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What is Cloud Hosting?

Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting which uses multiple different servers to balance the load and maximize uptime. Instead of using a single server, your website can tap into a “cluster” that uses resources from a centralized pool. This means that even if one server fails, another kicks in to keep everything running.

Visualise the cloud as a web of different computers which are all interconnected. As more machines are hooked up to the network, more resources are added to the overall cloud.

With cloud hosting, you get a part of the so-called cloud cluster. As opposed to traditional web hosting, where you get a certain amount of space from a single server.

The main benefits of cloud hosting include a major focus on uptime, isolated resources, easy scaling, and a dedicated IP address.

Cloud hosting architecture

The architecture of cloud hosting differs from the setup used in regular web hosting:

Most shared hosts use a centralized approach where one server holds multiple websites. But if that server goes down, so does every account in it.

On the other hand, the distributed approach of cloud hosting solves this problem. Since each website is “distributed” across multiple locations, you’ll get no downtime in case a server in the cluster experiences a problem.

Large websites such as search engines and social networks use the distributed approach, as no single server could handle such the load. Big projects like these either build their own cloud hosting architecture or they hire resources from a cloud hosting provider.

What kind of websites use cloud hosting?

The types of websites that use cloud hosting are as varied as those that use regular hosting, but there are cases where it’s particularly popular.

If a website is mission-critical, meaning that the company can’t function without it, then cloud hosting is a good idea. It’s also chosen by many e-commerce stores, lead generation sites, corporate websites and high-traffic projects.

At the same time, cloud hosting makes it easy to scale in case you need more power. This makes it appealing to news agencies and publishing firms who expect traffic surges or huge numbers of clicks on their posts.

Ultimately, it’s a pretty good choice in most situations, which is why it’s able to rival shared hosting and virtual servers.

Does artKenya offer cloud hosting?

We surely do! Our cloud hosting starts at just KES 3000/month and includes a dedicated IP address, 40 GB disk space, 3 GB of RAM and more. All of our accounts are fully scalable and feature extensive security measures to keep your data safe. Our plans also include:

  • CloudFlare integration
  • Free domain name registration
  • Lifetime SSL certificate
  • More goodies!

Our cloud hosting infrastructure uses the latest technology and best practices, and reliability and performance are guaranteed.

The future of cloud hosting

Cloud computing, in general, is becoming more and more important for our modern society. The technology can bring many industries and business the cutting edge in the online world. Web hosting is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s also the cornerstone that makes cloud possible.

Don’t be surprised when you see cloud hosting forming the backbone of everything from digital health records to property databases, legal agreements in the upcoming future!

Learn more about our cloud hosting plans

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What makes the best WordPress hosting?

At first glance, it may seem easy to choose the best. Although, in reality, it’s quite a frustrating process when you don’t have pointers that could help you decide what is the best choice for you. So, let’s get straight into it.

The first thing to check is if the host, which you’re considering to use, meets recommended requirements for WordPress support:

  • PHP 7.3+. In this case, I would recommend PHP 7.4. WordPress websites present faster execution times and less memory usage when using PHP 7.4, compared with previous versions. Just make sure that your WordPress theme and plugins are updated for the recent release. Also, it’s worth mentioning that PHP 7.4 comes with many other exciting features.
  • MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.1+. Make sure that your potential host uses a secure and high performing relational database management system (RDBMS). An industry-standard like MySQL or MariaDB with its cutting edge features like GIS support should do the trick.
  • HTTPS support (SSL/TLS). HTTPS is a secure extension of HTTP. Websites that install and configure an SSL/TLS certificate can use the HTTPS protocol to establish a secure connection with the server. The goal of SSL/TLS is to make it safe and secure to transmit sensitive information, including personal data, payment, or login information. SSL/TLS is a must whenever confidential information such as usernames and passwords or payment processing information is being transferred.
  • LiteSpeed web servers (LSWS). I would definitely recommend this, although it isn’t a requirement. LSWS increases the performance and scalability of web hosting platforms through its event-driven architecture. So, it has the capability of serving thousands of clients simultaneously with a minimum usage of server resources such as memory and CPU. To put a cherry on top – WordPress has the LiteSpeed Cache plugin developed by LiteSpeed engineers. It vastly improves the loading speed of your website.

Since many of the hosts meet these recommended requirements, it shouldn’t be hard for you to find an attractive web host. After you’ve done that, there are other things to check:

  • Price. Keep in mind that you don’t need to choose the most expensive hosting or plan to get the best quality. There are hosting providers that are perfect for WordPress hosting, and for a simple website that doesn’t require many resources, you can get a deal from KES550/month. So, your budget doesn’t have to be huge!
  • Uptime. One of the most influential aspects when choosing a web host. What you should settle for is a host with an uptime of at least 99.9%.
  • Support. Time to time, things get complicated or confusing. In this case, hosting providers have customer support agents who do their best to help you out. What you should look for is if they provide 24/7 live chat support. I believe that this kind of support is the most effective when solving technical problems. Sharing structured, easy to read instructions, making it easy for a client to follow, even without much technical knowledge.
  • Easy WordPress installation. If you’re merely a beginner, using a CMS could be overwhelming. So, it’s a bonus if a hosting provider offers WordPress auto-installer. Just fill the required fields and click “Install”!
  • WordPress tutorials. Some web hosts got your back on that part – many WordPress and web hosting related tutorials (*). Not a must but a good thing to have within a hand’s reach.

(*) Artkenya hosting includes a full suite of WordPress video tutorials.

Artkenya hosting meets all of the above requirements. Click here to check out our competitive hosting plans.

The last thing left to do is to choose the right plan for your website. It isn’t too hard of a task when you know what each plan is best used for:

  • Shared hosting. The most popular type of hosting. It isn’t the best option for websites receiving lots of traffic but a really excellent and cheap choice for blogging and small businesses.
  • VPS hosting. With Virtual Private Server (VPS) you get dedicated server space, so it’s a more secure and stable solution than shared hosting. However, it’s smaller-scale and cheaper than renting an entire server. Perfect for high-traffic blogs and established websites.
  • Cloud hosting. This type of hosting uses multiple different servers to balance the load and maximize uptime. This means that if one server fails, another kicks in to keep everything running. The main benefits of cloud hosting include a significant focus on uptime, isolated resources, easy scaling, and a dedicated IP address. If a website is mission-critical, meaning that the company can’t function without it, then cloud hosting is a good idea. It’s also chosen by many e-commerce stores, lead generation sites, corporate websites and high-traffic projects.

Artkenya offers all of these hosting plans (VPS hosting on request). In addition, we offer ‘Managed Web Hosting’ on our Cloud server, which includes a full suite of maintenance, SEO and security tasks.

In the end, it all comes to many choices when trying to discover the best. As you can see, there are numerous things to consider, but it’s well worth it to dedicate time for some research and make sure that your website is in the care of the most significant web hosting company you could find. Hopefully, this answer will aid you in finding the best fit for your project.

Go ahead and contact us today to find out more about web hosting, email hosting and web development!

 

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