First of all, a web hosting or a web host what is it and what is it for?
Web hosting is a storage space that will allow you to store (host) your website. But not only that, in this storage space nothing prevents you from storing files, videos or any other file. Imagine hosting as land and that 1000m2 is the equivalent of 100gb, in the area of 1000m2, you will be able to build your house and use your land as you see fit. In a 100gb hosting, you will be able to build your website or websites there. Knowing that a classic website will occupy no more than 1 GB in our example, you will still have a lot of space available.
Dedicated or shared server
A shared server is a set of computers that will manage a set of websites. This server will share all of these resources (memory, space, etc.) between the different websites that it is asked to manage. It’s a bit like renting an apartment in a building. The shared server is the building and your website is an apartment in this building. If you take the elevator with your neighbours, you will probably take more time to arrive at the door of your apartment, because the resources of your building are limited in a number of elevators. Your website is going to have the same resource constraints.
A dedicated server is a set of computers that you rent alone. All resources will be allocated to your website or websites. It is as if you are renting an empty piece of land and building your personal hosting there. And so you’re going to have all the resources for your website.
But then, how do you choose between a dedicated and shared server?
A shared server is perfect to start with because the cost is much cheaper and the capacity of resources is more than enough for showcase sites or sites with relatively moderate traffic.
A dedicated server is much more expensive and the performance on your site will be much higher than a shared server. For example, the display time of your website will be increased. In addition, this type of server can support more traffic on your website. Generally, we will switch to this type of service for walking sites with very high traffic and a very large database.
Currently, most of the offers that you will find are shared hosting. If you want a dedicated server, you will probably have to contact the sales teams to switch to this type of service.
What is a domain name?
The domain name is sort of the web address of your website, much like your home mailing address. It is through this address that your customers will find you. Most web hosts offer to sell you the domain name at the same time as hosting space.
If you already have your domain name. You can usually ask your host to repatriate your domain name. The advantage is that the host will manage your domain name and the hosting space. You can also just take hosting and keep your domain name provider and point the domain name to the hosting. This requires technical skills; I advise you to call a provider if it is too complicated for you.
Services linked to email accounts.
Most web hosts offer services that link to email accounts with your domain name. In the same way that they host your website, they will host your email account. If your domain name is “DMTwebhosting.com” you may have emails ending with @ DMTwebhosting.com. Example: contact@ DMTwebhosting.com or your_name@ DMTwebhosting.com. Generally, the email service is provided but in a limited number of email creation. Check the conditions carefully and choose the service that suits you best according to your structure and your needs.
The database (usually in Mysql5)
A database will make it possible to collect the data of your site which will be called by your website. A database is a bit like a recipe binder. When you find a recipe you like, you archive it in your filing cabinet. And the day you need to make or redo the recipe, you use your workbook to remember the ingredients … A recipe in our case is a website and the workbook is web hosting.
In the offers of the hosts when it is indicated 1 database in the offer of hosting this means that you have the possibility of creating 1 dynamic website with a database.
It is possible to create websites without a database, but this is becoming increasingly rare, especially with the arrival of CMSs such as WordPress, which need a database to launch the installation of the CMS and therefore to create a website (even for a showcase site).
If your goal is to create a single website, a database is enough. On the other hand, if you want to create several websites, look for the offers having the possibility of creating several databases.
Technical service availability and cost
A significant point is the quality of technical after-sales service if you are not very technical. Take a good look at the cost of technical assistance, the cost of the call, the availability of the hotline or simply whether an online forum or frequently asked question (FAQ) section is very intuitive for you.
Additional services of a web hosting
All the hosts offer more or less identical services with technical concepts quite complex for the uninitiated.
Most offer services:
- Server security
- Backup system
- Unlimited traffic
- Space of 100gb and more
- HTTPS certificate (security imposed by google)
- FTP access (the protocol used for data transfer, a bit like transferring data from your computer to an external hard drive).
- Easy WordPress type CMS installations
To conclude, my advice is to compare the offers and choose web hosting according to your needs. Sounds like obvious advice, but write it down for those who will need it.
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