Now that you know a fair bit about the front end, you need to delve into the intricacies of web infrastructure. Basically, that part of the www where your site will actually reside.

To run a successful website or blog, you need to ensure that it’s served to your audience properly. This largely depends on how good your web hosting provider is. Although not impossible, it is a little difficult to migrate to another service provider after your website is established. Hence, it is important for you to get it right the first time around. In this chapter, we will examine all the basic concepts which you should know about while selecting a web hosting provider including the steps required to establish online presence.

What is Web Hosting?

At its simplest level Web  Hosting is a process by which your website  files are made available to a computer located in a remote destination. Your content will be visible to the outside world only if you host your website properly.

In web parlance, the end-user (your site viewer) is referred to as a client and the computer in which your files are stored is popularly termed as a server. The server will be functioning all the time. You need to transfer your files, databases, images, videos and other materials from your com- puter to the server. It could be located either in India or in any other part of the world.

First, you have to register a domain name and then  purchase server space from a web hosting provider of your choice. The server   will run either in Windows or Linux platform which  depends  upon  your requirements. If you want to simply create a blog you can buy Linux hosting package. If you want to run ASP.NET files or a site with Microsoft SQL Server, you should choose Windows hosting. The web hosting packages are available based on disk space and band- width. It can be purchased from various providers for a monthly or yearly fee. Some providers offer unlimited resources which you can make use of as long as you host your site with them.

Windows vs Linux

When it comes to web hosting, you have two choices – Windows or Linux. If you would like to host WordPress, Drupal, Joomla or any other PHP scripts, Linux is the best choice. In fact, Linux servers are fully compatible with PHP based software scripts and databases like MySQL. The Windows hosting will be ben- eficial if you would like to develop your website on Microsoft technologies with SQL Server or Microsoft Access database. The learning curve related to the management of emails, databases, backups will be easy in Linux than Windows hosting.

 

When to use Windows Hosting

If you want to host ASP.NET scripts and soft- ware (both readymade and custom) you can choose Windows based hosting platform. The server will be running Windows Server 2008/2012 with Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL database. Some providers will ask you to pay extra for SQL Server databases. Windows hosting can be managed with control panels such as HELM & WebsitePanel.

Moreover, you should opt for Windows hosting only if you have an intention to run scripts specific to Microsoft technologies. For example, you can install DotNetBlogEngine instead of WordPress without requiring database connectivity. If you want to host a small business/portfolio site with WordPress, you can opt for Windows.

Pros

Ability to run ASP, ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC and PHP files/scripts Microsoft SQL Server compatibility

Less downtime

Cons

Expensive

Difficulty to create SEO Friendly URLs Inability to use PHP mail

Shortage of reliable providers

Lack of unlimited space and bandwidth Runs slow during backup time

Difficult to migrate to Linux

When to use Linux Hosting

You should purchase Linux hosting package if you want to run a blog or CMS based site, which fetches high traffic. It could be WordPress, Drupal, Joomla or any other PHP scripts. Moreover, if you host your site in Linux, your site will load faster depending upon the server configura- tion and location.

Nowadays, providers include plenty of resources such as unlimited disk space, bandwidth, e-mail accounts, and MySQL databases along with their hosting plans. However, you should buy a plan based on your requirements.

Pros

Simplicity and low cost Plethora of service providers

Can be easily managed with cPanel control panel Easy creation of SEO Friendly URL’s in WordPress Easy application installation via Softaculous

Full compatibility with WordPress, Drupal, Joomla Easy migration

Cons

Downtime during updates/reboots

High risk of DDos attacks Overloading of servers

Types of Web Hosting

Before proceeding to purchase a web hosting package, you should identify the type of hosting mode such as shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated. Let us examine the each hosting mode in greater detail.

Shared Hosting

In shared hosting, all your sites will be hosted along with other web sites in a single web server. There are also chances that the server in which your site is hosted will become slow over the period of time. Moreover, you will not be able to install any software by executing an EXE file. The chances of downtime are very high in shared hosting. The shared hosting will be suitable for students, beginners and those who want to start their own blogs because of the low cost.

 

Virtual Private Server (VPS) If you blog becomes slow due to huge traffic, a reliable Virtual Pri- vate Server (VPS) will be useful for you. In VPS, will be able to login to the server remotely and execute com- mands including the ability to install a control panel of your choice. VPS will be suitable if you are experienced with Linux. If you are not familiar with Linux, you should consider a managed VPS hosting package so that your provider will assist you. VPS packages are expensive than shared hosting.

Reseller Hosting

If you want to provide web hosting service to other people/businesses, you should opt for reseller hosting. You will have rights to create customized hosting plans for other customers with full control over all accounts. Windows reseller hosting is comparatively expensive than Linux because of licensing costs.

Dedicated servers If you have a high traffic popular blog (like one that is listed under Google News), you should opt for a dedicated server. You will have full control to do any work with access to plenty of disk space, memory and dedicated bandwidth. You should note that dedicated servers are expensive per month for both Linux and Windows. You will have to buy softwares like MySQL, SQL Server, and control panel separately.

Cloud hosting

If you want excellent reliability and stable servers, you should opt for cloud hosting services like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. The servers will be scattered all over the world and you will be able to host your website at the nearest possible destination, which will provide enhanced performance for your site. However, the cloud hosting will be beneficial for advanced users who have experience in web hosting due to the cost and technicalities involved.

