Anyone who wants to get a website online needs to go through a web host. So, what is web hosting? Web hosting is a service that stores your website's data on a server so it's accessible on the internet. This data can come in the form of text, images, videos and more.
When you pay for web hosting, you're not paying for a website. You're paying for your website to be hosted by the company offering the service. For example, our clients pay us to host their websites online.
If it seems a bit confusing, you're in the right place. This beginner's guide takes you through how hosting works and what it all means. When you're ready to compare plans, see our web hosting page.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is renting space from a web host provider to make your data accessible on the internet. Let's use an analogy to explain this.
If you wanted to build a house, before you could start you would need an open area of land. That's because the house occupies space. So, before you get all your materials for your house, you'd find the perfect piece of land.
To become the owner of a piece of land, you'll need to purchase it from the proper authorities. After you purchase it, you'll have a vacant plot of land. Once the land is yours, you can build any kind of house you like. Naturally, the bigger the plot the more options you have.
Even though you own the plot, you still have to follow the rules that apply to it. As long as you operate within those rules, your house won't be a problem. If you break them, you could lose your house.
Web hosting works the same way.
Web hosting companies like us have plenty of vacant plots available on what we call servers. Think of servers as powerful computers made especially for hosting websites.
For you to use a vacant plot, we'd rent it to you first. Once you have a vacant plot (server space), you can start to build your house (website).
This is the practical way to have a website on the internet. You use web hosting from a web hosting provider. You can't have a website without web hosting, the same way you can't have a house without land.
If you have enough technical skill and money, you can get all the hardware and software to host a site yourself. It's an expensive option, so it's not the solution for everyone, but it's possible.
It takes many hours and a lot of money to make it happen, and it's rarely worth it for a single website, so we wouldn't suggest it. Finding a reliable web host is the best way to go for most people.
How does web hosting work?
Now that you know what web hosting is, let's get into how it works.
A website is made up of a set of files that sit on a physical computer called a server. A server has RAM, storage space and network bandwidth like a normal computer, but it's built for a different job.
It's far more powerful than a normal computer. That's why a single server can host many websites at a time without any trouble.
When someone wants to visit your website, the server sends your website files to the visitor. Their browser then loads the files and the website starts to appear.
Websites with large files, or a lot of them, take longer to load. The whole process usually takes only a few seconds, but more files can make it slower.
Servers differ from home computers in one other key way: they're built to run around the clock. A server doesn't switch off at night, so your website stays accessible to your visitors.
Getting a domain for your website
There's one other key part of the web hosting process. Visitors need to know the address of the website they want to visit.
The server can only send a website's files once a browser asks for them. The tricky thing is that browsers and servers talk to each other using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. They ask each other for information using numbers instead of words.
Since we don't speak in numbers, we need a system that lets computers find information using words. This system is the Domain Name System (DNS). It's basically the phonebook of the internet.
It holds a massive list of names that match specific IP addresses. We call the names people use for their websites domain names. For example, Google is matched to 142.251.32.46, which is one of its IP addresses. So, when you enter google.com into a browser, DNS tells the browser which server to ask.
That's where your domain name comes in. If you don't have a domain name, people won't know how to reach your website. They could enter your IP address, but have you ever typed an IP address to visit a website?
To make your website accessible to people, you need a domain name. A business in Egypt might choose a name like yourbusiness.eg. HostAfrica sells .eg domains, as well as .com, .africa and many other extensions. Our Web Hosting plans also include a free .africa domain when it's the primary domain for the hosting account. It renews each year at the normal price.
If you want to learn more about the part DNS plays, read our guide on how to set up DNS.
Who needs web hosting?
Anyone who plans to start a website needs web hosting. Think of our house analogy. You could design the most magnificent house in your mind. If you want it to be a reality, however, it needs to occupy a space in the world.
Websites are good investments if you're looking to reach people beyond a small circle. They work well for almost any venture or idea. Here are a few examples.
- Online store
- Business website
- Portfolio
- Resume and CV
- Blog
- Learning hub
- Social media hub
- Online scrapbook
- Online diary
The possibilities are vast, and they open the door to plenty of opportunities. A website with your portfolio and CV will look a lot more professional than a Word or PDF document.
As with our house analogy, one size does not fit all. Different kinds of hosting suit different needs. Some people want a big house, some people want a small house with a big yard, and so on.
Depending on your hosting needs, some hosting packages will suit you better than others.
Different types of web hosting services
There are quite a few hosting packages available to you. A general rule of thumb is to start with the smallest package that fits. For most hosting companies, that's standard web hosting. You can upgrade to a package with more server resources once your traffic increases.
Let's take a look at the different kinds of hosting, so you know what suits your business, project or venture best.
Shared web hosting
Shared web hosting is when your website shares space on a server with other websites. Think of an apartment building. Everyone has a flat in the building, but the building itself does not belong to any of the tenants.
This is the simplest form of web hosting for most people looking to get a website online. Shared hosting is ideal for smaller websites and for small to medium businesses.
It doesn't need much upkeep and it's the lowest-cost way to get online. If you're just starting out, we'd recommend you start with a shared hosting package.
HostAfrica shared hosting isolates each account with CageFS and includes free Let's Encrypt SSL.
Pros
- Low cost
- Barely any technical skill required
- Server is already configured for you
- No server maintenance is required
Cons
- No say on server settings or configuration
- No admin access
Virtual private server (VPS) hosting
VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting in the sense that many people use the same physical server. The difference is that they don't share resources. Each VPS user gets a set share of the server's resources. We call this creating a virtual partition for each user.
Let's use a housing complex analogy to explain. Instead of renting a flat in an apartment building, you buy a house in a housing complex or gated community. The houses around you are all part of the complex.
Whatever happens in someone else's house doesn't affect you, because everyone has their own house. You still have access to the shared facilities like gyms, parks and pools.
So, with VPS hosting your resources are only for you. It's like having your own server where you don't have to share resources with anyone else. In that sense it's similar to dedicated hosting, which we'll cover in a bit.
VPS hosting is a great option for medium-sized online stores or websites that get plenty of traffic.
Pros
- Good value for the resources you get
- Scalable
- More isolated than shared hosting
- Traffic and issues on other people's websites have no bearing on your resources
- Highly customisable
Cons
- You need technical skill to manage it
- Costs more than shared hosting
- You may need to hire an expert to help you run it, which adds to the cost
Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting is similar to VPS hosting, but your site runs across a network of connected servers instead of a single machine. If one server has a problem, another can take over.
Cloud hosting suits large websites, or several websites, that have many moving parts to keep them running.
One of the biggest perks is scalability. You can usually add resources quickly when your traffic grows, and remove them again when you no longer need them.
Our house analogy struggles a bit with this kind of hosting, but imagine this scenario. You have a house on an island. If you need more space or another house, you can make the island bigger. The main idea is that you're isolated, and you can grow.
Pros
- Lots of scalability and flexibility
- Less downtime from a single hardware failure
- Resources can grow with your traffic
Cons
- Usually costs more than shared and VPS hosting
- Costs can be harder to predict if you pay for what you use
Dedicated server hosting
Dedicated server hosting is having an entire server all to yourself. Since the whole server is yours, you can configure it any way you want. That includes installing the software and operating system you prefer.
All these perks come with a hefty price tag. So, dedicated hosting usually suits websites with heavy traffic. The other side of that coin is that you need experts to help you manage it.
Because maintaining a server is such a big task, you'll need technically skilled people. Even if you know how to maintain one yourself, it takes so much work that you won't have time for much else.
Imagine having a neighbourhood all to yourself. That's what dedicated hosting is, essentially. All the land, houses, roads and whatever is in between. With all that ownership comes plenty of responsibility as well.
Watering the grass, fixing the roads, painting the houses, the works. A dedicated server is not a one-person job. You should only consider it if you have a team of people with you.
To weigh the two ends of the hosting spectrum, read our guide on shared hosting vs dedicated servers.
Pros
- Very reliable hosting solution
- Root access and maximum customisability
- Excellent flexibility and scalability
- Complete control over the configuration
Cons
- You need to be technically skilled or have a sysadmin on your team
- Needs more maintenance
- Hefty price tag
Reseller hosting
This is a special kind of hosting that's different from all the others mentioned so far. Reseller hosting is when you get space on a server and then rent that space to other people. In a sense, you're becoming a web host yourself.
You can use reseller hosting to sell hosting and domains to your own clients. It's more of a business venture than just having a website online.
You'll use part of your server space to host your own website. The rest of the space is yours to sell. You can divide it as you see fit, creating packages the way we create ours.
