What You Should Know About Web Hosting for Blogs
Sharing ideas with the world was difficult for most people before the Internet. When the Internet was created and blogging was introduced online, people who wanted to share ideas and artistic creations had a way to do so. But before even sharing your thoughts and creations, you need to get your blog up and running. To do so, you will need web hosting services.
Web hosting allows your blog to be seen and shared across the globe. It is a service that stores your files for your blog, so website visitors can access them online. To understand the role of web hosting for blogs, we will talk about why you need it, its types, costs, and top features.
Why Is Web Hosting Important for Your Blog?
Most people do not think about web hosting for blogs when browsing the Internet. But each website needs a “physical space” online to keep their files secure and accessible to people.
A web hosting company can provide this. They own and maintain web servers that store your website’s files. These servers are kept in temperature-controlled facilities, and technicians check them to make sure they are always in good condition.
Each blogger should also rent a space online from a hosting provider to keep their website up and running. They can choose among the various plans these hosting providers offer that will cater to their blogging needs.
What Are the Different Types of Web Hosting?
Web hosting for blogs is a broad service that caters to bloggers differently. To know how web hosting can serve your site, here are its different types:
Shared Hosting
This is the most affordable web hosting plan and is ideal for beginners. Shared hosting allows a single server to host multiple websites, sharing space, bandwidth, and other resources.
A server can easily host multiple websites primarily because the sites do not have a lot of traffic yet. If there is an increase in traffic for a website, the owner can then upgrade to another hosting option.
Dedicated Hosting
In contrast to shared hosting, dedicated hosting is the most expensive hosting option. It allows a server to host only one website, so the site can enjoy the benefits of all the resources in that server, such as larger space and bandwidth.
Bloggers can opt for this hosting option if their websites become exceedingly popular worldwide, which receives a huge amount of traffic.
VPS Hosting
Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is like shared hosting. The difference, however, is VPS hosts fewer sites than shared hosting and provides dedicated resources to each site in a server.
If your blog grows a lot of traffic over time, VPS hosting is a good option to upgrade to.
Cloud Hosting
If you are aiming to have a blog that loads faster, cloud hosting is a great consideration. This hosting option allows your website to use multiple servers to balance load and maximize uptime.
So, when a server fails, another one kicks in to keep your blog up and running. Cloud hosting costs higher than shared hosting, but it can manage large traffic without interruptions.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress is the dominant platform for building and running a website. It is also the most preferred for blogging. The platform is designed to be user-friendly, having a backend that is easy to navigate and configure.
For bloggers building their websites using WordPress, having a WordPress hosting service is the best option to maximize the performance of their blogs.
How Much Does a Web Hosting Plan Cost?
Typically, web hosting plans start at less than 3 GBP per month, and this is with shared hosting. New bloggers can start with shared hosting and upgrade the plan as their blogs grow.
A VPS or cloud hosting plan is usually the next popular option to upgrade from share hosting. VPS hosting usually costs 15.75-78.74 GBP per month, while cloud hosting can range from 3.94 GBP to 39.36 GBP.
The rates above often only apply to basic plans. You will incur additional cost when you add more features.
Web Hosting for Blogs: Top Features to Look For
Knowing the different hosting options available at your disposal is just one part of the equation. Equally as important is a clear understanding of the top features you should look for in a web hosting provider.
Below are some of the key features you need to look for when choosing a hosting plan:
1. Affordability
While unfortunate to note, many bloggers hardly make any money from their websites when they first start out. If you find yourself in the same boat, spending as little for the hosting would be a wise and practical move.
Most hosting services will either bill you monthly or annually. This gives you the freedom to choose which among the two payment options you find more convenient.
While you will often start with shared hosting, be open to eventually changing plans as your blog grows.
2. Website Builder
If you are a beginner, being able to build a website easily and conveniently is deemed ideal. Fortunately, this is where web builders can come in handy.
Web builders give you the luxury to create your website even if you have no coding know-how. There is also no need for you to hire a web designer to help you out.
Website builders are software tools that help you create a website without the need for coding. It also includes templates you can choose from that allow you to customize your blog.
You can benefit from its handy search engine optimization and multimedia features and its drag and drop functionality as well.
3. Monetization Features
If your primary goal is to make money through your blog, it would be best to pick a hosting provider that will allow you to have a feature for accepting payments online.
Other features include a proper security system as well as popular payment processing options like PayPal or Stripe.
4. Search Engine Optimization Tools
Search engine optimization or SEO works by making sure people can easily find your blog online. In other words, ensuring your blog is SEO optimized will not only help people find you online, it can also go a long way towards ensuring you also rank high on search engines.
Your web hosting service can help you with this. Find a provider that can give you search engine optimization analytics, customize URLs, and add meta descriptions.
5. Backup Features
Losing all your blog work is extremely frustrating, and you do not want this to happen to your website. Therefore, you need to back up your files in case there are website issues that can affect them.
To ensure you do not lose all the content and data you have worked so hard to accumulate, work with a hosting provider that offers affordable backup services. This investment can help put your mind at ease, knowing your work is secured accordingly.
6. Customer Service
Website issues can occur any time, and when this happens, it is always best to have a hosting support that can help you. The quality of your hosting provider’s customer service should satisfy you, so you know they are willing to help you.
Get a hosting provider that offers 24/7 support and has different support options like live chat, email, and phone.
7. Ease of Use
Many new bloggers are not technically skilled in creating and running a website. But this should not be an issue if you have the right hosting provider.
A good web hosting company will give you many resources to help you understand the technicalities of your blog and offer you an intuitive interface for your hosting accounts for easy navigation. Check if your web hosting provider has an easy-to-use platform that saves you time and trouble building and running your blog.
8. Security
Hackers and other phishing tools can easily break the security of your blog if it is not strong enough. They can steal your blog visitors’ information and load malware to your site that infects the devices of your website viewers.
If your blog security is not robust enough, it might turn people off from visiting again. This will not only impact your traffic but your revenue as well.
At all times, choose a hosting provider that provides strong security, so you will be protecting not just your site but your visitors as well.
9. Speed
Website speed is a major element in keeping your website running online. Your blog’s visitors will likely leave if your site loads slow, which negatively affects your SEO performance.
Web hosting takes a big part in making your blog load fast. The right company and plan can significantly help your pages load the way you want them.
Work with a hosting provider that prioritizes loading speed to give your site visitors the best experience.
10. Uptime
Uptime is when your blog is available to people to visit online. But downtime can occur if your blog is updating and fixing issues, and this also means a loss in site visitors and revenue.
A good web hosting takes downtime into a minimum as they understand your business loss. Find a hosting provider that can assure you of 99% uptime, which can help you achieve the best performance for your blog.
Conclusion
Web hosting for blogs plays an important role in making or breaking your success. To get the best hosting plan, make sure to pick the hosting type and features that fit your blog’s needs.
It is also essential to work with a hosting company that makes sure your blog is secure, up and running 99% of the time, load fast, and easy to use for your site visitors. So, pick your hosting option now and start searching for the hosting provider that will support your success!