 

Importance of bandwidth

When each visitor navigates to your blog/site, the server consumes few resources in the form of bandwidth. The amount of bandwidth consumed will depend upon the content, number of images and other factors. Once the allocated bandwidth is fully finished, your site will show a message stating that the site has exceeded the limits. Normally, bandwidth is calculated per month basis and is visible inside your control panel. If you purchase a hosting plan with unlimited bandwidth, you need not have to worry about this at all.

Relevance of server location

The location of your servers plays a crucial role in the performance of your web- site. If your server is located in India or Europe, your websites will load faster than US-based servers. However, the performance of your site will depend upon the server configuration. Hence, it is advisable to contact the pro- vider before purchase and ask them questions about the server location and configuration.

How to find a correct web hosting provider?

Before proceeding to purchase a web hosting plan, you should find a reliable provider. The industry has grown considerably over the past 10 years and providers are scattered all over the world. You should search for reviews on Google and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Moreover, webhostingtalk.com is a dedicated forum where people discuss about hosting providers in addition to news, tutorials, directory and employ- ment opportunities. You can submit a post with your requirements to get recommendations from other experienced people.

Companies based in the US like Hostgator, Bluehost and GoDaddy have already established their presence in India. If you would like to test drive their services, you can purchase a package for one month to start with. You will find plenty of reviews about all major hosting providers on the web. While picking a web hosting provider, you should also verify whether the company has provided the complete contact details. Ideally, you should ask several questions before purchasing a hosting package. You should also pick a provider who offers support via live chat to resolve issues quickly. The presence of a comprehensive documentation in the form of knowledge base, FAQs will be ideal to easily find answers to common problems.

Steps to purchase a web hosting package

You have learned the various aspects related to web hosting. Let us now explore the steps required to purchase a hosting package.

Domain name registration

Firstly, you should register a domain name of your choice directly from registrars like GoDaddy. Nowadays, hosting providers provide free domain registration along with the packages pro- vided you pay one year payment in advance. You should be aware that few hosting providers lock your domain, which prohibits you from transferring the domain name in future. Hence, we would suggest you to buy domain name directly from registrars to avoid disputes.

 

Domain control panel

If you register a domain name, you will get access to a separate control panel where you can modify your contact details and server names. You can also conceal your contact information from the whois database by enabling privacy protection.

Hosting sign up

Once you registered a domain name, you need to purchase a web hosting package as per your requirements from a provider of your choice.

Account information email

As soon as you complete the signup process, you will receive account information e-mail with all the required data such as hosting control panel credentials, name servers, e-mail and database information.

Modify name servers

The next step is to point your domain to the name servers provided by your provider. It will look like ns1.digitalindia.com and ns2.digitalindia. com. You need to login to domain control panel to modify name servers. You can skip this step if you had purchased the domain name along with the hosting package.

Uploading files

You have to upload the files via FTP by using the credentials supplied by your provider. You can modify the password by logging into your hosting control panel. If you want to upload files immediately after purchase of hosting, you can do so by using FTP IP address supplied by your provider. If you are using Linux, you should upload all files inside www folder. In case of Windows hosting, you need to upload all files inside wwwroot folder.

Installing content management software scripts

If you decide to use CMS like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, you can make use of Softaculous located inside cPanel. In case of Windows hosting, you can install from the Web app gallery located inside WebsitePanel control panel. Alternatively, you can install scripts like WordPress manually by following the steps given below.

• Download the latest version from wordpress.org
• Create MySQL database and user Provider the database name, user and pass- word by opening wp-config.php
• Upload files to the root folder (www) of your hosting account using FTP
• Navigate to your website and complete the setup process
• Install scripts easily from within your control panel

Resources

cPanel Demo – http://dgit.in/cpanelcpdemo

cPanel Tutorials – http://dgit.in/cpaneltutorials

WebsitePanel Tutorials – http://dgit.in/websitepaneltut

Webhostingtalk – http://dgit.in/webhosting-talk

DigitalPoint Forum – http://dgit.in/digitalpointweb

Web Hosting Search & Reviews – http://dgit.in/hostsearch

Microsoft official Windows hosting directory – http://dgit.in/winhostingdir

Web Hosting deals – http://dgit.in/webhostingdeals

Hosting Discussion – http://dgit.in/hostingdis

Siteuptime – http://dgit.in/siteuptime-check

Domainwhitepages – http://dgit.in/domainwhitepages

Alertra – http://dgit.in/alertra

WhatismyIP – http://dgit.in/knowip

FileZilla – http://dgit.in/filezilla-soft

CoreFTP  – http://dgit.in/coreftp-soft

 

Conclusion

Finding a correct web hosting provider is always a challenge. If you pick a provider that offers services at a low budget with undeliverable promises, you are always at risk. This is because the provider will likely oversell the server and your site will be affected at one point of time. If you want premium web hosting, you have to shell out extra cash, which will provide ultimate peace of mind. However, there are providers who offer great services at a medium budget. You should keep an eye on the web hosting related forums for deals and offers. You can also ask for recommendations by stating your requirements. We hope that this chapter clears the various concepts related to web hosting including the very first steps required to establish your online presence. Happy hosting.