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The web hosting business is one that has been growing continuously over the past decade, with hundreds of thousands of new websites created almost every day.
Gone are the days when you’d need to hire an expensive developer to create a website for you. Today you can find a huge selection of online tools that can help you get a great looking and fully functional website up and running in no time at all. It’s never been easier to create your own website, but one thing you will need is web hosting unless you are planning on using a platform that ties you in and makes you host your site with them.
Who should host my website?
With many of the online website builders, you will be able to host your website with them (check it out at portal MyBestWebsiteBuilder.com). This makes things a lot easier, especially for beginners who might not have much experience when it comes to web design and hosting. However, there are a number of reasons why it is much better to have your own hosting, rather than be tied in with the tool you’ve built your site with.
If you have your own hosting, you are in full control. You won’t be restricted to what you can and cannot do, apart from following the rules and resource limitations of the new host. Your data, files, and everything else will be yours and controlled by you. If your web building platform suddenly goes bust or decides to double or even triple their prices, you aren’t going to be forced to keep paying up or risk losing your website if the company folds.
The different type of web hosting
When it comes to picking which type of web hosting you need, you have to consider your website. It is a new website that is very basic in how it functions and is only going to have a small amount of traffic. Or is it a large website, such as an e-shop, where you have hundreds of different products, customer data, and much more?
The type of hosting you will need is going to depend on your website. Sites such as 28msec.com provide very informative comparisons of different web hosts and can help you find the one that is best for your needs. In this article, we will take a look at the main types of hosting you will find at all good hosts.
Shared hosting
This is the most popular type of hosting and is also the cheapest. Shared hosting is when a host creates multiple packages and puts limitations onto the resources that each client can use. There are usually a few different packages to choose from, with the differences being the amount of disc space and bandwidth, along with the number of websites that each package can host.
This is a great entry package into the world of web hosting, and you won’t need to worry about having any previous experience or know anything about servers. Shared hosting accounts are usually provided with the cPanel management system, which is the world’s most popular management tool for hosting, and one that is both very powerful and extremely easy to use.
Virtual Private Server
A VPS, which is short for Virtual Private Server, is another very popular choice for hosting, though this one is more expensive than the shared hosting option. With a VPS, you are given access to a virtual server, rather than a physical one. Unlike shared hosting, you are given full access to all of the resources and CPU power of the server, meaning that it’s a much more powerful and robust option.
This is a great choice for websites that have a decent amount of traffic, and preferable for clients who want to control the whole server themselves, rather than having a number of different people using the resources. It gives you the same root access as a dedicated server would, but is much more affordable. A dedicated server is a natural progression from a VPS, so if after a few years your website has grown in size and stature, then it might be worth considering upgrading to a dedicated server.
Dedicated Server
This is the big daddy of the hosting world and is the choice for most multinational corporations and very large websites. The server can be configured to your specific requirements, and you can have as much CPU, disc space, and bandwidth as you require. With dedicated servers, there isn’t usually a standard option that all hosts provide. It’s a much more advanced hosting option, with different web hosts offering a range of different servers and functionality.
Users of a dedicated server will need to have good experience of server configuration and be able to take care of all operating system and software updates. If you prefer you can find hosts that offer managed dedicated servers, but the cost of these will be even higher than a self-managed option.
For most large companies, they have their own IT departments to take care of everything, but for a small company or an individual, unless really required, the dedicated server hosting option is one you most likely won’t need.
WordPress Hosting
Though you can host a website built with the WordPress CMS (Content Management System) on literally any type of web hosting account, the servers are not always configured with WordPress in mind. This is where WordPress hosting steps in.
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world and powers more than 30% of all websites online. That’s a staggering number and just goes to show how widely used the platform is.
A number of web hosts have started offering hosting packages especially for WordPress sites. The servers are configured specifically for the WordPress system, meaning that you can have much faster loading websites, better security against hacking and attack, and a much better experience for the site visitor, as well as the administrator who is managing the site.
Some final thoughts
Whatever type of web hosting you go for, it’s important that you pick a reliable web host to work with. There are lots of factors that go into making a good web host, so it is worth spending some time comparing the packages of different hosts, as well as the price and features that are provided.
A good web host will have 24/7 customer support, so if you ever run into a problem, there will always be someone on hand to help you out. You never know when things can go wrong, so it’s very important that there is responsive and helpful support that you can call on at any time.
