A website is a collection of web pages that are put collectively and is defined by a common domain name and is published on at least one website.
Websites can be both public as well as private. The publicly accessible websites unified form the World Wide Web (WWW).
Specific websites can only be accessed on a private network such as any specific company’s internal website which is solely for its employees. Those Websites are known as Private websites.
The users can access both the types of websites (Private and Public) via software called a web browser.
You might be now wondering what exactly is Web Hosting? Basically your website is hosted on the internet and in order to maintain it and connect to the internet, you require a web hosting provider who will make it accessible for public access.
Now as we have seen what is web server, we will move ahead to discuss how to host a website?
It might seem daunting and challenging to host a website, however, it is not the case.
Steps to Host a Website
Below are few steps to host a website:
Register Your Domain Name
The Domain name is the name through which users will recognize and communicate you and look for your site. It is usually in the format of www.xyz.com.
Several extensions are accessible to pick from such as .org, .in, .com, etc. Hence to have a suitable domain name fixed for your site is very important. If you already own a domain then you can skip this step.
Determine the Type of Website
Generally, websites are of two types – Static or Dynamic. You need to pick depending upon your particular choices.
- Static or Basic Website
These websites are generally simple websites with one or two web pages that can be developed with the help of software such as Dreamweaver. Once built, these pages are uploaded to the server by using FTP software.
When these types of websites require specific changes, the pages on your computer software required to be edited accordingly and then upload it to the server.
This is one of the biggest disadvantages of Static Websites that they cannot be altered dynamically thus they are low on functionality and cannot be a choice for e-commerce or interactivity-based sites.
But, Static websites when related to dynamic ones are moderately cheap and light on the pocket.
- Dynamic Website
These kinds of websites are perfect for businesses and organizations and can be perfect for e-commerce sites. These websites can change dynamically varying on several sets of factors.
Content Management System (CMS) driven websites to allow developers to do any type of changes or alterations like add, subtract, or modify content.
To enhance the content, these websites utilize both server scripts as well as the client-side scripts.
This enables both these parties to interact and produce customized replies for each other.
Dynamic websites offer more functionality as opposed to the static ones even if they are comparatively expensive.
Pick your Hosting Server (Windows / Linux)
Nearly all web servers can host static websites. However, when it comes to web application sites, one can widely pick among Windows or Linux Hosting, which varies on the user’s comfort level and requirements.
- Windows Hosting
Windows Hosting is known for its compatibility with Microsoft SQL Server and Access database, this kind of hosting enables operating ASP scripts and other sets of technologies that come under Microsoft.
- Linux Hosting
This kind of hosting is widely used in the current date as it generally supports MySQL and PostgreSQL databases and enables running scripts in Unix-originated languages such as Python, Perl, PHP among others.
Linux Hosting can be an affordable and better option if your website isn’t needed for any scripting.
Pick Your Web Hosting
- Shared Hosting: In shared Hosting, a single server is shared between several websites. Here, All resources such as storage, bandwidth, disk space, etc are shared between various websites.
- VPS Hosting: In other terms, we call it Virtual Private Server Hosting. With the help of the software Hypervisor, a single physical server is partitioned into various smaller virtual servers. It is similar to a bridge that connects a Dedicated and Shared hosting server for web hosting.
- Dedicated Hosting: In Dedicated Server Hosting, you can manage and host your website on the server without sharing server space with any other website. Here you get total control over your hosting server. If you are utilizing a dedicated server then your website will load faster than VPS or shared hosting.
- Reseller Hosting: Reseller Hosting, If you are planning to begin your own hosting business, it will assist you in managing your customer easily. With the help of reseller hosting, you can design your own plans and packages then you sell it to your customer by keeping a profit margin. At 10GB Hosting, you will find both Linux Reseller Hosting and Windows Reseller Hosting.
Pick Your Web Hosting Plans
Looking for the perfect hosting plan for your website is the highest priority. Factors such as your overall budget should be transparent by this period and taken into attention.
Few other factors that should be looked at widely before you conclude a hosting plan for yourself are:
- Uptime: Pick a hosting provider that offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Customer Support: Look for hosting options that come with 24/7 support through phone and live chat.
- Bandwidth: The kind of Bandwidth that your plan provides can play a very vital role in the overall functionality of your website. However, the bandwidth depends on your website’s needs. So choose accordingly.
- Renewal Rates: When you are going for an ideal hosting plan, make sure it offers everything that your website needs in an economical or cost-friendly package.
Change Your DNS Address
DNS or Domain Name Server is just like a directory of IP Addresses. On finalizing your web hosting service to get your website live and running, you require to change the server names of your Domain.
It simply takes some steps to accomplish this process.
- Navigate to the Control Panel of your domain.
- Choose the Domain name for which you want to change the Name servers.
- Proceed to the Name Servers option and update the new Name Servers provided by the hosting provider.
UPLOAD YOUR WEBSITE
Now your website is ready to be uploaded and go live. You can do so by linking to the server either with the help of an FTP Client or the File Manager of your Control Panel.