What kind of hosting package do I need?
This entry was posted on 3/25/2007 6:20 PM and is filed under Hosting.
I have many clients who have asked me what kind of a hosting package they need. About 90% of my clients are small business owners who just need a web presence, at least for informational purposes only. With simple web sites that do not have a lot of products or e-commerce solutions, you can get a package with a hosting company on a shared server. This keeps the costs of hosting down tremendously.
What is the difference between shared hosting and dedicated hosting?
"Shared hosting (also referred to as 'virtual hosting') options significantly reduce the cost of getting started on the Web by allowing multiple Web sites to reside on a single server that is connected to a high-speed Internet backbone. Shared hosting plans generally limit the amount of disk space and data transfer (bandwidth) that are available for your site as a result. While this allows for cost-effective hosting, there is a downside. Because websites utilizing a shared hosting solution run on a server with other domains all of which are using the same system resources (RAM, CPU, etc…), if you have a high traffic site, you simply may not be able to accommodate a large number of simultaneous visitors due to the lack of system resources available. However, for a small business that does not expect a lot of traffic, this solution is much better than paying double for something that is not necessary.
Dedicated servers are ideal for customers with sites that experience high traffic volumes and have complex requirements such as ASP, ColdFusion, MS Access, shopping carts, or for those seeking to install custom applications. Your site resides on its own server; dedicated solutions reduce response time and increase processing speed, allowing for faster access to your web site information and service offerings. "
Dedicated hosting services are much more expensive. I would suggest that if you're a small business who doesn't see a need for a shopping cart or high traffic, to simply get a shared hosting plan. However, if you're a small business who is wanting a shopping cart, expecting a lot of traffic or your going to be using high end applications and programs, go with a dedicated hosting plan. You'll need it!
ARTICLE BY:
ANNA DALEA
OWNER OF ERT WEBSITE SOLUTIONS
