If you are new to blogging and would like to start taking it seriously, you should know that web hosting is an integral part of making a website accessible online. On top of this, you need to make a decision on which service provider you should subscribe to.
As a new webmaster, this can seem an insurmountable task. But if you take the time to research the many types of web hosting, you can easily make up your mind and select from thousands of companies that guarantee the same promises.
The first step is to identify which type of web hosting you need. This can be a long and grueling process as it will be difficult to figure out what type of hosting your website needs. It becomes even more difficult if you are still uncertain of where your site is headed.
To provide you a clear description of the hosting types that you can avail for, here are some the things you can consider.
Free Web Hosting
– As what its name states, this is absolutely free. For beginners, free hosting sounds like a dream, but there are some restrictions on it once you start to learn more about blogging and owning a website. If you think you are prepared to spend money on a domain and a hosting service, you can always upgrade to a paid account.
Shared Hosting
– The name already suggests how it works. With shared hosting, you essentially have to share a single server with multiple users. If the service provider decides to cram hundreds or thousands of people on the same server you are in, there is nothing you can do about it. The resources will be shared, which ultimately affects the speed of your website.
This means if a neighbor of yours in the server suddenly receives a gush of traffic, the rest of the websites can possibly experience downtime. Though this is inexpensive, it is only recommended for smaller or newer sites who are not yet receiving a great deal of traffic.
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
– This is the most popular option for people from shared hosting who are looking to upgrade. VPS has a balanced pool of pros and cons, this includes the cost. Basically, a VPS is still technically a shared server. But the space is often limited to ten to fifteen users.
The most outstanding feature of VPS is that is has a software that allows you to operate as multiple virtual machines. This means among the number of users in one server, they will split the machine equally, giving each one of them an equivalent amount of CPU speed, RAM, and HDD space.
Dedicated Hosting
– Dedicated hosting is a server solely and exclusively yours. You have absolute control over it. Sites that are already performing really well can definitely utilize this most. The downside at this point is that you need to be knowledgeable in IT and coding as you are the sole manager of the server. Otherwise, you will need to hire a server administrator to maintain it for you.
Colocation Hosting
– With colocation hosting, you buy your own server and take it to the colocation provider to install it. Majority of the colocation providers take over installation and maintenance, but upgrading the hardware is completely your responsibility. This is a hosting plan for businesses who plan to maintain large-scale websites.
Cloud Hosting
– In essence, it is an excellent option for any webmaster looking for scalability that goes beyond the traditional types of hosting. You are allowed access to a massive network of servers and even use the number of resources you need without any service interruption. So no matter how heavy your usage is, the device for this host will keep on running.
When selecting the type of host, it is really up to you which kind of plan you need. Every person or business has diverse needs. Just always remember that you can always decide to upgrade if you want to. But if you are still starting out, choosing a free or shared hosting is a good trial.