Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » bandwidth http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:48:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 How Much RAM / Bandwidth / Disk Space Do I Really Need?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/10/02/ram-bandwidth-disk-space-needed/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/10/02/ram-bandwidth-disk-space-needed/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:32:17 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=2575 If you’ve ever been shopping for a server or a web host, then you know exactly how often this question comes up. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for the perfect dedicated host, or just a shared provider that will snuggle up well with your personal blog: At some point, you’ll start to worry about the amount of available RAM, bandwidth, and disc space. If you take a look around, you’ll very quickly come to realize that most providers offer a wealth of plans, each with diverging selling points where these hardware pieces are concerned. In essence, it’s a jungle out there.

Before you panic and purchase too much—or worse, too little—of each, though, let us guide you through the questioning process. We know a bit about server load, and considering we’ve put them together below, you might as well use our server statistics tips to guide you through the shopping blues.

What Does Your Five Year Look Like?

Right off the bat, it’s worth considering what you actually want to do with your website. Are you using your chunk of the Web to hock product, or are you posting daily content to a news bog about kittens? Will you be hosting information about your multimillion dollar corporation, or are you just creating a personal portfolio for your design gig?

Consider the Scalability

Once you’ve got the exact five year plan of your project in mind, consider how hard it would be to compensate for unexpected growth within your target market. In other words, the question is not so much how much RAM, bandwidth, and disk space you need, but how hard it will be to get more later. If your business takes off in a massive way, will you be able to upgrade quickly to match pace? If not, starting out large may be a better course of action. If your personal blog is not likely to garner much attention, and smaller specifications will match your initial need, it’s a safe bet that going budget will be an ideal solution.

Remember too that it’s easier to scale up when using shared hosting than it is with dedicated hosting. You can always bump your plan up a tier at HostGator, but adding more disk space to your dedicated server may be much more costly. Always keep the budget in mind, but don’t short change yourself in the future by staying cheap.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/10/02/ram-bandwidth-disk-space-needed/feed/ 1 Pros and Cons of Shared Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/07/pros-cons-oshared-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/07/pros-cons-oshared-hosting/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:58:18 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=2181 A business cannot run on its own, be it online or offline. It needs a number of helping hands. When considering online business, web hosting plays an important role in deciding its fate. A reliable web hosting server provides you with a stable and solid platform on which you can run your online business. However, you need to take note of a number of factors when considering web hosting services. This includes your budget, your preferences and a host of several other elements. With this in mind, there are a number of options of web hosting available within the market. Shared hosting is one of them. In fact, shared hosting has been of prime importance for the facilitation of affordable web hosting from Internet marketing experts and website owners alike.

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is especially meant for small-scale online businesses as it is a type of web hosting that allows more than one client to share a portion of a web server.  Although there are a number of reputable shared hosting providers, such as Web Hosting Hub, Host Gator, and iPage, the fact that your website is not run on an independent server, and thus shares its bandwidth, bandwith intensive websites, or highly trafficked websites often outgrow shared hosting promptly.

Benefits of Shared Hosting

The one obvious benefits associated with shared hosting is its low cost. The cost of web hosting is equally divided among various website owners and hence you pay a lesser amount. This is important for small and middle scale businesses, as budding businesses often need to save money, and shared hosting is certainly affordable.

Drawbacks of Shared Hosting

Website owners who opt for shared hosting often face the issue of security. Your website is not as secure on shared hosting as VPS or dedicated hosting. This makes it prone to hackers. Nevertheless, you can always take a set of precautions to help offset this drawback. Moreover, shared hosting is not as reliable. Your website may suffer downtime at any point. Thus, quality is an important factor that gives VPS or dedicated web hosting an edge over shared web hosting.

Overall, if you are running a big online business, shared hosting is not your cup of tea. It is only meant for relatively less prominent businesses. If you are looking for a reliable hosting company to run your online business you should consider more powerful web hosting solutions.

best business hostingbest ecommerce hostingbest vps hostingbest dedicated hosting

Don’t forget to check our web hosting awards for the best web hosts!

