Why Do I Need to Pay for Web Hosting?

You’ve spent money rebranding your business, getting your website designed, and having quality content written. Your site is beautiful, your content is flawless, and you’re ready to go. But now you hear that you have to spend even more money to host your website. And you want to know why.

What is Web Hosting?
If you have already been working on designing your website, then you probably have a domain name. Your domain name is the URL connected to your website (e.g., www.mywebsite.com). Users type this in to find your site.

However, owning a domain name is not the same as hosting a website. Owning a domain is like purchasing a car. The car is completely yours, and no one else can take it from you as long as you make the payment. But simply owning a car doesn’t make it run. It needs gas, regular oil changes, occasional tuneups, and other maintenance to run well.

So if your website domain is like a car, then web hosting is like all of the maintenance. Just as a car cannot run without gas, a website cannot run without a host. The host is what actually gets your website on the Internet. Without it, you have an awesome website that no one can access.

How Do You Pick a Host?
It is important to know that all hosting is not equal.

Web hosting is no different than most things: you get what you pay for. You may find a company that will host your website for 5 dollars a month. But don’t be surprised when your site crashes and their support team doesn’t answer your frantic phone calls.

Do your research before you decide on a host for your website. If you don’t like researching, don’t worry; we’ve already done it for you.

We highly recommend hosting your website through Afterburner. We have worked with them for years, and they are the best of the best. One of the many things we love about Afterburner is that you interact with real people whenever you need something. They are great people who are great at what they do.

If you’re serious about your new website, be serious about the host you choose. Your website deserves a reliable host that will prevent crashes and security breaches, and be quick to resolve any site issues. If you have any questions about web hosting or website design, contact us – we’d love to chat!