Web hosting basics

Our comprehensive introduction to web hosting

If you have no prior experience with web hosting but are thinking of starting your own website and would like to learn more about this area, you are in the right place! In our web hosting 101 we explain all the important basics you need to know.

Chapter 1: What is web hosting?

Before we dive deeper into the topic, let's first address the question of what web hosting actually is. It's actually quite simple:

A web hosting service is a computer (server) on which a website is hosted.

Web hosting ensures that your website is accessible around the clock to any interested visitor anywhere in the world.

Of course, the technical background is somewhat more complicated, but this information is sufficient for a basic understanding. If you want to know in more detail how web hosting works, you can read about it in the article Was ist Webhosting?.

Graphic "What is web hosting" by Hosttest

So the question remains: why do you need web hosting at all and can't simply host your website on your computer at home? Again, the answer is fairly simple:

Your computer at home is not running 24/7. In addition, your internet connection is configured for residential use and you have a dynamically changing IP address. Furthermore, you are not protected against power outages and you must take care of hardware maintenance yourself.

That's quite a lot of reasons against hosting your website at home on your computer, isn't it?

Fortunately, there are plenty of web hosting providers who can take care of this for you. How to find the right web hosting for your website is what we'll look at in more detail in the following chapters.

Let's get started!

Chapter 2: Finding the right type of web hosting

First we'll consider which web hosting variant is appropriate. Before we begin looking for a specific web hosting provider, we must first determine which type of web hosting is required for the planned website.

Choosing the right web hosting may seem fairly simple in theory. A quick search online, a few clicks to complete the order, and your website can go live. What could be simpler? But it's not necessarily the best idea to spend your hard-earned money on the first solution you find. To find the web hosting that perfectly matches your needs, a range of criteria must be considered. As with any important decision, the choice of the right web hosting variant should be carefully considered. Above all, all relevant questions about the requirements and expectations for the web hosting should be clarified in advance.

The quality and performance of a website depends not only on the right provider but, more importantly, on the appropriate web hosting variant. Anyone who makes the wrong decisions here risks the overall success of their website. The choice of the right type of web hosting is therefore particularly important.

Individual requirements for web hosting

The first step towards optimal web hosting is therefore not simply to request quotes and compare hosting variants available on the market, but first to clarify your own individual requirements for the web hosting.

The following questions may help:

• How many and which domains are required?
• Will there be an online shop on the website?
• Which features and content should be made available online?
• How many visitors must be expected?
• From which countries do visitors come to the website?

Once the individual requirements for web hosting have been clarified, you can search for the suitable hosting option that is precisely tailored to the needs of your web presence.

Graphic "Types of web hosting" by Hosttest

Which type of web hosting is required?

You can now look in more detail at the different types of web hosting and find out where their advantages and disadvantages lie:

Web hosting packages (Shared hosting)

The most popular and cheapest way to make a website accessible on the Internet is web hosting packages. Individual customers can rent a defined amount of storage space on a web server. The system resources such as memory, processor power or bandwidth are shared by all website operators on the server. This is also where the commonly used English term Shared hosting (German: geteiltes Hosting) originates. The complete technical administration of the system is carried out in the background by the hosting provider, allowing customers to focus entirely on running their own website without the need for technical knowledge.

Advantages:

• Low cost
• Minimal administrative effort
• No technical knowledge required

Disadvantages:

• Limited performance
• Limited configuration options
• No exclusive resources

For private individuals or business owners with a small or medium-sized company, shared hosting can be an optimal and, above all, cost-effective hosting option. Modern shared web hosting packages offer both plenty of storage space and sufficient bandwidth, so they meet the requirements of most small and medium-sized websites. This option is therefore particularly suitable for small to medium-sized online presences with moderate visitor numbers:

• Company web business card
• Company's online presence
• Service provider's website
• Personal blog
• Hobby website
• Small online community
• Small online shop

Virtual servers (Virtual Private Server)

Virtual servers, commonly referred to as VPS hosting or VPS, offer customers more flexibility and configuration freedom than basic web hosting packages. The additional costs are, however, only marginally higher. The term virtual servers refers to the fact that, by means of a virtualisation method, several independent machines can be implemented on a single host server. The individual virtual machines operate as completely separate systems and therefore provide customers with more extensive configuration options and greater system resources. Nevertheless, only a single physical server runs in the background, the total resources of which are divided among the configured virtual machines. Nowadays many VPS hosting solutions are also marketed as cloud servers or cloud hosting, because the available system resources can be adjusted flexibly at any time. For example, additional RAM or CPU performance can be allocated as required to absorb traffic spikes on a website. Billing for such cloud solutions is therefore calculated precisely based on the resources used.

Advantages:

• More extensive configuration options
• Higher performance
• Moderate costs

Disadvantages:

• Greater management overhead
• Technical knowledge required

Dedicated servers (Dedicated Hosting)

A Dedicated Server refers to a standalone physical machine that is entirely under the control of a single customer. All hardware resources can be used exclusively and without restriction, and the system configuration can be tailored precisely to your requirements. Customers are responsible for the complete operation and administration of the system. Depending on the hosting contract, the customer may also be responsible for repairs and hardware upgrades, which can incur additional costs.