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/07/pros-cons-oshared-hosting/feed/ 1 Budget Web Hosting: Is It Worth the Buck?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/01/budget-webhosting-worth-the-buck/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/01/budget-webhosting-worth-the-buck/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:19:58 +0000 troyedmunds http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=2018 Today there are plenty of companies offering budget web hosting. These are the ones whose rates usually don’t go beyond $6, making them super-affordable especially by small and home-based business owners. The price also makes them extremely attractive too for any Internet user to start his or her own online business.

But then again, no matter how cheap it is, you’re still shelling out moolah, and there’s no money tree growing anywhere in the world. You must then want to know if you’re going to make the most out of every penny with budget web hosting.

It may be worth it because

  • You can already run your website for, well, a few bucks.

Sure, business owners can stick with generic domains such as wordpress.com, posterous.com, or blogspot.com. They can also choose to build a fan page in Facebook or sell their wares in Multiply and eBay, but if they want to build credibility and are planning to be doing online marketing forever, they have to learn how to invest.
A domain is often viewed by search engines, which Internet users usually utilize to look for information as well as products and services, as a testament of your commitment, professionalism, relevance, and even to your legitimacy. That’s why domain-hosted sites rank better, especially in Google, than public-hosted ones.

  • It’s so easy to set up.

One of the most common attributes of budget hosting options is they’re so convenient to set up. This is because they normally market them to first-time small and home-based business owners. A lot of them are actually very apprehensive to wet their feet into any more complicated than a blog, which is, of course, a full-blown website.
But how easy is easy? It’s not uncommon to across a budget web host you can set up in less than 30 minutes—that fast!

  • You don’t end up spending more than you should.

Budget hosting packages have very limited bandwidth. Though it’s way smaller than those offered by these options’ relatives, you really don’t need much when you’re starting out. You cannot consume a lot of storage or even bandwidth during the early days of your website, unless you’re going to pepper the pages with plenty of photos and videos. (This is not highly recommended, though, as these types of files can definitely slow down the loading times of your web pages.)

  • You aren’t really short changed with other services and features.

Unless you’ve chosen your web hosting company so badly, you don’t end up getting crappy customer service just because you decide to go for a budget web host. You may even find many of them offering free domain, server monitoring, multiple domain hosting, SSL technology, and even a money-back guarantee up to 3 months.

  • They can provide scalability.

This simply means you can expand your website with great ease. You’ll discover that the more you spend time online and sell your products and services, the more your website grows. You add a few more pages, a number of videos and audio, a Contact Us page and other content-specific web pages, as well as a shopping cart.
Not all budget hosting packages have a lot of room for hundreds to thousands of pages, but a number allow you to host several domains, including international ones.
But it’s not the most perfect setup either . . .

  • You can expect to share your bandwidth with not just one but several other websites.

If you’re opting for budget web hosting, then you should be very much aware that you’re not going to have any dedicated server. You’ll share one with several others. That would have been fine—if these sites don’t eat up majority of the space and bandwidth. Worse, these may be sites that gain a lot of traffic, which may mean plenty of downtimes for you.

  • You may be dealing with an incompetent reseller.

A common reason why there are so many web hosting packages online is the growth of resellers in the industry. In order to generate more income and expand their market, big-time hosting firms offer some of their web hosting products to resellers, who, in turn, sell them to small or home-based business owners. Resellers do manage their clients’ accounts, but they don’t own the equipment themselves.
It becomes a huge hassle and headache for you once these pieces of equipment start to bog down. There are not a lot of things they can do for you, except perhaps to offer you advice once the fix has already been done. But that’s not the worse. The worst thing is your reseller doesn’t do anything at all on your behalf. They don’t pressure the main web hosting company or they don’t inform you of the real problems. They may not even answer your call.

  • Their scalability has limits.

Again, they’re budget web hosting packages. As mentioned, thousands of web pages may be close to impossible since you’ll be sharing your space to several other website owners, who may also have a gazillion pages.
But how do you make it worth the buck?
We do believe that a budget web hosting package is an excellent investment, mainly for small and home-based business owners. Their needs are pretty basic, so there’s no need to spend $10 for almost the same features.
But that doesn’t mean all budget web hosting companies are great. They are not created equal. Some of them should be out of business ASAP. So you don’t end up wasting your money, choose those that

  • Are reliable

Their uptimes are around 97 to 99 percent. Otherwise, you’re bound to lose a lot of potential clients or customers for your business. It’s not enough they offer contact details. They should be accessible.

