Starting a website can be a daunting task, from selecting a web hosting provider to selecting a web hosting type. Shared hosting is one of the most popular types of hosting available. As a novice in the web hosting industry, you may wonder, “What Is Shared Website Hosting?”
The majority of websites on the internet are hosted on shared hosting because it is the most cost-effective way to host a website. This type of hosting is ideal for a small business, a personal website, or a blog.
In this post, we will describe shared hosting and justify why you should consider using shared hosting and scaling up as a new website owner.
Let’s begin with a description of shared hosting.
What Is Shared Website Hosting? How Does It Work?
Shared hosting is a type of web hosting in which multiple websites are hosted on a single server that shares its resources with other customers. Because the cost of server maintenance is shared among multiple customers, this is one of the most popular and affordable web hosting options.
Websites in shared hosting typically share a single physical web server. This means that your website shares server resources like RAM, bandwidth, CPU, etc with other websites.
Consider shared hosting to be similar to sharing an apartment (the web server) with other people. Your roommates and you share the kitchen and bathroom (the resources).
Shared hosting, as previously stated, is the best option for small businesses with hundreds or thousands of visitors per day. As the popularity of your site grows, you may want to consider upgrading to a dedicated or virtual server for a better hosting experience.
Shared hosting provides a pre-configured web server that is ready to use. Your hosting plan determines your bandwidth, storage space, and other resources. You can immediately add content to your site with a properly configured content management system (CMS), such as WordPress.
A server is partitioned to host multiple accounts of different websites, so you share the same storage space even though you cannot access each other’s hosting space. In addition to storage space, you share memory and IP addresses with other websites.
The hosting server intelligently allocates resources based on predefined values. Because the hosting provider pre-configures your share of resources, you have no control over it. Each website account has its database, domain name, and email account, which are secure.
The Advantages of Shared Hosting
1. Low Cost
When compared to other hosting options, shared hosting is the most cost-effective because you share the server’s resources with other websites, so the server’s cost is shared among the hosted websites.
Below are shared hosting plans from Hostinger compared to other types of hosting.
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2. No Technical Skills Are Needed.
Because the hosting provider handles server administration, shared hosting does not necessitate any special skills for you to manage.
The Disadvantages of Shared Hosting
1. Limited Resources
Sharing a server’s resources with others reduces costs but has the disadvantage of limiting the resources available to you.
2. Poor Performance
Another disadvantage is that it can result in slow performance if the hosting provider places too many websites on the same server.
3. Security
If other websites on the same server are breached, your website may also be vulnerable to security breaches. Consider the apartment scenario: If one of your roommates fails to lock the apartment door and your apartment is burglarized, your belongings may be stolen.
What Is Shared Website Hosting? 7 Reasons Why You Should Consider It for Your New Website
Shared hosting, as you may know, entails sharing a server with other websites. You might be wondering why I wouldn’t just get a dedicated server for my website instead of sharing a server with other websites. The following are the top seven justifications for thinking about using shared website hosting for your new website.
1. Affordability
In comparison to other forms of hosting shared hosting is the cheapest option for new website owners who are on a tight budget.
The cost of the server tends to decrease as more websites contribute to it. For a few dollars, you can get a hosting account. The monthly price of a shared hosting plan can be as low as $1.99. This prevents you from wasting money on other web hosting types with a lot of resources that you may not utilize at the beginning of your website.
2. No Technical Expertise Needed
Shared hosting does not require you to be technically savvy because the administration of the server is largely handled by the web hosting company.
As opposed to an unmanaged VPS, where you are solely responsible for server management. This makes it possible to set up a website quickly and easily while saving you money on hiring web hosting experts.
3. Easy Scalability
A new website not initially anticipating a lot of traffic can start with shared hosting and easily upgrade to VPS or dedicated hosting as it expands.
This enables you to maximize the use of the shared hosting resources at your disposal while saving you money.
4. Easy To Set-up
Shared hosting is easy to set up because the configuration is managed by the hosting company, allowing you to quickly and effortlessly set up your website.
The majority of shared hosting packages include a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, allowing you to quickly set up a website and add content to it.
5. cPanel For Easy Control
You have complete control over your website’s management thanks to the built-in control panel (cPanel). You can easily customize your site and set up emails and addon domains from the cPanel.
The cPanel also allows you to install WordPress with a single click, emphasizing that you do not need to be a web hosting expert to manage your website on shared hosting.
6. Multiple Domain Hosting
Most shared hosting packages allow you to add multiple domains, allowing you to create websites for various businesses. This is ideal for a small business owner who wants to host multiple websites on one account. As your business grows, you can add more domains after starting with one.
The majority of web hosting providers occasionally offer shared hosting plans that allow you to add multiple websites to one account and, to some extent, unlimited websites.
7. Professionally Managed
The server is managed by professionals who understand the intricacies of web hosting, ensuring a high level of service.
The effectiveness of technical support is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting web hosting. Professional technical support is provided for maintenance, network outages, and other issues with shared website hosting.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Shared Website Hosting Provider
There are a few factors to consider when looking for a shared hosting provider to help you make an informed decision.
When selecting a shared hosting provider, keep the following factors in mind:
1. Uptime
In 2013, a 30-minute outage cost Amazon $66,240 in lost sales per minute. The very first factor to consider is the provider’s uptime, which is the percentage of time the website has been operational at any given time.
This is an important consideration because the number of visitors to your website is directly related to its uptime. If your website is not up and running at all times, you will lose customers.
