. The host handles backend stuff automatically with an efficient plan, so you don’t have to worry about updating plug-ins and CMS, or setting automatic backups. The WordPress environment is usually pre-installed on the server in these cases.

You can also host your website on WordPress.com, but this is not the same as the hosting described above. WordPress.com employs the same code as WordPress.org, but hides the server code and takes care of the hosting. In that way, it’s similar to the entries in our roundup of online site builders. It’s a more straightforward approach to WordPress hosting, but it’s less adaptable and configurable. It’s certainly more convenient, but if you want to tweak, change, and optimize every part of your site, it might not be the best option.

Features that are beneficial to businesses

When it’s time to get started, search for a web host that offers the dedicated servers listed above, as well as powerful cloud server platforms (such as Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud), bespoke server builds if needed, and 24/7 customer support. Depending on the nature of your business, you may want a web server capable of handling millions of pageviews or visits. Many popular hosting plans include an onboarding specialist who can assist you in getting started.

If you plan to sell a product online, seek for a web host that offers a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, which encrypts data sent between the customer’s browser and the web host to protect payment information. SSL is the green padlock that displays in the address bar of your web browser when you visit an online banking institution or a retail outlet. A few organizations will give you an SSL certificate for free; others will charge you around $100 per year for that added degree of security.

Additional Web Hosting Information

If you’re not sure what kind of hosting your company requires, you might start with shared web hosting. You can always upgrade to a more robust, feature-rich package in the future, such as VPS hosting or dedicated hosting. Unfortunately, some hosts do not provide all forms of hosting. Before you commit to anything longer than a one-year plan, think about how much and how quickly you want your website to expand. Because moving web hosting providers midstream is not a simple task, it’s essential taking the effort up front to ensure that the host you choose can support the development you want for your site.

After you’ve established your budget, think about how long you’ll need web hosting. You can usually get a refund if you cancel your hosting within 60 days if it’s a short-term project (less than a month or two). Some businesses provide 30-day money back promises, while others provide 90-day money back guarantees. Doing your homework is beneficial once again.

You’ll Need These Web Hosting Features

Many web servers start with minimal functionality and then extend their offers (often dramatically) for higher-tier services. Check the fine print to be sure the plan you’re considering includes all you require. If you need a site builder to develop your website, be sure the low-cost web host you choose includes one.

Many of them demand that you pay for the builder separately. Website builders are normally inexpensive, but if you can locate a web host that provides one for free, you’ll save money. You’re more likely to get a seamless, supported experience if it’s linked with your hosting service.

You should also look for a web host that offers 24/7 customer service, if not by phone, then by chat. Forums, knowledge bases, and support tickets are all well and good, but sometimes you just need to talk to another person to get things straightened out. However, not all customer service departments are created equal. In our in-depth analyses of those web hosting services, we discovered that companies like GoDaddy and Liquid Web had very knowledgeable and helpful customer support teams.

When it comes to server operating systems, Linux is often the first choice. Nonetheless, several services provide Linux or Windows Server hosting options. If you have server-side programs that require Windows, such as SQL Server or a custom.NET application, you must ensure that your web host offers Windows hosting. But don’t be put off by the prospect of hosting Linux. Most web providers nowadays provide a graphical interface or control panel to make server administration and website management easier. You’ll click easily identifiable icons instead of typing at the command line.

Windows hosting is frequently more expensive than Linux hosting, particularly for dedicated servers. Although this isn’t always the case, it’s something to keep in mind as you browse.

Hosting Email

You will need email if you want to have a web presence. It’s a simple way for potential clients and consumers to send you a message, a Word document, or other assets. Most web hosting plans, thankfully, include email. Some web providers allow for the creation of an infinite number of email accounts (which is ideal for future expansion), while others limit you to a certain number. You should, of course, desire unrestricted email.

However, not all web providers provide email. For example, WP Engine does not. In some cases, you’ll need to create email accounts with a firm other than your web server. For example, GoDaddy offers email subscriptions starting at $5.99 a month per user. While this may appear to be a pain and yet another thing to remember, some webmasters believe that keeping your email and web hosting providers separate is a good idea. That way, if one of your providers goes down, your business won’t be utterly ruined.

It’s time, time, time!

The aforementioned qualities are useful for web hosting, but none of them compare to the importance of site uptime. Clients and consumers will be unable to find you or access your products or services if your website is down.

We’ve included uptime monitoring to our assessment process, and the findings reveal that most web hosts do a fantastic job keeping their sites up and operating. Web hosts with high levels of downtime are significantly penalized during the assessment process and are unable to get top ratings.

Marketing and E-Commerce

In evaluating the services listed here (and many more), we discovered that while the packages are comparable, they are not identical. Some are more security-conscious than others, with anti-spam and anti-malware solutions available at all price levels. Others provide a number of email marketing options. While most of the hosts we’ve assessed include built-in e-commerce, you might want to explore using a more sophisticated third-party e-commerce platform like Shopify or Wix Stores, which are our Editors’ Choice recommendations.

If you’re looking for a quality web hosting provider, check out PCMag’s top selections in the space in the chart below. After that, click the links below to read our in-depth, tried-and-true reviews of the biggest and greatest web hosting companies.

If you’re new to web hosting, check out our primers on How to Build a Website and How to Manage a website. How to Get a Domain Name for Your Business, The Best Courses for Learning How to Build Websites and How to Get a Free Domain Name for Your Website.