What Is Website Web Hosting

Difference Between Web Hosting Categories - How to Choose Your Perfect Solution

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What Should You Look for In a Host?

What should you look for in a hosting company? What sets one option apart from another in terms of value to you, the client? While the needs of each individual or company will vary slightly, there are quite a few common concerns found across the board. You need to find a company that offers the most affordable solution possible, of course. However, you do not want to sacrifice performance, uptime or customer support for affordability. You need to ensure that the host you choose supports the operating system you use (Windows and Linux, typically), and you also need to ensure that the host offers the features that you need. For instance, you might want a host that provides you with unlimited subdomains, or you might require an unlimited number of email addresses. Choosing the right host should be based on the features provided, but you should not overpay for features that you do not need. For instance, if a host offers unlimited disk space for a premium price, but your website does not require an enormous amount of space (nor will it in the future), then there is no reason to pay for this extra.

Ensure You Get the Service You Deserve

Another essential ingredient of developing your web presence is the level of customer support provided by the host you choose. Ideally, you want the best possible support. The hosting company you choose should offer several ways to contact them when you need support - a toll-free telephone number, email and web chat features are the industry standards here. Without the right amount of support, you will find that you have to go it alone, which is not an option for all users. If you have a decent amount of skill working with websites, this might be a palatable option, but it is certainly not for everyone.

Ensuring Uptime and Reliability

Your choice of web host is an investment. Therefore, you need to make sure that you get the best possible return on that investment. While the tools and features provided by the host are part of this return, the uptime and reliability offered are also a huge concern. When your website is down, whether due to server problems, network problems or some other cause, you are losing revenue because your customers cannot reach your site. Therefore, you need to ensure that your web host offers the utmost in terms of uptime and reliable service. The industry standard here is 99.9% uptime, but you will find hosts that offer 99.99% and 100% uptime guarantees.

Dedicated, Shared or Cloud Hosting?

If you have spent any time at all looking into hosting services, you know that there are many different varieties out there. Shared hosting is usually the most affordable, though this is not usually the right choice for larger businesses. Dedicated hosting gives you all the resources in a server, but usually comes at a premium. Cloud hosting is a newer option available, which comes in somewhere between shared and dedicated in terms of pricing. You can also choose virtual private hosting and other options. You need to find the host that offers the right type of hosting for your needs.

Quality Hosting Need Not Cost a Fortune

Once upon a time, finding a good web host meant that you had to spend a small fortune. Today, that is no longer true. You will find several ways in which you can save money, from shared hosting plans to budget hosts. What are your options to help you save money? How can you shave down the costs of developing your web presence? Below, you'll find a few of the best options to help you cut the costs of getting online.

Free Domain Name Registration

The usual means of getting a website involves you paying to have your domain name registered, on top of the fees for the hosting plan that you choose. The fees for your domain name can range considerably, depending on the extension you chose (.com,.org,.net,.us, etc.). However, using a host that gives you free domain name registration can help you save a considerable amount of money. You will even find some hosts that give you a free domain for life.

Shared Over Dedicated Hosting

The two primary options in hosting are shared and dedicated hosting packages. A dedicated plan gives you all of the resources on a particular server, meaning that your website should be more responsive and more reliable. However, shared hosting plans should not be overlooked. In these instances, you share space on a server with other websites. In the past, this meant slower response times, but thanks to the advent of things like clustered hosting and practices like not overselling server space, shared hosting can be quite good. You will find that this means you are able to save a dramatic amount of money, without sacrificing website performance.

Budget Hosting Options

Where web hosts once charged very high prices for their services, you will find that the story is very different today. In addition to the options listed above, you can use the services of a reputable budget hosting company and save even more money. Often, you will find that these firms offer unlimited disk space, bandwidth, email accounts and numerous other services bundled into a very reasonable cost. Often, you can find a host that will charge you only a few dollars per month. However, be aware that this often means you have to sign a service contract for a specific length of time, so make sure you choose a good host.

What Makes a Good Shared Hosting Plan?

In the world of web hosting, there are many different considerations - you can choose a dedicated hosting plan, or you can opt for a collocation service. You might choose cloud hosting, as well. However, the most common solution in the modern world is shared web hosting. What is this option?

Understanding Shared Hosting

In essence, shared hosting is nothing more than sharing the system resources of a server with other websites. Your website will share the disk space, the bandwidth, the RAM and all the other resources on the server with any website that might be located on that server. Is this a good solution for your needs? The answer to that is, "it depends." There are numerous factors that go into making a good shared hosting plan. Below, you'll learn more about these.

Bandwidth Considerations

One of the most important concerns in a shared hosting plan is the amount of bandwidth you will be given. This is essential, particularly if you will have a heavily trafficked website. Bandwidth is really a measure of how much information can pass from your server to your visitors during the course of a month. However, the more bandwidth you have, the better.

Disk Space Considerations

Another important consideration is the amount of disk space you're given. However, many users overestimate their disk space needs. Unless you have a website filled with heavy graphics, massive databases and other space-eating inclusions, you can often make do with less space than you might think. Therefore, paying more for a shared hosting plan with unlimited disk space might not be the best thing.

Uptime Concerns

For any website owner, the amount of uptime offered by the host is an essential item of concern. You want to find a host with the most uptime possible. If your website is down, then your customers, clients and visitors cannot reach your site. This robs you of income. The industry standard uptime is 99.9%. However, you can do better than this if you shop around a bit. Some hosts offer 99.99% uptime, while others promise 100% uptime.

The Final Price

Finally, you want to consider the price you'll pay for the features listed above, as well as for others, such as the ability to have multiple MySQL databases, unlimited email accounts or a cPanel control panel feature. You want the best mix of affordability, feature-rich tools and reliability.

Comparing Dedicated Hosting to Shared Hosting

There are two dominant types of hosting in the modern world. These are shared and dedicated hosting. Both offer you benefits, but both have drawbacks, as well. How do these two types of hosting compare to each other? What might you find here? Below, you will find a comparison of shared and dedicated hosting to help you determine which is the right option for your hosting needs.

Shared Hosting Is the Most Common

In today's world, shared hosting is certainly the most common setup out there. This is due to several different factors. First, shared hosting is a bit more available than dedicated hosting. That is, there are more web hosts that specialize in providing shared setups. Second, you will find that shared hosting is far more affordable than dedicated hosting plans. The price difference can be immense, depending on the host that you choose, running as much as $ 100 difference per month.

Shared hosting is simply a platform in which your website is hosted on the same server as other websites. This means that you have to share all the system resources, including disk space, RAM and bandwidth. However, this usually isn't a problem, unless your website is very large or has a high traffic flow.

Dedicated Hosting Is Still a Good Option

While dedicated hosting is certainly more expensive than shared programs, it is still a good choice for some. You will find that large companies use this to a great extent. In addition, you will find that those businesses with very large websites or many websites they manage together find that this option is a good one.

Dedicated hosting gives you all the resources on the server, with no competition. However, this comes at a price - you'll pay much more for a dedicated server than you will for a shared platform. Of course, if you need all the resources to be available all the time, then this is the best way to go, short of having your own in-house server (which brings its own hassles, costs and headaches).

Making Your Choice

Making the decision to use dedicated or shared hosting will first require that you know your own needs. Only you will be able to determine the best option out there, but you must take the time to do a comparison of the various options available to you. Comparing different hosts will help you determine if you need a dedicated server, or if shared hosting is a good choice.

Considerations to Find the Most Reliable Hosting

Building a web presence requires that you take many different things into account. You will need to find the right amount of bandwidth and disk space for your needs, as well as the best price possible. You will also need to ensure that you find a host that gives you the features you need if you want to get involved in ecommerce. However, while all of those are important, finding reliable hosting is the most important. What goes into reliable hosting?

Customer Service and Support

One key aspect is the amount of service and support provided by the web host. Reliable hosting means that when a problem arises, you are able to get help as quickly as possible. In addition, you should be able to get that help through different means. Many hosts offer a toll free number to call when you need customer support. This should be operated 24-hours per day, ideally.

You should also make sure that the host allows you to contact them via email. One newer option for support that is gaining prominence is online chat. Finally, you should make sure that the web host you choose offers an extensive knowledge base and FAQ section. This helps you find the answer to questions on your own, without having to go through customer service.

Uptime, Uptime, Uptime

While you will find that customer service and support are essential aspects of reliable hosting, the amount of uptime that host offers is even more important. Why is this? Consider the fact that when your website is down, your customers cannot reach it. That means you are losing out on potential sales. Not only this, but understand that Internet users are not known for their patience. If they are not able to reach your website on the first try, don't expect them to try again. They're going to go somewhere else. That means that not only have you lost a sale, but you've lost a customer.

Obviously, this is a bad situation. Unfortunately, it is one that arises all too often when companies and entrepreneurs are not able to find reliable hosting. Look for a host with a minimum of 99.9% uptime guaranteed. It's advisable, though, to find one that offers 99.99% uptime, as even that fraction of a single percent can add up to a considerable amount of downtime over the course of a year.

Do You Need to Use a VPS Hosting Service?

In your search for the right web hosting service, you might have come across several different options for your needs. VPS, shared, dedicated and cloud hosting are all popular options. However, there's a lot of buzz going on about VPS hosting - is this the right choice for you? Let's take a look at what a VPS hosting service might offer, in comparison to some other options out there.

VPS Hosting

VPS hosting, or virtual private server hosting, is a newer option available today. This is actually something of a combination between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. You will still share space on a server with other websites, but your space, or "segment," is configured to act like its own server. You'll have access to your own hardware and software, and can even use the operating system that you prefer (Windows or Linux).

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most common type of hosting out there. Like VPS hosting, this type of hosting service finds you sharing server space with others. However, unlike VPS, you do not have your own "segment." This means that response times can be somewhat slower. Of course, shared hosting is still more affordable than VPS or dedicated hosting, giving you the benefit of lower costs overall.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is one of the more expensive options out there. In this scenario, you are the only website hosted on a server. This means that all the resources of that system are at your disposal, giving you faster response times. Of course, the higher prices can offset the benefits of faster response times, so this is certainly not an option for everyone.

What It All Means

In general, the average individual or small business will not require dedicated hosting. While it sounds like a good option, the trade-offs are usually too great, unless you have a very large website that requires an immense amount of space and bandwidth each month. Shared hosting remains the best option for those getting into the world of hosting, while VPS hosting services offer a nice middle ground for those who want most of the benefits found with dedicated hosting, but want something priced a bit closer to shared hosting.

In the end, only you can determine your budget and your needs from a hosting service. Choose the right web hosting company for you, and don't worry about what's hot on the market right now.

Ecommerce Hosting Need Not be Complicated

The Internet has irrevocably changed the world. The most obvious of these changes is the explosive growth of ecommerce. This is an incredibly lucrative realm to enter, but if you want to get involved in it, you will need to know what to look for in an ecommerce hosting solution. This is important, as not all hosts are up to snuff in this area. The wrong choice can reduce your profitability and even have an adverse effect on your customer base. What do you need to know?

Shopping Cart Functionality

Obviously, one of the most important things is for you to have a good shopping cart feature. This is vital, as it will affect how you are able to manage your site, as well as how well your customers are able to make their purchase. You want a streamlined shopping process, not something that will cause untold delays and difficulties. Look for quality, stability and ease of use in an ecommerce hosting solution.

Security, Security, Security

Unless you've been living under that proverbial rock, then you know how important security is to modern consumers. You need to choose an ecommerce hosting solution that gives you the best possible security out there. This applies not only to your customers' information, but also to your website and databases. Hackers and viruses can compromise your entire operation if the host you use does not have the right safeguards in place.

In fact, this is perhaps the most important thing of all. If your site does not have the right security, then your customers will not have confidence in you. If they lack this confidence, then they are certainly not going to buy through your website. If this occurs, then you are in serious trouble.

Uptime Concerns Are Vital

Finally, you need to make sure that any ecommerce hosting provider that you choose has the best possible uptime for your needs. The industry standard right now is 99.9%. However, you can find hosts that offer higher uptime percentages than this. Why is uptime so important? Think about your website - if it's down for the count, then your customers certainly cannot buy anything from you, can they? Therefore, it's in your best interest to find an ecommerce hosting provider with the best uptime. Otherwise, you are sacrificing an immense amount of potential revenue over the course of the year.

Green Web Hosting Options Become More Available

In the past, those who wanted to benefit the environment by using a green web host were somewhat at a loss. However, as the increasing importance of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels becomes more apparent, many companies have stepped up to the plate. In fact, you will find many more green web hosting options today than you might imagine. What will you find with such a host? Choosing to use a green host is an important decision, and offers numerous benefits.

A Note First

First, an important note should be made. You will often find that green web hosting plans are slightly more expensive than others. This does not mean that they are very expensive; it simply means that you will pay slightly more for these options than you will for your average budget shared hosting plan.

Comparable Service Quality

Another thing that you will find with green web hosting companies is that their service is of comparable quality to traditional hosts. For example, you will find that 99.9% uptime is still the standard. In fact, you will find that some green hosts actually offer greater than 99.9% uptime, because their power systems are created to ensure that there is never an outage.

You will also find that the packages and hosting plans offered by green web hosting companies are comparable to others. You will find that the disk space provided, bandwidth allocated and domain names able to be hosted are about equal. However, you will find that some green hosts go above and beyond - unlimited disk space, bandwidth, domains and email addresses are all available through these hosts.

Benefits to the Environment

Of course, the most important reason to choose green web hosting is because it benefits the environment. How does it do that? There are several ways this is accomplished. Many web hosts use wind power generation to provide the electricity the host needs to operate, as well as using redundant connections to generators and the power grid. This energy is created free, simply by harnessing the wind - there's no additional load placed on the electrical grid. In the case of companies that generate more than what they need, the excess power is fed into the electrical grid, further offsetting the cost of electricity production.

Obviously, green hosts are great options for you, and can give you the means to make a stand for the environment with your website.

Not All Web Hosting Companies Are the Same

It can be very difficult to make the right choice in web hosting companies. Not all companies are the same, so you will certainly need to take your time and compare your options. However, if you're new to the world of web hosting, or simply unsure what separates a good host from a bad host, you will need some basic information to help you make your decision. Below, you'll learn more about choosing the right option from the many web hosting companies out there and ensuring that you do not fall victim to a bad host.

The Specific Type of Hosting You Need

Just as all web hosting companies differ, so, too, do the various hosting needs of companies and individuals. The first requirement in choosing a good web host is actually ensuring that they offer they type of hosting you need. Do you need Linux hosting or Windows hosting? Do you need WordPress, Joomla or some other type of hosting? Not all hosts support all platforms, so ensure that the company you choose supports yours.

Uptime Guarantee

Many web hosting companies make some sort of guarantee about their uptime. The industry standard right now is 99.9% uptime, though you will find some companies that claim higher percentages than this. However, if the company does not backup their claims with a compensation program, then they're of little benefit to you. For instance, what happens if your site doesn't enjoy 99.9% uptime? What does the company do for you? You should look for a company that backs up their guarantee with a full (or at least partial) refund of that month's hosting fees.

Should You Use a Dedicated Server or VPS Hosting?

The choice of web hosting plan that you make is extremely important. Not only will it determine how much you have to pay for your web presence, but it will also determine the type of experience your visitors will have when they come to your website. It will also play a role in whether they come back or not. If you want the most responsive website possible, then a dedicated server is usually the best route to go. However, VPS hosting also offers some benefits.

Dedicated Hosting Plans

A dedicated server is simply a plan in which you are the sole website on a server. You have access to all of that server's resources, such as memory and hard drive space. You also have access to all of the server's bandwidth. This is an ideal solution for enterprise level companies, and websites that require enormous databases and lots and lots of images. However, a newer option that offers almost the same benefits is VPS hosting.

How does VPS hosting stack up to using a dedicated server? Simply put, they are quite comparable - to an extent. First, a VPS host is essentially a combination of shared and dedicated service. How does this work? Simply put, you share space on a server with other websites, but the server is configured so that your segment works like its very own server. Therefore, you get better speeds and higher reliability than in a traditional shared setup. Another significant difference here is price - VPS hosting is cheaper than dedicated hosting in most instances.

Dedicated hosting plans are still very good options, particularly when you really do need all of a server's resources, rather than what a VPS platform gives you. Even though a VPS plan gives you specific hardware and resources, it is still not quite as responsive or powerful as using a dedicated server. Therefore, those with the highest needs in power, reliability, uptime and performance will still want dedicated hosting.