Facts That You Need To Know About Web Hosting

Every type of content videos, blogs, social media posts, etc, present on the internet is stored at a server in the back end. So, if you planning to build a website, you will require the services of a web hosting company to make your site accessible to users. There are a lot of technical terms and functionalities associated with web hosting that can confuse you. However, you can get clarity by becoming familiar with some important facts related to web hosting. We have mentioned the top ones below, let’s have a look.

Important Facts About Web Hosting That You Must Know

Various Plans Are Available For Different Budgets

Let’s assume you require web hosting for a simple blog website. In this case, you can settle for the basic plan of a web hosting company, which is comparatively low-priced than other high-end plans. As a simple site, does not demand more storage space, and other additional features, web hosting companies offer basic plans for them. The features and storage are limited and such plans are cheap.

On the other hand, if your website is dynamic with high-quality images, a built-in video player, animations, etc, you should opt for a high-end hosting plan. You get more storage space and other important features that are missing in the basic plans.

One more important thing that you should keep in mind is that a web hosting company may be putting multiple websites on a single server to cut costs. So, the cheaper plans will most likely make you compromise on the site’s loading speed. Therefore, it is important to reflect on your requirements before choosing a web hosting plan.

Good Hosting Providers Actively Communicate With Clients

If a web hosting provider stops communicating with you, once you purchase a plan, it can create a lot of problems for you. What if your site is giving a 404 error? What if the images are not loading properly?

To avoid such a situation, it is recommended to do proper research and choose a hosting company with a good reputation in the market. Reputable web hosting companies actively communicate and support you in case any issue occurs.

Good web hosting service providers will check your site on a regular basis, and send reports with insights into the performance of your website. Plus, they keep you informed about their new plans and features that are relevant to your site. Whether it be introducing a new update or giving an important security patch, they make sure your website stays relevant in terms of performance and security.

Checking The Features Offered in A Hosting Plan is Important

When we use a product or service, first of all, we look at the features that are being provided to us. The same is true when buying a web hosting plan and choosing a related service provider. You need to find out the details about which features and functionalities the respective hosting company is providing. If they match your website’s requirements, you are good to go with that plan. Otherwise, you should look to find a better one.

You should ask the following questions from the web hosting company before proceeding with the final purchase:

• Does this plan offer quick server speed and responsiveness?
• Does your company have an active customer support system?
• What kind of technologies do you support?
• Does the plan include features like .htaccess File Access, One-click installer, etc.?
• What is your servers’ uptime score?
• Do you offer a free trial?
• What is your refund policy?

By getting answers to all such questions, you can know about the credibility of a web hosting service provider. In addition, you can better understand which plan will be suitable according to the requirements of your website.

Web Hosting Can Be Divided Into 3 Major Types

As mentioned above, there are different hosting plans offered by the same web hosting company at different budgets. Web hosting is mainly of 3 types which are explained below:

Budget Hosting

This type of hosting is also known as shared hosting. The web hosting service provider assigns a single server to multiple websites. This way, they are able to offer their services at lower costs. If you are looking to buy hosting for a personal website or a site that is simple and doesn’t have much content, such plans are good to go with. 

Medium-Level Hosting

As the name suggests, this type of hosting plan is good for medium-scale businesses. You have to pay more than the basic plans, but the features you get make the price totally worth it. You get perks like SSD storage, SSL certificate protection, more bandwidth, and more, depending on the respective hosting company.

Enterprise-Level Hosting

These types of hosting plans are meant for bigger organisations that don’t want to compromise on even a single aspect related to web hosting. In most cases, you get a dedicated server for your website. However, you should check and ensure that you are not getting old or outdated hardware. The costs for such hosting plans are usually on the higher side, given the advanced feature they offer. 

“Data Transfer” and “Bandwidth” Are Different Terms

It is easy to get confused between “Bandwidth” and “Data Transfer”, but the meanings of these terms are different.

Bandwidth is the maximum data that can be transferred through your website in a single instance. On the other hand, Data Transfer refers to how much information is transferred as a whole throughout the cycle( generally a month).

For example, the bandwidth offered by a web hosting company can be 4 GB. But the actual data transfer in a month can be limited to 2 GB only. If your website crosses that limit the service providers can charge you extra or decrease the speed from their end.

Also read: Choose the West Web Hosting

Conclusion

After going through the key facts related to web hosting, you can effectively choose a web hosting company and buy a suitable plan. It is not difficult to make the right selection if you have clarity over the requirements of your website. For example, if your website only requires 1 GB of storage space at max. then the plan that offers 2 GB of space is useless for you. So, reflect on your requirements in the first place and then proceed with buying a website hosting plan.