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Have you ever wondered how to host a website or what is the best way to host one? It is not hard. All you need is the right information delivered to you in the right way.
The majority of people who are beginners don’t know anything about how running a website works. Most of them even think that it requires taking a course, knowing all the terms and phrases involved, or having special technical skills. The truth is that you don’t need to know much, just the general idea behind it. Whatever kind of website you want to host, the basics stay the same.
Choosing the correct way of getting your site up and running can be easy and take just a few minutes, the amount of time required to register an email address. Read on below to see how a beginner, can learn how to host a website easily. You do not need to have particular computer skills.
We at HTH.guide will go into more detail as further as this post develops. That is if you want to know more about the process and help you see that there is more than one type of way to host a website.
In this blog we are going to cover:
- Types of Web Hosting Services Essentials
- All Components You Need to Running a Website
- Host a Website with the Right Plan – Our Recommendations
- How Much Will All Above Cost
How to Host a Website – Overview
In layman’s terms, Web Hosting is the home of your site, as in the place is the place you put all your site files. More specifically, these files are stored on a powerful computer machine, which is called a server, which makes your site and its files accessible on the Internet.
Thus, it goes public for the World to see and visit.
You have a powerful computer, and you are asking yourself, “But why can’t I host my website with my own computer?” Well, that server that will store your site has a lot more resources and power and is in a facility called a data center.
A data center is like an impenetrable fortress, which costs millions.
A data center has the following:
- Temperature Control
- Fire Suppression or Air Suction System
- High level of bandwidth
- High level of physical security
- Backup Systems
(so servers don’t overheat and everything run smoothly)
(in case of fire, to be extinguished quickly)
(provides speed to your site all over the World as well as reliability)
(the room should be locked, the humidity maintained at optimum, access granted only to certified employees, etc.)
(backup of your files, so they are never lost, and backup of the machines, so your site is always running and accessible on the Internet)
Another thing that is necessary for a server to make your site seen around the World through the Web is special software to be installed. The software is called a Web-server.
This Web-server receives incoming requests and responds by sending the requested site page to browsers to access the requested webpage.
Paying lots of money to have a server running in a room, on a machine in a data center is unnecessary.
Yet, you do not need to know every detail, neither all technical terms to host your website, nor paying a fortune to do it.
Fortunately, some companies offer such a service, at a low price, and include software for easy customization of your site with just a few clicks.
There is a company behind each website hosted that you visit on the Internet daily.
Even a big site such as PayPal uses a third-party service provider, just like Facebook was on Harvard University servers, before becoming a multi-million business and building its own data center.
All You Need to Running a Website
You need just two things to start building your website:
- Domain Names
- A Web Hosting Service Provider
Web hosting service providers offer you packages with ready-to-use web servers to host your website. They take care of everything needed, including technical maintenance, and give access to user-friendly tools so you can manage your website with ease.
You have an idea of what site you want to make, what text to put in it, what pictures to beautify it with, what structure to give it if you are plan to have tons of pages.
It is best if you have an idea about a design as well. The same case is with having an endless-scrolling landing page. Maybe you do not have it figured out, but want to experiment.
Know that people need to find the portal to access the content from before they see it. That is where the name of your site comes in.
Users need to access your site by typing a name in their browser. In case you need help with that, check out the Google-Friendly Domain Names – Tips to Choose the Best article.
If you have already made your decision, continue reading.
First, let us cover what a domain name is. That is your site’s address, and the thing people type in the browser to visit your site’s home page.
For illustration purposes, see that now on top of this page, the main address is “howtohosting.guide”.
Domain names are how a person can easily find a site through his browser and make it accessible to the correct site servers, which hosts said name. A DNS is like Facebook for the Internet.
When you type in a site name, a DNS searches and finds the location if it is registered. Then, it gives said location to your browser, so now the browser shows you what content is found there.
You should first check if the site name is available when you are about to register a domain.
When you have the desired domain free and available for registration, you should choose a registrar service. It is a cheap fee, so you should not worry about money.
Depending on the extension, as in .com or something else, the cost may vary by a few dollars.
It would be best if you buy a domain-name only from a trusted and proven registrar. The best thing to do is to find a company with a license for offering domain name registrations.
As a bonus, most of these legitimate and respected companies offer:
- Privacy Protection
- Domain Name Guarantee
- Guaranteed 24/7 running of your web site
(hiding your real email, name, address, and other personal information, unless you choose the opposite)
(nobody else will be able to use it and the company will let others know it is taken)
If you use the same company for your site name registration and host, you will most likely get a discount as a package deal.
