Churches and ministries need a Christian website or blog to remain relevant in the digital world. Not only designing a blog or website but a functional one. We have many Christian blogs or church websites not functioning because there is no structure for sustainability.
Imagine you have all the house utensils, a chair, the door, a kitchen cabinet, etc. but still don’t have a house. You have everything to set up your church, a microphone, chairs, and a structure-mapped house, but no physical space to host them. This is what web hosting is to a website.
A website is your church online, where people visit to seek information about your church or ministry and know more about Christ. This is possible because a place exists where all your files are hosted.
Web hosting and domain are two different entities that work together. One cannot do without the other.
What is Website Hosting
In simple terms, web hosting is a server housing/ containing all your website files. This space is rented online from the hosting providers—a web server stores all your files.
When you store your website on a web server, it will be available for everyone to access via your domain.
Note: Most web hosting services require a domain name. The domain name is the door to your website. When someone visits a domain name, the associated file on the web server will appear on the web browser.
If the domain name is not associated with any file on the web server, it will return an error message.
Types of Web Hosting
If you are thinking of owning a church or ministry website, a Christian blog or designing one, you should consider the available web hosting packages and choose wisely.
Web hosting varies from each other according to its capacity. Just like a hard drive varies with size, the same goes for hosting. When you visit a web hosting company, the features of each hosting package will be listed, especially the bandwidth and web storage.
Let’s look at a few web hosting services and their features.
In this article, we are both considering local and foreign hosting (that is, Nigeria). So, we will be using Whogohost (local) and Namecheap (foreign)
Note: Companies that provide hosting packages are called web hosting companies or providers
In the picture above, you see that there are different types of hosting. There is Web Hosting (Shared Hosting), Javascript Hosting, Python Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Cloud Servers, etc.
Moreso for Namecheap
There are Shared Hosting, WordPress Hosting, Reseller Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Servers
We will be looking at this type of hosting, and at the end of your reading this, you will decide on which one to go for.
Though as a church, the only heavy file you can host on your website that will demand large web hosting is sermons and videos. Except for those, you only need web hosting with little space. The same applies to a Christian blog.
The main types of web hosting we have are
- Shared Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- Reseller Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Servers
Shared Hosting.
As the name implies, it is a hosting shared across different websites. It is a less expensive option for hosting small and medium-scale church websites.
The measurement is not by the number of members your church has, but it is by traffic and files hosted on the websites
This hosting is the best option for Christian blogs, church websites, faith-based organizations, ministers’ websites, and other small websites.
WordPress Hosting
It is also called managed hosting. It is a dedicated hosting fully controlled by the hosting provider.
Companies offer WordPress hosting for those who need help setting up shared hosting. To manage shared hosting, you need to know about cPanel, but some non-technical people cannot afford it.
So, WordPress hosting is dedicated to WordPress (CMS). With that, you can easily set up a WordPress website, and manage it without the stress of a complicated cPanel interface.
WordPress hosting also is a family of shared hosting that offers added security to prevent your websites from hackers.
Reseller Hosting
There are demands for websites daily, both faith-based and commercial, so the web hosting industry is growing bigger every day. Reseller hosting makes it possible for smaller businesses to own a web hosting company.
Here, a web hosting company rents a part of their web server to another company, mostly small-sized businesses or entrepreneurs, to provide hosting to their clients.
With reseller hosting, starting a web hosting company with all features available for you without having an installed server physically is effortless.
The picture below shows what a server looks like. For small businesses that cannot afford these, reseller hosting is the best option for them.
VPS Hosting
When you have occupied your shared space (shared hosting), that is, if you have uploaded sermons or other big files that have exhausted the space you bought, you will be forced to upgrade from sharing web space with others to having control over your server.
VPS hosting is a middleman existing between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. It has certain features of dedicated hosting but is a little above-shared hosting.
It is recommended for churches or blogs with huge traffic on their website. Here, you are still sharing hosting but with independent resources. This makes it more expensive than shared hosting. It offers more customization and better performance.
