Web hosting means allocating a secure space on the web where all website files are stored. These files, including images, videos, codes, and others that comprise a website are available for viewing online. Web hosting also allows website owners to reduce local storage and store their data offsite, on the host’s server. A server is a computer that connects other internet customers to websites from everywhere in the world. A website could be hosted by either an internet service provider or a firm that in particular offers a web hosting service.
There are hundreds of companies providing thousands of varieties of web hosting services such as Hostinger, BlueHost, and many others. Many website builders offer free plans for building a personal website, while business websites are usually paid, and depending on the web hosting company and plan prices could be very high. The choice of your web host and your plan should depend on how you plan to use your website and your hosting budget.
How does web hosting work?
Once your website is located on a server, the server holds all of your website as files that can be sent as needed. When an internet user visits your website, the server needs to actively send information to the visitor.
If the visitor wants to see a specific page of your website, the server will send this page to their browser screen.
Web hosting and domain hosting
Now we know that the web host is the provider of the secure space where all your website content (images, videos, codes, etc.) is stored. To reach this content, visitors need an address called a domain name. The domain name is provided by the domain host, it could be something like www.yourdomain.com. The domain name is not the content of your website, it is the address that guides the visitor to find your website location.
What is a URL?
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL is the location of a specific website, page, or file on the Internet. The URL is displayed in the address bar at the top of the browser. Example of URL: http://www.yourdomain.com/blog
As you can see, the URL is different from the domain name. The domain name is part of the URL.
In conclusion, a web host is a secure space where all your website content is stored, a domain is the name of a website, a URL is how to find a website, and a website is what people see and interact with when they get there.
I opted for Hostinger to host my current website because it’s an affordable, fast, and reliable web hosting service. Hostinger is suitable for beginners and experts alike. Hostinger offers a variety of different hosting plans to choose from, depending on your needs.
Hostinger offers 3 web hosting plans to choose from:
Single plan - It costs $1.99 per month and allows you to host only 1 website. It comes with 50 GB of storage and 100 GB of bandwidth. This plan is suitable for low-traffic, personal websites.
Premium Plan - It costs $2.49 per month and allows you to host 100 websites. It also comes with 100 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth. It also comes with free domain registration and a free SSL certificate.
Business Plan - The Business plan costs $3.99 per month and also allows you to host 100 websites. It comes with 200 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth.
