How to Host A Website: 4 Simple Steps + Why You Need Web Hosting

From small-scale businesses to large-scale businesses, every business needs a website. No matter what business you run, you need a website to be competitive! It sounds exciting to have your own website, but there are specific parameters to look at before building your website.

Before building your website, one of the parameters to remember is — you need hosting! Web hosting may sound complicated and technical, but it becomes simple and trouble-free once you understand. Moreover, this article will resolve all your doubts about web hosting, from how to host a website to why it is essential to what to look for in web hosting.

Before heading to any depth and technicality, let’s learn how easily you can host a website in 4 simple steps:

4 Unchallenging Steps To Host A Website:

Now that you have landed at the parameters and concepts of web hosting let’s first delve into the fundamental steps you need to follow.

The following is the concise answer to 4 simple steps on how to host a website:

#1: Decide the Type of Website to Build

To begin building the website, you must know there are two types of websites: Static and Dynamic. The static website can easily be explained by the term “fixed,” as it remains the same regarding the content displayed. On the contrary, the dynamic website is the opposite; it changes by the user’s location and interaction with the pages.

#2: Research Hosting Providers

Choosing the right web hosting provider can be crucial because many hosting providers may or may need help to deliver what is asked. One of the critical factors in choosing the right web hosting provider is determining your budget. So, it is always advised to look for affordable hosting providers, for example, Hostinger.

#3: Select a Hosting Plan

Selecting the right web hosting plan is an important parameter because it typically depends on how many resources your business offers. Keep in mind that “the more resources, the more visitors.” While selecting the plan, you must look for value-added features that include a free domain name, CMS, data security, and more.

#4: Get A Domain Name for Your Site

Naming your website helps your visitors to find you easily. Also, it becomes easier for search engines to know what your website is about. It is vital to choose a name that is easy to remember.

Let’s hunt through the details:

Step 1: Decide the Type of Website to Build

There are two types of websites — static and dynamic. The main difference between both websites is (1) a Static website remains the same in terms of the content it displays; it doesn’t change user-to-user or with any other element. However, (2) a Dynamic website changes its results according to the user interaction.

When you need clarification about the type of website you are building, you must look for a web hosting provider with plans for all types of websites.

Shortly, if you want to change the type of your website, you will know you have the hosting provider that has all the plans. For example, Hostinger has plans for all types of websites you want to build.

Source: hostinger

In addition to static websites, it is built with a fixed number of pre-built files stored in its web server. The languages static websites follow are JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

As said, it is a fixed type of website, but that does not mean it cannot be interactive or engaging. Images, videos, CTAs, and all media powered by CSS or JavaScript can make them alluring to the audience.

The typical examples of such websites are one-off landing pages, read-only websites, resumes, or portfolio websites.

Unlike a static website, which displays the same content, a dynamic website gives different information and results depending on the user.

For a more tailored and interactive experience, the content visitors witness is determined by factors such as location, time zone, settings, and preferences.

Mainly, PHP, Python, or Ruby are being used in it. A typical example is an e-commerce website.

Step 2: Research Hosting Providers

Opting for the right web hosting provider needs a lot of “research.” You cannot simply go to one provider and finalize them.

Let’s make it easier with an example of a mobile phone; say you want to buy an iPhone. Would you go to the store and pick up the first you hand on? NO! You will search for specifications, see if it comes under budget, and then buy it.

The same thing applies to the web hosting providers.

Well, there are hundreds of web hosting providers in the market. And all are not the same; they could be better or worse. However, the most critical point to remember while researching is whether they are affordable. You can narrow your search by searching for “affordable web hosting providers.”

Source: Hostinger

Like Hostinger — they are the most affordable & budget-friendly options, starting at just $2.99/mo + 03 months FREE.

Source: Hostinger

For your ease, I have written the two comparisons so you can decide which hosting provider to go with in 2023.

1. Hostinger vs Siteground

2. Hostinger vs Bluehost

What other pointers to look for while searching for the best web hosting providers?

1. Performance

2. Security

3. Features

4. User experience

5. Value for money

6. Customer support

7. Scalability

However, you can wait to pick any of the pointers. The article will take you in the right direction with in-depth details as you continue reading.

Step 3: Select a Hosting Plan

For many business owners, web hosting is a mystery; sometimes, many business people fail to offer a promising website because they are unaware of hosting types.

Let me make it simpler for you with a daily life example. I am lactose intolerant, but I didn’t know there were different types of milk, so in this case, I either drank regular milk or stopped consuming milk. But what I chose was “research.”

The same is the case with web hosting. You have to know if there are different types you can opt for your business. Because you cannot “stop” or “do-it-wrong”

Why do I have to know about the types of hosting under the hosting plan point? The answer: to choose the right plan, you must know if you are on the right path (the correct type of hosting) because the plan varies from type to type.

