Shared Web Hosting

What is Shared Web Hosting?

Simply put, shared web hosting is just what it sounds like. Multiple accounts are allowed to occupy the same space on a Web server and those users share the resources. Is shared Web hosting a good value? It really depends on what your needs are in a Web host.

For many Shared hosting will be the perfect solution for their personal or business Web site. Shared hosting is a step up from free hosting which should probably only be considered for personal sites. Shared Web hosting is at the bottom level of hosting options just above free. The hierarchy of hosting solutions looks something like this:

• Dedicated Hosting
• Virtual Private Hosting (VPS)
• Shared Hosting
• Free Hosting

Is Shared Hosting Right For You?

The main benefit of shared hosting is low price and there are some great deals on packages if you pay for multiple months in advance. You generally have the option of going with a Linux or Windows based server and can select different space, bandwidth, and configuration options to meet your needs. We recommend that you stay with some of the more reputable hosting companies that have been around for a while because shared hosting has been known to come and go, leaving you a site that is down and frustration to boot.

Shared hosting is perfect for small sites that don’t expect a lot of traffic. On most Linux based server packages for shared hosting a graphical interface such as Cpanel or Plesk will be included to help you manage domains, files, and other software that can be installed. It is possible to setup and manage multiple domains and Web sites with one of these packages. Web traffic reporting tools should be included such as AWStats to help you gauge your marketing efforts.

Shared Web hosting may not be ideal if you plan on running a large database driven site that receives a lot of traffic such as a discussion forum, video sharing, or multimedia based site where performance is an issue.

Summary

Selecting a shared hosting company that has a good customer service record is important and may be one of the top factors when deciding on a solution. We recommend that you compare web hosting and take all factors into consideration when making your final choice. All of the promises of high uptime, unlimited bandwidth, and special software and templates included will not mean as much if the support is lacking when you have a problem, so do your homework.