Advantages:

• Unrestricted configuration options
• Exclusive use of resources

Disadvantages:

• High administrative overhead
• Technical expertise is essential
• High costs

For entrepreneurs with a medium or large business, VPS hosting or Dedicated Servers can be an optimal and, above all, high-performance hosting option. Modern servers are available in a wide range of configurations so they can meet even the highest demands of large and demanding websites. This option is particularly suitable for large online businesses with high visitor numbers or extensive functionality:

• Web presence of a large company
• Extensive online presence of a business
• Large online shop
• Large online community
• Professional web service

Managed Hosting

A Managed hosting is a special paid service that is primarily offered on VPS hosting and Dedicated Servers. If customers opt for a server with a Managed option, the hosting provider takes over the technical and administrative management of the system. Services include, for example, the configuration of the system as well as all regular updates and security patches. Often data backups and monitoring services are also included in the Managed option. The additional cost of Managed hosting is particularly worthwhile for customers who have no technical knowledge or do not want to invest time in complex administration. This way you can focus 100 per cent on the website without having to take care of the framework conditions necessary to operate a server system.

Advantages:

• No administrative overhead
• No technical knowledge required

Disadvantages:

• Higher costs

Before choosing the type of Web hosting: requirements analysis

The first and perhaps most important point when choosing the best Web hosting for your needs is a requirements analysis. Before getting lost in the flood of offers from different hosting providers, you should be clear about which requirements the planned web project places on the host's technology. This assessment helps to find Web hosting that is optimally matched in terms of performance. An extensive online shop or a complex web service requires very different performance parameters than a small blog or a private website. The requirements of your web project therefore already roughly define which technical criteria Web hosting should meet. At the same time, you should not think too big: for a hobby blog it does not have to be your own VPS hosting or Dedicated Server where you pay for numerous features you do not need. On the other hand, do not think too small either — anyone planning to start an online shop should not choose the cheapest shared hosting.

Info: Certain applications may require specialised hosting offers, for example for Video hosting or Podcast hosting, where specialised services are usually used instead of operating your own hosting.

Tip: One of the best ways to narrow down the search for a suitable web hosting provider is to use a web hosting search function like in our Web hosting comparison. This allows potential providers to be sorted according to specific criteria before a final decision is made. Choosing the right web hosting is one of the key factors in running a successful online presence. The countless options can often seem overwhelming at first glance. However, anyone who takes sufficient time to thoroughly examine their own requirements and the available offers will ultimately find secure, stable and cost-effective web hosting for their website.

Chapter 3: Finding the right web hosting provider and plan

In the next section we will take a closer look at choosing the right web hosting provider and finding the appropriate plan. Now that we have already decided on the type of web hosting, the next step is to select a specific offering from a provider.

The range of hosting providers on the market is large. Although many of the web hosting packages on offer appear very similar at first glance, there are often significant differences between providers. To assess the quality of hosting, it is not only obvious criteria such as price or performance specifications that matter, but also less obvious factors such as support or the provider's underlying infrastructure.

Primarily in the area of basic webspace packages, the range of companies and tariffs has become so bewilderingly extensive that most customers do not even know where to start when making a decision. Hundreds of web hosts promise low prices, high-performance technology and reliable support. Offers often lure customers with criteria such as "unlimited" or even several free features. However, before signing a contract that often binds you to a particular web host for several months, you should thoroughly inform yourself about all aspects of an offer.

In the following list we have compiled the most important criteria that should be considered when choosing a web host:

Graphic "What matters in web hosting" by Hosttest

How much storage space should a web hosting plan provide?

When searching for the right hosting package you will encounter numerous specifications in the providers' descriptions relating to particular performance criteria. One of the most prominently advertised figures by many providers is the storage space of the web hosting. But how important is this specification at all, and how much storage space do you actually need for the smooth operation of your own web project?

How much storage space do your web contents require?

Before you decide on a particular web hosting package, you should consider how much storage space your web content requires. You should take various criteria into account:

First, you should consider, whether the planned web project is more static or dynamic. Will the created content remain the same or will it be expanded and developed over time? The simple corporate website of a tanning salon, for example, is created once and typically only receives content updates rarely afterwards. An active blog is different: new content is published online at regular intervals.

Furthermore, you should consider, what type of content is planned for the web project. If, for example, only some text and a few small images are to be published, these require hardly any storage and a few gigabytes will suffice. However, if you intend to provide visitors with an entire image gallery of high-resolution photos or even HD videos, you must expect a significantly higher storage requirement in the range of over 10 gigabytes up to several hundred gigabytes.

What types of storage space are there?

In general, when looking at storage space specifications you should always question which types of storage the stated figures refer to. After all, this storage is not only used for the website's own files, but also for database entries or for the mailboxes of the email addresses associated with the website. Storage is therefore required for the following purposes:

Storage space for HTML data

This category covers all data required for the website itself. This includes content such as text, images or videos that visitors can find directly on the website. It also includes files that affect the website's design and ensure its complete functionality.

