When it comes to website hosting, there are a number of different options out there for web developers. However, for those who are just starting an online business or aren’t familiar with website hosting, some of the terms may be confusing. One of these terms is shared hosting. Basically, shared hosting means that many different websites are stored on the same server, and share the same resources. While this might sound like something you don’t want, it’s actually not a horrible thing.
It is important to note that by sharing web hosting, each website will have certain limits on it. This includes limited storage space, bandwidth, email accounts, FTP accounts, and support. The shared hosting may even extend to things like sharing a MySQL or Apache server and even the physical memory on the server.
There are advantaged to using shared hosting, however. It isn’t all about limits and disadvantages. One of the biggest pluses of shared hosting is the cost. Since you’re sharing a server, you don’t have to pay the full cost for anything. Instead, the cost is split among all of the other clients who store their websites on the server. It can save you a lot of money per month on storage, and that can be very important if you’re a start-up online business on a budget.
Shared hosting also means that the server’s resources and hardware are being fully used. This means the hosting service isn’t spending a lot of money on upgrading many servers that aren’t being used to their full potential. This also drives the cost of shared hosting down. Likewise, since you are not the only client using the server, you aren’t responsible for much, if any, server management or maintenance. The hosting company should, in fact, take care of all of this for you. You don’t have to pay for server upgrades, tune-ups, or anything else. Also, most shared hosting companies will provide applications and scripts you need for your site to run as it should. All you need to do is contact their customer support service and tell them what you need.
So, is shared hosting for you? Well, if you’re on a budget and don’t need a huge amount of web space or a ton of bandwidth each month, then yes, it may be exactly what you need. In fact, most people start with shared hosting and eventually move to dedicated hosting when their website has expanded. If you won’t be posting huge videos, giant music files, or large images, chances are you won’t go over any limited for shared hosting. Until you absolutely need to, there’s no need on wasting money on having your own dedicated server, so why pay for one? Depending on what shared hosting company you go with, you may even be able to add extra bandwidth or server space to your account, allowing you to expand as your site grows.
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Although shared hosting is a less expensive way for businesses to create a Web presence, it is usually not sufficient for Web sites with high traffic. These sites need a dedicated Web server, either provided by a Web hosting service or maintained in-house. With shared hosting, numerous web sites are sharing a single server.