Udemy – WordPress Introduction to Domain Name and Hosting

Udemy is the largest and most popular online learning platform with over 250,000+ courses and over 1 million+ students currently studying around the world. It is designed to make learning quick and easy, and allows you to access courses and materials from the convenience of your home or office. Using the platform is extremely easy, simply log in with you gmail account and you are good to go. You can also try out their free version which allows you to study and access certain courses without paying a penny.

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) used on Udemy, and is supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. The course covers the basics of domain names and hosting, including tips on how to choose a good web host that suits your needs.

Why Should You Learn About Domain Names And Hosting?

If you are looking to build a brand for your business or products, then you need to consider the domain name and hosting of your website. Having a.com domain name is completely free through one of the many providers like Google, which makes it readily available but also highly coveted. Having your own domain name also means you can fully customize the look and content of your site without worrying about whether or not you will be able to keep up with the payments. However, this does require a good web host, and knowing how to choose a web host that suits your needs is key to successfully establishing a website.

Choosing a good domain name is a crucial step to taking your business or product online. You also need to consider the hosting of your website. This is where you will put the content of your site, and if you are looking for a free option, then you should try out WordPress.com, as they offer very affordable and decent hosting packages. One of the best things about WordPress is the huge community that supports it, offering you the chance to get help whenever you need it. For someone looking to get started with a blog or website, this is definitely a good choice.

What Is Hosting?

Put simply, hosting is where you will put your website after you have registered it with a domain name. It is a service that hosts your website for free, and it takes several forms, including:

• Shared hosting: With shared hosting, all the websites that are hosted in the same data center as you are share the same space and bandwidth, so if one site has a lot of traffic, then all the other sites will also have to deal with the increased presence. Shared hosting is one of the most affordable and simplest forms of hosting, and it does not require a lot of technical expertise to set up or manage. You simply need to install WordPress to create your website, and you can then use a variety of free tools offered by WordPress to make it look the way you want.
• Virtual Private Server (VPS): A virtual private server (VPS) is similar to shared hosting, the only difference is that with a VPS, you get to choose your own dedicated IP address (sometimes referred to as a “virtual host”) which enables you to have a sense of privacy when accessing your site. This is a popular choice amongst web entrepreneurs who are seeking to build large communities or fan bases, as it gives them the ability to have many sites pointing to their own, making it more personal and less commercial in nature. You can choose from a variety of providers for VPSs, including major cloud service providers like Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services, as well as independent hosting providers like Bluehost, which also offer WordPress hosting.
• Basic or Growslow (Free/Payment Plans): Basic hosting is free, however, the amount of bandwidth and storage space you get for free is very limited. Growslow hosting is a type of basic hosting that allows you to purchase additional bandwidth and storage space at discounted rates. These rates are typically good for new customers only, so if you are looking to establish a website and want to save money, then Growslow is a smart choice as it costs considerably less than basic hosting. One of the best things about Growslow is that you get to choose the amount of bandwidth and storage space you need, and you can upgrade at any time should you need to further expand your site. This is also the type of hosting that student websites and blogs are commonly found on.
• Dedicated IP Address (PRIVATE) – (Payment Plan): A dedicated IP address is a physical IP address that is completely private and does not require you to share it with anyone, including your web host. This option is relatively expensive, but it gives you the ability to have a dedicated IP address that is only used by your website and cannot be accessed by any other websites or devices. Should you need to update your site or run multiple sites from a single IP address, then this is the option for you. The downside to a dedicated IP address is that it is quite expensive, and it requires additional technological expertise to set up and maintain.
• Dedicated Server (PRIVATE) – (Payment Plan): A dedicated server is similar to a virtual private server, the only difference is that a dedicated server is completely dedicated to you and only you, and it does not require you to share it with anyone. This is commonly used by e-commerce websites as it provides the extra bandwidth and storage that they need. It also enables them to have a more professional-looking site. The downside to a dedicated server is that it is quite expensive, and it requires additional technological expertise to set up and maintain.

Choosing a good web host is similar to choosing a domain name, you simply need to consider the features that are important to you, and then look for a web host that offers those features. Using shared hosting for your website is quite common as it is quite simple to set up and more than enough for a basic site, however, if you are seeking to grow your site then look for a web host that offers additional features such as: