How to Host a Website on VPS? | A Step-by-Step  Guide

When you host your site on VPS, you have more control than when you host it on shared servers. However, hosting a site on VPS requires a thorough knowledge of the server and its control panel. In other words, you need at least some level of technical expertise to do this task on your own. Today, we will show you how to host a website on VPS. So, are you ready for it?

VPS Brief

Short for Virtual Private Server, a VPS is a virtual machine that runs its own copy of an operating system, and you have root access to it. This means you can install any software you need and have more control over your server settings than shared hosting. VPS hosting provides dedicated resources and better performance & security.

How to Host a Website on VPS? | A Step-by-Step  Guide

Step 1 – VPS Plan Selection

The first thing you need to do is choose the right VPS plan for your needs. VPS plans vary in CPU power, RAM, storage, and bandwidth. This step requires the analysis of your requirements. Is it a small blog with moderate traffic or an e-commerce site with thousands of regular visitors? It’s usually best to start with a basic plan and upgrade as your website grows if you are just getting started. Many hosting providers like Leasepacket offer scalable VPS plans that can grow with you.

Step 2 – Select & Register a Domain Name

Your domain name is your website’s online address. It’s how people will find you. Pick a domain name that reflects your brand or the purpose of your website. Make it easy to remember and spell. Once you have decided on a name, register it through a domain registrar like GoDaddy or a hosting provider like Leasepacket. This usually involves a small annual fee.

Step 3 – Set Up Your VPS

Once you have your VPS plan and domain name, it’s time to set up your VPS. After purchasing your VPS, you will receive an email with details on how to access the server. This typically includes the IP address, username, and password. Use these details to log into your VPS via SSH (Secure Shell). If you’re on Windows, you can use an SSH client such as PuTTY. On Mac or Linux, use the terminal.

Step 4 – Update Your Server

Before installing anything, update your server for the latest security patches and software updates. Once logged into your server, update the package lists with the command:

bash

sudo apt update

Then upgrade the installed packages with:

bash

sudo apt upgrade

This process might take a few minutes. Keeping your server updated is crucial for better performance.

Step 5 – Install a Web Server

A web server is a software that serves your website’s content to visitors. The two most popular web servers are Apache & Nginx. Apache is known for its simplicity and widespread use – while Nginx is praised for its performance and low resource usage. You can install Apache with:

bash

sudo apt install apache2

Or Nginx with:

bash

sudo apt install nginx

After installation, you can check if your web server is running by entering your VPS’s IP address into a browser. You should see a standard welcome page.

Step 6 – Install MySQL (or MariaDB)

Your website uses a database like WordPress. So you will also need a database management system. MySQL & MariaDB are popular choices. MySQL is a robust database system used by many websites. MariaDB is a fork of MySQL and is often preferred for its performance enhancements. 

Install MySQL with:

bash

sudo apt install mysql-server

Or MariaDB with:

bash

sudo apt install mariadb-server

After installation, secure your database server with:

bash

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This command will guide you through setting a root password and securing your database server.

Step 7 – Install PHP

PHP is a scripting language that runs on the server and is used to create dynamic web pages. If you use WordPress or a similar CMS, you will need PHP. Install PHP and necessary modules with:

bash

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

For Nginx, you might need additional configuration, but for Apache, this will be enough. After installation, you can check the PHP version with:

bash

php -v

Step 8 – Configure Your Web Server

Now that you have Apache or Nginx, MySQL, and PHP (often referred to as a LAMP or LEMP stack), it’s time to configure your web server to host your website. For Apache, create a virtual host file. For Nginx, you need to configure server blocks. Here’s a basic example for Apache:

bash
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.com.conf

Add the following configuration:

apache
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@yourdomain.com
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/yourdomain.com
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost

Enable the site and restart Apache:

bash
sudo a2ensite yourdomain.com.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Please Note: The process is similar for Nginx but uses a different configuration file structure.

