how to set up website hosting

How to host a website in 2024: Step-by-step guide

Bryn Glover,

Website hosting is one of the most vital tools for getting started online. How you approach it will depend on how you approach building your site, but whichever method you use, hosting will be involved.

A website host stores your website data and makes it accessible to visitors. Your pages, designs, images and videos all rely on a host being present and active.

In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how you can get your website hosting sorted.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Work out your hosting needs

Before you start setting up your website hosting, it’s important to understand what you actually need.

You consider various factors, including the type of website you have, how much traffic you expect, what level of storage you’ll need, and what sort of software or platforms you’ll want to use.

For some, this stage in the process will mean that you don’t need to think much more about hosting at all. If your plan is to use a website builder, for example, then hosting is more than likely to be included with whichever platform or plan you choose. If this sounds like it would work for you, you can visit our best website builder page to compare providers or our how to use a website builder page to find out more about the creation process.

On the other hand, if you’re planning to use a CMS such as WordPress, then you’ll need to stay on this page to find out more about hosting.

Step 2: Choose a hosting provider

Now that you know whether you need to consider hosting or not, it’s time to choose a provider.

There are a number of options available, including shared hosting, which is typically the most affordable option, and also virtual private servers (VPS) and dedicated servers, both of which offer more resources and control. Cloud hosting is also available, and is a flexible and scalable model for websites that expect to grow in the future. Visit our what is website hosting page to find out a little more about each of the types.

When it comes to choosing, you should consider which of these hosting types will be most suitable, and then also explore which hosting provider best matches your needs. If you want more advice, you can visit our best website hosting providers page to compare some top options.

Bluehost

£ 2
33
Monthly
  • Four plans from £2.33/month
Popular provider

SiteGround

$ 2
99
Monthly
  • Three plan from $2.99/month
Popular provider

HostGator

$ 3
75
Monthly
  • 3 plans from $3.75/month
Popular provider

Step 3: Select a hosting plan

Once you’ve chosen a host, you need to consider which of their plans best suits your needs.

Most hosting providers offer a range of options, with different features and prices to consider. You should consider factors such as storage, bandwidth, email account access, domain name registration, security and scalability. Additionally, some plans will only support a certain amount of traffic each month and so, if you’re expecting a higher volume of sessions early, then you might want to pay more from the start.

It also helps to think long-term. Right now, your site might be new and you might not expect to need much in the way of functionality; however, if you expect that to change soon, it may be best to pay more in the short-term to save yourself effort later.

The price of hosting is likely to be a factor, you can visit our page on how much does website hosting cost to find out more.

Step 4: Register a domain name

If you don’t already have a domain name, you’ll need to register one.

Most hosting providers offer domain registration services as part of their process, meaning you can purchase a domain and a hosting plan without leaving their site.

When it comes to your domain name, you should choose one that reflects your website’s purpose and brand. If you already own a business, then you’ll probably want a domain name that matches that as closely as possible.

Bear in mind that, with so many sites online, it’s not always easy – or sometimes even possible – to get your first pick, so it may be worth having alternatives in mind.

If you want advise on branding your website, you can visit our top tips for choosing a domain name page now.

register a domain name for hosting

Step 5: Set up your hosting account

Now you have a hosting plan and domain name, it’s time to set everything up.

Provide your chosen hosting provider with the information they need; normally this will include your domain name, contact details and billing information. If you are a business, you will usually have to provide details about your organisation too.

Many hosting providers offer a quick set-up process that will install a CMS like WordPress for you. Using Bluehost, for example, you will be able to get started with a WordPress site in just a few clicks.

Step 6: Configure DNS settings

Once you’ve set up your hosting account, you’ll need to configure the Domain Name System (DNS) settings to make sure your domain name and host are connected. Bear in mind that, if you purchased your domain and hosting from the same provider, this will be much easier.

Access the DMC management section of your hosting account and update the nameservers with the ones your host has provided. This process – known as DNS propagation – can take up to 48 hours, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see changes immediately.

Step 7: Build your website

This step may vary considerably depending on what stage you are at. If you are moving a pre-existing site from an old CMS or host, then you will need to upload the relevant files into the new host. You can use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) for this process, or a web-based file manager.

If you are building from scratch then this step might just mean logging in and getting started. As mentioned, Bluehost makes it very easy to get started on the WordPress CMS and so, if that’s the route you’ve taken, you can begin adding pages and posts straight away.

If you want more tips on this stage, our how to create a business website page might be useful.

Step 8: Test and launch your website

Once you’ve completed the steps above, it’s time to test your website to make sure it’s working as expected.

Depending on if your site is live or not – something you’ll usually handle in either the host or the CMS – you can check whether everything is working using either a preview link if the site isn’t live, or your actual URL if it is.

You should check that your pages load correctly, that internal links and menus work, and that any forms you use are functioning as planned. You should also make sure that all of the pages are live that should be.

Once you are satisfied that everything is working as expected, you can launch your site – if you haven’t already – or simply get back to your work. At this stage, you might be thinking about how to grow – our how to market your website page could be a good place to start.

How to set up website hosting: Final thoughts

Setting up your website hosting is a crucial stage in getting online. How easy it is, will depend on how you’re building a site, but whatever route you’ve taken you’ll need to make sure your hosting is fit for purpose.

The steps in this guide should give you the information you need, but you’ll also need to make the right choices yourself. Make sure to choose the most suitable website hosting provider for your needs, and make sure you choose the plan that works best.

You should also make sure, once you are live, to regularly monitor how everything is working. You’ll want to stay on top of host performance and security to spot any bugs, but also on how well your site can scale.

Picture of Bryn Glover

Bryn Glover

Bryn is the founder and editor of WebsiteJumpStart. He has worked in the digital field for over a decade and was editor for Startups.co.uk - the UK's leading small business website - and for NerdWallet UK before launching WebsiteJumpStart to help people and businesses get online with ease.
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