What Is Web Hosting?

A fast, user-friendly website is essential to running a successful small business in the internet age. And before any small business can publish their website, they’ll need to find a web hosting provider to store their website data. Here’s what every small-business owner should know about web hosting companies and the various types of web hosting available today.

Web hosting is a service that enables an organization or individual to publish a live website on the internet. Web hosting providers store website files on a server, which allows users to access the website from any web browser.

Any website available on the internet today is hosted on a server. And though small businesses may opt to host their own website, that route is typically more expensive and time-consuming than paying for a web hosting service.

Web hosts offer secure, stable servers for companies and individuals to store their website files. When an individual wants to access the website, they simply type in the website domain name into their web browser. At this point, their computer connects to the web host’s server. The server sends the stored files to the display, and the user can engage with the website.

Web hosting and domain names are two terms that are often tied together, but they are distinct services. Web hosting is a service that makes a website accessible on the internet, while a domain name is simply the website address. These two services work hand in hand—without a domain name, a user wouldn’t be able to visit the website, even if it was hosted on a server.

Web hosts offer a variety of web hosting services, each with their own pros and cons. Here are a few of the most common types of web hosting services small businesses use.

1. Shared hosting. With shared hosting, many different companies’ websites reside on one server. This option is popular and affordable but doesn’t offer the highest quality user experience.
2. Virtual private servers. Also known as VPS, this type of hosting also stores several websites on one server. However, these websites get dedicated space on the server and have their own resources, delivering better performance.
3. Dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting reserves one server for one website, minimizing security and performance issues. (But this option comes at a higher cost.)
4. Managed hosting. Small-business owners who choose managed hosting will get their own server, but it doesn’t come with the same administrative options allowed with dedicated hosting.
5. Cloud hosting. Cloud hosting cuts down costs and minimizes risks by storing website files across multiple servers.

Every website requires a server to store its data files, and web hosting is a reliable, affordable way to accomplish this. Small-business owners can usually save time and money by paying a web hosting provider to store their website files, rather than hosting on their own server. Today’s most popular web hosting companies offer fast uptimes, 24/7 support, and unmatched reliability.

Would you like to learn more about web hosting? Check out Business.org’s 13 Best Small-Business Web Hosting Providers of 2021.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.