Many companies embark on a website without really knowing the ins and outs of hosting. Having worked for a web design company for 2 years, I’m still surprised at the questions I am asked when it comes to hosting.

A lot of people don’t even realise they need hosting for a website let alone what type their site requires, so I decided my first post would explain what hosting is and the options available…

Basically, a website is a piece of software and as with Windows or any other piece of software it requires a computer or server to run on. Hosting is simply the service needed to run your website and keep it live on the Internet. And as with computers, servers come in many shapes and sizes!

The hosting service you choose will affect the performance of your website in terms of:

Functionality – the features your site has i.e. management tools, e-commerce, the language your site is written in etc.

Performance – the speed in which your pages load and how it responds to visitors requests.

Reliability – the availability of your site (up time) and how often it is not available (down time) 

Types of hosting available:

Hosting is available through a number of hosting companies:

FREE Hosting – This hosting option is OK if you have a small, uncomplicated website. You will usually be restricted to bandwidth and disk space which could affect the up time of your site and the support may be limited.

Shared Server – This option is adequate for most websites and is commonly used by web design companies (such as ourselves). This is when your site sits on a server with a number of other sites. Each site can have it’s own domain and is usually well supported. Uptime and performance are usually good although not 100%. Guaranteed.

Dedicated Server – This is where your site has its own server which is useful for sites generating a large amount of traffic, requiring a higher level of security or using specialist software. These servers usually come with dedicated support (depending on your hosting provider) This option will cost more than the shared server option.

Load Balancing Solution – This solution is required if you are storing critical business information and require maximum up time and performance. This is where you have 2 dedicated servers, one of which acts as a backup if the other server crashes. This is commonly used by companies who use online systems for their core business activities and is the most expensive of the fore-mentioned solutions.

There are many other solutions available all with varying degrees of support, functionality and cost as well as the option of in-house hosting. Be sure to find out what the best solution is for you, your website and your business.