If you’ve ever considered starting an online business, you’ve probably heard of web hosting.
With so many social media, Web 2.0, and microblogging platforms to choose from, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Blogspot, WordPress.com, Medium, and Facebook, you may be wondering and asking the question “do I need web hosting?”
Many people who are just getting started online do not know what web hosting is or what advantages they stand to gain from hosting their blog, so the main factors for this concern may not be far-fetched.
As a result, this post will attempt to address the burning question of “do I need web hosting” as well as explain what web hosting is and the advantages of using a successful and dependable web host.
By the end of this article, you should be persuaded that you do, in fact, need web hosting for your next project.
Do I Need Web Hosting Services Provider?
Yes, if you’re serious about running an online business.
You don’t need a web host if you’re comfortable with the limitations that come with free hosted blogging sites like Weebly, Tumblr, or WordPress.com.
However, you would need to pay a web host to set up your website if you want the versatility that comes with having a self-hosted website, such as uploading plugins and themes, editing themes and templates, FTP access, or having ads and affiliate links, as well as online purchases.
Benefits of Using a Web Host
All in all, if you’re going to use WordPress, the self-hosted version is the way to go. Yes, of course, using WordPress.com will speed up the process of creating your site and getting it online, but you’ll be compromising a lot in the process.
The following is a list of the advantages of using WordPress on your own server:
1. You have complete control over your theme and plugins
Whenever you’re creating a website, you want to make it just as you want it. Your plugin and theme options will be severely restricted on WordPress.com, and you will only be capable of making restricted customizations.
You gain access to the entire universe of WordPress plugins and themes through self-hosting WordPress. You’ll have links to the free theme and plugin library, as well as any paid theme or plugin you choose to buy.
2. Increased site efficiency
You have the freedom to select the right host for your needs if you use self-hosted WordPress. As a result, you will find a host that will assist you in getting the most out of your WordPress account.
You’ll also have full control over any plugins you add, which will help you improve your site’s loading times and overall website results.
Furthermore, self-hosted websites perform better than subdomains from larger websites in terms of search engine rankings and overall user experience.
3. Make your website a profit center
You can monetize your website however you like with a self-hosted WordPress website.
You’ll run into some ads and monetization limitations while using WordPress.com. You may only use their integrated advertisement network, for example, and you must have a certain amount of traffic to apply.
When you self-host your website, you have complete control of how you make money. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of ad networks.
Plugins can be installed to assist you in selling affiliate items, creating your own courses, and more. You can also convert your WordPress website into a fully functional online store.
You can self-host your WordPress blog if you’re serious about expanding your website, growing your traffic, or transforming it into a full-fledged company.
4. You’ll have more control over your content.
You also don’t have control over some elements on your website when you use free hosting options, and creating content can be difficult. If you use professional web hosting, you have complete control of all created content and can update your website or post to your blog on a regular basis.
5. Email address and domain name
Domains are vital for building your brand presence and using a customized email address that matches your domain identity gives your brand a more genuine and professional appearance.
You’ll use their subdomains if you use a free web hosting service. In certain instances, these subdomains would promote the hosting service’s name. As a result, your brand would lack the identity it needs.
Professional hosting providers will help you register a domain name and set up an email address with ease.
6. Layout of the website
Do-it-yourself web design templates including drag-and-drop functionalities claim to allow you to build your own site for free or at a low cost, but nobody really tells you that you are severely restricted because each available design only allows for a limited amount of customization.
A fully hosted web service, on the other hand, gives you free access to design your website and its associated technology.
This allows you to express your imagination in terms of architecture and infrastructure. This allows you to try out different design layouts before settling on the right one for your website.
Professional hosting services will also help you create the ideal website to fit your distinct personality and services.
7. SEO potentials
Free hosting companies do not offer enough SEO opportunities, making it much more difficult for companies to rank their websites at the top of search engine results pages.
When you hire a competent web hosting company, you gain nearly full control over your SEO strategies.
You can generate content according to your preferences and continue to improve your SEO processes for a longer period of time.
8. Increased security
With the support of more sophisticated software and the availability of skilled network engineers who are responsible for security issues, you will benefit from greater security privileges when you use proficient web hosting services.
Virus screening, security audits spam detection, and Software updates are only a few of the essential security protocols used by professional web services. Furthermore, this will close all security gaps and protect your server from external attacks.
9. Recovering data
One of the most significant benefits of using a reliable web hosting provider is the ability to recover back your data in the event of any eventuality.
It is crucial that you keep your data safe with daily, up-to-date backups since losing your data entails losing your identity.
Good web hosting often ensures that the data is adequately backed up and accessible at all times.
10. Save your cash and time
It is important for entrepreneurs to save money and time. You will save time and money by using a competent web hosting service because you will be getting the services of professionals who will be in charge of maintaining your servers. This way, you’ll be able to focus on your company’s development with ease.
11. Unmetered storage
When you’re using a free web hosting service, you normally get a set amount of bandwidth and storage space, along with a slew of restrictions. It causes a bunch of problems that could jeopardize client’s loyalty to your brand.
