Understanding the Different Types of Web Hosting Packages
Setting up a website can be quite confusing. As you browse the offers of several service providers, you will get bombarded with technical jargon and terminology which can sometimes be confusing. When you start searching for hosting packages, the options seem endless and it becomes difficult to decide what the best choice will be. To really understand the different types of web hosting packages and figure out which option is best suited for your business, it is helpful to get to know some of the terminology used. In defining your options, you can match the products to your business needs.
Shared Versus Dedicated Hosting
The first option you will need to decide on is if you require dedicated hosting or are happy to make use of shared hosting. Dedicated hosting means that you are the only customer or website on a particular server. The advantages of dedicated hosting are that you will not share your disk space with anyone else. You will be able to maintain tighter control on the design and maintenance of your site. There is greater flexibility in how you can create and operate your site. You will also have a lower level of security risk to your site as you will be the only site on the server. The disadvantage of having a dedicated server is that it is far more costly. Not only is the basic hosting package much more expensive but there are also other cost considerations. You will need to have a dedicated IT team to manage and maintain the server and site security. Most often, you will also need your own team of web developers who will work on the site. In general, dedicated servers are targeted at large corporations. These are businesses that generally have vast financial and technical resources.
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Shared hosting is an ideal solution for most small and medium-sized business. With shared hosting, several websites will be hosted on a particular server. The hosting package generally includes a certain amount of disk space and a number of email addresses. The most distinctive advantage of shared hosting is that it is considerably cheaper than dedicated hosting. This is because the server resources are being shared by several parties. Other advantages are that the hosting provider takes care of all server maintenance and management. The service provider will also generally have firewalls and virus protection on the server. Disadvantages to shared hosting are minimal and only really become an issue if you have a less than reputable hosting service provider. Sometimes a service provider may oversubscribe a server and host too many sites on it. This can result in slow speeds, server downtime and limited access to your website. If your hosting provider is not vigilant about maintenance and virus protection, your site could be more susceptible to attacks and infections from other websites on your server. With the majority of sites being hosted in a shared capacity, most reputable service providers ensure that these things do not become an issue.
Paid Versus Free Hosting
There are many hosting companies that offer entry-level free hosting packages. At first glance, these may look like a good deal but you need to carefully read the fine print of the agreements. Sometime the amount of disk space allocated is very limited which means that you will only be able to build a small website. Often, a specific coding language needs to be used to set up the site and the number of features is also limited. Most often, the hosting providers can offer free hosting because of advertising. The package includes an agreement that you will display third-party advertisements on your website. The downside of this is that often you have no say as to the content of these advertisements. They could completely contradict your product or service offering or even offend your customers. Often, you cannot upgrade your package if your website grows to a level that exceeds the capacity of the server. You will then have to start the process of finding a suitable service provider all over again.
With paid hosting, you know what you are getting. The packages generally do not include advertising banners or any third-party intervention on your website. You will know the amount of disk space you have available and often you will have the option to upgrade your hosting package as your business needs grow. You can create your own unique look website that reflects your company image and objectives. Paid hosting providers generally have dedicated help desks and technical support that can help you, should you have any queries.
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