I have listed the top 4 types, which can be helpful for you to know “how to host a website.”

Type 1: Shared Hosting

It is most popular among website owners because it cuts the cost of having a separate website. Because in shared hosting, you can share a single server with multiple users. Considering the security, the other users cannot access your files or data.

Source: Hostinger

Best for?

It is ideal for beginners because they get access to all the tools for their project and a massive room for learning.

Type 2: Cloud Hosting

This one is tricky, but still very advantageous. Because it can quickly scale up your server’s resources whenever needed. Also, its system is built, so you do not have to worry continuously about downtime or data loss. The best feature of cloud hosting could be its high degree of scalability.

Best for?

For website owners looking for high scalability and sites with huge (millions) visitors.

Type 3: Managed WordPress Hosting

This has to be the most different yet simplest because it is more like a service. In this type of hosting, the provider looks for day-to-day maintenance that includes monitoring, security, backups, software updates, and much more. With managed WordPress hosting, you get WordPress perks, such as free plugins.

Best for?

It is a spot-on web hosting type to opt for if your website is small to medium scale and built on WordPress.

Type 4: Reseller Hosting

Many business owners need to understand the technicality of hosting, so they seek help from resources to set up everything for them. Here comes the advantage of reseller hosting: you can fully control hosting and charge them directly.

Best for?

Ideal for web designing and development agencies.

Step 4: Get A Domain Name for Your Site

A domain name is an address that can help visitors to find and remember your brand. It is a unique address consisting of a website name and domain name extension.

It is vital to have a domain name for your site because,

1. It increases the credibility of your website.

2. Your audience can easily remember your website with the domain name since the IP address has many random numbers or characters, making it difficult for a common person to remember.

3. You can have your custom email address (xyz@yourdomainname.com), which makes you more professional and authentic.

Here, I have listed five tips for you to choose the right domain name:

1. Opt for the “.com” extension since it is the most trusted one. The other authentic options are “.org” and “.net”

2. Do not use Jordon or try to be trendy. Keep it as simple as you can.

3. Ensure the name you are choosing is unique.

4. Add keywords. It is the best tip to boost SEO from the start.

5. Pro tip: Avoid adding hyphens or double letters. For example, if you chose “domain.com” as your domain name, do not make it complex by opting for “domaiin.com” or “do-main.com.”

Still, if you need clarification about which domain name to choose, you can generate a domain name here.

How Can You Purchase A Domain Name?

Now that you have chosen your domain name, the next step is to purchase it. To do it, search for a reliable domain registrar — ensure their fair pricing, and read the domain expiry and renewal policy thoroughly.

Once you have chosen the correct registrar, search for your domain name, buy it at a fair price, add details, and you are done!

Did you know? Some web hosting providers offer free domain names! Well, I can name the best for you — Hostinger.

We are an accredited registrar, which means we are a legal entity to register domain names. To help you get right on track, we have a domain-checking tool. You can simply enter your desired address, and you will have plenty of options with extensions.

Source: Hostinger

If your preferred domain name is available, you can get it FREE with our plan. Moreover, if you already have a domain name, have you point it yet? Pointing a domain means connecting your

domain name with the authentic server that stores the website’s data. Learn how to point URL to Hostinger’s server to connect with different service providers and have the optimal setup.

How Does Web Hosting Work?

To get the crystal answer to it, first, take a look at what is web hosting. It is an online service that authorizes you to publish a website or web application on the internet. In simpler words, it is a service platform that makes your content accessible online.

Typically, web hosting works like the server hosting your website is a tangible computer, which works 24/7 to make your website available for visitors. Buying the servers for the web hosting allows you to store all of your website’s data on your provider’s server.

Source: Hostinger

Once a visitor enters your domain name in the search bar, the web host server will transfer all necessary files to load your website for your visitor or user.

Why Do You Need Web Hosting?

As said, “web hosting makes your website accessible online.”

Imagine you have the most unique domain name, a top-notch design for your website, but you need help accessing it online. Then, would it do any good to your business? A straight answer: NO! That is why web hosting is important.

You can also host your website, but it requires many technical skills. To host your website, you must ace setting up and configure your website from scratch, which includes everything from equipment to software to hardware. Not only this but to continually handle the maintenance.

Therefore, it is always advised to go for web hosting providers because they ensure to provide you with highly optimized websites considering all security protocols.

What To Look For In A Web Host?

Since you have learned why web hosting is important and how to host a website, this is the right time to learn which key metrics are important while looking for a web host.

Key Metric 1: Reliable Performance

To know if your web host is a reliable source for your website, check for its uptime and loading speed because you cannot risk your website’s availability and consistency.

However, in 2019, Hostinger switched to LiteSpeed as their primary server to increase website performance. It was advantageous regarding advanced cache engine, security, event-driven architecture, and more.

