Web hosting is one of the most important terms you would run into when planning on starting your own website. If you research in this area you would come across a number of hosting plans. Finding the perfect one for you is important if you are to get enough room and chance for growth. If you opt for too “big” a hosting option it may be too much for your budget to handle, whereas choosing an overly “small” plan would hold back the growth and functioning of your website.
Shared web hosting is one of the three main types of web hosting offered by server providers these days, and a widely popular one at that. Following is some general information on this option, as well as a few benefits and drawbacks it carries.
Shared Hosting
One of the common ways in which consumers enter the field of web hosting is by starting with a shared hosting plan. Under this option, you would be able to find a good number of people sharing computing resources and storage space on each server. There are many reasons why a lot of beginners in business as well as small businesses are attracted to this type of hosting service, including the easy-to-use tools, high-level customer support, etc.
In a shared hosting plan, it is the service provider who meets all your needs regarding the infrastructure of the website, updates, security management, and maintenance. The features of most shared hosting plans cover unlimited email accounts, free domain name registration, a drag-and-drop website builder, eCommerce functionality, and a ton of one-click installations of well-accepted software programs including Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress.
Sharing does come with its downsides, such as in terms of stability and security, because a shared hosting plan keeps a large number of websites on a single server. For any website owner, there is the possibility of one or more of the other websites causing performance and security on the server to drop. Someone could use the latter to send spam, grab an unfair share of processing power, or even pull off an overt attack. It bears knowing those things and being ready for them before you sign up.
Benefits of Shared Hosting
- It is available at an affordable price.
- All beginners find it easy to learn and control it.
- You can get a large number of free add-on services this way.
Drawbacks of Shared Hosting
- There is only a limited number of resources available to you.
- You would only have limited control over the performance and security of the hosting service.