1. What is web hosting?
The term ‘Web Hosting’ refers to the computer server where website owner stores their web content. Web servers are always connected to the Internet so that other users have the access (upon to the owner’s permission) to the stored content.
2. What is a domain name?
A domain name is the alphabetical form of a website address. Google.com, About.com, MSN.com for example, are domain names. The extensions, such as ‘.net’ and ‘.com’, are commonly known as the Top Level Domains (TLD).
3. What are my options in web hosting?
Depends on your website usage, web hosting services come in the form of shared hosting, dedicated hosting, virtual private hosting (VPS), and reseller hosting account. Each type of web hosting serves a different purpose however shared hosting is the type of hosting used by most new websites.
4. What is cPanel? What is vDeck?
Both cPanel and vDeck names of web host management software. cPanel or vDeck is often used to simplify web hosting operations.
5. How much do I need to pay for hosting a website?
The cost of hosting a website depends greatly on which type of web host you are going with. For most starters, we recommend shared web hosting services, which normally cost $5 to $10 per month. Sum up with the cost of domain registration (which normally cost $10/year), you’ll need to pay about $70 – $130 annually for hosting a website.
6. How can I pay my hosting provider?
Credit card and PayPal are two of the most common payment method but some web hosts do accept money orders and checks.
7. How much storage do I need?
The amount of disk storage you need depends heavily on the type of website you’ll be running thus we do not have an exact answer for you.
Web pages normally take up little disk space – what matters the most are normally audio, video, as well as image files. Also if your website needs a database to operate, the database (of all sorts) can occupy a good portion of your web server disk space.
8. What does bandwidth in web hosting?
The term bandwidth is originally used as the measures of the rate of data transfers (per second) but it is widely misused in web hosting industry. When we talk about bandwidth in web hosting services, we generally refers it as the maximum amount of data transfer allowed monthly for a web hosting service.
9. How much bandwidth do I need?
The amount of necessary bandwidth depends on your website traffics and application. While many web hosting providers are offering unlimited bandwidth nowadays, most websites or blogs do not need a lot of bandwidth.
A simple calculation of total needed bandwidth can be done with formula below:
Bandwidth= Total of Estimated Page Views (in 30 days) x Average Page Size x Safety Factor
10. I am using Windows for my PC OS, do I need a Windows-based server as well?
No. the operating system on your personal computer has nothing to do with the operating system on your web server. Unix/Linux based servers are normally used for web hosting because they are free, stable, and provide a better secured hosting environment.
11. Which web host should I use?
There are hundreds of hosting providers around and there’s no one-fit-to-all answer for this question. Different websites will have different hosting needs. Generally, you’ll need a stable web host that provides all your necessary hosting features, fit into your budget, and provide sufficient customer supports.
We have written a detail guides on how to choose the right web host, please read: The 9 must-know when shopping for a web host.
12. Is unlimited hosting for real?
Yes and no. No because bandwidth and disk storage services are offered based on limited resources – theoretically, unlimited hosting is impossible. Practically, web hosting companies are banking on the fact that most websites will not consume a lot of disk space and bandwidth – thus with proper server management, they can offer unlimited hosting without sabotaging current customers’ websites performance.
Do note that, however, some web hosts went ‘unlimited’ without the sufficient hardware and manpower. Consumers have to be aware of such practice as it would cause disaster to their websites.
13. Which web host do you recommend?
From our experience: Hostgator, FatCow, InMotion are three of the best names in industry. Hostgator and InMotion is perfect for mid- to large- websites; while FatCow is strongly recommended for customers who are looking for budget hosting. You can read editorial evaluation and customer reviews for each web host at here: Hostgator Review, InMotion Review, FatCow Review.
14. Do I need to install WordPress manually in my web host?
No. Most web hosts support Auto Script Installation thus WordPress (as well as other CMS) installation can be completed in just a few clicks.
15. Where can I get green web hosting services?
Hostgator, FatCow, HostPapa – these are all green web hosting services.
