What is a Web Hosting Service and the Types Your Business Could Possibly Need?
What is a web hosting service?
Understanding what is a web hosting service begins with knowing what is a web host. Let’s try this analogy:
You are a fresh graduate and is trying to look for a job that fits your college course. From the province, you began looking for a space to stay in the metro. This is to increase the number of job opening that you can possibly apply for. This is the same with a business owner from anywhere in the world who is trying to find the best web hosting service because s/he wants to reach out to more people and eventually increase sales. People can access your website only if you have a web host.
Upon finding an space to rent, the landlady lay down the rules and the provisions of your stay. Some would offer rebates for consistently paying on time. Some include amenities like free hot and cold water throughout the day. Some would even cover daily housekeeping and maintenance.
Offers vary as much as the price. Some are more expensive, but they offer better units. Some are more accessible from public transport. Some are cheap but has some minor lapses that you can choose to overlook. Whatever your choice is, that depends to your need. If you have the money and you want comfort and convenience, you can opt for a more expensive unit with a lot of perks. If you have a budget to stick to, you might as well consider the units that are cheap yet can deliver your basic residential needs.
This is the same with finding what is a web hosting service that suits you. Consider your needs, your budget and your priorities before taking a virtual space for your website. Consider the perks and the limitations. Some of these features provided by a web host are security fixes, uptime guarantee, customer support, and customization features for a fair price, sometimes, even for free! What is a web hosting service, then? It is a service that allows your platform for personal or business online content be published. And once you have decided, make the most out of the services you availed.
What is a Web Hosting Service that Works for SMBs
Now that we have already discussed what is a web hosting service and what are the usual features to expect when availing one, let us proceed with the question, “What is a Web Hosting Service that works well for small and medium businesses?”
Technically, there are three types of web hosting service that a business can use to boost its online presence. To decide which among them is the best depends on the size and nature of your business. So, here are advantages and disadvantages of each so you can choose what is a web hosting service for your kind of business:
- Shared Hosting – This service uses the same server to host many websites that is why it had several restrictions such as storage space, bandwidth, domains, etc. But those with a limited budget can surely stick to their budget because this is the cheapest among the three types. It’s affordable and easy to maintain though server resources and site security are limited. What is a web hosting service for small businesses just starting online? A door to opportunities. It really doesn’t matter if your door is the cheapest and many would pass that same door. You can always shift to a better service once you’ve gained enough financial leverage. If that’s your case, shared web hosting service is the best pick for you.
- Dedicated Hosting – This service crosses out the limitations of a shared hosting service. A dedicated host will be have a separate server just for your website. It can give the site loading speed needed by your site, it can accommodate huge traffic, and it provides great control over scripts and apps. There is freedom and limitless provision, though a dedicated hosting service may cost at least $100 per month compared to a $5 per month rate of shared web hosting service. Aside from the cost, it would also require more time and technical knowledge to manage. So, what is a web hosting service for a business who can afford a dedicated hosting service? An edge against other businesses online. The money you spend for a dedicated host is already an investment. If you can afford it, learn how to manage it and take a step ahead from competing websites.
- Cloud Hosting – To address the limitations of the shared hosting service and the cost of dedicated hosting service, a hybrid was recently created — cloud hosting. So, if dedicated hosting is too expensive for your small business, you can opt for cloud hosting that can power up your website and other websites through distribution of the load of multiple websites among a number of physical computers. This is possible through cloud technology. But, how is this different from dedicated hosting? You get to pay only what resources you use. The rest of the resources can be availed by others and you won’t be limited since there are numerous servers available. So, what is a web hosting service for those who would be choosing cloud hosting? The perfect transition web hosting service for the budgeted IT management that doesn’t limit the possibilities for your website as it grows into a frequently visited site.
Whatever web hosting service you pick for your business, it will require continuous knowledge in IT Management and dedication to reach your goals.
