Plans from Check with seller How to Choose a Web Host

When you are starting a website one of the most important decisions you have to make is how you are going to host the site. This is a far more important process than it may first seem as the wrong decision could cause you a lot of hassle, not to mention more money. The key to finding a web host is to make sure that the plan you choose suits your exact needs and requirements. For example a personal site which is used as a hobby will not need the same features as a business site that deals with millions of customers.

The first step when choosing a hosting provider is to work out exactly what features and requirements you need for your site. This is where web hosting can become very confusing for beginners as there are many terminologies that can seem complicated. This guide will look at each step which should be considered before choosing your hosting company.

The different types of hosting companies

Hosting companies can be separated into different categories depending on the services they provide. The main three categories are: Web Hosting Providers, Dedicated Server Providers and Resellers.

Web Hosting Providers

Web hosting providers offer a wide variety of products and services. The most common hosting plans are shared and virtual private servers (VPS). A shared plan will have a number of different web sites on one server who are all sharing the web space and bandwidth. This is the cheapest type of webhosting due to the fact that the cost of the server is shared between multiple accounts.

A shared plan will either be running on Linux or Microsoft software which means that you may need to choose which sort of plan you want to use depending on your site. These issues can include using ASP.net and certain types of databases such as MSSQL. To set up your account you will be given access to the server via a control panel. A control panel will have a multitude of uses depending on the service provider and the maker of the control panel. Features can include: setting up domains, email addresses, databases, banning IP’s, access to usage stats and much more.

Another key benefit of using a shared server is that it will be managed for you. This means that your provider will have an expert who will be able to keep your server running smoothly. They will also be in charge of installing server software, keeping all of the security aspects up to date and they will be able to provide technical support. Shared hosting is an ideal solution for anybody from individual hobbyists to small businesses looking for an online foothold.

A virtual private server (VPS) is the next step after a shared hosting plan and helps to bridge the gap between a shared plan and a dedicated server. A virtual private server (VPS) is a server which is partitioned to appear as if it is a dedicated server. This allows you to have the functions of a dedicated server including options such as choosing the operating system used. The VPS runs as a separate entity to the rest of the server and is therefore not restricted by other people on the same server.

The obvious benefit for a VPS server is that the hardware costs are shared without losing the features and options of a dedicated server. This does mean however that you hardware has to be shared between all accounts on the server. Shared hardware includes the processing power, disk space and RAM.

For a list of web hosting providers check our A to Z page.

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