What is web hosting?

Web hosting and design on Mac computers

Web hosting is one of the most important aspects of a website. As a host, Gecko plays a major role in how fast our client’s websites are delivered to their visitors. In general, hosting customers store their files: images, HTML, etc., on servers in datacentres. Files visitors want the ability to access at any time of day or night. When a request is made via browser the files are served (or not served) at lightning speed, which is why choosing a web host is one of the most meaningful decisions you will make for your website.

The Different Types Of Hosting

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared web hosting is commonly referred to as “web hosting.” Shared web hosting is affordable because it is just that, shared. Typically, a VPS or dedicated server hosts hundreds of small sites at a time, which can have mixed results during peak hours depending on the host. On the bright side, with a shared site, the operating system and hardware are all preconfigured and installed professionally. The work is done for you. Not a lot of technical skill is required allowing you to focus on the nuts and bolts of your website.

What is VPS Hosting?

VPS is the next step up from shared hosting. In this scenario, however, the dedicated server is only divided up into a couple dozen VPS “containers.” This compared to several hundred separate shared sites as in the example above. The difference is a VPS has root access to the OS and far more allocated server resources: CPU, RAM, etc. The VPS is a great stepping stone from shared hosting to dedicated hosting and was created for just this purpose where price and resources are concerned.

What is Dedicated Hosting?

With dedicated hosting, the hosting company builds the servers and is responsible for hardware failure and physical upgrades within the datacentre. However, the client is responsible for the server environment, which is pretty much everything else. A server admin must access and maintain the operating system, software, and websites remotely. This can be a great challenge, especially when you are running a business. The plus side being complete control, privacy, and increased server resources.

Why Web Hosting Is So Important

It’s nice having a slick web design that looks attractive, along with brilliant marketing ideas that get your brand out there, but none of it matters unless your website is hosted by a reliable company.

A good web hosting provider is extremely important and can be the difference between your business succeeding or failing.

Your Website Won’t Be Available When It Really Matters

For starters, if you are paying the bare minimum every month just to keep your website online then the chances are your site will be offline more than it is online. This is commonplace if you are specifically paying for web hosting just because it is cheap. Too many web hosts out there oversell their shared hosting resources as doorbusters. Consequently, your website will suffer.

Downtime Directly Impacts Your Business

During a period of downtime, your website is inaccessible to online visitors. When your website goes offline, people are unable to seek information or make purchases. Every minute your site is down could mean losing another potential customer or subscriber. It can also make your business appear unreliable and have a negative impact on your reputation and SEO ranking.

Lightening Fast Websites Matter

Picking a good web host is especially important when it comes to response times and loading speed. The patience of most website visitors in 2023 is nil at best. Prospective clients may end up looking for services elsewhere if they grow tired of waiting.

Email Connected to Website

Most people maintain separate email accounts for personal and business use. This helps to keep correspondence organized and tidy. It also makes your business address stand out and more memorable because it uses the same domain name as your website.

The Support You Need

It’s important to have a web host that is always there when you need support.

A good web hosting provider will have multiple support channels for you to choose from: chat, email, phone, ticket, etc. So, you can get in contact with them whenever and however you wish. Here at Gecko Host, we take pride in our customer service.

Loss of Data

It’s when, not if! Data loss happens. Whether it’s hardware failure, data corruption, or an act of God, a good host will be prepared and have a data recovery plan in place.

These are just some of the many reasons why it’s important to choose a reliable host to serve your website. Otherwise, your website may go down, and your business with it!

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