Shared servers are the entry-level and least expensive web hosting option. Your web pages reside on a server with several others. Depending on your host, this may expose you to security risks, and your site may be affected by heavy traffic of other sites. Shared hosting provides limited control over your site and limited features. This is an attractive choice if you are just getting started and do not have advanced technical requirements, or if you need to host content on a tight budget.
A VPS, or Virtual Private Server, provides far greater control than shared hosting. Spry VPS hosting gives you full root access to your own private operating system and filesystem. The physical hardware is an enterprise server shared with other VPS customers. In this way VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting, but without the security risks inherent to sharing an operating system. VPS hosting provides nearly all of the benefits of dedicated hosting at a more affordable price.
With dedicated web hosting, you get your own private server with total root access. While this is a more reliable and secure option than shared or VPS hosting, it also comes with full responsibility for ensuring the reliability and security of your software. If you are not interested in completely controlling your operating system, you should consider a managed server. Spry offers managed dedicated servers that include advanced support for issues such as security and software installation.
The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life. People use the web for everything from sharing pictures with family and friends to promoting political causes. Small and medium-sized businesses offer goods and services for sale online at a fraction of the cost of conventional marketing campaigns. e-commerce technology is powerful enough to provide access to global markets yet adaptive enough to update product offerings with the click of a button. In order to grow your online business, you need to attract customer traffic to your website. You will need to ensure that your website is reliably capable of communicating with potential and existing customers, before you invite them to your site. The world's best e-commerce site cannot sell a single item if it is not online when customers are ready to purchase. This is where web hosting comes in.
A web hosting service provider hosts your site on the Internet by storing and sharing your websites from their datacenter. In other words, a website cannot be online without some kind of web hosting. Your web hosting plan may also determine the number and type of email accounts available for your domain name. All web hosting companies will provide you with a limited amount of disk space to store your content, as well as a limited amount of bandwidth for others to view your website. All of these features will vary depending on what type of hosting plan you choose.
Disk Space
The files that make up your website, including text, pictures, video and sound files, take up disk space on your server. A small website with a few pictures doesn't require much space. However, once you start adding multiple pages, large image files, and maybe an online forum or e-commerce database, storage needs to expand quickly. Make sure that you have enough storage to handle your website today and in the future. Also make sure to check the cost of upgrading your storage and/or bandwidth as your needs require.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data that goes back and forth between your server and visitors to your site. It is determined by the size of your website and the number of visitors you receive. Not only do you need enough bandwidth to support your site today, but you should consider how other developments in your business may suddenly increase your website traffic. Please keep in mind that you can be charged for bandwidth overages, just like if you use too many minutes on your cell phone. Hosting bandwidth is usually measured in one of two ways:
- Metered Bandwidth: a measure of the total amount of data transfer per month allowed by a hosting plan. Exceeding this amount will typically result in an overage fee assessed per GB of data transfer in excess of quota.
- Unmetered Bandwidth: does not measure the total amount of data transfer, but limits throughput by capping the maximum rate at which the website is able to send and receive data.
Features
What kind of site are you running? If you are planning an e-commerce site, you will need a shopping cart, an online payment system, and secure server access. If you have custom programming or scripting needs, make sure that your hosting plan supports these standards. Your ability to access your files via FTP, SSH, or Telnet will also depend on the web hosting service you choose.
Customer Support
While many people may overlook the importance of customer support when choosing a web hosting plan, a lack of quality technical support can quickly become a frustration for many users. Be sure to check the support policy of any potential web hosting plan. Do you prefer telephone, e-mail, web chat, or forum support? Do you require availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? What is the average response time? Is there a charge for support?
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