Step 9 – Upload Your Website Files

With your server configured, it’s time to upload your website files. Use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client like FileZilla to upload your website files to your VPS. Connect to your VPS using IP address, username, and password provided by your hosting provider. Upload your files to the document root directory specified in your web server configuration (e.g., /var/www/yourdomain.com).

Step 10 – Set Up DNS Records

Your domain name needs to point to your VPS. This is accomplished by configuring DNS records. Access your domain registrar’s control panel and locate the DNS settings. Add an A record that directs to your VPS’s IP address. For example:

yaml

Type: A

Name: @

Value: Your VPS IP address

TTL: 3600

You may also want to set up a CNAME record for www:

yaml

Type: CNAME

Name: www

Value: yourdomain.com

TTL: 3600

DNS changes can take a few hours to propagate, so be patient.

Step 11 – Secure Your Website with SSL

Securing your website with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is essential for protecting data and boosting SEO. You can get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. Install the Certbot client:

bash
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

For Nginx:

bash
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Obtain and install your certificate with:

bash
sudo certbot --apache

or

bash
sudo certbot --nginx

Follow the prompts to complete the process. Certbot will automatically configure your web server to use SSL.

Step 12 – Test Your Configuration

Before going live, test your configuration to be sure everything works. Open your website in a browser and check if everything loads correctly. You should also test your website on different devices and browsers for compatibility checks. You can use online tools like SSL Labs to test your SSL configuration and Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your website’s performance.

Step 13 – Regular Backups

Regular backups are crucial to prevent data loss in case of server failure or other issues. You must set up automated backups using rsync, tar, or tools like that or other dedicated backup services. It’s a good practice to keep backups in multiple locations, such as on your VPS and an external storage service.

Step 14 – Monitor Your Server

Monitoring your server helps you keep track of its performance and health. Use monitoring tools like Nagios, Zabbix, or the monitoring service provided by your hosting provider. Set up alerts for critical metrics such as CPU usage, disk space, and memory usage. Regular monitoring can help you identify and address issues before they affect your website’s performance.

Step 15 – Optimize Your Server

Optimizing your server ensures it runs efficiently and can handle increased traffic. You should leverage caching solutions like Varnish or Redis to reduce load times. Optimize your database by regularly cleaning up unused data and running maintenance tasks. Use a CDN to distribute your content and reduce the load on your server.

Step 16 – Secure Your VPS

Security is something that must be handled well. You can use a firewall to block unauthorized access. Use fail2ban to prevent brute force attacks. Regularly update your server and software to patch vulnerabilities. Limit SSH access to specific IP addresses and use key-based authentication instead of passwords. You must also scan your server regularly for malware & vulnerabilities.

Step 17 – Manage User Access

If you have a team working on your website, managing user access is important. Create individual user accounts for each team member and assign appropriate permissions. Avoid using the root account for daily tasks to minimize security risks. Use tools like sudo to grant limited administrative privileges. Also, review and update user access from time to time to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to your server.

Step 18 – Optimize Your Website

Your website must be optimized for peak performance to serve a smooth user experience. For that, you can compress images using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce their size without losing quality. Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to reduce their load times. Implement lazy loading for images and videos to improve page load speeds. And, audit your website’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Also, keep making necessary adjustments for site speed.

Step 19 – Keep Your Software Updated

You must keep the server and website software updated. Update your operating system, web server software, database, and any other installed software. This includes CMS like WordPress and their plugins or themes. Also, setting up automated updates where possible is a great idea. You should conduct manual checks for everything to keep running smoothly. The thing is, with the latest software, your site stays away from vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Hosting a website on a VPS gives you greater control and better performance with tight security. While it may seem challenging at first, following these steps will make things a bit easier for you. Hosting your website on a VPS may take some effort initially – but after some time, the benefits are well worth it. Also, don’t forget that support is always available for all kinds of hosting solutions. Just get in touch with Leasepacket. Leasepacket is a top-rated IT agency that provides all kinds of server & hosting solutions and support. Just leave a message on the site, and we will contact you.

FAQs