What The Heck Is A Webhost & Why Do I Need One?

WHAT IS WEB HOSTING?

Web hosting is a service that allows you to post a website onto the Internet.  A web host is a company that provides Internet space and connectivity. It allows you to  remotely lease/purchase web servers to use for your website. It basically acts as a liaison between your site and the web.

If you use wordpress.org for your blog or website, you'll need a web hosting service.

WHAT THE HECK IS A WEB SERVER?

A web server is a computer that uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to deliver web pages to users. For someone to view your site, all they have to do is type in your domain (website address) into their browser. This sends the info to the server that they are connecting to your website, and it will then display your web pages on their browser.

TYPES OF WEB HOSTING

Shared Hosting

• Cheap
• Easy to use
• Maintenance provided by hosting service
• Fewer options and flexibility
• Connection can be slow due to amount of sites on the hosting service

Virtual Private Servers

• Quick to set up
• Easy to upgrade
• Requires more knowledge than with shared hosting
• Connection can be slow due to amount of pages

Dedicated Hosting

• Large amount of disk space and bandwidth
• 100% administrative access and flexibility
• Most expensive
• Requires high levels of knowledge

WHAT WEB HOST SHOULD YOU USE?

If you decide to use BlueHost, check out my step-by-step guide for setting up your account and linking it to WordPress.