Web Hosting: Shared or Dedicated - Which should you choose?
Web Hosting: Shared or Dedicated - Which should you choose?
By Russ Mate
Before you begin your search for a web host you should first
determine whether you need shared web hosting or dedicated web
hosting.
A shared web hosting account is an account on a web server that
hosts other shared accounts. The number of accounts on one
shared server can vary widely; some servers host a few hundred,
while others have thousands of sites hosted on one server.
Hosting your website on a shared server is a workable solution
for many small businesses, as shared hosting accounts are priced
much lower than dedicated servers. Shared web hosting accounts
have limited access to the core administrative functions of the
server. Most web hosting companies offer comprehensive technical
support for users of shared hosting plans. Complete technical
support is usually included in the price of your account plan.
A dedicated server is usually dedicated to one, or just a few
websites, usually for the sole use by one company. The cost of a
dedicated server is higher than that of a shared hosting
account. With a dedicated server, you have access to the core
administrative functions of the server. With most dedicated
server plans offered by hosting companies, you're pretty much on
your own where technical support is concerned. If you don't have
an IT staff or a server administrator to provide support, you
may want to find a person to help you manage your dedicated
server. Many hosting companies that offer dedicated server plans
also offer "per issue" support, meaning that you'll pay a
certain amount, usually an hourly fee, for technical support
issues. Some dedicated server plans have optional "support
tickets" that you can purchase in advance.
Another option is what's called a "managed dedicated" hosting
plan. With a managed dedicated plan, you get a dedicated server
and the hosting company also provides comprehensive support like
you usually find in a shared hosting plan. This is a good
alternative for companies that don't have an IT staff or a
server administrator and don't want to get involved at all in
the technical aspects of running a server. The price for a
managed dedicated server is usually higher than for an unmanaged
dedicated server plan as you're getting technical support
included.
Whatever type of web hosting plan you choose, make sure that the
plan you've chosen fits your needs.
Russ Mate is President of MateMedia, Inc.
http://www.matemediainc.com sales@matemediainc.com Your Partner
on the Web Toll Free 1-877-309-7521
MateMedia offers the following services:
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