When we first started our blog, one of the very first tasks we had to check off on our to-do list was “pick a web hosting provider.” And our immediate response was… Huh?? What is web hosting?! 

Web hosting is one of those necessary services that every website must have before it goes live. But before you spend some spare change on it, you probably want to know exactly what web hosting is, right?

If you’re just starting out, this article will explain everything you need to know about web hosting. Obviously, web hosting can get pretty technical, but we’re going to keep this short and simple.

It’s all the information that we wish we had known before starting our website! 

P.S. If you want to start making money online from a successful online business, check out our #1 recommended method that we used to build our business from scratch!

You’ll get access to step-by-step instructions and how-to videos. It’s the perfect solution for beginners! 😊

Also, if you prefer to watch our video, then check it out below!

Disclosure: We partner with several companies that offer products and services to help you achieve your goals! We may get a small commission at no additional cost to you!

What is Web Hosting?

In simple terms, web hosting is where all of your website’s codes, files, and data live on the internet. It’s the process of purchasing, or borrowing, storage space on a server to display your website.

All websites that you see on the internet MUST be hosted on a physical server. Web hosting takes all the codes, images, and files that make up a website and makes it available for viewing online.

And there are a number of web hosting providers that you can choose from to host your website! 

If what you just read didn’t make any sense, then let’s rewind and take it back a bit further! 

We like to think of the internet as being separated into two different parts: the front end of a website and the back end.

Front End

The front end of a website is pretty straightforward. It’s what the viewer sees as the finished product. This is where all the coding, design elements, and features come together!

You can easily change a website’s front end appearance by altering the coding and settings from the back end. 

Back End

The back end is much more complicated. This is where website designers make changes to the coding, HTML, CSS, and endless files to alter what appears on the front end. 

Trust us. There’s a lot of stuff going around behind the scenes that you don’t know about! 

Servers are what store all that coding and behind-the-scenes action.

What is a server?

According to Webster dictionary, a server is a computer in a network that provides services to other computers in the network. Web hosting companies have several warehouses that store powerful servers.

These servers make up every component of their customers’ websites and are distributed depending on the type of web hosting a customer chooses.

Each website gets a certain amount of allocated space on a server depending on the type of web hosting. These servers provide the storage and accessibility to make everything on the front end run smoothly.

Although web hosting is a requirement for all websites, it’s one of those things you have to figure out once, and then you can let it run in the background without worrying about it too much.

As long as you can maintain your account, you’ll be in good standing!

Types of Web Hosting

One of the first decisions you’ll have to make when it comes to hosting your website is which type of hosting you need. 

Don’t worry. It’s actually pretty simple.

Most web hosting companies offer different types and tiers of web hosting, and ultimately you need to determine which best fits your individual needs.

If you’re new to the industry, it may seem very overwhelming at first, but we’re going to break it all down for you! 

There are four primary types of web hosting:

• Shared Hosting
• Cloud Hosting
• VPS Hosting
• Dedicated Server Hosting

Here’s what you need to know about each type of hosting and which is the best option for you.

Image from hostgator.com

Shared Hosting

Shared Hosting is typically the most affordable web hosting option available. With shared hosting, the company hosts multiple customer websites on the same single server. 

A hosting provider splits up a single server and distributes its resources amongst multiple websites. As a result, the prices get split too!

If you’re starting a new website, small business, or personal blog, then this is the type of web hosting that makes the most sense for you! Don’t waste your money on features you don’t need.

However, since your website will be on a shared server with other websites, there are some significant disadvantages to that as well. 

For example, there’s limited storage for your files and a fixed amount of bandwidth for your visitors. Your site’s performance could also take a hit if another website on the same server gets too popular or sees a spike in traffic.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud Hosting is the next upgrade after shared hosting that allows for faster speeds and more customizations. The hosting provider hosts your site on a network of servers known as the cloud.

It’s a great option for sites that receive a higher volume of traffic where you can distribute your data over multiple servers rather than just solely relying on one. 

