Whether you are looking to build an online shop, website or blog, you would require some form of hosting. Web hosting is used to create a space for websites on the internet. With so many hosting services available, choosing the right one can be challenging. This article briefs about the major types of web hosting services suitable for your online business. Before we dive into the details, let us understand how hosting works.
A web host or web hosting service provider offers the technologies required for the website or webpage to be viewed on the Internet. The website’s files are stored on special powerful computers called the server and the server is connected to the internet so people can access, download, convert, and access the files via the browser. Web hosting service providers maintain the server where the website data and files are stored and manage the technology.
For an online business or website to be successful it needs to run 24/7 without any glitches, and a reliable web hosting service makes this possible. With interrupted availability, your customer can access data, get in touch with you and buy products/services quickly. The different types of web hosting services are:
- Free web hosting
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Cloud hosting
- Colocation hosting
- Self-service hosting
The above list is categorized based on how the servers are set up and the amount of access you have to those servers. The other ways to categorize types of hosting is according to the level of management the hosting company provides, the additional support and services offered and so on.
If you had to choose a basic one, it will comprise of a shared hosting plan with full server management, SSL certificates, backups, and other services. These are the three basic elements included in a standard plan. If you want additional options and features, you can go for premium hosting plans.
So, now let’s take a look at the major web hosting services.
Shared Web Hosting
With shared web hosting your website is hosted on a server shared by other websites. The biggest benefit of this setup is the shared cost. You pay a significantly low amount per month for sharing a super server with hundreds of other websites. The problem here is that sometimes highly popular websites may adversely affect the performance of your own site.
Shared hosting is Ideal for new websites, portfolio websites, and blogs who are just beginning to establish the online presence.
Cloud Based Web Hosting
Cloud Based Web Hosting is where hundreds of individual servers work together to create one robust server. The advantage of using this service is that it gives the additional support required in the event of a large amount of traffic. Cloud-based web plan can handle the surge of traffic by adding additional hardware to make a larger grid or cloud. As a result, your site won’t experience any slowdowns or shutdowns.
Cloud-Based Web Hosting is perfect for websites that are witnessing a growth in traffic.
Reseller Web Hosting
As the account owner of a reseller hosting plan, you can use your hard drive space and bandwidth on the server to host other people’s websites. This way you will be paid by the third parties using your web hosting space and for them, it is like using a shared hosting account. With the necessary tools and features that come with the service, you can sell web hosting using your own company/brand name.
Reseller web hosting is ideal for those who are looking to sell web hosting as a business. It is a way you earn additional income.
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
When you start to see a growth in online traffic you may want to switch from the low-cost shared hosting to your own dedicated server at a higher cost. Usually, the first type of upgrade people will make is from a shared web hosting account to a virtual private server.
In this form, one physical server exists but acts like multiples VPSs. Each VPS shares hardware resources and gets a certain part of that server’s computing power. The best part of using the service is that even with other sites hosted on the server your site won’t be affected. The price of virtual private servers varies based on the amount of dedicated bandwidth and memory you require.
Dedicated Web Server
When you start to see a lot of traffic and your website grows significantly you should upgrade to a dedicated web server. It is the highest level of the server you would need and you can take advantage of your own physical server for your website with complete flexibility and control over it. With no websites on the server, the performance of your website won’t be compromised and you can enjoy great speed.
The costs of a dedicated server are significantly higher than shared hosting. You may also have to hire someone to run this server’s technical side, which is an additional expense. With your online business growing, it will not be a problem.
The success of your online business largely depends on the web hosting service you hire, therefore, make a good decision. Do your research and find which solution works for you the best.