Dedicated Server Hosting
It is the most expensive option. It is meant for big churches that have a very strong online presence or Christian blog that is commanding a lot of traffic.
Note that your hosting needs do not depend on the size of your church or ministry but on the size of your web storage, traffic, and bandwidth.
Dedicated Hosting as its name implies has a separate, dedicated server for your website. In simple terms, your website has its server and you have full control over it.
However, a dedicated server requires expertise for its customization. Dedicated hosting is the highest level of server you need for a website. If there is a need for more space for your website, cloud hosting comes in.
Cloud Hosting
Now to the hosting industry. You can request additional space on your server with cloud hosting.
You get paid per hour or storage. You can decide to remove or add cloud storage to your hosting package. However, findings revealed that they aren’t reliable as standard ones
Before you choose a Hosting provider…
- Map out the future of your website. Ask yourself this question, How many visitors am I expecting in a month or two?
- Know your budget. You need to know how much you or your church can afford before choosing any hosting package.
- Start small. The joy of hosting packages is that you can upgrade from a plan to a bigger one.
- Check the hosting company reviews. When you check the reviews, look out for the following
- Uptime. Servers have their downtime, that is when the server is currently not working. Have you checked a website and it is showing you an error? That is one of the effects of downtime
- Backup and Security. Some hosting companies automatically back up your website, some monthly, some weekly, and some daily. Namecheap Steller Plus shared hosting backup is automated daily. Now that is good because when you have issues with your website, you can always fall back on your backup.
- Support. It is advisable to choose to host providers with live support. When there are issues with your website, you can chat with them and they answer immediately
The prices of web hosting differ because of
- Web storage
- Bandwidth
- Number of websites (addons domain)
- Number of subdomains
- Number of custom emails
- Database
- Domains added
- SSL and many more
Trusted Web Hosting Companies in Nigeria
This article is not recommending any company over others but gives you options to choose from for your website. I have experience with some hosting companies and I will share them.
Read on
Top web hosting companies in Nigeria
- Whogohost
WhoGoHost was founded in 2007 by Opeyemi Awoyemi, then a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Whogohost
WhoGoHost was founded in 2007 by Opeyemi Awoyemi, then a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, to serve clients of his web design firm ennovateNIGERIA who also needed hosting for their websites. WhoGoHost was then simply a reseller that provided hosting services to customers, allowing them to pay in local currency.
Whogohost has been serving the country with domains and hosting since 2007 and is trusted by hundreds of brands all over Nigeria.
Though my experience with Whogohost was not good enough, they remain the most trusted web hosting provider in Nigeria.
You can purchase their shared hosting within the price range of ₦800 monthly/₦8000 yearly to ₦2,800 monthly/₦28,000 yearly depending on your needs.
- Domainking
DomainKing is a Global Domain Registrar accredited with many Asian & African Registries. It offers a wide range of services from Domain Names, Web Hosting to complete Websites & tools that help your business or church grow. Its mission is to become the leader in Internet Services across Asia & Africa by providing quality Web Services & tools that help every Business, Developer & Blogger succeed online in their ventures.
Domainking is situated in South Africa but its local service extends to Nigeria.
You can purchase their shared hosting within the price range of ₦750 monthly/₦8100 yearly to ₦3,950 monthly/₦42,660 yearly.
- Qservers
QServers’ goal is to set a new standard for shared, VPS, and managed dedicated server hosting. The goal is to provide clients with a superior managed hosting environment for clients through customer service, innovative network design, a unique suite of services, and the latest technological advances in server hardware. A managed hosting environment that not only supported clients at all levels but also provides true value.
The observation I have about Qservers is their strict policy. You have to read their policy before buying their hosting package. Any website you build on their server that is against their policy will be suspended without a refund.
You can purchase their shared hosting within the price range of ₦700 monthly/₦7000 yearly to ₦2,950 monthly/₦29,500 yearly.
- TFHost
TFhost came to the business of web hosting industries a few years ago but has managed to establish itself in the league.