Think of it as buying a big plot of land and building a big house on it. You then divide the house into separate rooms and rent the rooms to people. The more rooms you rent, the more houses you can buy over time.
With time and hard work, you could eventually own the whole neighbourhood.
Remember that your big house still forms part of the neighbourhood, so it has to follow the rules. Within those rules, however, you have free rein.
If you're interested, our guide on how to host websites for clients walks you through the first steps.
Pros
- Server space costs you less than the hosting you sell
- An additional income opportunity
- Extra admin features compared to normal hosting
- Little technical knowledge required
Cons
- The web host you buy server space from has a direct impact on your business
- It's hard work
- You need some technical knowledge
- It can be competitive
How to choose the best web hosting provider for you
Now you know the different kinds of hosting available to you. Let's go over how to pick the best hosting provider for you.
Web hosting is usually a long-term plan. Few people want a website for less than six months or a year. Even when a site isn't very active, people tend to hold onto it. That way they can come back later and pick up where they left off.
As a website grows and gets more traffic, its owner will want to upgrade or scale the hosting plan. It may be different for you, but this is generally how it goes.
So, when choosing a web host, look for a company that provides quality products with room to scale. It should have a range of products so you can scale up or down if you need to.
There are free web hosting options as well. They generally won't match up to paid shared hosting plans, however. They usually lack the timely technical support that you need with web hosting.
Having quick expert support is probably one of the most important requirements for web hosting.
Issues will always come up on a website. That's the nature of hosting, because there are so many moving parts. The more you change things, the more likely something is to break. That's part of having a website.
What makes the experience good or bad is how you receive support when an issue occurs. Our support staff will always go above and beyond to fix any server or hosting issue you're having. That's because hosting a website shouldn't be a problematic experience. Our support engineers make sure that it isn't.
Sometimes the website itself is the issue. In that case you'll need a developer to take a look and fix things.
There are things you can look at and compare to see which hosting provider will suit you best. They include resources, reliability and reviews, to name a few.
Uptime and reliability
One of the most important things to consider for your website is uptime. You don't want your website to be offline every other day.
That isn't good for business or for visitor trust. Your website should be available 24/7. A website that's always available will get more visitors, naturally.
Look for an uptime guarantee when choosing a web host. It shows the company maintains its servers and systems. That's what you want, since your website will live on a server. HostAfrica web hosting offers 99.9% uptime.
Control panel
To run a website, you need some level of admin access. Not to the server as such, but to your website files. That's what a control panel is for.
It's similar to the settings on your Windows or Mac device. You'll be able to change all the dials and knobs related to your website.
What you want from a control panel is something that's easy to use and not too technical.
You don't want to reinvent the wheel before you use it. Each hosting company uses a control panel to help users manage their websites. Check what they're offering and see if it suits you.
HostAfrica web hosting and reseller hosting use DirectAdmin, a well-known control panel for managing websites, email and files.
Customer support and online reviews
As we said earlier, excellent customer support is vital. An unexpected crash or a slow website needs a swift but steady hand to fix. Make sure that the hosting provider prioritises support.
A good way to check this is to look at its reviews. People will generally share if they've had a good or bad experience with a company. Trustpilot is a good source of reviews. We've shared ours so you can decide for yourself.
Another area of support is a knowledge base. Chances are, the problem you're facing is not a new one. A provider's knowledge base should have quick and easy solutions to the most common problems you could face.
Security
Website security should be a priority for everyone. That's especially true for your hosting provider. Check its website to see what security measures it uses. It shouldn't cut any corners when it comes to server safety.
Security measures should include things like DDoS and malware protection, automatic backups and updates. HostAfrica web hosting includes 24/7 security monitoring.
Technical specs, location and add-ons
Most hosting companies have similar kinds of hosting products. What separates them from one another, besides good support, are the add-ons and technical specs.
What technology do they use to run and maintain their servers, and your website by extension? Better equipment and systems mean a better product for you. Compare the machine specs that companies offer.
It's also worth asking where the servers are. HostAfrica hosts websites in data centres in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.
Providers may also offer add-ons like SSL certificates, domains or backup services.
Conclusion
Consider yourself equipped with the knowledge of what web hosting is. We hope you can now confidently choose the right web hosting provider for you. The health and accessibility of your future website depend on your provider and the work you put in.
If you're looking for a hosting partner for your website, see the current plans on our web hosting page.