If you want access to more customizations or if your website is getting a higher volume of traffic, cloud hosting is a good option without overspending your budget!

VPS Hosting

With Virtual Private Server hosting (more commonly known as VPS hosting), you still share a server with other webpages. However, there are much fewer websites on the server, and each site is sectioned off from the others so that one website’s performance will not affect another.

VPS hosting is great if you want more control and security than shared hosting, but you don’t want to invest in a dedicated server. 

To be honest, if you’re just starting out and building a new website, we do not recommend starting with VPS Hosting. Only upgrade if you can justify the price for its additional benefits.

Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated server hosting is exactly as it sounds. The server ONLY stores your website and devotes all of its resources to your individual needs.

With this option, you get much more access to server resources and the best website performance overall. It’s perfect if you have a bigger site that receives a lot of traffic or specific website needs. However, this type of web hosting is generally the most expensive. 

For new website owners, this will be a waste of money until you get sufficient traffic and monetization set in place to justify the cost.

How Much Does Web Hosting Cost?

The truth is… it all depends! 

Sorry, probably not the answer you’re looking for.

Web hosting cost varies depending on the web hosting provider you pick and which type of hosting you want for your site.

If you’re a new website or business owner, we recommend starting with shared web hosting. It’s more than enough to get started, and you can always upgrade in the future!

Typically, shared hosting plans start at under $5 per month, and each type of hosting comes with different tiers of features you can choose from.

If you plan on monetizing your site, you may want to consider getting a higher tier of shared hosting or investing in a different type of web hosting in general.

P.S. In our personal opinion, don’t be afraid to invest in your website!  All successful businesses require upfront capital, and web hosting is one of those things you don’t want to be cheap on!

As a price comparison, dedicated server hosting plans typically start at around $150 per month on the lower end.

Paid vs. Free Web Hosting

Can you use free web hosting? Yes, absolutely.

But, SHOULD you use free hosting? NOPE. Don’t even think about it!

With many things in life, there’s a cheaper option and a more expensive option. Web hosting is one of those instances where you get what you pay for. Don’t be cheap when it comes to web hosting!

Here’s why we hate free web hosting services:

• Your site can get shut down if you don’t abide by their rules or if people send complaints about your site.
• Your website will have advertising all over it for whatever free service you’re using.
• The company limits how much bandwidth your site can use.

If you’re low on available funds, you can get started with Hostinger. They typically have one of the cheaper web hosting options with plans starting as low as $0.99 per month while still providing decent value. 

Just trust on this one. Don’t limit yourself. Invest in a web hosting provider that will help you grow!

Our #1 Recommendation For Web Hosting

In our experience, we’ve come across many web hosting providers that promised good value, the fastest web hosting, the most affordable web hosting, etc. But there’s one that stands out to us the most and is our #1 recommendation for web hosting.

Bluehost. 

Every web hosting site claims to be the best in one specific area, except for Bluehost. Instead of being the best in one field, they perform VERY WELL in every aspect of web hosting. 

Which for us, that’s way more important than being the best in just one area and just average in everything else.

Bluehost is the web hosting provider that we currently use for our website, and we highly recommend it! It’s only one of three web hosting sites that WordPress officially recommends. (WordPress is the most popular website builder.)

However, if you’re looking for a specific hosting provider that excels in one area of focus, check out our article where we break it all down.

What Comes Next?

Great! Now that you know the basics of what is web hosting, what should you do next??

Well, we started an online business because we wanted more time freedom and to stop trading our time for more money. Therefore, we made it our goal and personal commitment to educate as many people as possible who want to make money online and gain Freedom of Time, Money, and Life. 

If you want to start an online business or build a new website to make money online, then we have a solution for you!

Take this next step to learn the exact step-by-step strategy that we used to make money online and start our online business. This is our #1 recommended method if you’re looking to achieve a new level of personal and financial freedom! 

CLICK HERE to Get Started!

P.S. Did this article on What Is Web Hosting: How It Works And How To Get Started help you? Are there any more questions you have about web hosting? Let us know in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

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