Hmmmm… we’ve all heard of it, but what does ‘web hosting’ actually mean? In this post we’ll discover what hosting is, where you can get it, and how much it’s likely to cost.
If you don’t understand what web hosting is – don’t worry, neither do most people! Of the 3 things every website needs, the hosting part is the most difficult concept to grasp.
So, let’s give it a go…
What is Web Hosting?
In essence, a hosting service stores your website’s files and sends them to whoever visits your website. When your website is ready to launch, it’s not uploaded to ‘the internet’ – it’s uploaded to a server.
A web server is simply a super-fast, super-powerful version of your home PC tower. Your website files sit on the server, ready to be pulled out and displayed whenever someone visits your website. A hosting company will usually have rooms with rows or banks of what look like regular PC towers, all hooked up to the web, containing the files of all the websites they host.
Still confused? Ok, think of it this way. Suppose you write a letter using your computer, and when you’ve finished, you save it. A week later, you want to look at the letter again. You go to where you stored the file, click to open and there it is, displayed on your screen. In this example, your PC hard drive has acted like a server, storing the letter, then ‘serving up’ the file containing it when you needed it again.
Could I Host My Website Myself?
In principle, yes. You could set up your home PC to act as your web server, but the vast majority of website owners don’t. Why? Because a) there’s a considerable amount of technical tweakery involved, b) the server needs to be connected to the internet 24/7, and c) if your server isn’t suitably powerful, your web pages will load slowly, and run into problems if there are several people trying to view your site at the same time.
The upshot is, unless you are of a technical disposition, and have high-speed, up-to-date hardware, software and connectivity, best to let the experts handle it…
How Can I Get A Web Hosting Account?
If you’re employing the services of a web designer, they will probably sort this out for you. When I’m building websites for clients, I usually use one of a few hosting services that I know and love. This way I can be sure that the hosting provides all the necessary features my client’s website needs, and because we can buy in bulk, so to speak, we can undercut most hosting providers and pass the saving on to our clients – a great selling point!
You could, if you wish, buy the hosting independently of your web designer, though I would suggest that you ask him/her about any special requirements your website will need first.
Web Hosting Features Explained
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- Web Space: Sometimes called capacity or disk space, this is the size limit for your files on the server, usually in Mb or Gb. The larger your website, the more room you’ll need on your server. As a rough guide, the websites we build are generally between 5Mb and 500Mb in size.
- Bandwidth: Also called data transfer, this is the limit on the transfer of information from your site’s server to the web. So, if your website is 5Mb in size, and someone visits and views your entire site, they will use 5Mb of the bandwith allowance. If 100 people visit your site, the bandwidth usage will be 5Mb X 100 = 500Mb. Bandwidth allowance is usually set on a month basis, and a good way to check on your usage is to login to your cPanel.
- Mailboxes: Most hosting accounts include a number of mailboxes. These are basically configurable, private, mail collection facilities. They are useful to the website owner, as the address can be ‘branded’ to fit the website domain. Eg sales@mybusiness.co.uk looks far more professional than mybusiness@hotmail.com. Mailboxes will often include some great, time-saving administrative features.
- cPanel: This is the control panel for your website hosting, where you and/or your webmaster can login to perform administrative tasks. Most hosting accounts offer cPanel access, though as a business owner, it’s more likely your designer who’ll be using this facility.
- Programming and Database Features: These will include such things as PHP4, PHP 5, MySQL, Perl, Python, Ruby, Rails, ASP and other things completely unintelligable to the lay person. You don’t need to be concerned with what these are (basically types of coding to make elements of your website work), suffice to say that you’ll need to check whether your website uses any of these, so you can be sure the hosting supports them.
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How Much Should My Web Hosting Cost?
As a rough guide, a basic hosting account will cost between £5 to £15 per month. Some will include domain registration, others won’t. Costs will vary considerably depending on the size of your site, how many visitors you get, and any special features your site requires. Your web designer may be able to offer some great deals on hosting, such as a free introductory period or discounts on monthly charges, so don’t be shy to ask!
Avoid Free Hosting For Business Sites
Though it’s possible to find ‘free’ hosting offers, I would recommend that you avoid these if your website is anything other than a hobby or ‘play’ site. Free hosting packages are usually very limited in terms of size and capability, and you’ll find you need to upgrade to a paid service pretty quickly. Also, even the best hosting service will experience problems, and free accounts are not given the (ahem) highest priority when it comes to fixing them.