It is a well-known fact that every website on the internet is hosted. However, you will be surprised to know that every website is not hosted the same way. Choosing the wrong web hosting type can damage your website in bigger ways than you can think of.
Whether you are starting a website for the first time or looking to switch from the current hosting and wanted to know what web hosting is and how it works, you are at the right place! This post will answer questions about web hosting, how it works and also the different types of web hosting you can consider for your website.
What is Web Hosting?
Websites are hosted on servers (hardware) that house websites and data related to the website. In fact, every component of your website such as texts, images, files, videos, etc., are stored on the server and accessed through the host.
Servers are located in data centers physically that are run and managed by different web hosting companies. With the necessary technology and server space, web hosts allow your website to be accessed on the internet. This helps users to find your website and view the pages online.
How to Select the Best Hosting Option for Your Website?
A server will impact the security, performance, scalability and management level of your website. You will have to consider many factors before finalizing on the Web Host.
The amount of traffic you are getting and the type of website impact your decision on choosing a web hosting options. For instance, a personal blog having monthly visitors of 3000 users will have different hosting requirements than an eCommerce site with over 250,000 visitors every month.
Different hosting options and plans are available at varying prices. So, you will have to choose the one that best fits your budget
What are the Different Types of Web Hosting?
All servers are not the same. While some servers are shared by multiple websites, other servers are dedicated to just a single website.
The different types of Web hosting are;
Shared hosting
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting
Cloud hosting
Dedicated hosting
Reseller hosting
WordPress hosting
1. Shared Hosting
Shared Hosting is the most common and cost-effective hosting solution for small or entry-level websites. In shared hosting, websites will have to share resources with other websites on s single server. It can be compared to renting a room in a house with other roommates. While you have your own room, you will have to share resources like electricity, water, and other common spaces.
Shared Hosting Features:
It is much cheaper compared to other types of web hosting
Each website will have limited resources according to their specific hosting plan
Shared Hosting Pros:
Easy to set up & Cost-Effective web hosting
A good option for entry-level and small websites
Relatively cheaper than other types of web hosting
No technical knowledge required
Shared Hosting Cons:
Server resources have to be shared with other websites
Slow loading and poor uptime rates
Performance issues cannot be controlled
Not scalable
Sharing a server with other websites comes with some drawbacks. A major drawback is that if another website has a surge in traffic, it may cause performance issues with your website. Unfortunately, such situations cannot be controlled by you.
While shared hosting is a great option to save some money, it may not offer you a high-quality web hosting experience for you or your website visitors.
Who Can Use Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is a great choice for small websites or beginners as it is cost-effective and does not require much technical knowledge to get started.
Bloggers and small business owners can also consider shared hosting as an option for their websites. In other words, any website that is tight on budget and does not require too much of on-site interaction or resources can opt shared hosting.
2. Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
VPS hosting is a step ahead of shared web hosting. Here, the main server is split into several virtual servers that can be customized by individual websites. Although the main server is shared with other websites, your website will have dedicated resources with a VPS.
Usually, when a website outgrows its shared hosting plan, the owners tend to upgrade to VPS.
Like shared hosting, in VPS hosting you will share your website on a single server with other websites. However, the number of websites that you will be sharing the server is lower than in VPS hosting. This will help your website perform better than it would with a shared hosting plan. You will also experience faster loading times and higher uptime rates. Additionally, you will not have to worry about another website crashing your site.
In general, VPS offers a few benefits of dedicated hosting at a cheaper price. However, as you will be still sharing some of the resources with other websites, there will be some limitations.
VPS Hosting Pros:
Dedicated server resources
Ability to customize configurations to your server
Faster loading speed and higher uptime rates
A cheaper solution to a dedicated server
VPS Hosting Cons
You will have to share the main server with other websites
Not easy to set up
Certain limitations to what you can control
Who Can Use VPS Hosting?
VPS hosting is a good option for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot afford to have unexpected downtime on their website. It is also a good option for website owners who have outgrown the resources of their shared hosting plan.
A VPS server is beneficial to tech-savvy website owners who want to make custom changes to their server configuration.
