Before creating your website and thinking about its content, you have to go through an essential step: hosting. The choice of hosting is, along with the choice of the domain name, the first step in creating a website.
There are many players in the market. Not easy to choose your web hosting … How to choose? And above all, how much does hosting a website really cost? The answers in this article.
Cost of web hosting
The costs of hosting a website can vary, ranging from 1.99 USD per month to 100 USD or even more. The cost depends on various factors, such as the type of site you have, the number of visitors you expect to receive per month, and whether you need additional services, such as automatic backups and an email address.
Knowing what type of website, you want to create – or currently operate – makes it easier to determine what type of hosting you need. You will also need to determine the level of service required.
For a simple WordPress blog, for example, you can start with a low-cost shared hosting service. Once this blog gains more popularity, it will require a more robust type of hosting, with unlimited possibilities for bandwidth or storage.
The 5 types of accommodation
There are 5 types of web hosting that meet different needs. As you can imagine, the better the hosting, the more expensive it will be.
Shared hosting
It is web hosting for beginners. If you have a very low traffic website with a static page or a WordPress blog, this is the best option. Shared hosting is often the cheapest form of web hosting, but also the least robust because your website shares the resources of a single server.
VPS hosting
Hosting on a virtual private server, or VPS hosting is the next step after shared hosting. The big difference is that a priori, you have your own server. In reality, your site still shares a single server, but fewer sites are sharing resources. The performance of your site is therefore better.
Dedicated hosting
With dedicated hosting, you pay for your own server. Typically, these services are prioritized based on the power of your server and whether the host manages the service or you manage it internally. Dedicated hosting providers don’t always offer managed services.
Cloud hosting
You must have heard of the “cloud”, a nebulous term that describes online services such as Dropbox or OneDrive. It is actually a cluster of servers working together so that a web service never or rarely goes down. Cloud hosting, therefore, allows your website to remain operational. If one server goes down, another takes over, etc. As you can imagine, cloud hosting isn’t a cheap solution, but if you can’t afford a few hours offline, it might be the best solution.
WordPress hosting
Before going any further, it should be clarified that you can run a WordPress site on just about any web hosting service. WordPress hosting is not mandatory for WordPress sites but provides a service tailored to the needs of these sites. This includes key features like 24/7 support and automated backups or other things you can’t get with standard shared hosting.
Hosting a website: how much does it cost?
Now that you know the different types of accommodation, it’s time to take a look at the price. Most of the prices you will see here are entry prices, that is, you pay a specific price over a number of months or years. After your promotional period ends, your monthly costs may increase.
The price of shared Web Hosting
Shared hosting is the first step in web hosting. A hosting rate is one thing, but there are often “hidden” costs that you might not think about until you are up and running. Beyond the cost of hosting, you need to own a domain name, for example. Sometimes your domain name registration is included in your hosting package, while other times you have to use a specialized platform.
Registering a domain name
Costs an average of 10 to 15 dollars per year.
When you operate a website, you need a domain name. This is the web address shown on your business cards and other company marketing materials. Most people go for a .com domain name, but you can also choose a .net, .biz, or country-specific suffixes, such as .pk or .us.
The registration of a domain name involves additional costs, particularly the protection of privacy, which prevents your name and address from appearing in public lists.
It should also be noted that keeping your domain name with your web hosting provider is not always the best choice. If you want to leave your web host, it’s easier to register your domain with services like DMTwebhosting because you avoid the hassle (and potential costs) of moving your domain to another registrar.
Office 365 or Google Suite
Adding business emails and software suites typically cost $ 6 to $ 15 per month.
Not all hosts offer this service, but a number of hosts allow you to purchase work accounts for G Suite (Google) or Office 365 at a good price. This allows you to have your business email in Gmail or Outlook.com.
SSL certificates
From free to $ 450 per year, with an average price of around $ 50
When you have an SSL certificate, a small lock appears in your browser’s address bar, next to your web address. This is essential for any web page dealing with financial transactions or where users need to log in. Many websites choose to use SSL even though they only have simple pages displaying information, as Google often prefers sites that use SSL.
Nowadays, most web hosts provide free SSL certificates with their mid to high-level offerings. However, keep in mind that if you have the technical know-how, you can get a free SSL certificate through Let’s Encrypt.
SiteLock type security tool
Costs an average of $ 24 per year.
Not all web hosts offer the added security of SiteLock as part of their services, but those that do charge around $ 2 per month. SiteLock offers daily scans for malware, web application firewalls, and DDoS attack protection. Some hosts also offer SiteLock services for free as part of their offerings.
Automated site backup and restore services
Website backups with web hosts are often free but can cost $ 2 per month or more.
Just like your personal computer at home, it’s useful to back up your files somewhere other than your web server in case the worst happens. Some plans include free backups, while others may charge you a restore fee if your data goes missing.
Remember, you can save your site yourself, but it usually requires a bit of technical know-how. You also need to manage your backups to make sure they work and that you copy them correctly.
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