After the deployment, a remarkable change was noticed in the performance. It has improved! Since we aim to provide the latest technology to our clients, we tested LiteSpeed on our server since many of our clients use WordPress as their CMS. Here are the results:

Source: Hostinger

Also, the higher the uptime percentage, the more reliable the hosting service. Hostinger aims to provide a high server uptime, often exceeding 99.9%, which means the servers are expected to be up and running most of the time.

Here are a few tests for uptime in different locations:

Location: London, UK

Source: screenshot image of gtmetrix

Alt text: lates performance report of hostinger united kingdom uk

66% of the score on gtmetrix shows that the site has room for improvement and can do well in interactive time.

Location: Mumbai, India

Source: screenshot image of gtmetrix

62% of the score on gtmetrix shows that the site has room for improvement in interactive and blocking time.

Location: San Antonio, TX, USA

Source: screenshot image of gtmetrix

65% of the score on gtmetrix shows that the site has room for improvement and can do well in blocking time.

Key Metric 2: Guaranteed Security

To ensure web hosting security, a reliable host will provide several security measures, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, frequent security updates, 24/7 customer support, automatic backup, and a strong firewall.

Additionally, web hosting providers like Hostingers offer Cloudflare protection, preventing your site from DDoS attacks. They have a dedicated internal security team that continuously scans for any vulnerability.

Moreover, they offer a CDN network too. Now, what is CDN? It is typically a network service linked to having a goal to deliver content as securely as possible.

Key Metric 3: Comprehensive Features

A website host must offer a wide range of features that can help users choose flexibly and increase their business’s scalability. Our top features include:

1. More than 130 modern templates

2. Drag-and-drop editor functionality

3. Maximum (Up to 10x) Performance

4. 300 Websites

5. 200 GB NVMe Storage

6. Daily Backups

7. Managed WordPress

8. Free Email

9. Free Domain

10. 20+ Payment Methods

11. 0% Transaction Fees

12. Free CDN

13. Dedicated IP Address

14. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

15. 99.9% Uptime Guarantee

16. Global Data Centers

17. 300 Subdomains

18. Powerful Control Panel, and more

Key Metric 4: User Experience

It is certain that the user experience can directly impact the success of the website. Also, a well-designed website can ideally increase the time on site. If the user finds the website complicated, or couldn’t find tools easily within the dashboard then it is less likely for them to share it with any one.

Hostinger has a trouble-free configuration of tools by using hPanel. It is a custom control panel designed by us for our clients. The control panel is a tool that lets any user to let manage their account easily without logging in to the server.

Source: Hostinger

Its intuitive and minimalist design is the key to optimized user experience, and to have an easy accessibility to all tools. Here is a complete video tour to it.

Key Metric 5: Value for Money

Do you know what a reliable web host believes in? The website is consistently accessible, is performing optimally, security monitoring is not compromised, and client’s money is valued.

With a 30 days money back guarantee, Hostinger is the most reliable and affordable choice of business owner. Starting plan at just $2.99/mo makes it the most affordable web hosting provider in the market.

Cost of hosting a website is based on several factors. If you are new to this field, then it is always suggested to start with the most cheaper plans. However, there are numerous plans in

the market and you can go up to $49/mo or sometimes more than this. But the estimated cost of hosting a website with Hostinger can always begin at $2.99/mo and then you can gradually increase depending on your resources.

Key Metric 6: 24/7 Customer Support

A good customer support can certainly improve technical issues, increase website performance, ensure security, and build a long-run relationship with the client.

We have 24/7 customer support, because our customer success team is called that way for a reason. Hostinger’s support channel includes; email address, live chat, detailed tutorial, knowledge base, blogs, and Hostinger academy. Contact us for any query! Our response time is less than 24 hours on email and for instant support our agents are waiting for you on live chat.

Key Metric 7: Scalability

The key metric “scalability” is not only important for client but for the web host itself too. It allows you to the keep the promised success of the website. Also, it cannot be overlooked because when your website is flooded with enthusiastic visitors, you have to maintain the scalability of your website in terms of adding extra storage, bandwidth, traffic amount, and more.

Hostinger is not only affordable but also promising by handling more than 200,000 visitors monthly, offering unlimited bandwidth, 200 GB NVMe storage, and maximum (up to 10x) performance. All this to maintain the scalability of the website — to keep it optimized and attain higher traffic.

Conclusion:

Opting the right web hosting provider is the most cost-cutting option. You do not have to worry about the technicalities of hosting a website, just good research is needed. Remember “web hosting gives an accessibility to your content” so, keep it a backbone of your business success in the mold of a website.

A quick recap to how to host a website:

1. Make sure you are well aware of the types of websites, and which type of website you are aiming to build

2. Do a proper research of hosting providers, check for the most affordable ones 3. Select a hosting plan but before learn about all types of hosting

4. Craft the right and easy name for your domain