What Is Website Hosting and Why Does It Matter for Your Website?

Let us try to understand this concept in the simplest way possible when you own a number of clothes, where do you store them? In a closet, right? But then you need a space to keep the closet itself, and it surely comes with a price. So, you end up paying rent to store and organize all your belongings. Similarly, all your files, the website code, contents that are uploaded on your website needs a permanent house. It cannot be your local computer because then other users will not be able to get access.

So, how you store all your files while letting the public have access? Well, you get your website hosted. But surely someone has to be generous enough and host your website, and that someone is a server. Just like you post images, videos, or write-ups on social media, you also need to post your website on the internet, and in this case, the server is social media.

Now there are many reasons why a website should be hosted. Well, to begin with, without hosting, the website cannot exist, but besides that, the traffic, speed, the capacity of your content and website- all will be determined by the type of hosting you chose. For example, a smaller business will benefit from a shared host. 

On the other hand, businesses that are looking for a cost-effective way, yet they do not want to be entirely dedicated can opt for a virtual private server hosting. It is more secure than a shared host and can handle traffic very well. However, if the company has resources to splurge, they should definitely look into dedicated server hosting. From the name, you should be able to guess that this host over full control and tons of security. You are the exclusive holder of this host and domain. So, the power of change is also in your hands. 

Besides all these, there are also cloud servers, and other newer types popping up, which we will not lie, has some serious potential. However, since they are fairly new, it would be wise to stay with the tried and tested servers as of now, unless you like to be an early bird. 

Though your viewers who are watching, sharing, updating your content will not know the existence of this invisible server. It still has several benefits. Depending on the type of server you get, it can be cost-effective, super manageable, great management software for your data, files, audios, and videos. You get the authority to customize your website however you want, and that means control over the bandwidth, the IP address, traffic, and much more.

Although these servers, like any other commodity in the world, is not free from its disadvantages, in conclusion, we can only say that your website cannot and will not run smoothly without a website host. You absolutely need your website hosted to make it available to your audience and to reach a wider consumer base.