Storage space for database entries

This category includes all data relevant to operating the website that is not directly visible to visitors. It is essentially the underlying framework that holds the website together and organises the links between the individual elements. Especially with extensive content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla or online shop software, larger volumes of data also accumulate here over time.

Storage space for mailboxes

A category that is often overlooked is the storage required for emails. Messages together with any attached files in the mailbox also consume storage. Especially for a company website where each employee receives a separate email address and uses it for daily communication within the company, a large amount of data can quickly accumulate.

Unlimited storage

Be particularly cautious with offers from hosting providers that promise unlimited storage to their customers. It is advisable to take a closer look and read the small print. Typically, usable storage is limited in some way. Providing truly unlimited storage is physically impossible. This is especially true for inexpensive shared hosting packages, which must be priced very tightly by the provider for the offering to be viable; the total storage available on the server is of course limited by the hardware in use.

Expanding storage

If, as a customer, you choose a plan with insufficient storage, you may hit the limit after a short time. In this case an upgrade will be necessary so you can continue to run your website as planned. Some hosts allow you to add additional storage to the existing plan, but this is often associated with comparatively high costs. With most providers, a complete plan upgrade to a more expensive web hosting package is required. To avoid these costs, you should consider the storage you will need from the outset so it remains sufficient for your website in the future.

Tip: In our Web hosting comparison you can sort offers by the amount of storage provided or even search specifically for a webspace package with a particular amount of storage.

How important is support when it comes to web hosting?

When selecting the right web hosting provider, numerous factors need to be considered. Besides price and technical specifications, there is another component that has a significant influence on the reliable operation of your website: the customer support provided by the web host.

Customer support is like insurance. In the best case you never have to use either. Unfortunately, things do not always go according to plan in life or in web hosting. An unexpected hardware failure, a faulty software update, or in the worst case even a hacker attack. The number of potential threats that could put your website out of action is large. But it is not only a complete outage — high load times alone can quickly have a negative impact on revenue, especially for commercial sites such as online shops or web services. This is where support comes into play. However, whether it actually delivers what the web host promised in their service description is often only revealed in a real emergency, when an acute problem occurs.

What criteria should a web hosting provider's support meet?

To avoid unpleasant surprises with support in an emergency, here is a list of criteria to consider when selecting a web hosting provider:

Availability

First of all, you should consider the availability of support. This concerns, on the one hand, the communication channels available for reaching the web host's customer service, and on the other hand the hours during which support is available. Traditionally, support requests can be sent by email or submitted via a ticketing system provided by the web hosting provider. A telephone hotline naturally offers an even better service for customers. This allows you to contact customer service directly in the event of problems without having to put the issue into writing. Today many companies also frequently offer additional communication channels for support requests, for example via social media channels, live chat, or text messengers.

Response time

In connection with availability, response time naturally also plays an important role. After all, it is of little use to the customer if they can contact the hoster by support ticket but then have to wait what feels like an eternity for a reply. This is especially important when providers promise 24/7 support — you should ask detailed questions and read the small print: of course the provider is reachable by email around the clock, but how quickly can you expect a response? It is not uncommon for tickets submitted on a Friday afternoon to be answered only on Monday morning after the weekend. Ideally, a telephone hotline should be available that is staffed 24/7.

Quality

Another important criterion is the quality of the support. Customer service staff should have sound technical knowledge in order to be able to help customers directly with questions and problems. With larger web hosts, customers usually end up in a call centre first, where the problem is recorded but cannot be resolved immediately. Better for the customer are hosts where a technically competent team of technicians handles customer support, or where even the owner answers the phone. After all, you do not want to be fobbed off with standard replies, but to receive a satisfactory solution to the problem promptly.

Costs and goodwill

Another important point to consider is the individual policies for costs and goodwill. Some web hosts now offer different support tiers. If you want a better service, you have to pay more and take out a paid premium service. This can be worthwhile especially for business users who earn money with their web presence and for whom a website outage can cause serious problems. But private users also appreciate customer support that can offer further helpful tips and does not simply do the bare minimum. For example, questions about the software used are often not answered because its use is not a paid service provided by the host. Nevertheless, an accommodating support team should be able to help customers in this area to a reasonable extent.

Customer reviews

An excellent way to find out in advance about the characteristics and performance of a potential web hosting provider’s customer support is to read customer experience reports. Both here on Hosttest and on other review sites on the internet, prospective customers can find numerous genuine customer opinions about a wide range of providers on the market, allowing them to form an impression of the service in advance.

Test reports

Even detailed test reports, such as those we publish here on Hosttest, can provide important details about a particular provider's support offering. Prospective customers can benefit from reliable first‑hand information and factor this into their decision when choosing the right provider.

Chapter 4: Avoiding mistakes when choosing web hosting

In this section we will look in more detail at possible mistakes when choosing the right web hosting and provide valuable tips that can help you avoid future problems with web hosting from the outset.