In addition, websites with large files like images and videos and interactive websites with complex files can consider VPS rather than a shared server.
3. Cloud Hosting
Cloud Hosting is a newer type of hosting and is believed to be a hybrid version of a VPS. It is a cost-effective hosting that comes with multiple remote servers.
In cloud hosting, each server has different responsibilities and even if one server has an issue, the other servers on the network will take over those responsibilities and ensure the task is not compromised.
The biggest benefit of cloud hosting is scalability. Your websites will have higher uptime rates and have less unexpected downtime due to server errors. The site will perform well and will remain fluid.
In traditional hosting, you either overpay for a plan with resources that you never use or underpay for a plan that negatively affects your website’s performance. Cloud hosting eliminates this situation and allows you to pay for what you use. It also allows you to adjust resources within your admin dashboard.
Cloud Hosting Pros:
Less unexpected downtime
High security
Resources can be scaled on- demand
Cloud Hosting Cons:
Unpredictable traffic may increase the cost
Limited customization
Pricing varies
Who Can Use Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting is a good option for almost all businesses. However, it is particularly great for medium and large business websites that are growing rapidly. In addition, it is a good choice for websites that see unpredictable traffic or if you are planning on it scaling at a steady rate in the near future.
Cloud hosting is also an option for websites that see over 50,000-page visits monthly. Websites that have outgrown their shared plan and looking for an upgrade can consider cloud hosting. It is a better option than VPS.
4. Dedicated hosting
Dedicated Hosting As the name implies, you will have a dedicated server that belongs exclusively to you in dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting is very expensive but comes with added benefits.
As you won’t be sharing your resources with other websites, your website will perform extremely well. Also, you will have complete control over the server settings and you can choose the configuration, software or anything else that you want to control.
With a dedicated server, you can expect high uptime rates and extremely fast loading speeds. Also, traffic from other websites will not impact the performance of your website.
Dedicated Hosting Pros:
Provides you with complete server control
Highly secure
High uptime, fast load time and optimal performance
Exclusive server
No sharing of resources
Dedicated Hosting Cons:
Most expensive hosting
You need to have technical knowledge
Everything is your responsibility
5. Reseller Hosting
Reseller Hosting is not an option for all. It is a good option if you want to sell web hosting to other sites. It is basically a white label web hosting in which you buy hosting from a provider and then resell the services to your clients.
As a reseller, you can choose the pricing options for your clients and even get the opportunity to make substantial profits.
Reseller Hosting Pros:
Improve your existing services
Opportunity to make substantial profit margins
A sustainable source of income
Reseller Hosting Cons:
You need to have many clients to it worth your time and effort
In case of any issue, your clients will turn to you
Who Can Use Reseller Hosting?
Typically, reseller hosting is for web designers, web developers, and agencies. Reseller hosting can help you make it easy for your clients by allowing them to get all of their website needs in one place.
The biggest advantage of reseller hosting is sustainability. If you are able to convince your clients to buy web hosting services from you, then you will be able to earn a steady income for a lifetime for their websites.
6. WordPress hosting
WordPress Hosting is specifically designed for websites using WordPress as a CMS. It offers added security to WordPress websites. As WordPress is commonly used CMS worldwide, the websites are at a higher risk for cybercrime and so the added security is a great advantage.
There are two types of WordPress Hosting;
· Shared WordPress hosting
It is similar to shared hosting except that WordPress is pre-installed.
· Managed WordPress hosting
This type of hosting offers improved security, staging, server caching and better loading speeds.
Wordpress Hosting Pros:
Specifically for WordPress
Pre-installed WordPress or one-click installations
Better security for Wordpress websites
Wordpress Hosting Cons:
Not very flexible and less control
Resources will have to be shared with other WordPress sites
Updating is not always smooth
Who Can Use WordPress Hosting?
As the name suggests, WordPress hosting is ideal for WordPress website users.
Final Words
Hopefully, this post has cleared your doubts about which host to choose for your website. Do remember to choose a host according to your website traffic and budget. The right host will provide you with optimal results. So, make a wise decision.