From business websites to blogs to social media sites, everything on the Internet consumes space. Sometimes, business owners don’t consider their website space needs because it isn’t something they need to store on their computer. Web hosts store websites.
Without web hosting, your site won’t be available online. There are several web hosting options you can choose from, including shared hosting, virtual private server (VPN) hosting, and cloud hosting. Choosing the best web hosting option for your company website begins with understanding the different types of hosting and the pros and cons of each hosting option.
Learn about the types of web hosting available.
Shared web hosting involves paying a low fee for web hosting services you share with other websites. One challenge with shared web hosting is how sharing hosting affects available bandwidth. Bandwidth determines how much data can be shared at any point. Think of bandwidth like a straw. You may be able to draw in milk with a straw, but it’s nearly impossible to draw in frozen ice cream with a straw. When you share your web hosting, your site’s at the mercy of other sites that may be consuming available bandwidth due to high demand. When this happens, it can delay your site from loading or performing correctly.
Cloud hosting refers to cloud-based web hosting. Theoretically, cloud hosting services can expand to meet increased demand. Current innovation in cloud technology makes this a custom solution for web hosting that may be suitable for your business operations.
Virtual private servers offer some of the advantages of dedicated servers at a fraction of the cost. VPNs offer increased security and enable you to avoid issues with data-throttling, ensuring optimal site speed at all times.
Dedicated servers are servers used to host a single site. Sites on dedicated servers have excellent response times because they don’t share their resources with other sites.
Self-service web hosting involves creating your own web hosting. You purchase servers and develop software to meet your needs. You’ll need systems admin to establish and oversee the hosting to ensure it works correctly.
Consider your business needs.
Every business has specific needs, and choosing the appropriate hosting option may be influenced by your business focus. For example, if you run a site where people play video games, you’ll need a superior gaming server capable of handling multiple gamers engaged in gameplay. It’s crucial to consider how the types of games your site hosts affect your hosting needs. Whether you need a Minecraft server or a server for multiplayer games, you must have a reliable, dedicated game server capable of meeting your business needs and satisfying customers.
You may not need to invest in a dedicated server or VPN if your website features a local business that relies on in-person trade, such as a restaurant. Since your needs will vary from those of companies that run their entire business online, you may be able to maintain a practical site with shared hosting. You may also opt to invest in cloud hosting to avoid the disadvantages of shared hosting without incurring VPN or dedicated-server costs.
Review your budget.
While shared web hosting can cost as little as $5 per month, it’s harder to budget for cloud-based hosting because you pay for what you use. Consequently, your fees could fluctuate from month to month.
Dedicated servers cost hundreds per month, and you may need to incur additional costs. Hiring a system administrator may be necessary to ensure your site runs correctly. You’ll also need to hire a system admin if you opt to create a web hosting server. You’ll also need to consider the cost of custom business software for your server. Custom business software companies can tailor server software to ensure it meets your company’s specific needs. Investing in your server and custom software is a great way to ensure you have a hosting platform with effective software solutions, including the custom features your site requires.
To choose the best hosting option for your business website, you need to learn about your hosting options and their advantages and disadvantages. It’s also crucial you consider your business needs, as well as your budget, to identify the best web hosting for your site.