The 3 most common mistakes when choosing web hosting

The choice of the right web hosting provider should be carefully considered, yet customers are often tempted by seemingly attractive promises. Therefore, the decision should not be made too hastily, and the following three mistakes must be avoided:

1. Free services

Many customers are attracted by free offers. Anyone looking for inexpensive web hosting can keep the initial costs as low as possible by using free services. What at first glance looks like a good deal, however, usually proves to be a big mistake on closer inspection. In most cases the negative aspects of such offers never outweigh the advantage of cost savings. For web space to be offered for free, another company must cover the financing. These firms often display their adverts on the hosted website afterwards. For a professional or commercial web presence this is, of course, a deal-breaker. Visitors you have worked hard to bring to your site because they were originally interested in your services or products may end up becoming customers of the advertisers instead of using your offerings. In addition, a site riddled with adverts looks anything but professional. The chance that visitors will never return to the website is high. Third-party advertising on your site or branding from the hosting provider on every single page can therefore only be accepted for small hobby projects; for a serious web presence, free services should not be used.

2. Limited resources

Paid web hosting plans are therefore generally better than free services. However, there are also major differences between individual providers and packages. In many plans resources are heavily limited and customers receive only a meagre basic setup. Therefore you should carry out thorough research before deciding on a particular provider. Features such as bandwidth, storage space, email accounts or databases are just some of the criteria to consider. The exact features required always depend on the individual requirements of your website, but certain basic features, such as bandwidth and traffic, should be available without limits in every package. In addition, it should be possible to enable further capabilities easily when needed, without having to migrate the entire website.

3. Cheap hosting

Many web hosts offer their packages at particularly low prices. Frequently you read about special budget hosting deals that promise a lot of performance for low prices. Especially when you need to watch costs while choosing a web hosting provider, you should be cautious of providers that tempt you with only €1 per month or even cheaper offers. With such low fees and the resulting extremely slim profit margins for the provider, there must be a catch somewhere. Often this can be found in the small print of the terms and conditions. Limited resources, restricted support or lengthy contract terms designed to lock customers in for as long as possible are not uncommon. For a professional website you should therefore spend at least €3 to €6 per month to be on the safe side. That is still a very reasonable price. However, the chances of ending up with a reliable provider offering decent performance are much higher than if you focus solely on the lowest possible cost. In this context you should also pay attention to promotional prices. Often these apply only in the first months and afterwards the package becomes significantly more expensive for the remaining contract term than it would have been at a comparable provider without promotional prices. A good SLA (Service Level Agreement) is essential.

The 4 most common problems with web hosting

A reliable web host is the foundation for any successful web project. However, many website owners are regularly faced with problems. Poor web hosting can be the cause of a variety of complications. Therefore, we would like to draw attention to the four most common problems with web hosting and provide tips on how to avoid them.

Problem No. 1 - Speed

The most common problems are related to the speed of web hosting. This typically shows itself in long load times and slow page rendering. The contents of your website are displayed only after significant delays. This is particularly frustrating for sites that go beyond a simple presentation of information and include functions such as the shopping cart in online shops. A slow website therefore contributes to a very poor user experience for the visitor. Potential customers often leave the site as quickly as they arrived.

Slow websites frequently receive no visitors at all. If a prospect clicks a result on Google and the target page does not appear within a very short time, they will usually return to the search results and open the next suggested site. Because of this behaviour, a slow website not only harms the user experience but also sends a negative signal to the search engine. The result is a poorer ranking for relevant search queries and thus even lower chances of attracting visitors.

Speed problems occur particularly often with low-cost shared hosting packages. Here, several hundred or even thousands of customers can share the technical resources of a single server. Depending on system load, there is frequently not enough performance available for individual websites and regular delays can occur.

A dedicated server can help here. With a VPS or Dedicated Server the system's entire performance can be used exclusively for your web project. This effectively prevents speed problems.

Problem No. 2 - Downtime

Similar to long load times, outages have an even more serious negative impact on the user experience and on search engine rankings. If your web presence is not reachable at all, links lead to nowhere and prospects have no way of accessing your content.

Outages or downtime are unavoidable in the field of web hosting, but with a good web hosting provider they should be kept to an absolute minimum. Every server must at some point be maintained or restarted with updated software. These processes should, however, always be well planned, announced in advance and carried out within a short time window. An unannounced outage that drags on for an extended period is something no web hosting provider should be able to tolerate today.

A good host can provide relief here. Providers with a solid and reliable infrastructure have excellent control of their network and systems, thereby reducing outages to the necessary minimum.

Problem No. 3 - Support

Another problem, which occurs particularly with low-cost web hosting solutions, is inadequate support. Once your web project is up and running there is little cause for complaint. But if problems arise or questions come up, it becomes apparent whether a web hosting provider offers good support.

It starts with availability and response times. Good support should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and especially on weekends or public holidays, when most private users have time to work on their web projects. Moreover, replies to submitted queries should be timely and not answered only a day later. Nothing is more frustrating for customers than feeling they have to wait an eternity for a response from customer support when there is a serious problem with their website. Ideally, in addition to written communication via email or a ticket system, a free telephone helpline should also be offered.

Besides availability and response times, the quality of technical support must also be right. In the event of a problem, one expects competent answers from someone who understands the subject matter, and does not want to be fobbed off with standard responses from a call centre.

Choosing a suitable web hosting provider provides a remedy here. When reviewing plan descriptions, particular attention should be paid to the SLA (Service Level Agreement).