Now, the last step is optional but also meaningful. Different types of hosting plans exist, and you should choose one based on what site you want to make and how big of an audience you want for it.
Most companies offer expansion and vice versa, so you could almost always change it if you choose the wrong one.
Below you will see which type will be the best to host your website.
Types of Web Hosting Services
Every site is different – some are new so that they would not have many visitors on them right from the start. Other ones have been on the Web longer, have more to offer, and are known to more people.
A small site does not require many resources, while a larger, more popular one will need more.
Companies provide various types of deals made to handle particular site needs. Below, we have listed the most common services that you can get.
Shared Hosting
A shared hosting service is a cheapest and most commonly used option for beginners. As such, shared as a service is suitable for new and small sites, blogs, and business start-ups who want to launch their upcoming projects and ideas.
NOTE:Do you know what is shared hosting plan with dedicated IP?
Prices could be as low as $3 a month.
Sites using the same service also share the same disk space and bandwidth on that server, which allows for cheaper costs for both the company and its clients.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A VPS is still a shared hosting type. Nonetheless, it offers more resources when they need to serve more traffic arises. eCommerce stores and businesses already in the game can take the best advantage of this type of service.
Pricing begins at $30 per month.
With VPS, you have a section of one or more private servers for your site, which you can manage from your control panel. This way, you will have more resources available to you at a cheaper cost.
Managed WordPress
Managed WordPress is a service made precisely for WordPress sites. It opens the main door for your WordPress website.
That means that the service makes it easier for your website to reach higher speeds and more traffic and have it more comfortable with WordPress.
The way things are configured with a Managed WordPress solution is that you have daily backups, security, and more things that make it a great package to consider.
Having things managed means that the company you are paying makes backups, does updates and caching for your site without you lifting a finger. That way, you can truly concentrate on creating content and thinking about expanding your business.
The prices start from $35 a month, which is not that high when you have a reliable income of fans and clients to support you.
Best Managed WordPress Hosting
SiteGround
SiteGround has become a popular name in the web hosting sphere and also one of the highly-rated services. The company provides Web hosting, Domain names, and E-mails for clients in different countries and Sweden is one of them.
SiteGround is widely-popular with its Shared and Managed WordPress plans by providing them with great speed and reliability. This is especially liked among customers from Sweden.
SiteGround features include the following:
- Free WordPress Installation
- Free Migration
- WP Auto-Updates
- Free CDN
- Totally free SSLs
30-Days Money-Back Guarantee is provided by SiteGround as many hosting competitors also do.
Dedicated Services
Dedicated is exactly that, a host that is dedicated to you and your site. This service provides you with the whole physical and Webspace of an entire server to your site.
Except for the powerful resources that you get, you also will have advanced server managing tools at your disposal, and the capacity to install personal software and an operating system of your choosing.
Being able to manage your server by yourself might require technical skills. It is a reasonably advanced option for more prominent sites and enterprise businesses that need high performance to handle larger traffic levels.
Benefits of Dedicated Hosting include:
- Fast Speeds – you will have no slowdowns as you enjoy fast connectivity and quick upload times.
- Highest Security Standard – makes it nearly impossible to get hacked by cybercriminals.
- Dedicated Resources – you have the whole hardware dedicated solely to you.
- Full Customization – you can customize the server in any way that serves your needs.
- Unlimited Power and Storage Space – power and other resources available are highly scalable.
Monthly prices differ from company to company but start from around $40-80. According our Dedicated Users Report “Growth in the dedicated hosting segment is readjusted to a revised 11.1% CAGR by 2026.”
Host a Website with the Right Plan
Now that you know the four different hosting plans and how servers can be set, you need to choose what is best for you. And what price suits the budget you have.
Starting with a cheap, shared host provider is always a good idea, as when your project grows, you can always upgrade the plan. Paying for the exact services you need currently saves you time and money, and is considered the wisest thing to do as a beginner.
A domain name can cost as much as $15, but many reliable companies include it as a free bonus for signing with them. Then, your only fee will be the monthly payment for the actual service.
The largest hosting provider companies in the World are spoken all around the Internet, so you should stick with those. You need to know if you are going to use WordPress or not.
After you start an account with a hosting firm, you would want to create your site. For more details, you should read a guide on how to make a site.
Host a Website – How Much Does It Cost?