  • Secure

The last thing you want to happen is for someone to steal all your website information and content, including your customers’.

  • Are well reviewed

You can visit Geeks best Budget Hosting page to find out which budget hosting options come highly recommended by users.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/09/01/budget-webhosting-worth-the-buck/feed/ 0 Technique of Web Hostinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-technique/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-technique/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:16:48 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3664 The technique that allows computers or servers to host web sites is known as web hosting. The facility of web hosting is provided by various service providers. Web hosting is important as it enables a user to access any site in the world. Also, it allows one to store textual and visual information, apart from other Internet matter on the website mediums.

There are various kinds of website hosting services from which you can choose from. Some companies provide you web hosting services for free, while some charge the user. There are certain drawbacks of using free web hosts. This is because there are certain limitations regarding the services they provide. Moreover, a user is not provided with customer service, and is not provided uptime guarantee. The limitations on bandwidth, advertising and edit sites may hamper the growth plans of a company.

Thus, it is advisable that you pay for the web hosting service. However, a user should take into consideration his needs before selecting a web hosting service provider. Depending on a users data transfer, disk space and other necessities, the service can cost him anything between $1 to $5000 per month according to his usage is extensive. Also, the payment can be done on monthly, annually or semi-annually basis.

In addition to your needs, web hosting reviews must also be taken into account before selecting a web hosting service provider. The reviews or ratings of the service providers are available on the Internet. Various service providers can be compared on the basis of price, traffic and space. One should also take into account the bonus or additional features provided by the web hosting providers. It is advisable that one should read the blogs regarding the web hosting service providers. They help you get a realistic feedback and thereby help you in selecting the best web hosting service provider.

Some of the other points that must be considered while choosing a top web hosting service are,

1. Bandwidth
2. Server Space
3. Control Panel
4. Support
5. Script access

The bandwidth capacity should be more than of 10 GB. However, it does not make sense to pay for capacity which you will not use. For people who run small businesses, bandwidth of one gigabyte is enough. The same holds true for server space. For personal use, 50 megabyte capacity is sufficient. Select the web hosting service provider that offers a user 24/7 customer service. This is because, in case of a problem, the customer centers will solve your problem. One can also visit their site and read the FAQ’s, since they add to the knowledge of a person.

The control panel provided by the service providers should be a simple version as will be easy to use. Make sure that the web hosting service providers facilitate you with script access. It may not be required at that moment but, may be useful for future purposes.

Since the best web hosting service adds efficiency and success to the business, due consideration must be given in selecting a service provider.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/16/web-hosting-technique/feed/ 0 Know How to Choose the Best Web Hosting Companyhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/choose-best-web-hosting-company/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/choose-best-web-hosting-company/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:52:42 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3567 Before actually beginning your quest to find the top web hosting company, it will be a good idea to first know and understand what a good web host is so that you can make the right choice. The web host is really a service provider who will place your website on a server that connects to the Internet. Thus, when you think about finding the best web hosting company you need to be sure that its server is fast and that the company provides near total uptime since you don’t want your website to be inaccessible to visitors because the server is down.

The web host usually has thousands of websites and may use more than one web server for that purpose, and so you will need to rent out space on the server to have your website have a presence on the World Wide Web. Thus, the key to choosing the best web hosting service is to find the web host who manages things well so that you are not taken up with bothering about what the latest server technology is and how to maintain your website. So, before you go reading up on all the different web hosting reviews, you should be clear that it is the web host who will deal with the technical side of things and you only need to focus on building your online business.

Today, you will find that the top web hosting companies are more or less having standardized features and among the more common ones are Control Panel, Diskspace, Bandwidth, Email Account, Scripting language and the ability to directly have customer support either through phone, email or through the web.

Next, you will need to consider what price you are paying for disk space and also the price to Bandwidth ratio. The best web hosting companies are those that will not over charge you for their Web Hosting Plans and a rule of thumb in this regard is that the greater the disk space as well as bandwidth that the web hosting company offers, the more you will end up paying per month to them.

