When you are a new entrant in the digital world, getting your website up and running could seem a daunting task. Let’s get the basic things in place. First, you will need to get your Domain Name registered. Once that is done, you need to select a website hosting company. It is advisable to register your domain name and get a web hosting plan from the same provider.
Today, we will share a beginner’s guide to hosting a website to help you get started.
Table of Contents
What Type of Website Are You Planning to Launch?
There are 2 types of websites:
- Basic Website – This is also called a Static Website. Static web pages are simple HTML pages that serve as the response from the browser to a server where all the information is static, and it remains the same until you change the information manually. Static websites are cheaper to create than dynamic websites as their functionality is restricted.
- Dynamic Website – In a Dynamic Website, there are client-side scripts and server-side scripts that are used for creating and updating website content. Client-side scripts run on users’ computers and are used for interaction. In contrast, server-side scripts run on the server and are mostly used by social networking and e-commerce websites.
Choosing The Operating System
When it comes to web hosting, there are two main operating systems to choose from:
- Linux – Linux is the most commonly used web hosting platform. A Linux server allows web developers to run scripts created in Python, PHP, Perl and other UNIX-based languages. It supports PostgreSQL and MySQL databases. Linux supports the cPanel control panel. It is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) control panel that helps users manage the website and hosting account.
- Windows – The Windows Hosting Platform allows you to run the .NET-based ASP scripts and other Microsoft technologies. It supports Access and Microsoft SQL Server database. You get the Plesk control panel with Windows hosting platforms to manage your hosting and website.
Site owners usually prefer Linux hosting with cPanel since it is cost-efficient and offers support for more languages among other benefits. Ensure that you assess your hosting requirements and choose the right OS.
Choosing The Right Web Hosting Platform
The next step is to finalise your web hosting platform. Some of the most popular ones are –
- Shared Hosting – Shared Hosting is one of the most cost-efficient hosting solutions. As multiple websites share a single server, the costs get divided making Shared Hosting an economical option. New entrants in the digital space, along with bloggers, startups, etc. usually prefer Shared Hosting over others.
- Dedicated Hosting – In this type, one whole dedicated server is given to a single account. This is ideal for big businesses and high-traffic websites. Since no other users share it, this platform is faster and more secure.
- Virtual Private Server Hosting (VPS) – This platform uses virtualisation technology to divide one physical server into multiple virtual servers. Each website gets its own virtual server. Each server can be configured individually to make sure that every virtual machine functions as an independent server.
- Cloud Hosting – This platform uses multiple servers that work together to host multiple websites. Cloud Hosting guarantees optimum data protection and easy resource scalability. Cloud Hosting is a recommended platform for large websites such as e-commerce portals and social media sites.
Uploading Your Website
Once you are connected to the server, your website can be uploaded to your hosting account. This can be done through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Once this is done, your website will go live.
Summary
Every website, big or small, needs a good web host. It is said that hosting is the invisible foundation of the Internet. A good hosting platform makes for a fast site that is always accessible. Choose your hosting plan that is best suited to your needs, and once you have chosen your host, focus all your attention on building up your website. Best of luck!
