Website Hosting
Potential clients often call Viera Web Design to ask questions about website “hosting” because they don’t know what it means. So, here are the answers related to to that question.
What is hosting?
Your website is made up of digital files and folders. For example, there is usually a folder called “images” (or similar name) that contains the images that can be used on your website. Depending on which platform is being used to create your website, for example “WordPress,” there are other folders that contain files that are necessary for the website to function. All of the files and folders are stored on a computer known as a “host” or “server”. In short, you can’t have a website without a “host” or “server” to put it on.
There are many hosting companies to choose from, some are good, some are not. Most hosting companies have different hosting plans and options, such as storage space limitations, bandwidth, add-on features, and other options, depending on what your particular needs are.
Some platforms, such as Wix.com, Squarespace, and GoDaddy have “website builders” for people who want a “DIY or “do-it-yourself” which includes the hosting within the subscription. These are usually ok for personal websites, but they do have limitations. For instance, the elements may be fixed within a row or column, and not customizable when compared to platforms that have more flexibility, as with WorpPress.
If your website is created with one of these proprietary website building platforms, keep in mind you often can’t move your website to another hosting provider as the files and folders are usually proprietary and thus not available for migration to another platform. You may, however, be able to save a download on your local machine in case your website needs to be restored.
You’ve probably heard of GoDaddy, Bluehost, Hostmonster and other hosting providers. If you are not “tech savvy”, or are not familiar with how hosting works, you should let Viera Web Design build the website for you and handle the hosting installation, setup and management aspects of your hosting, which not only delivers your website on the internet, but hosts your email accounts as well. Plus, if anything goes wrong, we can take care of any support issues that come up. Otherwise, you are on your own and would have to get in contact with the hosting provider for support, which sometimes might be frustrating if you don’t understand the jargon or coding.
Some hosting providers offer email as included, where some sell the email service as an addon product, such as GoDaddy – they offer Outlook 365 at a separate price.
Of all the hosting providers we’ve had experience with, we recommend the following provider based on outstanding customer service and price.
Web Design and Digital Marketing
VIERA WEB DESIGN
Viera Web Design provides affordable, responsive, mobile-friendly
website design and digital marketing services for your business,
no matter where in the United States your business is located.
Web Design | Digital Marketing | Social Media Marketing | SEO