Best Web Hosting Provider
If you are designing a WordPress website, one of the following things you need to do after registering your domain name is choose the best Web hosting provider
A hosting provider is like a plot of land on which a house is built. Imagine you want to erect a building and already have a beautiful building plan. To make that plan visible, you will need fertile land to create it. That’s precisely what a web hosting provider does to a website.
You can host your website on the server where you purchase your domain name or transfer it to another hosting provider.
Most CMS platforms have their hosting server on the same server, while other platforms, like WordPress, require that you host with a different hosting provider.
Each web hosting provider offers plans and packages. The hosting plan and packages entail the duration of time you want your website and how your website files will be managed and stored to make it visible and active in the online space.
If you are a beginner or launching your website for the first time, it is advisable to host your website for at least one year. This will give you enough time to build a large volume of traffic constantly.
Essentially, Features when choosing a Web hosting provider
Here are the essential features you need to look into when choosing a web hosting provider
- Security: Security features are one of the features you should consider when selecting a hosting provider. Ensure your web hosting provider has an SSL encryption certificate, DDoS protection, and other features that protect your website from cyberattacks.
- Reliability: Host your website on a hosting provider with a good uptime (i.e., when your website is visible and available to users in a given period). The best hosting provider offers an uptime rate of 98.9%-99.99%
- Compatibility: Look for a hosting provider that has the best compatibility and operating system for your website
- Bandwidth: This is one of the most paramount features you must look for in a web hosting provider. Look for the best web hosting provider with ample storage space and disk. The larger your storage space, the more significant content you can store, such as videos and images. Larger bandwidth also increases your website load speed.
- Backup: Without regular backups, your website files and documents will be lost. Ensure you choose a hosting provider that automatically provides backups for your website.
- Customer Service: Choose a hosting provider with good customer support, which you can easily reach out to in case of any technical issues.
- Ease of use: Choose a good host provider with the best user interface and easy-to-use control panel.
Best Web Hosting Providers
Bluehost
If you are looking for one of the best web hosting providers for your website, I highly recommend Bluehost.
Bluehost is one of the top-rated web hosting providers, offering reliable and affordable plans with easy-to-use tools. It also has a quick and responsive 24/7 customer support team that will handle your complaints faster.
Aside from Bluehost being a hosting provider, you can also use it to register your domain name. It can be used to host any website. You can host your website using their basic plan, which costs just $1.99/mo.
Features/Pros:
- Free Domain and SSL Encryption
- Low hosting plan starting at $1.99 per month
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free CDN
- AI Site Creation Tools
- Professional Email
- Web Application Firewall
- 24/7 Customer support
Cons:
- Expensive upon renewal
- It has Limited Storage
- You must pay for your site to be backed up automatically
- Doesn’t have free business email.
- Limited phone support
Namecheap
Namecheap is one of the best hosting providers to use as an alternative to Bluehost. It is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 by 2M+ Customers.
With Namecheap, domain registration, hosting, and management have become very easy and affordable. The hosting provider delivers an outstanding customer experience.
Namecheap offers the opportunity to host your website and register a domain name using hundreds of popular TLDs. You can host your website for just $1.98/mo.
Features/Pros:
- Professional email
- Free SSL Certificate, DNS and VPN
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Free hosting Migration
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Multiple Cpanel Accounts
- AI Tools
- Auto backup
- Website Builder
- Free supersonic CDN
Cons:
- No telephone support
- Limited hosting options
- Sometimes, the price may be confusing
- Outdated Cpanel interface
Godaddy
Godaddy is a good web hosting provider and will be super convenient for you, especially if you are someone who has an idea of what you want to create but needs more technical skills.
Hosting your website with Godaddy is very easy and does not require a lot of technicalities; it has an excellent Cpanel, offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and has a sound customer support system. You can host your website for as low as £3.99/mo.
Features/Pros:
- Free WordPress migration tool
- Shared RAM and CPU resources
- 24/7 Customer Support
- 30-days Money-back guarantee
- Free email
- Free SSL certificate
- Daily backup
Cons:
- Limited Storage
- The price is slightly high compared to Bluehost and Namecheap
- It does not offer free SSL certification
- No Private DNS and Priority Support
Dreamhost
With over 20 years of hosting experience, Dreamhost has become one of the leading web hosting providers in the world. It is reliable, affordable and has all the features to help your website perform well.
One major thing I like most about Dreamhost is its 100% uptime guarantee. Among all web hosting providers, Dreamhost has the longest money-back guarantee, at 97 days.
You can host your website on Dreamhost for as low as $2.59/mo.