Therefore, you need to know which the most competitive priced is for you which will depend on popularity which can be judged by looking at awards won by the web host, good web hosting reviews about it and whether it gets a lot of traffic or not. Next, you should look at reliability, speed as well as guarantee of uptime which means that the web host must guarantee a minimum of 99% uptime. Thus, you should enquire whether the web hosting company has redundant back up systems or not, which if it is affirmative, will allow alternative internet connections to kick in should the main connection get interrupted.

Furthermore, you need to look at the speed at which your site functions and this will depend on the different network connection types used. It is quite usual for service providers to choose to connect through T1 or even T3 lines. However, the better option is to use Optical Carrier lines because T1 lines give speeds of 1.5 mega bits per second, while T3 lines have speeds of 43 mega bits per second. In the case of Optical Carrier lines the minimum speed would be 51.85 mega bits per second and top speeds can touch as much as 155 to even 622 mega bits per second and this can go up to nearly five thousand mega bits per second.

So, the parameters you need to look for in the best web hosting company are proper management and reliable equipment and speedy service, which should help you decide on choosing one service provider over the other.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/choose-best-web-hosting-company/feed/ 0 Web Hosting Guidehttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-guide/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-guide/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:26:18 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3522 Looking for and buying a reliable web hosting solution is an imperative decision. Whether you are doing online business, providing important information or sharing views online on a common interest, you need a reliable web hosting service that will allow online visitors to browse through your site effortlessly. It is only powerful web hosting that allows your website to be downloaded, browsed and updated in minimal time.

Trying to identify a web host can be a very daunting task especially when there are so many available nowadays and all of them promise one thing or another. Hence, it is crucial that before you jump in, you do your own homework or research for selecting the most appropriate web hosting company for your website.

With the changing trend of technology, web hosts are also changing. Most of them provide various services in addition to their basic ones. Say if you are running an e-commerce website, then of course you need high end security and a medium through which you can manage your web content efficiently. There are many tools that facilitate this, however if your web hosting service is not reliable then you can miss out on serious revenues and prospective clients.

Once you have determined and identified what web hosting services you require for your online business, it is then time to enlist certain web hosting features and options you must consider. You can find below some of the most important aspects of web hosting:

Disk space and bandwidth

You should know how much space your website would need and approximate data it will generate. When we talk about disk space, well, it’s actually the amount of storage assigned to you by the web hosting provider. The bandwidth is the amount of traffic that is allowed to access and leave your website. In case your website has a lot of graphics then you would require higher storage area and greater bandwidth.

Programming tools and the OS

You need to be sure that your website is uploaded through secure servers using the latest Operating System. Most web hosts run on a UNIX based operating system, usually Linux or BSD. For the running of various web applications you would require ASP, .NET, MS SQL, SBS and for these you need a Window based host.

Pricing Aspect

You need to compare pricing before you finalize a web hosting service. Some may provide you better services but at low pricing. It’s not always true that the best hosting services are always the most expensive. Do your research and then finalize.

Support, Security, Guaranteed uptime and Backups

Security and backups are two very important aspects that you need to consider. You should always choose a web hosting service with reliable telephone support. Some also offer 24/7 support through local or toll-free numbers. In case you are running an ecommerce website then security is one aspect that you just cannot discard. Your web hosting service provider should be such that they can monitor things round the clock and ensure no unwanted intruder can hack your site. After all it’s your website and it is really worth looking into this aspect of web hosting.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-guide/feed/ 0 Web Hosting Instructionshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-instructions/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-instructions/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:21:07 +0000 Dmitry http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=3519 Web domains. Hosting. Content. These are the three top priorities for any webmaster, regardless of how experienced they are. Unfortunately, these three essentials often leave people in the dark, as there are dozens of companies offering the “same” packages for different prices. With an overflow of routes you could take, it can get mind boggling to figure out the appropriate steps. For this reason, instructions are essential if you are looking for a smooth path.

The first thing you should do is make a list of what your current goals are. If you are making a professional site, you’ll need a secure and reliable host. For instance, if you know that your website will reach thousands of people within a few months, perhaps you should find a web hosting package that includes extra bandwidth. You need additional space, especially if visitors are constantly going to be accessing your website. On the other hand, if you are just experimenting, you should stick to the free hosting packages. Geocities or Angel Fire certainly provides a basic package, which will leave you satisfied. After all, you do not need bells and whistles if you aren’t serious about the website in the long run. If you do end up changing your mind, you can always switch services and transfer your website.

