Before getting into how to set up a website using dedicated servers it is essential to understand the basics of hosting. To understand the basics of hosting you have to first understand what is hosting? Well, in layman’s terms, hosting is the pillar on which a website is built. You can use different computer programming instances or readily available tools to craft a website. But what do you do when you have prepared your website? Does it go online all by itself? If not, then how is a website launched online? How can you get the best results by launching your website? What are the different plans that you can go for?
There are different kinds of hosting options available out there. There are shared servers wherein all the hardware resources are shared among many individual users and organizations on one end. On the other end, there are dedicated servers in USA wherein you own the entire set of hardware and software paraphernalia required to host your website. Irrespective of the kind of server you choose to host your website the basic mechanics of hosting remains the same.
A website, once created, does not go online all by itself. The medium through which a website goes online is called hosting. In technical terms, a separate set of hardware and software elements are required to upload and maintain a website online, deal with all the data to keep the website online, store the information that is collected through the website for easy access in the future, and so on. Hosting refers to this set of hardware and software elements. These elements collectively form the server on which your website is ultimately hosted.
The different server options come with different levels of advantages and disadvantages. Since all the resources are shared in a shared hosting server, the cost of maintaining the hardware is also shared among all the users. This makes shared hosting one of the most cost-effective solutions to your hosting problems. On the other hand, since you are given your very own set of hardware in a dedicated server, you are cut off from any other users and this gives you the most secure hosting platform. The former solution is of exceptional use to students, entrepreneurs, and even small businesses, i.e., anybody on a tight budget. The latter solutions are the best-suited plans for large organizations handling a lot of data or handling vital information from clients such as credit card details through payment gateways. The many advantages and disadvantages of different hosting servers are an entirely different matter and prone to huge discussions. Let us first understand the steps that are needed to be followed when you want to host your website on a dedicated server.
Steps to Host a Website on a Dedicated Server
There are 4 major steps that you need to follow when you are trying to host a website online.
- Selecting a Hosting Service Provider
Before you start with the idea of hosting your website you need to conduct a few background researches. The first thing you have to learn about is about the companies providing the best hosting solutions. This is a very important step when you are trying to find a host. When you search for hosting service providers over the internet, you will be given lots of options. Comparing the plans provided by different companies and going through the reviews about their services will give you a tentative idea about the company and the service you are likely to tap into. This is the first most important step while trying to host your website. If the services offered by the company of your choice are not high quality, your website is likely to suffer leading to loss of valuable users and customers. Things that you need to look for while doing your background research are listed as follows:
- Degree of uptime
- Probable downtime issues
- The customer support system of the company in question
- Integration of WordPress sites
- Refund policies
- High-end security options
- Extensive bandwidth
These are just some of the factors you need to carefully monitor before going for a plan.
- Choosing the Plan That Suits Your Needs
Now, once you have chosen a company to for from the endless list of options, you have to choose a plan. This is an equally tiring exercise because irrespective of the company you choose you will find that they are offering tons of plans. Since you will be going for a dedicated server, you need to carefully evaluate what you are getting from your plan. Dedicated servers are flexible and you can easily upgrade if the need arises, but choosing a good plan initially can be very beneficial to your business.
The four most important things to look for when going for a plan are the RAM, storage, bandwidth, and the number of CPU cores. The RAM determines the efficiency at which information is passed through your system and the bandwidth determines the speed of information transmission over the internet. The storage is important because it decides the amount of information that you can store on your system. The CPU core is important because it is the overall brain of the system and handles all the functions that your system is capable of doing. An optimum mixture of all these factors is required and only you can decide what is the most optimum solution based on your requirements.
- Registering a Domain Name
Once you have chosen a plan from the hosting service provider you are nearly on the line to be launched online. The last thing that you need to choose is a domain name. Just like you have an address in the physical world, the domain name is going to be the address of your website in the virtual world. Without a domain name, your site can never be found by anyone. Choosing the right domain name is very essential as it makes the search easier. Going for a search engine optimized domain name is even better as it will prioritize your site when someone makes a search query over the internet.
Once you are done with choosing a domain name, it is now time for you to be launched online. Go online and create the most amazing content or the most amazing product and wait for the world full of users to start looking for it!