Above we have laid out the cheapest lowest prices for the different types of host plants for the most trusted companies. Your individual costs for a site host may differ. Here is what you will need to have in mind:
(start small)
- Other costs
- Buying tools
- Avoid overspending
(software add-ons, website template, widgets)
(when there is no free option)
(see how things go, before thinking of going big)
Hard to Host Your Website?
If you are a beginner at how to run a site, you probably do not have knowledge in:
- Coding (also called Programming)
- Web Development
- WordPress or other CMS Platforms
Even if you have a server and the required resources, it is not easy to do everything yourself, know every technicality, and do nothing else but run your site on a 24-hour basis. Let professionals do it for a small fee and your peace of mind.
The only argument for building a site by using your personal computer would be to test the site locally before uploading the files on the Web.
We do not recommend using a local server for site-building purposes and making it available online. For the sake of giving an example of how you could do that, read the instructions after this paragraph.
To host a site on your local server will be seen only by you by default. If you tamper with the settings, your site can be displayed publicly.
Initially, you want to locate your Web server’s software configuration file named httpd.conf.
- Using WAMP
- For MAMP
(Windows, Apache, MySQL and PHP), then you’ll find it under C:\wamp\bin\apache\apache[version#]\conf] folder.
(Mac, Apache, MySQL and PHP) users, you will find it inside the /Applications/MAMP/conf/apache/ folder.
You can open the file using a plain text editor such as Notepad++ or WordPad. Then, you need to locate the line that starts with the following:
Listen 80
Replace it with your IP address and port number. The easiest way to find your IP address is to type what is my IP address? in a search engine of your browser. What you will see is a set of numbers separated by three dots. Here is an example of what the final code should look like with your IP in it:
Listen 10.253.168.2:80
You need the following line next:
ServerName localhost:80
Replace localhost:80 with your computer’s IP address.
ServerName 64.233.160.1
Afterward, you need this line for WAMP:
If you are using a Mac, then look for the line:
After that line, you will see access permissions, which you need to replace with:
Order Allow, Deny
Allow from all
Now, save your configuration file and restart your local servers with these configured permissions.
After you have saved the changes, everybody on the Internet can use your IP address to access your site. As you can imagine, most users are not comfortable remembering numbers as the naming for a site. It would be best if you have a name and related extension.
Assigning a Domain Name to a Locally Hosted Website
Assigning a domain name to a site that you have running from your computer gives users more straightforward access.
For the first step, you need to edit the DNS settings of your domain. There are free sites that can do that, but you still have to put in the correct settings in the right places manually.
Next, you need to edit the A name-record with the @ sign as the new Name. In case you don’t have one, then click Add new record button to proceed.
The value field will need you to enter your IP address of your PC and Update the DNS to save these changes.
You are almost ready when you have your PC with your local server directly connected to the Internet.
If it is connected to the Internet via a router instead, then you need port-forwarding. You have to log in to your router’s administrator interface by entering the router’s IP address in your browser address bar.
You need the option labeled port forwarding, Virtual servers, or NAT. You can call your Internet Service Provider (the one you pay for having the Internet) to find the router settings.
You need to forward web or HTTP traffic to port number 80. In the IP address field, enter the IP address of your computer on the local network. This IP is the internal address that identifies your computer on that network.
As a final step, you need to apply the changes and restart the router.
Cons of Running a Website Alone
Running your site on your computer is a bad idea. Understand that even enterprise companies save time, money, and headaches by going with a known host service provider.
Here are some disadvantages of running a site all alone:
- You need a computer running 24 hours, 7 days a week, with constant access to a very high-speed internet connection.
- You need webserver software updates being manually installed
- You need to run backups and keep them somewhere, move them manually, and eventually running a backup server, among other related factors.
- You have to prepare for malware intrusion, DDOS attacks, and hacking attempts. This immediately affects the security of all other devices on that network.
- You will need to purchase a static IP address from the internet service provider, which will cost around as much as paying for a shared service.
Doing everything stated above will require your full dedication, time, effort, and more technical skills that you can handle at once.
That is why you should alleviate your worries and choose a hosting plan.
Learn: How to Install SSL Certificate
Web Hosting – FAQ 2023
What Is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a type of Internet service that allows individuals and organizations to upload their websites on the internet.
For example, if you create a website or some kind of content that needs to be accessed by other internet users, you need to host it on the internet with the help of a specific service. This practice can be done by buying a hosting plan.