TFhost offers very cheap web hosting and domain packages. For starters who are just learning how to design a website or small businesses owner who wants to own a website, I can recommend TFHost.
You can purchase their shared hosting within the price range of ₦300 monthly/₦3000 yearly to ₦2,120 monthly/₦21,200 yearly.
Check out these hosting providers and make the decision yourself where to host your business website or client website.
But if you have doubts about their reliability, let’s see the foreign hosting you can try out. One constraint you can have for you to purchase any of the foreign web hostings is the need to get a domiciliary account with a trusted bank. Banks have limited their dollar spending on Naira cards to $20 per month
Trusted Web Hosting Companies outside Nigeria
- Namecheap
Namecheap began in 2000 with a mission to deliver the best domains at the best prices with the best service. Since then we’ve added hosting, security, managed WordPress, and a whole range of innovations to our platform. The online plans, ideas, and ambitions of people just like you have grown too. We’ve simply grown to bring you everything you need.
- Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the popular website hosting companies because of its one-click WordPress installer from the dashboard. Unlike others who have to go through the stress of cPanel, Bluehost offers an easy way to install WordPress CMS with hundreds of applications
Bluehost also offers extensive SEO tools you can use to track your website ranking.
- Godaddy
If you are familiar with web hosting companies, you must have heard of Godaddy. Godaddy is one of the most popular and preferable hosting companies by the big guns.
They offer services ranging from domain registration to professional email and also have a website builder.
One of the benefits of using Godaddy site is its fast load and easy app installations.
- Hostinger
Apart from Namecheap, the best place you can get cheaper hosting is Hostinger. its prices for the first year are cheaper compared to others.
However, you will have to pay a higher renewal fee. Hostinger shared hosting comes with a free domain, free SSL, and also weekly backup. That is one reason you might want to consider getting the hosting.
- Hostgator
Just like Bluehost, Hostgator also offers simple one-click WordPress CMS installation for users. Their hosting plans come with free SSL, domain, and unmetered bandwidth
If you are looking for a simple website for your business, HostGator is a reliable hosting company for you.
Their plans are affordable though at the expense of some features. Hostgator also offers support to every one of their plans.
Free Web Hosting Providers for your Church or ministry
Yes. They are free!
They are only advisable for learning web design, not to host your website.
Here are three websites that offer free web hosting both with your domain and subdomains.
- Google Cloud Hosting
Technically, Google Cloud hosting is not free. It gives you a free 1-year trial with one website and unlimited storage.
Google Cloud Hosting Features
- Custom Domain
- One-Click Installation of WordPress
- Unlimited Storage
- Extensive Support Documentation
- Infinity Free
Over 400,000 people decide to choose Infinity hosting for 9 years. It gives for life free hosting at no extra cost
Infinity Free Hosting Features
- WordPress auto-installer
- Subdomains
- Custom domain (your domain)
- No time limit
- No Ads on the website hosted
Website hosted on Infinity Free is limited to 50,000 traffic per day and also does not offer domain registration. You have to register your domain and link it.
- Awardspace
With Awardspace, you can host 4 domains (one custom domain and 3 subdomains) on their free hosting. Though it is restricted just like others to certain storage and bandwidth
Awardspace Hosting Features
- One website
- Three subdomains
- 1 GB disk space
- 5 GB bandwidth
- MySQL database
- 24/7 live chat
- FreeHosting
Freehosting is another company that offers free hosting with a little more disk space. They offer both free and paid hosting. Their services also include domain registration.
Freehosting Hosting Features
- Free hosting for a lifetime
- One domain
- 10GB disk space
- Unmetered bandwidth
- One email account
- WordPress auto-installer
The clause to its unlimited bandwidth is if you comply with their Fair Use Policy
- ByetHost
ByetHost is owned by iFastNet company. It provides a range of free and paid hosting services.
ByetHost Free Hosting Features
- Subdomain
- Custom domain
- 5GB web storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
