What Is Website Hosting?

Web hosting refers to the collection of hardware, software, connections, and services used to house or “host” a website. In order for a website to be seen on the internet a complex system is required:

• The website’s files are stored in a folder on a web server.
• Server hardware is maintained in a secure, climate-controlled environment, physically connected to the internet, and configured to allow data to pass through other connected devices.
• Server software is configured to manage how files are accessed and displayed.

Web hosting is a service that requires continual hardware and software monitoring and maintenance. The performance of your website depends on the quality of each part of this system, along with the quality of your website build. In the best case scenario, your server hardware, server software, and your website software are monitored and maintained to a high standard.

How to Find a Good Web Host

It’s hard for a consumer to know what to look for, so you’re better off consulting with a web developer who has worked with a variety of hosting companies. In most cases you get what you pay for.

The fact is that many, if not most, of the hosting service names you recognize are not that good. Many small hosting companies that were started by server engineers who were in the trenches, committed, and proud of their services have been bought up by a conglomerate that slashed their quality standards to attract customers and make money. They have cute business names and they’re cheap.

Why Hosting Is Important

The fact is that things go wrong with hosting servers and software sometimes, like anything else. What you don’t want from your hosting company when that happens is a finger-pointing tug of war, where your website is blamed for problems without a check on their server logs and other internal resources. What you do want is a hosting company that will hustle to find a solution and doesn’t hide their technical engineers behind a customer service wall to make you wait days for help.

Our founder spent a couple of years working in state data center server rooms. We’ve tested many of the best-known consumer hosting companies, and we’re happy to have found one we can count on and feel good about recommending.