Once you have made your decision, you need to find a reputable service. While searching for hosting companies on Google may seem appropriate, it often stems bad results. It is important to remember that just because it is listed on a search engine, doesn’t mean it is 100% safe and legit. Therefore, if you do find a potential company, you should get a second opinion. It is usually smart to join a webmaster related forum like SitePoint to discuss such matters. This way you can hear about other people’s experiences and what companies to avoid. Additional references from friends or family would also be ideal.

After picking a host, you will need to provide your credit card information. For many users, 3ix.org is a favorite, as it rarely charges you much. Surprisingly, there are discount coupon codes you can acquire through the internet, to also help you with your initial fee. Due to the fact that you have to include your private information, it is absolutely crucial to make sure you find a legit business. The last thing you want is to lose any money. Therefore, you should google their name and check out the reviews from fellow users. This will most definitely make all of the difference, especially if you find out that they are a fraud.

For website beginners, web hosting doesn’t have to be difficult or even too time consuming. As long as you find reputable sources, second opinions, and a great easy to use package, you are well on your way to website success. With these instructions in mind, there should be no frustrations or year long debates on what company to use. It is quite simple, once you get in the webmaster’s frame of mind.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/13/web-hosting-instructions/feed/ 0 Dedicated Hosting – A Brief Introduction and Overviewhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/29/dedicated-hosting-a-brief-introduction-and-overview/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/29/dedicated-hosting-a-brief-introduction-and-overview/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:52:32 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1240 As a website naturally progresses and becomes more popular, it’s not uncommon for a web developer to want to move onto dedicated hosting platforms.  This can come from a variety of reasons such as lack of bandwidth from shared hosting, to the lack of customizability that comes naturally with shared hosting.  Generally speaking, most people make the move to dedicated hosting when the site has out grown shared hosting in one way or another. But what is dedicated hosting and what do you get with it?

Customize the Server

One of the best things about dedicated hosting is it’s customizability. Your website is no longer made to fit in a cookie cutter mold that most shared hosting plans offer. Dedicated hosting allows you to, first and foremost, choose the operating system for the server.  Generally speaking Windows and Linux are the most common operating systems used but really any server based OS can be used by most dedicated hosting providers.

Another option is the software running on the server.   A webmaster can simply install anything that they want on the system to run whatever widget or section of their site they desire.  This makes adding new features to a site as technology changes a breeze. It does put some of the burden to keep up in your hands though, as most dedicated plans are a do it yourself type environment.

Also with dedicated hosting, the user gets to choose the control panel they prefer. Some people prefer a panel like CPanel or Plesk and with a dedicated hosting plan you get to choose this. Of course you can also self-manage in the operating system without a control panel if you prefer.

Better Backups

A lot of shared hosting plans come with back up utilities that just are rather basic, leaving many webmasters frustrated. With a dedicated hosting plan you can install a more robust back up system, making this process much better in the long run.

Cons

The one major con of dedicated hosting is the price.  Typically a plan can range from $80 to $300 dollars a month depending on the server hardware and operating system.  Because of this, most webmasters find it’s too much money for their budget and they stick with shared hosting.  Dedicated hosting is more expensive because you are the only one who has access to the resources of the server. Unlike shared hosting, when multiple users have access to the same server, with dedicated hosting you are the only user on your machine. This is the main reason it’s so expensive. But it can also be the biggest selling point.

When it’s time to make the move to dedicated hosting just be sure you have moderate experience in managing a server.  While you will get some help from your provider, it will be mostly up to you to manage and maintain your new server.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/29/dedicated-hosting-a-brief-introduction-and-overview/feed/ 0 Are you Ready to Move to Multiple Domain Hosting?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/22/are-you-ready-to-move-to-multiple-domain-hosting/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/22/are-you-ready-to-move-to-multiple-domain-hosting/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:18:24 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1226 If you are a webmaster, you must be aware of shared hosting plans which are the least expensive method of hosting your site. Web hosting providers offer this service because you are only using a small amount of disc space and bandwidth shared with others. One issue with shared hosting is they typically only allow one domain under one account.

