After preparing your website, you need to upload that website to the internet. How can you do that? You need a web host for that \u2014 and a quality one to avoid any headaches down the line. A website host affects a website in many ways. Your website\u2019s speed, security, scalability, and usability rely on the hosting provider.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
But deciding on a website host comes with its complications.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Different hosting providers provide different web hosting features \u2014 disk space, bandwidth, security, and more. It\u2019s essential to understand what you need and what you can go without.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Read on to learn about the top web hosting features you need:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Web hosting is the process of storing all the files that make up your website on a server.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Think of it as your digital office. Like you need a physical space for a physical office, you need a digital space for your digital office. A web host rents out that digital space on servers for your website files.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
It helps you establish your website on the internet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Besides storage, the best website hosting services usually help you with website maintenance \u2014 backups, security, and uptime.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Different hosting solutions<\/a> exist. The best one for you depends on your needs and priorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Read more: <\/strong>What is web hosting and how does it work?<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Disk space or storage is one of the two essential services a web hosting provider offers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n At its base, a website consists of many files \u2014 files that make up its visuals and files that decide what happens when you click a button.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n To run a website, you need those files on web servers backed by physical data centers. The files consume disk space; so, you need a hosting plan that provides the required disk space.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Besides the files required for the website\u2019s operation, you also need space for user-submitted content. For example, you should also consider the website’s dynamic and interactive features, such as user-generated content. When users upload their photos, videos, or other documents, it increases the storage space necessary for your website.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n That’s why it’s essential to choose a web hosting service that offers enough disk space for your website’s basic elements and to accommodate the growth of user-generated content.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Bandwidth<\/a> is another essential service that the best website hosting solutions should provide. It measures a server\u2019s capacity for data transfer within a specific time frame.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Bandwidth is a critical web hosting feature if you want your website to load faster \u2014 as loading time is the time it takes to transfer website files.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n If you want high bandwidth, you need to get your web server or look for one that shares its resources with a few other websites.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n For example, dedicated hosting<\/a> \u2014 while expensive \u2014 is a web hosting plan in which your website has its server, giving you more control and server resources to work with.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Other plans such as virtual private server<\/a> (VPS) and shared hosting<\/a> limit the bandwidth available but tend to be cheaper.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n You will see advertisements for unlimited bandwidth, but the truth is: it\u2019s impossible to have completely unlimited bandwidth. There is always a maximum speed limit because of physical limitations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Bluehost offers plans with \u201cunmetered bandwidth\u201d, which means that you receive a set amount of bandwidth but will be able to transfer as much data as you want with that transfer speed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n According to Fundera, 43% of small businesses<\/a> are victims of cyberattacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Your web host is an extra line of defense against cyberattacks. With the right web host, you can protect your website from cyberattacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n If your website collects personal or financial data, sign up for a web hosting plan that offers:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Be sure to check the hosting plan\u2019s default security features; many plans offer advanced security features as an add-on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n If you are working with sensitive data, sign up for Bluehost\u2019s Managed WordPress<\/a> hosting plan, providing:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n For advanced security, consider Bluehost for agencies hosting plans with additional user protection layers:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n One of the top web hosting features that small businesses and new website owners fail to consider is uptime.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Uptime measures the percentage of time your website is up and available to visitors \u2014 the closer to 100% uptime, the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n The best web hosting solutions provide high uptimes by offering:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Some web hosting companies also have a money-back guarantee for uptime. If they fail to fulfill their promise, they pay you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n For instance, Bluehost agency hosting offers 100% network uptime. Your site is replicated in real-time across multiple data centers, ensuring it remains online consistently without interruption.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Today\u2019s internet users expect websites to load in five seconds or less<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Besides affecting user experience, website speed also affects search engine optimization<\/a> (SEO).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Good web hosting companies help their users deliver quick page speeds by:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Here’s where Bluehost scores again with its superfast agency hosting. All plans include a global CDN that dynamically optimizes images and delivers edge server caching, reducing page load times around the world to mere milliseconds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n You can also choose the ideal data center that works best for your origin servers, reducing latency across the globe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Web hosts enhance the user experience and website functionality through various pre-installed apps. These applications cover everything from website management to content publication, offering a streamlined approach to digital operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Common apps include:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n The control panel (cPanel) is an app that lets you control server processes. It allows you to manage domains, install software, create email accounts, and monitor resources, among other tasks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n While every hosting account includes a cPanel, the interface depends on the hosting provider \u2014 it can be difficult or easy to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Bluehost, for instance, comes with a beautifully designed control panel that offers easy access to all the apps you need.