How to Choose the Right Hosting for Your Website

Deciding on what hosting to choose is one the less exciting aspects of website creation, but someone has to do it. If that someone is you, and you’re feeling lost in the jargon of shared this and cloud that, then read on. 

Do you have an idea of how many visitors you’ll attract and how quickly you’ll scale? Will you be growing slowly or breaking the internet right off the bat?

The tighter your budget, the more tech-savvy you’d have to be when it comes to hosting. Expert help will be available, but at a cost. If you’ve already decided against renting out brain real estate to understanding hosting tech, then skip this entire article and just opt for Managed Hosting. 

If you’re planning on an e-commerce website or any plugin that will harvest credit card details from customers, security should be your top priority. Aside from this, the cheapest hosting will expose you nasty things like spam, bugs and malware, more about this later. 

Think about shared hosting exactly the way you’d think about shared accommodation. You’re sharing a server with other websites. It’s cheap, and good for starting out, but it has limitations, mostly to do with security and site performance. 

A common frustration amongst users of the cheapest of cheap hosting is being infected with malware from nearby sites, and it’s not fun. Your site may also be slow to load.

You’ll receive basic support from the hosting provider here, but you’ll have to figure out many technical matters yourself. Look for hosting providers with good customer support reviews. 

If you’re a complete beginner on a very tight budget but keen to learn, you’ll have fun with this experience. 

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VPS (Virtual Private Server) is also a shared environment, but you’ll have your own dedicated resources, much like living in a Sectional Title Scheme. 

It offers a sweet spot between scalability and control, ideal for growing a website with an increase in traffic. However, you’ll have to know what you’re doing on the technical side if you choose VPS hosting. If you’re not comfortable with this technical requirement, choose Managed VPS Hosting. 

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If you’re seeking tight control with ultimate customisation, dedicated hosting is for you.  It’s like owning your very own dream mansion with maximum security. You’ll have ample speed, ample space, the best of everything. It’s an investment, but for high-traffic websites with specialised requirements this is the only solution. Still, you’ll need to maintain your site yourself if you don’t opt for Managed Dedicated Hosting. 

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Wait, isn’t all web hosting in the cloud?

Correct, but here’s the difference: Cloud hosting uses an intricate network of servers, not just one fixed server. The benefit is scalability: networked cloud servers will expand to accommodate fluctuating traffic. Companies like Netflix or Dropbox use Cloud Hosting. Software as a Service (SaaS) companies like Salesforce also use cloud hosting. 

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Think AirBnB! Whatever type of hosting you’re after (Shared, VPS Dedicated or Cloud) there’s a Managed option available for non-DIY users. Here’s where the hosting provider earn their fees.  This hands-off approach from your side is ideal if you prioritise convenience over technical intricacies. 

Managed Hosting means the hosting provider will take care of site maintenance, updates and backups and protect your site against spam, bugs and malware. 

Pros:

Cons:

Shared Hosting: Affordable and beginner-friendly but lacks performance and security.

VPS Hosting: More power and control with technical expertise required.

Dedicated Hosting: Ultimate control and security for specific high-demand needs.

Managed Hosting: Convenience with technical tasks handled for you.

Cloud Hosting: Scalable and reliable, ideal for growing websites.

Remember, hosting lays the foundation for your website. Choose wisely.

If you need help, talk to me.