When you register your website with a web hosting company, your site is placed in a specific location on the company’s server. A server is simply a computer that has a permanent connection to a particular network; however, the server is not able to be accessed in the same manner as a typical desktop computer. Learn more about the various kinds of web hosting servers available.

Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting is the most basic kind of hosting, making it the popular place for fledgling websites get their start on the World Wide Web. In the case of shared web hosting, you simply purchase a piece of bandwidth and space from the hosting company.

The term “shared hosting” is called as such because multiple websites share the exact same server from one company. And because you are only a small part of a large user base, your cost as a customer who uses the shared server is low. But many times when another website is sucking up tons of bandwidth, every other website on the server will experience slower load times. Sometimes websites that bring in a slew of traffic can be asked to find a different web host.

Dedicated Web Hosting

There is no question that dedicated web hosting is a positive step up from shared hosting. Under normal circumstances, a dedicated host will manage your site for you in terms of upgrades and backups while still giving you plenty of flexibility. For instance, with a dedicated host, you usually have the ability to install additional software, which is not allowed with a shared host.

But along with these pros, there comes a con – the amount you will have to pay in order to enjoy extra bandwidth and space; pricing will depend upon the portion of space you are purchasing from the hosting company. Dedicated website hosting is a must if you plan on drawing in massive amounts of traffic in the future.

Cloud Web Hosting

Cloud web hosting is a fairly new concept that has found some popularity via the simplicity involved in accessing a computer’s resources online. If you use cloud web hosting, you will pay for only the service you really need at the time that you need it. In a matter of moments, you can turn off and on the amount of space you desire, helping you keep up with website traffic demands. All in all, cloud hosting is an ingenious idea for sites that tend to experience high traffic in swings, such as when a particular news story or television show causes a sudden traffic boost.

Making a Final Decision

What you ultimately decide is entirely your choice. In general, if your website is new, shared hosting is the recommended inexpensive route. But if you have a website that is enjoying tons of growth, you should definitely look into a dedicated web host to accommodate your high traffic loads. And if your traffic comes in spikes, make cloud web hosting your host type of choice.