What Bloggers Need to Know About Shared Web Hostingsubmitted on 11 November 2014
The benefits of blogging can be mind blowing. However, to have maximum success you need to build a brand, which means getting a domain and hosting. In this piece we’ll take a look at shared hosting.
Shared hosting is when a website is housed on a physical server that hosts multiple websites. All of the websites housed on the shared server split the resources of the server, like disk space, databases, CPU and so on. This option is considered to be the most budget friendly option, because the cost for the use of a server are shared by multiple websites, instead of a single person or company footing the whole bill. Like anything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to choosing a shared package. Let’s take a look at the picture.
The Advantages
A shared server has a number of advantages that may sway your decision into choosing one this over other options.
The first pro has already been mentioned; the affordable price. This is considered to be one of the main drawing points for most website owners. Other hosting options can be expensive so if you’re working on a budget, and are looking for ways to save money while building and maintaining your website, choosing a shared server can help.
Another advantage of this service is that you, as the website owner, aren’t required to handle any technical maintenance with regards to the server. All you’re expected to do is upload your web files and configure your site to work properly. This often just means clicking “Install WordPress” in a cPanel, choosing a theme, and starting to blog.
The Disadvantages
The cons of a shared server mainly have to do with the fact that all resources on the server have to be shared between multiple websites. While this doesn’t pose a problem for small websites that don’t generate a large amount of traffic, it can definitely be problematic for larger websites who attract a lot of visitors. As was touched upon earlier, shared servers require you to share resources. Due to this requirement you’ll only be allotted a certain amount of each resource for your own website. If you go above this the provider may request that you upgrade your hosting, or move hosts.
Another main disadvantage that makes owners turn away from shared servers is the fact that you can’t install programs and modules that you may need to run your website the way you desire. This is because a shared server has to satisfy the needs of many different sites and owners. You cannot configure the server. This can cause problems if you need to run a specific module or install a new program.
It can also be that your site gets hosted on a bad shared hosting IP network, and this may affect your search engine rankings. Google and other search engines certainly consider website hosting factors. They may penalise you for being on a poor quality host, with a slow website experience, or for being located on the same server as dodgy sites.
Alternatives to Shared Packages
Shared servers aren’t your only option, but when it comes to affordability and low maintenance there really isn’t another option that measures up. If you do have a large budget and some technical experience you can choose a dedicated server, cloud server or a Virtual Private Server.
A dedicated server package is where your website will be hosted on its own server. You will have use of all of the resources housed in the server and will have complete control over what you can install onto your website.
Jamie, industry expert at bestwebhosting.co.uk/, explains that a dedicated server “is a great option for larger websites who look to add modules and programs to their site, and who experience heavy traffic spikes.”
Since there will only be one website on a dedicated server it is a rather pricey option. It also requires you to have some technical knowledge since there isn’t a lot technical support for your site or the server unless you go for a more expensive managed service solution.
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is less expensive than a dedicated server. Instead of a whole server for one website a VPS can partition a server into multiple individual servers. Each partition can run independently from the others that are housed on the physical server. It offers the same functionality as a dedicated server but is considerably less expensive. It does, however, require some technical know-how.
A cloud package is similar to a VPS package, but resources of a network of servers are shared rather than a single server. This makes cloud solutions more reliable, flexible and scalable. Cloud is fast becoming a popular hosting solution. It is interesting how fast the cloud has taken hold!
In the end, you have to consider your individual website and circumstances in order to decide whether shared web hosting is best for your, or if you should seek out other options. To start with shared hosting will normally suffice.
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