Problem No. 4 - Security

Further problems in web hosting can arise in the area of security. Responsibility here can lie with both the web host and the website operator themselves.

Hacked accounts are not uncommon. Hackers try to gain access to servers and web hosting packages to misuse them for their own purposes. This can include, for example, the distribution of spam or malware. Website owners should therefore pay close attention to strong security policies and secure their web projects as well as possible. The same applies to the web hosting provider. It is responsible for the security of its servers. Regular security updates and continuous monitoring of network activity are essential for a good web host.

Working with a good, reliable web host that keeps its systems properly maintained also helps to resolve this.

5 ways to avoid problems with a poor web host

Website owners should, on the one hand, already pay attention to a reliable provider before signing the hosting contract and, on the other hand, continually monitor the development of their provider afterwards. The following measures can help avoid potential problems with a poor web host:

1. Choose a web host with a long trial period

Many companies now offer their customers at least one full trial month. At some web hosts, the period during which you can cancel the contract free of charge is even longer. Unfortunately, only a few companies offer a permanent money-back guarantee. That means that after the trial period you are committed to the provider for the entire contract term. A money-back guarantee or long trial periods not only give the customer the opportunity to put an offering through its paces, but also demonstrate that a web host is fully confident in the quality of its services.

If you choose a suitable company, the chances are that it is a reliable provider and that a long-term working relationship is likely.

2. Register the main domain with a different provider

Although most web hosting packages already include registration of at least one desired domain in the price, you should preferably register the main domain of your web project independently of the web host with another provider. The strict separation of domain and webspace makes handling easier should problems arise and a move to another provider be necessary. If the domain is managed by the same company, releasing it for transfer can sometimes lead to unpleasant delays. This is especially the case if you have had a dispute with the web host.

If the domain is managed separately, switching to a different hosting provider is straightforward and can be carried out at any time without problems.

3. Check the provider's IP addresses

Nothing is more annoying than emails sent from your domain not reaching the recipient. The reason is often the so-called blacklisting of the sending server's IP address. This security measure automatically blocks requests from certain IP addresses. The aim is to reduce spam or online crime. However, such a block affects all users sharing the same IP address. Especially with shared webspace packages, where up to a thousand different customers can share a single server, innocent customers can suffer because of a few troublemakers.

It is therefore worthwhile to check the IP addresses of a given web host's servers in advance for any existing blacklisting. Internet portals such as MX Toolbox or DNSBL can help with this.

 4. Monitor uptime

Unfortunately, in normal circumstances an uptime of 100 per cent cannot be achieved. Every server requires software updates over time that necessitate a restart, or the replacement or expansion of individual hardware components. When such maintenance tasks are performed, your website will be unreachable. Web hosts therefore typically guarantee their customers an uptime of 99.9 per cent on an annual average.

To ensure that these agreements are actually honoured, you should continuously monitor your website's uptime yourself. Internet portals such as Uptimerobot or Pingdom can help with this.

5. Compare costs and services carefully

As a webmaster you naturally want to get as much performance as possible for your website at the lowest possible price. However, you should be cautious and not focus solely on cost, but also keep an eye on the quality of the offers. It is no use choosing the cheapest package if you later have to contend with downtime, slow access times or an unreachable support team.

A thorough investigation of the costs and services of the individual offers is therefore particularly important. In addition, you should also draw on the experiences and reviews of existing customers. Not only the user reports in the provider profiles on Hosttest, but also our detailed test reports on selected web hosts can be a great help.

Chapter 5: Creating your own website

After you have finally decided on the right web hosting, it is only just beginning. This section will cover the different options for creating your own website.

4 ways to create your own website

Thanks to technical developments in web design, there are now various options available for creating your own website. Whether you are a professional in the field or a beginner with no programming knowledge, everyone can now realise their own web presence exactly according to personal preferences.

In the early days of the internet it was only a few experts with specialised technical knowledge who could make a website available to the public. Back then there was no support from software or service providers and your web presence had to be programmed from scratch. Times have since changed and it is easier and cheaper than ever before to present your website on the internet. Depending on your skills and available budget, four different options are possible, which we will now present here:

1. Website builder systems

The simplest way to create your own website is to use so‑called website builder systems. These are specialised applications that are usually offered together with the web hosting. There are two common variants. Large hosting providers such as 1&1 Ionos or Strato offer an optional builder alongside their web hosting packages, which can be used to create a website. The application is either already included in the monthly fees, or a small additional charge applies for its use. There are also providers that specialise in website creation using a builder. Well-known examples are Wix review and Jimdo. While traditional hosts offer the builder as an optional feature in addition to their web hosting, the editor is the centre of the offering at other providers.

Thanks to a website builder, a website can be created without the user needing knowledge of HTML, CSS or other programming languages. First you choose a suitable base design for your website, which can then be customised to your own preferences and requirements. Operation is straightforward via mouse and keyboard using drag-and-drop. Individual design elements such as text, images, videos or interactive modules can easily be inserted, moved and removed in the editor. The design freedoms and available elements generally depend on the chosen plan. More advanced features, such as integrating a shop with a shopping cart and payment processing, usually require a premium plan, whereas simple websites can be created with the free features. An individual domain name under which the site will later be accessible is usually associated with additional costs.