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n A one-click installer is a great tool that helps you install content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress<\/a>, Drupal, and Joomla. This tool removes the technical barriers associated with software installation, allowing you to set up your CMS with just a single click. It simplifies your work and saves you time and money.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n A file transfer protocol<\/a> (FTP) lets you manage files on a server securely. This functionality is essential for website owners who regularly update their content or need to perform bulk file operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n While there are dedicated eCommerce hosting plans<\/a>, flexible web hosting services enable you to create a blog with eCommerce functionality such as shopping carts and payment gateways.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n When selecting the right web hosting provider, consider how it handles domain names.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Your domain name is the digital address of your digital space on the Internet. It was developed to find and identify internet entities without using IP addresses.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Web hosting providers often offer domain name registration services, allowing you to secure your chosen name directly through your hosting account. This convenience means you can manage both your domain and hosting from a single dashboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Some hosting plans even include free domain name registration<\/a> for the first year, providing added value and reducing initial setup costs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Beyond the domain name, your web hosting service should include features like domain transfer, privacy protection, and email hosting tied to your domain. Privacy protection is particularly important, as it helps shield your personal information from public view in the domain registry databases.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n But what if you already have a domain name with another registrar? This is where domain transfers come into play. Your web host provider must support a seamless transfer to your new hosting environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Building a website is not difficult anymore. A lot of web hosting providers include site builders as a built-in web hosting feature. These builders are intuitive platforms that allow anyone, regardless of technical skill, to design, develop, and launch websites.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Take, for example, Bluehost’s Website Builder<\/a>. It epitomizes simplicity and efficiency in web design, offering users a drag-and-drop interface alongside more than 300 pre-designed templates. This ensures that whether you’re building a blog, an eCommerce store, or a portfolio, there’s a foundation that fits your vision.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Beyond mere aesthetics, Bluehost’s builder is equipped with Smart AI, a tool that ensures your site isn’t just beautiful but also responsive, automatically adjusting to fit any screen size perfectly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n The other features of the website builder include:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n When choosing web hosting, robust support services are not just an added bonus\u2014they’re essential. The level and quality of support provided by a reliable web hosting provider can significantly impact your website’s operational efficiency and reliability.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Here’s what an exceptional web hosting service offers:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Many web hosting providers like Bluehost have elevated this support paradigm. <\/p>\n\n Bluehost for agencies hosting ensures that your calls and chats bypass conventional triage to connect directly with a Level 3 technician. This means that you’re engaging with trained WordPress experts. This approach eliminates the all-too-common generic responses, replacing them with precise, reliable WordPress knowledge.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Website backups are essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Regular, easy-to-access backups are crucial for any website. They protect your online presence against data loss and provide peace of mind. When choosing a web hosting provider, ensure they offer comprehensive backup solutions that fit your site’s needs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Here’s what to look for in backup solutions:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Frequency<\/strong>: Daily backups are ideal because they minimize data loss. Some hosts offer real-time backups, capturing changes as they happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Ease of restoration<\/strong>: In a crisis, you want to restore your site quickly. Look for hosting services that simplify the restoration process, preferably with just a few clicks. A good hosting provider should restore your website with minimal downtime and make frequent automatic backups of your website<\/a> to prevent data loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Storage location<\/strong>: It’s safest to store backups in a location different from your site. This way, if the server faces issues, your backups remain unaffected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Automatic and manual options<\/strong>: Automatic backups save you time and ensure regular copies are made without your intervention. However, having the option to create manual backups is helpful, especially before making significant changes to your site.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n When it comes to backup solutions, Bluehost agency hosting offers an outstanding solution with Jetpack’s automated daily backups. In the event of data loss, this feature streamlines the restoration process, making it a simple click away. Jetpack’s daily backups ensure your website can quickly recover from any data loss event.\u00a0<\/p>\n\nTop 10 best web hosting features<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
Disk space<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
Bandwidth<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
Security<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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Uptime<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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Website speed<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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Pre-installed apps<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
cPanel\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n\n
One-click installer<\/em>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n
File transfer protocol<\/em>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n
eCommerce features<\/em>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n
Domain names<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
Website builder<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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Customer support\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
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Backups<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
FAQs<\/strong>\u00a0about the best web hosting features<\/h2>\n\n