There are different types of solutions, such as:
- Shared (Server shared between many users)
- Dedicated (A dedicated server only for you)
- VPS (Virtual Private Server)
- Cloud (services that are provided to customers via multiple connected servers that comprise a cloud).
- Colocation.
- Decentralized (web3 hosting).
Which Is the Best Hosting Service for Starting a Website?
There are a lot of different hosting services available like Shared, VPS, Cloud, etc.
But which one is the best to start with? Judging by the recent web hosting market share statistics research we have conducted, it appears, that the largest percentage of users falls down in the Shared type of services. There are several reasons for people going for this option, as it is the cheapest starter package most hosting companies have to offer.
Here you can find out if shared is the best for your first website.
What Is the Best Hosting for a Small Website?
For small website owners who are looking for the most cost-effective way to host their website, the cheapest hosting option is shared hosting. Shared hosting is a type of hosting service that allows multiple websites to be hosted on a single web server.
This means that the resources of the server are shared among all the websites, resulting in lower hosting costs. Shared hosting is ideal for small websites that do not require a large amount of disk space or bandwidth. Small websites will typically require only a few gigabytes of disk space and a few hundred megabytes of bandwidth.
As a result, shared hosting is the best and most economical option for small website owners. Aside from shared hosting, other options for hosting a small website include virtual private servers (VPS) and cloud hosting. VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting, but it offers more control and security. Cloud hosting is more expensive as well, but it provides more scalability and flexibility.
Overall, shared hosting is the most cost-effective way to host a small website. It is much cheaper than VPS or cloud hosting, and it provides the necessary resources for small websites.
How Much Does Hosting Cost Per Year?
The cost of hosting services varies according to your needs. For every site, its a different price and it depends on what provider and plan you are going to choose.
For example, cheap shared hosting solution in Europe , USA or UK, the price you are going to pay is around $100 per year. But if you have a bigger company and you need better performance, the service can cost you more than $1250 per year for a normal plan of a Cloud-based solution.
What Is a Domain Name?
A Domain Name is a unique identification mark that defines your website. In other words, it is the name of your website.
Every website has a different domain name which makes it recognisable in the networking space.
Examples for popular domain names are:
- Amazon
- eBay
and every other popular or unpopular site you have ever heard.
How to Get a Domain Name and Hosting Service?
There are a lot of providers that give a free domain name when you become their client. But how to get a domain? However it is known that the free services are not the most reliable. If you want to start your website, first make sure you choose a Google-Friendly Domain Name.
Can I Trust Cheap Web Hosting?
Yes, especially if you can recognise the brand; companies like SiteGround, Hostinger, and GoDaddy are reputable web hosting brands. Even the low cost offers provide top value for the money you invest. Of course, you should be vigilant and do your research, because not all cheap providers are reliable. It is important to pay attention to the smallest details and read reviews prior to selecting your web hosting provider.
How to Find a Web Hosting Server Location?
The easiest way to find a web hosting server location is use Web Hosting Finder Tool by HTH.GUIDE or contact the web hosting provider. They will be able to provide you with the exact location of the server. Additionally, some hosting providers will also provide you with the IP address of the server, which can be used to track down the physical location of the server.
How to Change/Migrate My Web Hosting Service?
If you think that the service you use doesn’t satisfy your needs, it’s time to opt in for a migration. Migrating a site is a very complicated topic and there can be thousands of reasons for moving from one company to another.
Website Migration
- The act of changing the physical location of your website along with all the data on the web server. In web hosting, it usually involves changing the company.
- The easiest way to migrate without losing any information is to choose web hosting which offers that service for free. Most of the top hosting providers have free migration for wordpress websites, other CMS and custom sites.
- There are also a lot of different tools with which you can do this work. Here you can find the best migration tool for you.
What Is a CMS and What Are Its Advantages?
In technical terms, CMS is an abbreviation for Content Management System. Such systems represent website management tools which are widely-spread and readily available.
Managing a website used to require tech knowledge, web experience and other skills, but now complete beginners can build and manage big-scale websites without prior training, with nothing more than a simple hosting account.
Using a content management system provides speed and ease of handling websites. These systems have a user-friendly interface. Other advantages are that you can use templates for nearly everything on your websites, easily improve the web security, looks and availability of features, without having a designer or programmer skill set. The main way this is achievable is by adding different kinds of plugins to your platform.
Popular CMS systems include WordPress, Magento, WooCommerce, Drupal, Wix, and Shopify.
Modern site owners use a CMS to maintain their sites and you might want to do that, too, if you want to use cutting-edge technologies with a few clicks. They are exceptionally useful and often included for free with almost all web hosting plans.
