What is Web Hosting?

When building a dream house, you need land and a reliable land contractor. Similarly, web hosting is like the land where you create your online world for a business or a personal brand. 

Web hosting is an invisible powerhouse that makes sure your visitors can see what you have been building on your website. It is how the traffic on your website can access you at any time of day. 

Let’s break web hosting down into everything you need to understand to get your site up and running smoothly.

What is Web Hosting?

Websites are made up of files like:

• Images
• Texts
• Code

The files require storage so that when someone browses your website, the computer connects to the server where the files are stored.

If your domain name is your digital address, then the files on the websites are like the furniture and decor in a house. So think of web hosting like the land on which you build your website on. 

Without hosting, your website would be “homeless”, meaning there would be nothing to see when visitors browse your address. 

To have a land where you can build or develop, you need to purchase it from the land authorities. After purchasing, you can now use the land as you please and build any kind of house or structure you want. 

Just like land leasing and building houses, web hosting works the same. There are providers with the technical capacity to have servers that can host websites. You need to purchase a hosting package from the providers.

In some cases, there is the option of having your own servers to host your website. However, this requires huge resources and technical capabilities and can be quite expensive. 

If you have a business, blog, or corporation, you can purchase a hosting package that suits all your needs. Having a web hosting provider is an easy and budget-friendly option compared to having your servers.

How Does Web Hosting Work?

Let’s break down how web hosting works in simple terms:

Websites and Files

Your website has:

• HTML/CSS files for the structure and design
• Images, videos, and documents: this is your website’s content
• Scripts & databases for functionality, like login forms or shopping carts

The files need a secure place of storage so that when visitors browse your site, they can view everything you have built. 

Webhosting

You need a web hosting provider with reliable services to function smoothly. If you want a hosting package, these are some of the reliable hosting providers: Truehost Hosting, Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Hostinger. 

The hosting companies have servers that can host many websites without compromising the quality of services. 

Like leasing land, there are rules that you should follow to keep the service. For example, most hosting providers require hosting renewal within a specified time limit.

You Domain

Web hosting and domain names are co-dependent. To have a functioning website, you cannot dispense with either. 

When you have web hosting, you have a place where you can store files for people to access. When you have a domain name, you have an address that guides traffic to your site. Without either, you would be missing a vital part of having a digital presence. 

Here’s how it works:

• A visitor types your domain into their browser and sends a request to the Domain Name System (DNS).
• The DNS directs them to your website hosting server 
• The server then delivers your website’s files to the visitor’s browser.

Visitor Sees the Website

After browsing and DNS requests, your visitor sees the files on the website in their browser. This process might seem complex and long, but it only takes milliseconds, from typing a domain name to having files displayed on the browser.

Types of Web Hosting

Every website meets the different needs and goals of a business or brand. The varying needs also translate to diverse hosting needs. Some of the hosting packages you may come across are:

Shared Hosting

If you are looking for basic and affordable hosting for a website, shared hosting is a great option for you. In shared hoisting, multiple websites share: 

• CPU
• RAM
• Storage
• Same server resources

When your website has shared hosting, it’s like the website lives in an apartment where it gets to have its own space but shares some common resources with other websites.

Pros

• It is a budget option, featuring the cheapest prices
• You do not need technical skills to manage it
• Features a simple setup that is beginner-friendly
• You don’t need to maintain and update servers

Cons 

• Shared servers can result in slow speeds when there is a spike in traffic for other sites.
• Limited resources for high-traffic sites
• Possible security issues if other websites are not secure

You can get shared hosting for:

• A personal blog
• Portfolio
• Small business
• Students testing

Truehost SA offers a perfect shared hosting plan for only R35/month (hosts 10 websites, 30 GB SSD, ~25,000 visits monthly). You can also opt for the WebHosting Unlimited: R500/month (unlimited websites, unmetered SSD storage).

VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server)

If your website demands need a bigger hosting plan, but you are not ready to do a complete private hosting due to resource constraints, VPS hosting is perfect for you.

VPS hhosting is the middle ground between shared and private hosting. It is where several websites share a physical server but each website has a private portion of resources. 

Think of VPS hosting like having a private condo in a shared building. It is a good hosting option for: 

• Medium Traffic blogs
• Growing businesses
• E-commerce stores
• Developers requiring custom configurations

Pros 

• You can customize your server settings
• Features advanced security
• You can upgrade as your website grows
• Has better performance

Cons

• Needs some technical expertise to manage
• Expensive compared to shared hosting
• Still shares a physical server

Truehost offers several VPS hosting plans for varying needs: 

1. Cloud VPS 1: R98.80/month:

1 vCPU core, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD storage, 1TB transfer

2. Cloud VPS 2: R180/month:

2 vCPU cores, 4 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD storage, 10TB transfer

3. Cloud VPS 3: R600/month:

4 vCPU cores, 8 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD storage, 25TB transfer

All VPS hosting packages are Linux-based and hosted in Europe/USA data centers.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting offers you a whole server just for your website. Just like owning an entire mansion, with dedicated hosting, you do not share resources like in VPS and shared hosting plans. 