Because creating a website with a website builder is particularly easy, this option is especially suitable for beginners who have no prior experience with websites on the internet. In this way, a technically modern website can be created with little effort and at moderate cost. You are, of course, always bound by the editor’s functional scope in terms of design options and features. Completely custom websites are generally not achievable with a website builder.

• Ideal for beginners
• No programming skills required
• Moderate costs
• Limited functionality and pre-made designs

2. Content Management System

Advanced users can use content management systems (CMS) to create their own website. These are applications used for creating and managing content on websites. The two best-known systems are WordPress and Joomla. Through a user-friendly interface, text can be created and media files inserted. Using themes the design can be customised and, thanks to a huge selection of plugins, the functionality of the CMS can be extended almost without limit. However, unlike a website builder, a certain level of technical know-how is required to make minor adjustments and quickly fix possible errors in order to work effectively with the systems. The better you know your way around, the more extensive customisations are possible without having to rely on third-party services.

The most popular content management systems are available as open source software and therefore incur no costs. They can be installed on any webspace package that meets the technical requirements of the respective software. In some offers, such as the Business webspace packages, CMSs are often preinstalled or can be activated with just one click via the hosting control panel. Content management systems offer a very functional and at the same time cost-effective way to create a professional website. The only requirement is suitable webspace and some technical knowledge of the CMS used.

• Ideal for advanced users
• Basic technical knowledge required
• Low cost
• Customisation of functionality and design possible

3. Programming it yourself

If you have the necessary knowledge and sufficient time, you can of course programme your website entirely yourself. In principle, all the knowledge required to build a website from scratch is available online for free. This starts with creating the basic framework, the so-called template, using the programming language HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and extends to editing the design and functionality using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript.

Even with the creation in HTML there are different approaches. HTML can be written directly in a simple text editor or you can use a more comfortable WYSIWYG editor. With this you can see directly how the written code affects the design and structure of the website. Depending on the software used there are numerous convenience features. The advantage of the self-programming option is that the full control over the entire framework of the website is yours. On the other hand the whole undertaking is of course very extensive and time-consuming. Often programming alone is not enough. Especially when it comes to design, knowledge of design fundamentals or the help of an external designer is necessary to achieve attractive results.

• Only cost-effective for professionals
• Low costs
• High effort
• Maximum freedom in function and design

4. Engaging service providers

For most professional websites on the internet the creation is outsourced to external service providers. Either individual designers, programmers and web developers can be hired, or an agency can be commissioned to coordinate the further process independently. This option is, at first glance associated with the highest costs, however there are many reasons to decide in favour of it. Depending on the requirements for the website there are nowadays also very affordable providers who offer a complete website to individual specifications at low prices.

When it comes to creating a commercial website that is intended to subsequently generate customers, orders and revenue, an upfront investment is a perfectly normal commercial step. Those who have to look after their own business generally do not have the time to also deal with the technical refinements of website creation. In this case engaging service providers is the best and most effective option. Furthermore, with an individually created web presence all desired functions and design ideas can be implemented precisely and a unique website created.

• Ideal for businesses
• Tailored to your own requirements
• No effort
• High costs

There are many approaches to building your own website. The most important criteria for the decision are the individual requirements and the intended purpose of the site. Whether a low-cost entry-level option or a professional high-end solution, there are appropriate implementation possibilities for every variant.

Designing a successful online presence: Foundations

A perfect online presence is not left to luck but is the result of careful planning, a long-term strategy and the targeted implementation of theory into practice. Thanks to modern software such as a website builder and flexible content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or other solutions on an open-source or commercial basis, no technical knowledge is required for your own website. Even basic knowledge of programming in PHP or HTML code is not necessary. Instead, a web presence primarily requires creativity and the willingness to engage with the necessary prerequisites for a successful online presence, including effective search engine optimisation (SEO).

How can a successful website be realised?

A successful online presence always requires careful planning that takes numerous different aspects into account. These include formal requirements such as the legally required creation of a complete impressum, as well as artistic tasks — for example an aesthetic and attractive design — and their technical implementation using appropriate software. A quick and flexible start is enabled by prebuilt solutions such as an online website builder or CMS like Joomla, WordPress and Drupal, and for an online store, shop systems such as Magento, Shopware and PrestaShop. Choosing the software involves a comprehensive comparison of all advantages and disadvantages, because subsequent changes are time-consuming and labour-intensive.

With a CMS, websites can easily be created locally on a computer first, without being published. This is not always possible with an online website builder; however, many providers offer a free trial account or a money-back guarantee if you are dissatisfied. To minimise the time and effort required, it makes sense to design the online presence as precisely as possible in the first step. Technical aspects such as the necessary HTML code are initially set aside and the design is brought to the fore.

Which aspects are important for your own website?

