In Shared Hosting, multiple websites share a single physical server and its resources to go online. And as several websites are hosted on one server, there are limitations on the total amount of resources such as bandwidth that a single website can use. But they usually come for an economical price.
Most smaller websites and small businesses are able to work with such limitations as their website needs and traffic are limited. Even WordPress Hosting server is available as a Shared Hosting service.
A few tips to decide if Shared Hosting is right for your business are:
- Determine your budget
A lot of times, the foremost thing to consider is your business budget and affordability.
- Usually, the cost of Shared Hosting Services fits most businesses’ budgets as it is far less expensive than other hosting options (especially VPS and dedicated servers). Limited resources and space keep the costs low.
- Determining the maximum amount that you can afford will be essential in knowing if you can spare a higher amount to opt for anything other than a Shared Hosting plan.
- Determine the resources and features you’d need
The functions and capabilities you’d need for your website are important considerations.
While shared plans are certainly cheaper, they have limited functionalities than dedicated plans. If your website is smaller in size, you won’t have to worry about performance limitations.
But if you need a range of custom abilities and you anticipate large loads of traffic, Shared Hosting might not be your best choice. Because every website hosted on the shared server is allocated a fixed amount of resources (and they cannot exceed the limit) so that all the server resources (like data, memory, bandwidth, etc.) are logically distributed amongst all the websites instead of being used up by one client.
Moreover, because of the fear of malware attacks, some shared plans even have certain restrictions on the types of files that can be uploaded. If you have unique needs, ensure that there are no applicable restrictions on the types of files you would want to upload. Similar security precautions extend to various website functions like plugins, so always comb through the prohibited and available features carefully.
- Consider your website size
In Shared Hosting, as multiple websites are hosted on a single server, there are inherent physical size restrictions. Therefore, consider the amount of storage space a shared plan is offering. If the size of your website is larger than that or you anticipate a higher amount of traffic, then Shared Hosting won’t be the right choice.
The same thinking line applies to websites’ traffic levels too. The Shared Hosting plan’s limited traffic levels and sizes can negatively impact your website performance if they outgrow shared parameters.
- Evaluate your technical skills
One of the vital concerns for small business owners while creating a website revolves around technical skills.
While the back end of hosting and website building can become highly convoluted and require a developer’s knowledge, Shared Hosting plans keep it simple for you. Typically, the shared web hosting service provider will maintain and manage it.
Shared Hosting is often a good choice for small business owners
Though Shared Hosting doesn’t work for everyone, its abilities and advantages commonly make it a great choice for portfolios, small business websites, personal websites, and blogs.
Moreover, as Shared Hosting involves a lower investment of time and money, it keeps things easy and simple for you so that you can devote your resources to other important areas, making it a great launching pad.