Having an online presence is almost a must for most modern businesses so that they can target their market effectively, but despite contrary belief, they aren’t simply designed and available straight away. For websites to be visible online, they need to be handled via a hosting solution, such as cloud web or dedicated server hosting, but what does this all mean?
So that you have a better idea about website hosting, the team at JustHostMe have created this guide covering the four most important types of website hosting, as well as a few of the key pros and cons of each.
1. Shared hosting
Within a shared hosting package, your website will be stored in a fully managed server which is shared with other website owners. Due to this reason, the physical software and applications will be shared for everyone else using the same server.
- Pros
As you are sharing the resources, you are also sharing the costs. Unlike dedicated server hosting, which we will explain later, the overall price to set up, manage and maintain the shared server will be distributed evenly depending on how many people are using the server. As we briefly touched upon, the shared hosting services will also come with complete server management, where the provider will be fully responsible for ensuring the website is maintained.
- Cons
With that all being said, one of the most apparent disadvantages of shared hosting is that you are sharing the resources amongst the other websites that are also using the server. Due to this, you’ll be limited in the number of resources available, which is bound to see a knock-on effect with a slower website load time as a primary example.
2. Dedicated server hosting
On the other hand, dedicated server hosting provides the complete opposite service - where you maintain full control over the resources, bandwidth and storage space to guarantee the best outcome possible. Due to the nature of these dedicated server hosting solutions, you will also need to have a good understanding of server management and maintenance.
- Pros
If you haven’t gathered already, one of the most standout advantages is the fact that the whole dedicated server used for hosting is solely yours, meaning you no longer need to share resources like with alternative hosting plans. It’s highly likely that you will have much more control in terms of the customisation of the server - giving you ultimate flexibility so that you can decide the best software for your needs.
- Cons
However, with all of the increase in resources and control, you are also required to pay more. For that reason, only large companies will be enthusiastic to use dedicated server hosting, whereas smaller businesses might benefit from alternative web hosting plans until they have the funds to upgrade.
3. VPS Hosting
Abbreviated to a virtual private server, VPS hosting can be seen as a combination of shared and dedicated server hosting. This is because all of the websites share one single server, but it hosts multiple virtual machines for individual websites to use, ultimately providing a dedicated hosting experience but without the number of resources available.
- Pros
Although your website is still being stored with a shared server, there is a significant decrease in the number of websites being hosted on the server, reducing the demand for resources and bandwidth. You will also have good flexibility for customisation, which is vital for businesses that have specific website needs which need to be addressed.
- Cons
Due to the increase in power, you will need to also have technical support so that the hosting is set up and managed correctly. Failing to do so will mean that your hosting package isn’t being utilised to the very best standards, ultimately making it pointless to purchase VPS hosting.
4. Cloud hosting
The final of the four most important hosting packages is cloud web hosting. Soon becoming recognised as one of the most used hosting solutions, cloud hosting is ultimately the same as VPS hosting but is all based online. For those that are unaware, cloud services operate through a network of physical servers that offer their server space online with several other servers doing the exact same.
- Pros
Unlike most physical server solutions, cloud web hosting enables you to have much more control over the resources you need. As cloud hosting operates using many virtual machines, it enables businesses to simply pay for the resources that they need rather than paying for space that they might not even need.
- Cons
The primary downside of cloud solutions is that you have to still rely a wealth on the hosting provider for technical support if any issues occur. From security risks to technical issues, they are disadvantages that need to be considered when looking around for a cloud hosting provider.
How can JustHostMe help you?
Keen on speaking to one of the UK’s leading cloud and dedicated server hosting providers? Then look no further than us, JustHostMe. Having been established for over 10 years, we have grown significantly in terms of expanding our team so that we can offer the very best hosting services possible with first-class customer and technical support guaranteed.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