For a purely private internet presence the aesthetics are, of course, entirely a matter of personal taste. For a representative website or a commercial project, however, even seemingly irrelevant details such as colour choice influence success. Considerations for your own home page therefore include:

• Site structure: Placement of images, menus, text and content on the home page. The aim is a clear, simple and intuitive layout
• Colour choice: Psychologists have shown that certain colours are associated with attributes such as trust, competence or reliability.
• Content: Ideally a home page provides a comprehensive overview of a website without going into detail. Those should be located on subpages.
• Loading speed: High-resolution videos and images delay page load because of their data volume. They particularly affect access from mobile devices.
• Responsive design: Most users now access websites via smartphones or tablet PCs. A responsive design automatically adjusts the display to conditions such as screen size and resolution.
• Technical requirements: Details such as the bandwidth of the connection used, required storage space and server performance to optimise costs.
• Domains and hosting: An attractive address is crucial for a successful web presence. A comprehensive web hosting comparison reduces running costs.

How can a concept be implemented as a website?

Even without specialised expertise such as programming languages, server configuration or knowledge of HTML code, you can realise your own home page with a professional standard. The decisive factor is the choice of suitable software whose range of features and ease of use match the individual requirements for the internet presence. Two fundamentally different approaches should be distinguished:

Online website builder: A website builder is the most convenient way to create an internet presence and is offered by numerous hosting providers. Your website can be configured and maintained entirely via the browser. A website builder is usually available as a package with web hosting and sometimes a domain. The drawback is that moving the website to another host is often not possible, or only possible to a very limited extent.

CMS: A CMS consists of a collection of scripts written in a web-suitable programming language such as PHP. They provide a convenient graphical administration interface and the delivery of content. Many providers offer Web hosting with a basic installation of a CMS - for example WordPress - in which case the operation resembles an online website builder. CMS are versatile, flexible and allow the migration of a website between different servers. Administration, however, typically requires a longer period of familiarisation than the website builder.

Both approaches are fully suitable for beginners with no special prior knowledge. Features, operation and the scope of functionality vary between different providers. Before comparing Web hosting providers it is therefore advisable to familiarise yourself with several products to assess the individual advantages and disadvantages.

How can an owner personalise their own website?

Of course a web presence should stand out from the competition and reflect a personal touch. For this purpose various extensions are offered. The basic design is set via templates (templates) that are aimed at different content (for example blogging, corporate sites, news portals) or user groups (industry-specific, for example for photographers, restaurants, tradespeople or retailers). Additional functions can be installed via plug-ins or add-ons (for example forums, interfaces, video players, games or photo galleries). Whether a plug-in is offered for free or for a one-off or recurring fee depends on the programmer responsible for the plug-in. Developers often offer both variants, with the free versions frequently subject to certain functional limitations or further conditions such as crediting the developer by name.

How much does a website cost?

The question of how much a website costs is probably as old as the internet itself. Since it has been possible to have one's own presence on the World Wide Web, people have been concerned about the costs of such an online presence. Straight away: there is no general answer, as the creation of a website depends on a wide variety of factors.

When it comes to the costs of creating a website, two criteria are initially important. On the one hand, the scope of the planned online presence and, on the other, your own technical knowledge in the area of website creation. In general, creating a simple website, such as an online business card or a private blog, will require significantly less budget than creating a large online shop or a professional web service. The same applies to your technical skills: someone who has programming knowledge and can build the planned website themselves will usually manage with a lower budget than someone with no technical knowledge who has the entire site built by a service provider.

What types of websites are there and what costs do they incur?

The following section presents three different categories of websites and gives a rough estimate of the likely costs to create them.

Private website

The costs of creating a private website are extremely low nowadays. There is even the option to publish a fully functional private website on the internet completely free of charge. By a private website we mean a small online presence where you publish self-authored texts and perhaps a few galleries of your own photos and the occasional video. Examples include a small travel blog about recent holidays, a recipe collection of favourite dishes, or simply publicly sharing thoughts with friends and acquaintances. Using website builders, such online projects can be realised either entirely free or for a very small monthly fee. Extensive technical knowledge is also not required to create a website with a website builder.

• Personal use
• Limited scope
• Limited functionality
• Free options available

Professional website

For the creation of a professional website, whether for private or commercial use, a certain budget should definitely be planned. A completely free creation, as might be possible for a simple personal site, is not an option here. A professional website is characterised by a unique design, more extensive content and higher functionality. As such an online project, a professional website definitely requires its own paid web hosting, which incurs monthly costs. In addition, the individual creation of design and content either requires extensive technical knowledge and the appropriate paid software, or an external service provider, such as a web designer, is engaged. With hourly rates of €50 and roughly 10 hours of work, three-figure euro amounts can quickly add up.

• Private or commercial use
• Moderate size
• Moderate functionality
• Low monthly costs
• Low to moderate one-off costs

Commercial online project

The costs for a large commercial online project are very difficult to estimate. It depends entirely on the planned venture and the scope or functionality required. A professional online shop with several thousand products and several thousand visitors per day already requires a significant investment of time and money to build. If, however, the project involves implementing a complex web service, costs can quickly soar. In addition to powerful web hosting on dedicated servers, which on its own can cause high monthly costs, the programming of a bespoke web service can occupy whole teams of developers and easily cost several thousand euros.

