Best Website Hosting Services

Website hosting is an essential part of making your website available to internet users all over the world. There are many different options and web hosting companies to choose from. The best hosting service for your website depends on a lot of different factors. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you are getting the best features for your website at the right price. In this article, we will discuss the different types of web hosting services and their benefits. We will also take a look at the best hosting providers.

What Is a Web Hosting Service?

Web hosting is a service that allows businesses and individual users to upload their websites to the internet. Web hosts provide space on a server that is owned or rented by clients. For a monthly fee, service providers manage site servers and make sure websites are accessible. Beyond their basic services, hosting providers usually offer a long list of added features and benefits. A huge benefit of using a web hosting service is that users can usually pass on the “technical work” to the experts. This allows them more time to focus on designing and creating their optimal website.

Benefits of Using a Web Hosting Service

When first starting out, you may wonder if the cost of a hosting service will justify the benefits. The short answer is yes. The best web hosting companies offer tons of benefits that can help businesses and individual users run the best version of their websites. Some of the most important benefits include:

Superior Performance

Site performance is one of the most important factors when it comes to succeeding in the online market. With so much competition out there, you may only have a few seconds to convince visitors to stay on your site. If you invest in a high-quality web host, you will be able to enjoy a much greater performance from your site. Faster loading times, higher bandwidth, and increased storage are just some of the benefits that come from using a hosting service.

Increased Security and Tech Support

With identity theft on the rise, it is more important than ever to have a secure website. The level of security of your website begins with the hosting service that you choose. Quality hosts provide multiple levels of security to keep your site’s files safe. On top of the built-in security, they can also help you to install spam software and security plug-ins for extra protection.

Another great benefit of hosting services is often outstanding tech support. Anyone who has tried to run a website knows the benefit of quality tech support services. If you launch your website and something goes wrong, you’ll want help to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Many web hosts offer 24/7 tech support. If you have an issue, you can contact the support staff, and they will get you back up and running in no time!

High Uptime and Reliability

When trying to pick a service provider, uptime is a big part of the decision. Uptime is how often your site will actually be available online. Most hosting providers mention uptime in their contracts. For most, it is around 99.9%. This means that the other 0.1% of the time, the site may be down for maintenance or updates. This is a huge benefit to using a hosting service. However, you want to make sure that you do your research! Confirm that the uptime claims are valid before signing up.

Types of Website Hosting Services

#1: Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is an arrangement where multiple websites use the same server. Your monthly payment cost is shared with others to access resources like RAM, CPU, and storage. This is the most cost-effective web hosting option available. This makes it a good choice for small businesses, personal blogs, and start-ups.

#2: Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

This type of hosting is a step up from the shared hosting plan. While you still share the physical hosting space with other websites, your website is hosted on its own private virtual server. You also get higher caps on things like storage and bandwidth. This is a good choice for small to medium-sized websites and websites that are media-heavy.

#3: Cloud Hosting

This type of hosting has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. With cloud hosting, the service provider supplies a cloud server (private, public, or hybrid). The customer then pays for system time and storage. One of the benefits of this is that cloud capacity can be scaled up or down, making it flexible for a website’s needs. This is the best type of hosting for fast-growing websites, web applications, and e-commerce stores.

#4: Managed Hosting

With managed hosting, a managed service provider (MSP) owns and operates the server, then leases it to customers. The provider is responsible for all server management, maintenance, and backup services. They’ll also need to provide security and technical support. This is a good option for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and beginner websites.

#5: Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated web hosting gives your website exclusive “rental” rights over a web server. This kind of hosting service provides a lot of control, with full administrative access. As a result, this is one of the more expensive options. The trade-off is that you can handle much higher website traffic and advanced applications. This is a good choice for high-security and high-traffic websites.

#6: Colocation

This type involves a “colocation facility,” which hosts a company’s servers. It provides a power supply and an internet connection in a climate-controlled environment. These are usually owned and operated by a local provider. This is a strategy some businesses use to reduce the size of their data center (and cut down on costs). Since this option is too expensive for smaller businesses, it is best for enterprises in regulated industries like government, healthcare, or finance.

5 Best Website Hosting Companies

There are tons of web hosting companies all over the internet. With such high demand, new ones are appearing rapidly. The right one for you and your site will depend on a number of factors. Small businesses and individual users have different needs than larger e-commerce sites. That being said, there are a few hosting companies that seem to have great features all around. Below is a list of the top 5 website hosting providers.

#1: Bluehost (Best for Beginners)

Bluehost takes the top spot on many lists of the best web hosting service providers. This provider has been around since 2007 and now has more than 3 million websites! The 3-year introductory price is only $2.75 per month. This package also offers a free domain name, website builder, and easy “one-click” install through their control panel. This makes them a very popular, low-cost option for newer websites.

#2: DreamHost (Most Affordable Month-to-Month)

DreamHost is one of the oldest hosting providers on the internet. Founded in 1996, they host over 1.5 million websites in 100 countries. DreamHost differs from most other web hosting services in one major way. Instead of requiring you to pay yearly, DreamHost has the option to pay on a month-to-month basis. For just $4.95 per month, you can start using their service right away.

#3: Hostinger (Most Affordable Overall)

Hostinger is all around one of the most affordable hosting providers out there. They are able to offer very affordable plans without sacrificing quality or performance. For example, their 48-month payment plan starts at just $0.99 per month! This plan includes an easy website builder, an SSL certificate, and 24/7 tech support. This is a great choice if you’re dealing with a limited budget.

#4: GreenGeeks (Best Eco-Friendly Service)

As you can probably tell from the name, what sets GreenGeeks apart is that they are an eco-friendly hosting service! For over 12 years, they have been using renewable energy sources to power over 500,000 websites. Besides being good for the planet, GreenGeeks has consistently been named one of the best hosting services. They offer fast speeds and solid uptime in a variety of different packages.

#5: HostGator (Best for Minimal Needs)

HostGator is one of the best hosting services that cater to new websites and small businesses. If you are just starting out and don’t need a ton of extra services, this is a good choice for you. Another great benefit of HostGator is its technical support. They offer tech support in all of their hosting plans. They also have a large list of how-to guides to help users fix smaller problems themselves. Shared hosting plans from this service start at just $2.75 per month!

Choosing the Best Web Hosting Service

Choosing a quality website hosting service that fits your needs is very important for your business. There are a lot of factors to consider when searching for the best option for your website. The digital marketing experts at SEO Design Chicago can help take the stress out of this big decision. Their experienced team will work with your business to get your website hosted online. Taking all factors into account, they will help you decide which service is best for you!

FAQs:

• What is a web hosting service?
• What are the benefits of using a hosting service?
• How do I choose a web host?
• What are the different types of web hosting service providers?
• What is website uptime?