For those with only one website, this is not a problem. However, if you plan to expand and create a network of websites, this will be an issue. Instead of opening a new account for each site (which can become quite expensive), web hosting providers offer packages that allow you to host all websites under the same account. This is known as multiple domain hosting.

This will save you a great deal of money by allowing more flexibility with your sites without the extra fees. The types of websites you build are up to your discretion but generally the content should be related in some manner. That way it is much smoother when linking to your other sites and they will achieve a higher page rank.

Many multiple domain hosting providers offer Fantastico. This allows you to easily develop different types of websites including:

  • Classified ads
  • Blogs
  • Online directories

To keep the process as inexpensive as possible, you can register additional domain names through GoDaddy.com. They are among the cheapest on the internet. Once registered, acquire your DNS address and click on the “add-on domain” in your control panel. Then fill in the blanks with the new domains. Once complete, it takes approximately 48 hours for new websites to be recognized on the internet.

Other attributes you will want to setup in your new host include specific email addresses, databases, FTP accounts and subdirectories for each of your domains. Multiple domain name hosting plans usually start around $10 per month which is significantly cheaper than hosting each domain on a different account.

Multiple domain hosting is a wonderful option if you plan to expand your website to a network of sites. This is the cheapest, most efficient option available to those with growing needs. All major web hosting providers offer multiple domain hosting plans. It is always beneficial to conduct research and comparison shop prior to selecting a provider. This will ensure you will receive the best possible service to fulfill all of your business needs.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/11/22/are-you-ready-to-move-to-multiple-domain-hosting/feed/ 0 Shared Hosting – How Much Can You Afford to Share?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/16/shared-hosting-%e2%80%93-how-much-can-you-afford-to-share/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/16/shared-hosting-%e2%80%93-how-much-can-you-afford-to-share/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:50:37 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1050 Your website is the focal point of your online business, as it represents your online identity and reputation on a continual basis. The performance, appearance and presence of your site directly affect the way your visitors perceive the professionalism of your online business. Every site operates on a web server, and this server ultimately dictates the full functionality and performance limitations of every web page on the site. Every time a page is loaded a small burden is placed on the web server, and if the load is too heavy the site performance begins to suffer, in the form of slow page loads, and even site down time. The likelihood of this decreased site performance occurring depends entirely upon the kind of web server being used, as some are more powerful than others. Shared web servers are perhaps  the least beneficial, simply because all of the server resources are shared amongst various sites simultaneously.

How Much Is Shared?

Fortunately, sensitive site information  (such as financial data) is not shared between unrelated sites in a shared hosting plan. However all of the server resources, such as bandwidth, data transfer, and even storage space are shared with other users that are renting a hosting plan with your web host. Your site’s IP address is also shared with these users as well, which means that their actions may reflect on both the legal credibility and search engine ranking of your site.  Since you are sharing all of these attributes with sites that are not under your control, it is possible that unforeseen circumstances could arise, such as being de-indexed from search engines, or even having your site taken offline temporarily.

How Much Can You Save?

The main reason why anyone would purchase a shared hosting plan would be to save money. However, when you factor in the issues that could result from sharing all of your server resources with dozens of other sites, it becomes clear that you may not be saving anything at all. In fact, the percentage of people that will eventually upgrade from a shared hosting plan is rather high. Therefore if you’re inevitably going to upgrade in the future, then there may be little sense in paying for a plan which will soon be obsolete. The truth is you can save a lot of time and money by starting with a plan that is right for you.

When Would Shared Hosting Be Optimal?

If you are operating a personal blog, or a .info domain that is not of high importance to you, then a shared hosting plan could accommodate your needs. Shared hosting is only recommended for individuals, and is not an ideal solution for the online business owner. If you are currently using a shared hosting account for your online business, you may want to consider switching to a VPS or Dedicated hosting account instead. Dedicated and VPS hosting plans offer flexibility, privacy and capabilities that cannot be found in any shared hosting service.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2010/08/16/shared-hosting-%e2%80%93-how-much-can-you-afford-to-share/feed/ 0