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Features and Requirements of Hosting

1. Uptime

  • Meaning: Percentage of time your website stays online and accessible.
  • Good Standard: 99.9% or higher.
  • Why It Matters: Even small downtime can cause user loss, lower SEO ranking, and affect trust.

  • Example:

  • 99.9% uptime = ~43 minutes of downtime per month

  • 99.99% uptime = ~4 minutes per month

2. Bandwidth

  • Meaning: Amount of data transferred between your website and users per month.
  • High Bandwidth: Needed for large websites, videos, and many visitors.
  • Low Bandwidth: Fine for small or static sites.
  • Tip: Choose “unmetered” or “unlimited” bandwidth if your website will grow.

3. Storage

  • Meaning: The total space on the server to store your files, databases, and emails.
  • Static Sites: Require only a few hundred MBs.
  • Dynamic / Media Sites: Need more (5GB+).
  • SSD Hosting: Prefer SSD over HDD for faster performance.

4. SSL Certificate

  • Purpose: Encrypts data between the website and visitors using HTTPS.

  • Benefits:

  • Increases security and trust.

  • Improves SEO ranking.
  • Prevents data theft.
  • Tip: Most hosts offer Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt).

5. Scalability

  • Meaning: Ability to upgrade or increase server resources as your website grows.
  • Why Important: Prevents slowdowns or crashes during traffic spikes.
  • Cloud and VPS hosting are best for scalability.

6. Backup Options

  • Automatic Backups: Scheduled daily or weekly by the host.
  • Manual Backups: You can create and download copies.
  • Importance: Essential for data recovery after hacks or errors.
  • Tip: Always keep an offsite backup (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).

7. Security Features

  • Firewall: Blocks malicious traffic.
  • DDoS Protection: Prevents overload attacks.
  • Malware Scanning: Detects and removes infected files.
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adds login security.
  • SSL Encryption: Protects data in transit.

8. Customer Support

  • 24/7 Availability: Through chat, email, or tickets.
  • Technical Assistance: Helps with setup, bugs, and downtime issues.
  • Knowledge Base: Tutorials and guides for self-help.
  • Tip: Always test response speed before buying hosting.

9. Control Panel

  • Purpose: Interface to manage your hosting account.

  • Popular Panels:

  • cPanel (most common)

  • Plesk
  • DirectAdmin

  • Features:

  • File management

  • Database control
  • Domain and email setup
  • Backup and app installation

10. Email Hosting

  • Custom Email: Example — info@yourdomain.com
  • Storage and Spam Protection: Should include filters and enough space.
  • Integration: Can connect with Gmail or Outlook for convenience.

11. Database Support

  • MySQL / PostgreSQL: Common for WordPress and PHP sites.
  • MongoDB / NoSQL: Used in modern full-stack (MERN) apps.
  • Requirement: Check version support and remote access capability.

12. Server Location

  • Closer Server = Faster Load Time
  • Choose server region near your target audience.

  • Example:

  • India → Mumbai server

  • USA → Dallas or New York server
  • Some providers allow CDN integration for global speed.

13. Performance Optimization

  • Caching: Reduces load on the server.
  • CDN (Content Delivery Network): Delivers data faster worldwide.
  • LiteSpeed / NGINX Servers: Offer higher performance than Apache.
  • Resource Monitoring: Helps track CPU, RAM, and disk usage.

14. Pricing and Renewal

  • Introductory Offers: Cheap first year, higher renewal cost.
  • Hidden Charges: Check for migration or SSL renewal fees.
  • Tip: Compare 1-year vs 3-year plans for better long-term savings.

15. Developer Features (for advanced users)

  • SSH Access: For command-line control.
  • Git Integration: For version control and deployment.
  • Node.js / Python / PHP Support: Depends on hosting type.
  • API Access: For automation and advanced configurations.