Features/pros:
- Free SSL certificate
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited email
- Unlimited Traffic
- 97 days money-back guarantee
- Inclusion of a free domain
Cons:
- Prices increase upon renewal
- You must pay for the unlimited plan for email
- Slow page loading speed
- Slow support quality
Hostgator
Hostgator offers great features that will benefit your website. It has a very high loading speed and a 99% uptime guarantee.
The web hosting provider has operated since 2002 and has helped newbies and pros host and optimize their websites. Because of its uniqueness and simplicity, it is trusted by 2M+ users.
You can host your website in Hostgator for as low as $3.75/mo.
Features/Pros:
- Free Domain
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free website transfer service
- Top-rated custom support via phone and chat
- $500 in Google Ads spend match credit
Cons:
- Payment for Automatic Website Backup
- Domain privacy costs extra
- Pricing reflects a three-year commitment and dedication
Types of Web Hosting
Now that you’ve known the best hosting providers, the next thing you need to know is the best type of web hosting that you can use to host your website after choosing your best web hosting provider.
These types of hosting come along any of your selected hosting providers, and they include:-
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting enables you to share server resources such as memory, processing power and storage space with multiple website users.
As a beginner, you should use this hosting as it is economical and cost-effective. It is one of the best types of hosting for small business and personal websites. The cost of shared hosting ranges from $15 depending on the web host provider
Pros:
- It is cost-effective and affordable
- No technical expertise is required to use this type of hosting
- No maintenance cost
- It has pre-configured server options
Cons:
- It has limited bandwidth
- Limited access to server configuration
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
A Virtual Private Server enables you to share limited resources with other users. The web host creates a virtual section for each user.
Virtual Private Server has a large bandwidth and is suitable for sites with large visitors. If you are thinking of building a medium-sized website, e-commerce shop or large blog, VPS hosting will be perfect. The cost of VPS hosting ranges from $18
Pros:
- Ample and dedicated Server space
- Increased site speed due to large bandwidth
- It is highly customizable
- It has root access to the server
Cons:
- It requires a high level of technicality
- Managing VPS hosting is more costly than shared hosting
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting uses multiple virtual servers to host websites, thereby eliminating any challenges that may prevent your website from running smoothly and functioning properly.
If you are using cloud hosting, if one of your servers experiences any technical issues, the other servers will take over and maintain the smooth operation of your website. Cloud hosting prices range from $5 to $50 per month.
Pros:
- Eliminate sudden website downtime
- Handles website’s high traffic challenges and private sudden website Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
- Multiple server features
Cons:
- It is more expensive than VPS and Shared hosting
- High technicalities are required
- Root access is not always available
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting works perfectly on a WordPress website. It increases your site load speed and minimizes potential issues.
WordPress hosting comes with features like pre-installed themes and plugins for core functions like caching and security. It costs between $2 and $30 per month.
Pros:
- It is low-cost and beginner-friendly
- Inbuilt WordPress plugins and themes
- Optimized with high WordPress speed
- Customer Support
Cons
- It is not suitable for non-WordPress Websites
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting gives you full access to the entire server, minimizing connection and security issues.
This type of hosting is suitable for website large online businesses with large amounts of traffic. The cost of Dedicated hosting ranges from $80 and above per month.
Pros:
- You will have complete access to the server’s configuration
- High reliability
- Root access to the server
Cons
- Requires a high level of technicality
- High cost of purchase
FAQs
How Much Does it Cost to Host a Website?
The cost of hosting a website depends on your web hosting provider and the type of hosting you choose.
Can I Host a Website for Free?
Yes, you can host your website for free. Platforms like Wix, Weebly, Awardspace, and Infinityfree provide avenues for this. However, hosting your website for free has many setbacks and challenges.
How to Buy a Domain Name Permantly?
You cannot buy a Domain Name permanently; you can only renew it periodically after its expiration date.
Is WordPress or Wix better?
I recommend WordPress over Wix because of its customizable interface.
Which web Hosting is best for beginners?
As a beginner in website development, the following web hosting providers will be best for you
- Bluehost
- Namecheap
- Godaddy
- Dreamhost
- Hostgator
Final Thought
Using the best web hosting provider gives you many advantages and will definitely make your website quickly visible in the online space.
I suggest that you use a hosting provider with a large bandwidth and other essential features to avoid challenges when you begin to gain larger traffic.
There are other web hosting providers, but the ones listed above have been tested and proven effective and reliable. Each has its pros and cons, but you should choose the one that matches your budget and business model.
When hosting your website using any of these hosting providers, ensure you provide your correct personal details and email address. You are to select your hosting plan alongside your type of hosting. If you are a newbie, I will advise you to use shared hosting alongside your hosting plan.
After you’ve hosted your website, you will be given access to Cpanel, where you will set up your website and download the WordPress CMS if you are building your website using WordPress.