Web hosting

Web hosting is a service that stores your website's files on a server that is always connected to the internet. When someone types your domain name into a browser, the server sends your pages to them. To put a site online you need two things: a domain name and a hosting plan.

With shared hosting, many websites run on the same server and share its CPU, memory and storage. It is the cheapest way to get online and suits blogs, portfolios and small business sites. The trade-off is that a very busy neighbour can occasionally slow things down, and you cannot install custom server software.

The most widely used control panel is cPanel, which most people find familiar and easy. DirectAdmin is a lighter panel that many budget hosts use. Plesk is popular on both Linux and Windows servers. Many hosts also build their own custom panel. All of them let you manage files, email accounts, databases, domains and SSL certificates from one place.

Entry-level shared plans often start at a few dollars a month on the first term, and the price usually rises when you renew. Longer terms, such as two or three years, are normally cheaper per month. Always compare the renewal price, not just the first price.

Check the storage type (SSD or NVMe is faster than older disks), backup policy, free SSL, support hours, server locations, the money-back guarantee and the renewal price. A control panel you are comfortable with also saves time.

Yes. Many hosts offer free migration, or you can move it yourself by copying your files and database to the new server, testing it, and then pointing your domain to the new host. Keep the old hosting active for a few days until everything has switched over.