Dedicated hosting is perfect for:

• Gaming servers
• SAAS apps
• Large eCommerce stores
• Huge traffic media sites
• Enterprise businesses

Pros

• Super performance
• Fast loading speeds; great for SEO
• High security 
• Complete control over customizing settings

Cons

• Requires experts to manage
• Its expensive

If you need dedicated hosting in South Africa and beyond, Truehost offers: 

1. H1 Dedicated Server: R1,300/month:

4 cores / 8 threads vCPU @3.5 GHz, 32 GB RAM, 2 x 240 GB SSD, 1 IP, Germany data center

2. H2 Dedicated Server: R1,600/month:

4 cores / 8 threads vCPU @3.5 GHz, 32 GB RAM, 2 x 512 GB SSD, 1 IP, Germany data center

3. H3 Dedicated Server: R2,400/month:

6 cores / 12 threads vCPU @3.5 GHz, 64 GB RAM, 2 x 2 TB SSD, 1 IP, Germany data center

All dedicated hosting plans run Linux OS.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is when you spread your website on multiple interconnected servers. Cloud hosting ensures that if one server fails, another one takes over on time. 

So, instead of relying on one server, you can have multiples to have your back in case one fails. Cloud hosting is a good option for: 

• Websites experiencing unpredictable traffic
• Startups expecting rapid growth
• Apps that need high availability

Pros 

• Easy to add more resources during heavy traffic
• You only pay for what you use
• Narrowed chances of failure
• Has faster loading times

Cons

• Unexpected cost variables
• Can be complex to set up
• Limited control in managing

If you want cloud hosting for your business, Truehost offers Managed Cloud Hosting with these plans and prices in South African Rand (ZAR):

1. Cloud Starter: R160/month:

1 vCPU core, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD storage, 1TB transfer, unlimited sites and emails, dedicated IP

2. Cloud Pro: R320/month:

2 vCPU cores, 4 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD storage, 10TB transfer, unlimited sites and emails, dedicated IP

3. Cloud Business: R720/month:

4 vCPU cores, 8 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD storage, 25TB transfer, unlimited sites and emails, dedicated IP

All cloud hosting plans run Linux with custom control panel, hosted in Europe/USA data centers.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting is a special hosting that has optimization for WordPress websites. It features: auto updates, performance improvements, and enhanced security. 

WordPress hosting is an amazing option for:

• WordPress blogs
• WooCommerce stores
• Small business websites using WordPress

Pros

• Features optimized servers for WordPress websites
• No manual updates needed
• Has enhanced security features like malware scanners
• Expert support for troubleshooting

Cons

• Plugins restrictions
• Only for WordPress websites

Who Needs Web Hosting?

Businesses

Every business needs a website to solidify its digital presence. A good website with reliable hosting improves professionalism and visibility. You need web hosting if you have:

• A local business, like a restaurant or a supermarket, for visibility
• An E-commerce store requiring hosting for product listings and checkout systems
• Service provider business, such as a consultancy, to attract clients
• A corporation for digital operations

Content Creators

Whether you are a video content creator or a blogger, you need hosting to build your brand. For example, lifestyle, tech, and any content creator in other niches needs a website to publish content regularly. 

With a good hosting plan, you can monetize your content through ads and create an email list for brand outreach. 

Non-Profit Organizations

A good web hosting plan allows NGOs and community organizations to share: 

• The mission
• Receive donations
• Coordinate volunteers
• Share dates for events

Freelance Professionals

The best way to showcase skills as a freelance professional is by having a web portfolio. You need web hosting to have a professional website that you can use during cold pitching. 

Having hosting also allows you to build a website where you can share your testimonials and work you have done before for professional growth.

Learners 

If you are a learner, you need web hosting that can allow you to create an academic portfolio, test business ideas, or coding ideas. You can also use a website to help you explore different career ideas. 

How to Choose the Ideal Hosting Plan

You can use the following tips when choosing your next hosting plan:

Know our Needs

You need to know what kind of website you want to build before choosing a hosting plan. The type of website you are building heavily determines your hosting needs. 

For example, if you are building a blog, you can start with a shared hosting plan and scale up when traffic begins to get heavy.

Before choosing your plan, ask yourself:

• What are the objectives of my website?
• How fast do I expect the website to grow?
• Will I sell any digital products?

Determine the Expected Traffic

Traffic volume is an essential factor of consideration when choosing a hosting plan. For example, medium traffic of 10K – 50K visits a month can use a VPS hosting plan, while lower traffic can use a simple shared hosting plan. 

If you are uncertain about the traffic, you can use cloud hosting and expand as the need for resources grows.

Budget

Determine your budget and work with a hosting plan within it. Before selecting a hosting plan or a hosting provider, do thorough research about every fee you need to pay.

Also, do not just consider the introductory fee. Also, calculate the renewal fee to get a concise figure of how much you will be paying for the hosting.

Beware of hosting providers who offer a seductive introductory fee but hang you pockets dry when it comes to renewal fees.

Scalability

Every website has the potential to expand. Consider whether your hosting can grow with your business. Also, determine whether your hosting provider provides a seamless transition in case you need to upgrade or even downgrade your package.

Final Take On Web Hosting

Webhosting is where you build your online world. It allows you to have a place to store all the content, information, products, and share your values and goals with your website visitors. 

Key takeaways:

• Web hosting stores your site’s files so that people can see them
• Different types of hosting serve diverse needs using their varying capacities
• You need to consider what you want to build and budget when choosing web hosting
• Every online business or brand needs web hosting
• You need a domain name and web hosting to build a website