Do I Need Web Hosting?

Glory Praise Emmanuel

Dec 20, 2021 • 5 min read

If you're thinking about launching a website, you've probably come across the word "web hosting" and aren't sure what it entails. When you realize that web hosting is frequently expensive, you may think, "Do I really need web hosting?"
Yes, to put it succinctly. Web hosting is required if you wish to have a website.
However, if you understand what website hosting entails, you may feel better about the cost.

What is Web Hosting?

We speak of the web as if it were an entity that exists outside of physical space. Terms like "cyberspace" and "the cloud" reinforce the sense that the many websites we visit on our phones and tablets aren't physically located anyplace — they're floating around in cyberspace, like though on the air.

Every website on the internet, in reality, occupies physical space on a web server someplace. However, most of us are unaware of those web servers, which are housed in storage facilities throughout the world that few web users have reason to visit.

Those servers are a vital element of our online experience, even if we don't see or think about them very often. Web hosting is the service they give for websites, which includes storing them and making their information available to people all over the world over the internet.
That is, in a nutshell, how web hosting works.

Why Do Websites Need Web Hosting?

When you learn how to develop a website for one (or a few) devices, it stays on those devices. When you're ready to share it with the rest of the world, it has to go beyond the few devices to which you have access. However, it still requires a home.
Web hosting servers provide a place for your website to reside and be saved while remaining accessible to the rest of the internet. A website hosting plan is required if you want your website to be live online—that is, if you want anyone other than you to be able to see it.

Do I Need a Web Hosting Service?

Web hosting is usually supplied by a web hosting business that owns and maintains a large number of servers and rents out space on them to customers. You pay the web hosting company for the space on a monthly or annual basis, and they keep your website up and operating in exchange.

If the thought of spending money on your website on a regular basis irritates you, you might wonder if there's a way to avoid having to pay someone else for web hosting services. While it is technically possible for a company or individual to acquire and operate their own private web server, for the vast majority of website owners, this is both expensive and impracticable. Servers necessitate regular maintenance, proper climate control, and advanced management abilities.

Because this is their industry, covering all of those bases is second nature to them, whereas it would cost you a lot of money and cause you a lot of trouble. One of the numerous advantages of using web hosting is the availability of this gear.

What About Free Web Hosting?

You've probably figured out that you'll need web hosting, but do you have to pay for it? Some online searches may turn up free platforms with hosting or free web hosting companies on which you can develop your website. Why don't you just pick one of them?

There may be times when choosing a free web hosting package makes sense—for example, if you're just launching a website for fun and don't care about turning it into something long-lasting or profitable.

However, anyone with high aspirations or ambitions for their website should be aware that this is a risky option.

There are many restrictions with free hosting.

Platforms and hosting services that are free typically have less customization and branding choices. You won't have much leeway with these if you want to design and develop a website according to your own preferences and specifications. That's especially true on free platforms like Tumblr or Blogger, where you're working within a pre-defined framework. Colors, backgrounds, and content on the page are the only things you can modify.

If you're building a website for a business or a personal brand that you want to grow an audience for, those limits will make branding difficult. You'll have to work even harder to set your website apart from the platform in the eyes of visitors.
You'll also miss out on certain essential website features, such as setting up URL redirects and custom error pages. You won't be able to keep backups of your site or keep it secure in the same way.

While the capabilities and options offered with various free hosting providers may vary, it's likely that some or all of these restrictions will apply. Before you sign up, be sure you understand what you'll be getting (and what you won't).

It may not really be free.

Some web hosting businesses use a "free" offer to entice you to join up, but once you're up and running, you'll find that you can't accomplish much with the free web hosting plan. You must upgrade to one of their paying plans in order to launch your site and gain access to the services you require.

Because they've already got you hooked, you may feel obligated to stay with them, even if it's not the best bargain or the most dependable web hosting company available.
They won't let you take what you've built and move it to a new provider in many circumstances. If you do decide to switch, you may find yourself having to start from scratch.

It’s not really your website.

When your website is hosted on another platform, you are subject to the platform's rules and procedures. In the vast majority of circumstances, this means you will not have your own domain.

Free WordPress.org hosting is a fantastic illustration of this. Your url will be something like www.yourdomain.platformname.com instead of www.yourdomain.com. This is one of the reasons why many people choose WordPress web hosting: they may have a branded domain name while still using WordPress's features.

You won't be able to use customized email addresses that are exclusive to your domain name, which makes your business appear more professional and established.

It's also possible that your supplier displays advertisements on your website, making it appear busy and untrustworthy. And you're at their mercy if the platform decides to change its features or policies. It's possible that you'll lose some of the features you've grown accustomed to.
When you don't pay for hosting, you don't have the same level of control over the site. You have a lower level of control and a higher level of danger.

You could lose everything.

There's not much you can do if your platform or supplier decides they don't want your site there anymore - whether it's because you broke one of their rules or they've simply changed the way they do things. Your website could be completely wiped out, forcing you to start over.

Even if such a worst-case situation never occurs, free hosting providers rarely provide technical support. You have no one to turn to if you start having troubles with your website due to common technical issues or, worse, hackers. Your alternatives will be limited, and you might end up having to start over with a premium service.

Yes, You Need Web Hosting

In summary, if you’ve asked yourself, “do I need web hosting?” then you know now that the answer is a clear yes.