2. Speed
The number of visitors to your website correlates with the load time of your website. The faster your website loads, the longer visitors stay and even return.
According to a Google study, 53% of mobile users abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load, proving the importance of having a website that loads quickly. Internet users are becoming increasingly impatient when it comes to waiting for a webpage to load. When selecting a shared hosting provider, consider the speed of your website.
3. Bandwidth
Bandwidth usage is the total amount of data that your website transfers in a given month. The size of each image, video, and file on your website is specified; a larger image or a longer video will result in a larger file.
Your website’s bandwidth usage is calculated by multiplying the size of each section by the number of times it has been viewed. Your website’s bandwidth usage will rise as it gets more traffic. So, consider using a web host that offers more bandwidth for your website.
4. Storage
Storage space, also known as disk space, determines how much data your website can store. The larger your storage capacity, the more data your website can store.
A web hosting provider that offers more storage space for your website will result in a better website hosting experience for you.
5. Customer Support
One of the most important considerations to make is customer support. If there are any problems, you will need your hosting provider to resolve them; it will be frustrating if they ignore your request.
A good web hosting company will provide you with round-the-clock customer support via phone, chat, and email to assist you with any issues you might encounter.
Shared Hosting Providers And The Plans They Offer
You’ve decided to host your website on a shared server. What are some of the hosting companies that provide shared hosting plans, and which plans do they provide?
Let’s examine two reputable shared hosting companies and some of the plans they provide: Hostinger and Dreamhost.
1. Hostinger
Hostinger offers high-quality shared hosting plans with a variety of features and options at a low cost. WordPress is optimized for Hostinger’s shared hosting plan, making it simple to set up a website and populate it with content.
Hostinger guarantees 99.9% uptime on all shared website hosting plans and offers 24/7 technical support, so you can rest assured that your website will be up and running in no time if there are any technical issues.
Hostinger offers three shared website hosting plans: Single Shared Hosting, Premium Shared Hosting, and Business Shared Hosting.
| Single Shared Hosting | Premium Shared Hosting | Business Shared Hosting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $2.99 | $3.99 |
| Websites | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| SSD Storage | 50GB | 100GB | 200GB |
| Emails | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| Bandwidth | 100GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Monthly Visitors | 10,000 | 25,000 | 100,000 |
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2. Dreamhost
Dreamhost offers inexpensive shared hosting that is both fast and secure. Their shared hosting is designed with beginners in mind, with a user-friendly interface. Their one-click WordPress install makes it simple to set up a WordPress website.
They also offer a 100% uptime guarantee on all shared hosting plans, as well as 24/7 technical support. Because of their 97-day money-back guarantee, there is no risk.
Dreamhost offers two shared website hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited.
| Shared Starter | Shared Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.59 | $3.95 |
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited |
| SSD Storage | 50GB | Unlimited |
| Emails | Available for purchase | Included |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Monthly Visitors | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Other Website Hosting Options And When To Consider Them
As has been demonstrated, shared website hosting is an excellent option to consider when launching a small website. When your website grows, you upgrade to a more robust shared website hosting plan to meet your needs. However, there are other types of hosting that you may consider as you grow your website.
The following are some of the other types of web hosting available and the instances in which they may be a good fit for your website:
1. VPS Hosting
Virtual Private Server(VPS) is hosting that imitates a dedicated server, in a shared server environment. With VPS hosting your website owns a dedicated portion of the virtual server.
VPS hosting is the ideal choice for websites that have used up all of the resources on shared hosting but doesn’t want to pay more for dedicated hosting because it sits in between shared hosting and dedicated hosting.
2. Dedicated Hosting
A dedicated hosting package is one in which a hosting company dedicates an entire server and all of its resources to a single client.
Dedicated hosting is ideal for a website that has seen or expects to see a significant increase in traffic. Because dedicated hosting is expensive, it is best suited for a well-established website.
3. WordPress Hosting
WordPress is the world’s most popular website builder and content management system. A WordPress website can typically be run on any type of hosting, but WordPress hosting is specially optimized to meet WordPress performance and security requirements.
WordPress hosting is ideal for anyone who wants to run a high-quality WordPress site.
4. Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a type of hosting in which a website can access the resources of a cluster of servers. This means that a website’s information is stored on multiple servers, so if one server fails, other servers will remain operational to ensure the website’s uptime.
Because of the guaranteed uptime, cloud hosting should be considered by websites that cannot afford even a minute of downtime.
Summary: What Is Shared Website Hosting? 7 Reasons Why You Should Consider It For Your New Website
Now we know what shared website hosting is and the reasons why you should consider it for your new website. The benefit of shared website hosting for your new website outweighs the drawbacks, so it’s a good option to begin your online journey.
Let’s recap the reasons why shared website hosting is a good option for your new website:
Affordability. Shared hosting is the cheapest option for new website owners who are on a tight budget.
No Technical Expertise Is Needed. Shared hosting does not require you to be technically savvy.
Easy Scalability. Upgrading to different shared hosting plans or even different types of web hosting is easy.
Easy To Set-up. Setting up your website is easy even for a novice.
cPanel For Easy Control. An in-built control panel(cPanel) makes it easy for you to customize your website and set up emails.
Multiple Domain Hosting. You can add multiple domains to your shared hosting plan.
Professionally Managed The servers are managed by technically inclined personnel to ensure the smooth running of your website.
Your WordPress site deserves a better host
To know about shared website hosting plans and prices, read more from our article How Much Does Web Hosting Cost? The Latest Research On 5 Main Types of Web Hosting.
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