Tech Tuesday: Hosting
On Instagram, a few weeks ago I talked about SSL. I realized that I may have put the cart before the horse, because some entrepreneurs, bloggers or Youtubers/ readers may not understand what hosting is.
What is it?
Hosting is like rent for your website. For people to see your beautiful site when they type in your domain name (website name) you have to pay hosting.Example: To see Facebook when you type in facebook.com they have to pay for hosting.
What happens if you don't have it?
People will NOT be able to see your website. They will get error message. You will potentially loose business.
What should it include?
The ideal hosting package would provide:
- Access to the Cpanel
- Website Builder (even if it is very basic)
- Ability to download apps, like Wordpress
- SSL (Some providers do include SSL so you don't have to worry about it at all)
- Tech Support
- An email address or 10
Who is the best provider?
I have been trying to figure this out for the last 2 years. I worked at Web.com for 2 years and talked with thousands of customers that went back and forth between Web, GoDaddy, Hostgator and Bluehost.The best hosting provider would be the one that fits your budget and specific needs.A landing page will have completely different needs from an online boutique with 20 different product categories.
Stand Alone Vs. Included Hosting?
If this all sounds like a foreign language and is giving you a headache just go for the Included hosting.With included hosting all of the tech stuff like updates and security measures are done for you. You can rest easy.It may cost you more upfront initially, but it will save you time.Was this helpful? Lookout for future posts about the different hosting providers I've used for clients :)Best,Erica