Having a website without a web hosting service is like having a land-based store without physical space. It’s pretty clear that you can’t open a store without having a physical space, just like it’s clear that you can’t have a successful online business without a proper web host.
There are countless web hosting companies that offer different web hosting plans, so how to choose the best type of hosting that will fit your needs perfectly? If you’re a beginner in web hosting, it can get overwhelming to decide because there are so many options available. You can choose between shared hosting, VPS or virtual private server hosting, dedicated server hosting, managed hosting, and cloud hosting. And if you want to make additional income, you have reseller hosting.
To make the decision easier for you, we’re going to look into each type of hosting so that you can understand better how that hosting works and what the benefits are for your business. This simple guide to web hosting will help you learn more about the web hosting world and how to make the right web hosting decision for your online business.
What is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a safe place to store your online content. The online service will enable you to publish your website on the Internet and store all the codes, texts, images, and videos that comprise a website. Web hosting is crucial to making an online presence for small businesses, huge companies, and even small personal accounts. It will enable users to store content offsite, reducing storage costs and making building a genuine web presence easier. All the website’s information is stored on a server. Depending on the chosen type of hosting, the servers can be shared, private, or cloud-based.
Types of Web Hosting
As mentioned above, many types of web hosting are available. Let’s see what each type of hosting offers and how beneficial it can be for your business.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is a hosting service that stores your website with other websites on the same server. The shared hosting can store thousands of websites, which means you’ll share your server space with countless other websites. Shared hosting is popular among beginners on a tough budget because it’s the most affordable type of hosting. This type of hosting is perfect for websites with low traffic.
Advantages:
- Ideal for websites with low traffic
- The most affordable hosting option
- You don’t need any technical expertise
- The server comes pre-configured, and you don’t have to take care of server administration
Disadvantages:
- If website traffic is increased, it can affect the site’s speed
- You’ll get minimal access to server configuration
VPS Hosting
Virtual private server hosting is similar to shared hosting because you’ll share the physical server with other websites. The main difference is that you’ll only give a virtual partition for your website. This type of hosting performs better than shared hosting and offers more customization options. It’s also a great option for people on a tight budget because although it’s a bit more expensive than shared hosting, it’s still one of the most affordable.
Advantages:
- Ideal for medium-sized websites, large blogs, and eCommerce stores
- You’ll get dedicated server space
- You’ll get root access to the server
- Offers more customization options
Disadvantages:
- You’ll need more technical expertise to manage it
- It can cost more because you might night to hire a developer if you’re not able to manage it yourself
Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated server hosting is for websites that have higher traffic. With dedicated hosting, users will get their server, meaning they’ll have full control over the security, system, and everything related to the server. The downside is that it requires tech knowledge and expertise.
Advantages:
- You’ll get root access to the server
- Dedicated server hosting is highly reliable
- You’ll have complete control over the server’s configuration
Disadvantages:
- It’s expensive because it’s more oriented towards bigger businesses
- To manage it, you need to have technical knowledge
Managed Hosting
When you have managed to host, your web host will manage everything concerning your server, from security, maintenance, operations, etc. This type of hosting is ideal for small businesses because it doesn’t require technical knowledge. After all, the web host manages any tech issue. One of the most popular managed hosting is WordPress managed hosting, designed to run WordPress sites successfully.
Advantages:
- Managing and maintenance are taken care of
- This type of hosting is cost-effective
- The technology is always up to do date
Disadvantages:
- You won’t have your storage and network
- The hosting provider has a full control
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is the newest addition in the hosting world that’s become very attractive for users. The host uses several virtual servers to host sites, and all those servers work together like one big server. This hosting is ideal for big businesses with lots of traffic. Cloud hosting like https://www.gotomyerp.com/quickbooks-cloud-hosting/ is pay-by-use, meaning you only pay for the used amount of cloud space.
Advantages:
- Can handle high traffic
- Can prevent DDoS attacks
- It is scalable, meaning you won’t be limited to the resources of one server
- You’re less likely to experience hardware failure or downtime
Disadvantages:
- It’s more expensive than shared hosting and VPS
- You can’t always get root access
Reseller Hosting
Reseller hosting is for those users who want reseller hosting. It’s a web hosting business model that enables users to make an additional income by selling hosting.
Advantages:
- It’s affordable, and you won’t need to buy additional equipment to start reselling
- It offers excellent income opportunities
Disadvantages:
- You’re going to depend on the original web hosting company
- You’ll have limited access to the server
Conclusion
Every type of web hosting has advantages and disadvantages. Before you make a choice, ensure that the hosting plan fits your business needs perfectly and that your web hosting provider is reliable and has excellent uptime.