With reliable web hosting, you have the freedom to select any amount of data storage that meets your needs, as well as upgrade or downgrade it based on your brand’s scalability.
It aids in achieving a moderate increase in website traffic, which has a positive impact on your company.
12. Possibility to choose from a variety of hosting options
You have three hosting choices to choose from, depending on your needs:
Dedicated Hosting: You pay the web hosting provider for your own cloud-based web server that is dedicated to you only.
Shared Hosting: This is when you share a server with several other websites and share the server’s infrastructure.
VPS Hosting: Hosting on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) is when a web server is shared among several websites. However, each website is given its own set of server resources to ensure that it has enough resources.
Obviously, if you’re running an e-commerce site or one with a lot of graphics or videos, you’ll want to go with a dedicated or VPS server because load times are crucial for conversions and keeping visitors on your site longer.
13. The option of upgrading to premium DNS services
If premium DNS services are not already contained in your subscription plan, the best web hosting services will give you the option to upgrade. A DNS (Domain Name System) is used to convert a website’s name into an IP address.
Ideally, the DNS should be connected with multiple IP addresses. This means, if one DNS service goes down, the website will automatically turn to a different DNS service, ensuring that it is available at all times.
Digital presence for your company is critical to its success today. Web hosting services make it simple for companies of all sizes to handle their web pages and select the best choices for their unique requirements. This enables companies to benefit from the many advantages of web hosting services.
14. High uptime and reliability
You’ve probably come across the term uptime when looking for the right hosting provider. It is, in reality, extremely necessary. The uptime of your website refers to how frequently it will be available.
Many web hosts, on the other hand, have a clause in their hosting contracts that defines the proportion of time the website will be up and running.
The majority of hosting companies have a 99.9% success rate. When the site is down for a short period of time, tasks like server repairs, upgrades, and maintenance are completed.
If you’re selecting a host based on its high uptime, double-check that this argument is true. The online reviews that talk about downtime, as well as their guarantee, will tell a lot.
Some hosts will also give you payment credits if your site goes down outside of the guarantee period.
In any case, a hosting provider with a high uptime can be extremely beneficial to your business. People can’t purchase your goods or services if your website is unavailable.
As you can see, choosing the best web host has a lot of advantages for your website. Whereas choosing the wrong host would just make your online performance more difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it better to host your own website?
We don’t actually recommend this option.
However, if you still decide to go this route, you’ll have complete leverage over your website.
When you host your own website, you are the only one that has access to the server. You can change any settings you like, adjust stuff to make your website run faster, and you won’t have to go to tech support or wait hours for an answer if anything goes wrong.
2. What is the cost of hosting your own website?
The cost of hosting is determined by the hosting package you choose.
In terms of hosting costs, expect to pay the following amounts for the different hosting plans.
$2.49 – $15 a month for shared hosting. VPS Hosting costs between $20 and $80 a month. Dedicated Hosting costs between $80 and $300 a month.
3. Is it possible to host my website for free?
Yes.
WordPress and Wix, for example, are fully-hosted website builders that provide free website hosting.
These are sponsored, like most free hosting services, by showing advertising alongside the WordPress.com or Wix.com logo on your free website. Upgrade to one of their paid plans to get rid of it.
4. Is it possible for me to host my website on my personal computer?
Yes, you certainly can.
However, there are certain restrictions to be aware of before proceeding:
You should be able to install and configure the WWW server program on your device. This is a program that allows Internet users to reach your computer’s web files.
Running websites on your home computer is supported by your Internet service provider. You’ll need to look at your bandwidth allocation.
Your device must always be turned on. Your website will become inaccessible each time you turn it off or reboot it.
Since home internet networks are not built to serve websites and blogs, your website will load slowly.
5. Is web hosting needed if I’m using Web 2.0?
You don’t need to buy a separate hosting package with any Web 2.0 property, unlike many conventional website hosts.
And if you’re not on a paid plan, you’ll get free hosting space for your website.
You can update your website to include even more fantastic features, such as the option to use a personalized domain name, advanced eCommerce capabilities, and more.
6. What is Web 2.0 and how does it work?
Web 2.0 is a concept that refers to a collection of web pages and applications that allow everyone to create and distribute online information or content.
Blogs, wikis, social networking, podcasting, folksonomies, and video hosting services are only a few examples of web 2.0 applications.
Conclusion
In summary, if you’ve asked yourself, “do I need web hosting?” you now know the answer is a resounding yes.
If you want to learn how to start a website, you should be aware that web hosting is needed and an integral part of the process.
If you want to do more about your website than just have fun with it, you’ll need to take the time to find and purchase the best web hosting service for your needs.
It’s a small price to pay for the protection and control you’ll gain, particularly if your website will be used to generate revenue.
We don’t blame you if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the choices. However, WebHost Bros will assist you; we have a list of good web hosting companies with outstanding customer service staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address any questions you might have about web hosting.
Do you want the most comprehensive plan and functionality that a web host can provide? This blog has numerous articles about various web hosts and their features that you can choose from, regardless of your budget.