Here are some suggestions for you to consider in choosing a web hosting provider.
Types of web hosting:
Shared Hosting: In short shared web hosting is an account on a powerful dedicated server, usually you share the server space and resources with 100`s of other website owners. You have your own virtual space on the server to host your domains, files, media and email accounts. Shared hosting is relatively cheap and best value for money. I would recommend shared hosting for small to medium websites.
Reseller Hosting: If you run 3 or more small websites then you’re probably better with a reseller account. A reseller account allows you create a shared hosting account within your own reseller account control panel, allowing you to set what webspace, bandwidth, databases email accounts and much more for each account. If you require a reseller account I would highly recommend WHM/cPanel packages.
Virtual Dedicated Hosting: Often referred as VPS (Virtual Private Server) or VDS (Virtual Dedicated Server) hosting is the next step up from shared hosting. A virtual server is a powerful dedicated server split into smaller virtual servers, each with their own allotted resources such as ram, cpu and resources. They are highly customisable and are usually favoured by webmasters, designer and developers for the running of apps, forex trading sites and medium to large websites who require more resources than the cheaper shared hosting can provide.
Dedicated Hosting: Dedicated hosting refers to a dedicated server, if you are planning to run a resource hogging website or you have many websites that require custom server settings then a dedicated server is probably the best option for you. They can be quite pricey too costing upto £100`s per month.
Cloud Hosting: A relatively newcomer to the web hosting industry, you`ve probably heard the “Cloud” buzzword in recent years. Cloud Hosting aka “clustered hosting” is a dedicated server farm comprising from typically around 10 servers upto 1000`s of servers all networked together often in various locations. The advantage to cloud hosting is that you have maximum performance and resources at a scalable level. Cloud hosting is generally the cheaper option to hiring a dedicated server as you pay for only what you need and can upgrade at any time without the hassle.
Cost of Hosting:
- Shared Hosting: £3.00 per month for a basic account and around £10 per month for a business account.
- Reseller Hosting: A typical reseller account will cost you around £10 – £30 per month depending on how much webspace and bandwidth you require.
- Virtual Dedicated Hosting: Can cost from around £30 per month upto around £100 per month dependent on resources and control panel required.
- Dedicated Hosting: A dedicated server can cost anything from around £50 upto around £ 500 per month. (and more)
- Cloud Hosting: Prices start from around £10 per month upto £200 per month.
You can find cheaper web hosting providers than the prices I have stated, but there`s a downside to cheaper hosting! Their tech support generally lacks and the servers can suffer from frequent downtime.
When searching for a hosting provider, make sure you find out more their background, how long have they been in business and most importantly user reviews. With thousands of hosting companies in the U.K alone it can be quite frustrating finding the provider that suits your budget and website specification requirements.