Presently, owning a website is easier and quite affordable. CMS platforms such as Joomla and WordPress are free and simple to use, with .com domain costing approximately $10 per year and a good shared hosting server costing below $10 monthly.
We are living in the age where just about everyone can own their share of land in the web world. Beginners usually lack adequate information and knowledge on web hosting which is important to have a web hosting guideline of the crucial things one is required to know regarding web hosting.
Here are five guidelines for end users of web hosting that might come in handy.
1. What is Web Hosting?
Ensure you fully comprehend what web hosting is and the difference between web hosting and data center.
2. Types of Web Hosting
There are four types of web hosting- shared hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS server and reseller hosting. All these vary depending on the features and services they offer, for example, shared web hosting is very low cost but with limited resources because one is sharing a site with nominal other websites. On the other hand, dedicated servers have unlimited resources and disk space since the entire server is assigned to one individual site; however, the dedicated plan is usually costly.
When selecting a web host, you need to choose one that can cater for the needs of your website; hence you need to know the pros and cons of each type of web hosting provider.
3. Domain Name
Most people get confused when differentiating a web host and a domain name, especially for newbies. A domain name is the address to your site, while a web host is the space of your server where you store your entire site’s information. It is important to be clear on the differences between the two before proceeding to creating your first website. You will need a domain name when setting up a website, and it has to be registered.
4. Security and Privacy
Every domain name has a record of the owner’s personal information such as name, contact number, mailing address, and many more information. Your domain record is sensitive and can be used in ways that are not desirable or legitimate. Since anybody can look up a WhoIs record, identity thieves, stalkers hackers and even spammers can access your personal information. Therefore, when selecting a web host, one factor you should look into is the domain feature and read about web hosting reviews before signing up with a web host.
Also, if you are planning on setting up an Ecommerce website, it means that the personal information of your customers and vital information such as credit card details will be shared. With such sensitive information, it is important to safeguard all information shared, both yours and those of your clients.
5. Design a Question Check-list
If it is your first time selecting a web host, ask as many questions as possible regarding that particular service before deciding on making a purchase. The web host should always provide a clear picture of what you are going to receive with that service. Ask questions like what is their uptime guarantee, the average monthly uptime, the level of their technical and customer support, the type of Ecommerce features they offer, payment plans available, renewal terms and fees, their security measures, and their server back-up protocols just to mention a few. Ensure all the questions pertaining to your site are answered to your satisfaction before making a purchase.
With numerous web hosting providers online, it is important to have set guidelines that will help you make the right decision in selecting the right web host for you.
Author Bio
David Smith is the author of this article. Other than his profession in website marketing, David likes reading and writing. He wrote this article hoping to equip his audience with the essential tools of selecting the right web hosting company. David finds my review of Web Hosting Hub to clearly outline the features of a good web host that is vital for the end user of the web hosting service.