What Is Server Uptime?
Server uptime refers to the time that a web server is fully functional since it came online. Web Hosting providers advertise high uptime, when in reality you would want a 100% Uptime Guarantee.
With that guarantee, you should know that hosting providers have redundancy proof backup servers, generators, power-supplies and related tech to keep their servers online all of the time.
If a server crashes or goes offline, all websites hosted on it are rendered useless until operations are restored. So, server uptime is a measure for checking the reliability of a hosting. In case you are experiencing frequent downtimes (server crashes and stops), you should check with your provider if they live up to their advertised Server Uptime standard.
What Are Web Hosting Data Centers?
Web hosting data centers represent clusters of machines, like computers, systems, servers and other network equipment along with backup components, all interconnected to each other. They are placed in a specifically-dedicated space within a building, built for the purpose. Each hosting company either rents data centers or uses their own private Data Centers to run their services from.
The sole purpose of data centers is to provide everything necessary for the proper operation of web servers. That includes appropriate levels of humidity, temperature, cleaning of dust and upholding the latest security methods by staff responsible for keeping web servers in a meticulous condition.
Floors of data centers are air-cooled, while each room is equipped with modern fire extinguishing systems. A 365-day schedule is upheld for maintenance and keeping everything working as smoothly as possible. Without Data Centers, websites will not load, causing a cease in normal Web operations.
What Is a Control Panel in Web Hosting?
A web hosting control panel, or just a control panel, is a web-based interface that web hosting services provide to allow you to access and manage their servers. More specifically, it is a graphical user- or web-based interface, accessible online and providing tools for managing a website, the web hosting account, and, in some cases, the server. In most cases, you can access your control panel via a web browser.
Each control panel has its own features and functionalities, and their availability and ease of use determines the quality of your web hosting experience.
What Is Disk Space and How Much Do I Need?
Disk space is an important factor to consider when selecting a web hosting plan. It is essentially the amount of storage space allocated to your website. This includes the size of your files, images, databases and any other type of content that you may have on your website. The amount of disk space you will need depends on the type of website you are hosting. If you have a small website with only a few pages and a handful of images, then you won’t need a lot of disk space.
However, if you have a larger website with lots of images, videos, and other multimedia content, then you will need more disk space. Most web hosting plans will provide you with a certain amount of disk space. You should choose a plan that offers enough storage space for your website.
For example, if you are expecting to have large files on your website, you should select a plan that offers more than the minimum amount of disk space. In addition to the amount of disk space, you should also consider the type of disk space provided. Some web hosting plans offer SSD (Solid State Drives), while others offer traditional HDDs. SSDs are more expensive but offer faster loading times and better performance.
What Is Bandwidth and How Much Do I Need in My Hosting Plan?
Bandwidth is a key metric for web hosting plans, as it determines the amount of data that can be sent or received from a website. It is expressed as the amount of data that can be transferred from one point to another in a given amount of time. Typically, bandwidth is shown in megabytes per second (MB/s) or gigabytes per second (GB/s).
Bandwidth directly affects the performance of a website, as it limits the amount of data that can be transferred at once. When choosing a web hosting plan, it is important to consider the amount of bandwidth you need. This is because more bandwidth means faster loading times and better performance.
The amount of bandwidth you need depends on a variety of factors, including the size and complexity of your website, the number of visitors you expect, and the type of activities they will be engaging in.
Note that if your website is expecting a lot of traffic, you may want to opt for a more expensive plan with more bandwidth. Additionally, if you plan to host videos or large files, you should look for plans that offer more bandwidth as these types of files consume more data. Ultimately, the amount of bandwidth you need in your hosting plan depends on the size, complexity, and activity of your website. If you’re unsure of your needs, it’s best to contact a hosting provider for more information.
Will I make a mistake choosing Hostinger instead of Bluehost as the prices of Bluehost a quite high right now?
It’s all about size of your site and plan you are looking for. What is you CMS platform too. We recommend you to double check our both Hostinger and BlueHost review.
Hola! This was a very helpful article, senor Mihailov!
Muchas gracias! I now have site run in 2 days!
Nicely you explained everything in your article. Thanks for sharing this information; it’s nice and helpful…
Nice post! I thought it was a bit long, but it is my go-to source as I am setting up my website! Hostinger are being very cooperative, too!
I bought A2 hosting and am very glad of their service! Good article with examples and illustrations!