What is a hosted website platform?

A hosted website is one that is based on a website builder such as Wix, Squarespace or WordPress, com. These are Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) platforms that offer a comprehensive website solution. They provide the hosting (the servers that host all the files on your website) and the software to create your website. Simply put, web hosting is the process of renting or buying space to host a website on the World Wide Web.

Website content, such as HTML, CSS and images, must be hosted on a server so that it can be viewed online. Once you select your domain and hosting, you can select a web platform or content management system (CMS). A platform contains all the startup files you'll need to launch your website. There are several CMS systems available for bloggers and small businesses.

Two of the most popular ones are WordPress and Squarespace. Most business hosts offer the flexibility to choose how you want to pay with monthly and annual payment plans; the latter offer you a cheaper rate. Choosing the right hosting plan will mean having access to the right allocation of resources so that your website loads quickly and reliably for your visitors. If you want to host email accounts together with your website, make sure that your provider allows you to set up the email addresses you want on your domain before you sign up.

Anyone who is serious about digital marketing or running an online business should carefully review their shared hosting options and ensure that their provider can offer services such as Namecheap's enterprise SSD hosting, which is specifically designed for e-commerce websites. The plans range from free with limited options to expensive specialized web hosting services for businesses. Reseller hosting is a form of web hosting in which the account owner can use their allocated hard drive space and bandwidth to host a website on behalf of third parties. When a hosting provider allocates space on a web server for a website to store its files, they are hosting a website.

When you make sure they offer a reliable service, you can switch to cheaper annual payments or switch hosts quickly if they don't meet your expectations. Many novice website owners have used the cheaper option or anything included with the purchase of their domain name with the mistaken belief that all hosting options are essentially the same. Reseller hosting is beneficial when the amount of space purchased is not required and some of the allocated resources can be shared with other parties. Hosted platforms tend to have limitations on what you can change, while self-hosted platforms give you the freedom to change just about anything.

Dedicated hosting (sometimes referred to as managed hosting or dedicated server) offers complete servers for rent.

Camden Boucher Jones
Camden Boucher Jones

Freelance music maven. Avid gamer. Travel junkie. Incurable food guru. Hipster-friendly tv practitioner.