If you are ready to launch your online business, the first thing you must do is get your website up and running. Because these days, if your business doesn’t have a website it is pretty much non existent.
Your target audience expects you to have a website they can go to to find out more about the products and services you have to offer. They also expect for you to make it easy for them to make a purchase if that’s what they want to do.
But before you can do any of that you must first decide what type of web hosting will be best for your new online venture.
While shared hosting and dedicated hosting serve the same purpose, which is to ensure your website is always available when your visitors type in your domain name, there are a few key differences that will determine which type of hosting you should choose.
Let’s dive in and discuss the pros and cons of each one….
What Is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is exactly what is sounds like. With this type of web hosting one single server is used, or shared, by multiple websites.
Because the server is being shared the costs are extremely affordable. For example, with shared hosting you can have your own site up and running for less than $10 a month.
Another benefit of shared hosting is the fact you don’t have to worry about any security or maintenance issues. All of that is handled by the service provider.
If you are new to running an online business not having to worry about any technical issues is a big time and money saver.
The Cons of Shared Hosting
There are two big issues you might run into when using a shared hosting plan. The first one is with bandwidth. With a shared hosting plan you will be sharing bandwidth with multiple websites. If your site gets a surge in traffic you may experience serious downtime that can ultimately affect your business.
Another issue is with security. While our Skygrace team goes to extraordinary lengths to keep all of our users safe, the reality is you are always at greater risk for security issues when you are sharing a server.
What Is Dedicated Hosting?
With dedicated hosting your website will be the only one hosted on the server. You will basically rent the server and all related software needed to host your website.
The great thing about dedicated hosting is it provides you with better performance and more control. If you know your website will receive a ton of traffic every month, having a dedicated server will be your best option.
According to Kissmetrics, 40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. That means you could be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars all because your site is loading too slow.
With dedicated hosting slow load times are not something you will have to worry about. Being that the server is dedicated to you and only you, there will be plenty of bandwidth and the server will be able to handle pretty much any amount of traffic you throw at it.
The Cons of Dedicated Hosting
The biggest issue most online business owners have with dedicated hosting is the cost. Since you will be the only one using the server your operating costs will be much higher than if you were sharing the server with multiple websites.
You can expect to pay around $100 a month for a dedicated server. If you are a larger company this cost will not be a problem. If however you are just starting out spending $100 a month on hosting might not fit in your budget.
Another issue you may run into is not having the technical skills needed to manage the server. If you run into technical issues that you can’t solve your website may experience serious downtime.
Which Type of Hosting Is Right For You?
Now that you understand the differences between shared hosting and dedicated hosting, now it’s time to determine which type of hosting is right for you.
If you are just starting out a shared hosting plan will be your best option. It will provide you with everything you need to get your website up and running without breaking the bank.
It doesn’t require you have any technical skills as the server is managed by the hosting company.
A shared hosting plan will allow you to save money while you are learning the ropes of running an online business.
The good news is most providers will let you upgrade at anytime. So if your business starts to outgrow your current plan, you can speak with a representative and have your account switched to a dedicated server.
If on the other hand you already have a strong following and your website will immediately start getting high volumes of traffic, going with a dedicated server will be the best option in this situation.
Keep in mind this option does require you have some technical know how. If you don’t know how to manage the server yourself you will need to hire someone that does. This of course means even more money coming out of your pocket.
When it boils down to it there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing the right web hosting type.
It all boils down to where your business currently is, where you hope to take it, and your current budget. For most of you reading this article, you are probably just starting out and just looking for a quick and easy way to get your website off the ground.
In this case a shared hosting plan is really all you need. Once you sign up you can use our drag and drop interface to design your website or blog in a matter of minutes. And if you need help our support team is available 24 hours a day.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up for one of our shared hosting plans today!