A quick Guide to Web Hosting

If you’re new to web hosting, or just want to understand the concept a little better, we have created a simple introduction to help you along the way.

Let’s start from the beginning – what exactly is a web host?

A web host is usually a company that sells services to people who want to set up a website. For people to access your website, it needs to have an IP address, which essentially puts your site online so that visitors can browse your site. ‘What is an IP address?’ you ask. You can find out more about this and a load of other useful computer terms in this summary.

Now let’s move onto what you really want to find out – what web hosts will be the best ones for you.

We can’t tell you which will be right for you, as we don’t know what type of requirements you have. If you want some expert advise based on your own requirements.

What we can provide for you here, is a summary of the best hosts and what type of requirements they would typically suit.

Bluehost 

A very popular choice for people who want a WordPress site. Tests show that performance indicators such as Uptime scores highly (Uptime is the percentage of time that the host ensures websites are online and available). Considered by experts to have less to offer in terms of features compared to other hosts.

GoDaddy

This host has invested a lot of money in television advertising and if recent news reports are true, they are looking to expand further by acquiring Host Europe Group. What this means in terms of their web hosting services, remains to be seen. GoDaddy are seen as an affordable host that covers all of the standard features and services that other hosts offer. One thing that they really excel at is their high standards of customer support. If you’re new to having a website then you might want to have peace of mind through a support team that are quick and easy to get help from.

HostGator 

Offering Cloud, WordPress and Dedicated hosting, there is a lot of flexibility in terms of the type host services you require. Easy to install applications and a well-developed Website Builder, HostGator is a good option especially if your business could grow in the future and you need your web host to support your digital growth.

DreamHost

Generally a favourite for more advanced users but still has a lot to offer to website novices. Has unlimited bandwidth so can cater for large amounts of traffic to your site but doesn’t work with Windows servers.

This is just a quick look at some of the well-used hosts in the market. There are many different host providers available for you to choose from but always be aware that they may have drawbacks. In particular, hosts that seem to offer too good to be true deals may well have something in the small print that you need to check out before you take the plunge and sign up.

New hosts are continually launching but if you want to be sure that you are working with a tried and tested host then the four we have mentioned are a safe bet. Don’t rush into signing up for a host, take your time and get all of the facts, to ensure you don’t regret your choice.