• Commercial use
• Large scope
• High functionality
• Moderate to high monthly costs
• High one-off costs

Chapter 6: Subsequent change of web hosting type or provider

In this section we will finally look at what to consider when changing the type of web hosting or provider at a later date. Nothing is set in stone and both the requirements of your web project and the offerings of the web host can change over time. When exactly an upgrade or downgrade of your web hosting makes sense and when it is time for a completely new web hosting provider, you will learn here.

When is it sensible to upgrade your web hosting?

Most online projects are started on basic web space packages. If the website develops well, the performance of such packages is often not sufficient for very long. An upgrade of the web space becomes necessary. But what are the signs that it is time to change the hosting product?

Webmasters usually start their newest online project on the smallest possible hosting system. A shared hosting package is often the cheapest and simplest option to make the new presence available online and wait for its development. Especially attractive offers from web hosts that promise unlimited storage space as well as unrestricted traffic and bandwidth for use with multiple domains give the impression that such a shared hosting package can meet all requirements.

However, a shared hosting package remains what the term "shared" already implies. You share the system resources with other accounts on the server. In addition to your own website, often thousands of other websites are hosted on the same server. Shared hosting packages therefore only allow customers to use a limited amount of system resources. If the requirements of the web project exceed the available system resources, customers must expect restrictions both on their own website and on the entire server system. These restrictions manifest as slow loading times or, in the worst case, even a complete server outage. Although you should prevent it from getting that far, by then an upgrade of your web space package is necessary at the latest.

Therefore, especially with larger web projects, you cannot remain on the cheapest web hosting plan forever. Sooner or later an upgrade will be required. But when is it time to move to a higher-tier package or perhaps even to a dedicated server? The following signs can help you make that decision at the right time:

When is downgrading your web hosting appropriate?

Those who were overly optimistic when planning their online project often later discover that the available technical resources are far from fully utilised. To reduce costs, downgrading the web hosting can make sense in this case.

Webmasters often overestimate hosting requirements to be prepared for potential traffic peaks. If these peaks do not materialise, you end up with web hosting whose resources are never fully utilised. This is especially common with dedicated hardware. Very few customers who have their own Dedicated Server fully use its resources. There is therefore significant potential for savings: if your website runs just as well on shared hosting or VPS hosting, you can avoid the often high costs of a Dedicated Server.

How to downgrade to save unnecessary costs:

When should you change your web hosting provider?

Once a website is set up and accessible on the internet, few webmasters want to deal with moving their site. In practice, a complete switch of web hosting provider is usually associated with a very high level of effort. Nevertheless, there can be reasons that make migrating to a new host necessary.

Anyone who runs their own website will be pleased when it is finally fully set up and available on the server of the hosting provider. Most dread moving to another provider, since such a change is typically associated with a great deal of effort: on the one hand all website data must be uploaded to the new provider’s server and on the other hand the domain itself as well as other components, such as mailboxes and databases, must be migrated.

While a domain transfer using an Auth code can be handled relatively easily, migrating the website data looks quite different. Not only must all files from the directories of the old web space be downloaded via FTP and uploaded to the new server, but when using a content management system (CMS) the associated database entries must also be exported via phpMyAdmin and imported again on the new web space. A certain level of technical knowledge is therefore essential to ensure the migration to the new host runs smoothly.

Once all data has been transferred, configuration and settings need to be addressed. This is also when email addresses, mailboxes and forwards need to be set up again. All these tasks take a lot of time and often the website is inaccessible for 24 hours or even longer during the migration, which you should definitely plan for in advance.

Reasons for switching provider

To make the considerable effort of a migration worthwhile, there should certainly be a valid reason that justifies switching provider. Here we have compiled some causes that can make moving your website necessary:

Poor performance

The most common reason for changing a web hosting provider is performance problems. These can manifest in various ways. Either there are frequent complete outages and your website cannot be reached at all, or your web presence suffers from long load times and slow server response times. All of these issues are usually due to inadequate hardware or poor infrastructure at the web host and can typically only be resolved by switching providers.

Poor security management

Another reason to change web hosting provider can be security issues. If the hosting provider's servers are not properly maintained and regularly updated with the latest security patches and up‑to‑date software versions, they quickly become targets for hackers. Once servers are compromised and used to spread viruses and other malware, your website may be affected. If you share the same IP address with hijacked machines, you should expect to face serious consequences. For example, emails sent from the server may be rejected by recipients, or your website may be penalised by search engines. To escape such a “bad neighbourhood”, moving to a new provider is usually the only solution.

Unfavourable terms

However, not only technical reasons can make changing provider necessary. Deficiencies in the service offering can also lead to choosing a new contracting partner. Often it is problems with customer support that prompt a webmaster to switch. If support cannot be reached promptly when issues arise, or does not satisfactorily resolve them, there is often no alternative but to move your website to another provider. The absence of a free upgrade service—or upgrades that incur additional charges—when moving to another plan can also prompt customers to change provider altogether. Likewise, unexpected or unjustified price increases can make switching provider attractive.

Tip: Find out what you can do if your web host is no longer reachable.

Congratulations!

You've successfully worked your way through Web hosting 101 and should now have a better understanding of the subject.

Now is the right time to find a suitable web hosting package for your planned online project.

Get started straight away!