Updated on May 30th, 2023
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What is shared website hosting? Learn about it pros, cons, features and more.
Shared web hosting is a beneficial service that allows companies to view or post their websites on the Internet.
Without hosting services like shared ones a website can’t be online and served to others.
What is shared server hosting?
Shared website hosting is a cost-effective method to host a website.
In shared server web hosting, several websites are considered to share the same server.
Being on the same server, the websites do share all the elements and resources.
The server resources for each website are assigned based on the hosting plan chosen by the website.
Shared web hosting is chosen by organizations that have limited funds, small businesses, new websites, etc.
Since other sites also share the same resources, there are limitations in server space and performance as a failure in one site might affect your site too.
However, being in the starting stage, this is a great option to consider increasing traffic to your website as they are cheap ways to host your website.
How is shared server web hosting implemented?
Shared web hosting is one of the best ways to enter the online world as mentioned earlier.
It is best suitable if you have less traffic on your website.
The method of web hosting can be implemented in any one of the following two ways:
IP-based Implementation of shared web hosting
This is also known as Dedicated IP Hosting.
In this method of implementation, the server will consist of either several physical network interfaces or a virtual network interface on the physical layer.
Each website consists of IP addresses based on which the server can access and control all the websites.
Domain names are not used in this case as every website has a unique IP address of its own.
Name-Based Implementation of shared web hosting:
This is also known as Shared IP hosting.
The websites are hosted on a single machine and consist of a single IP address that is public.
The client has to specify the domain name through HTTP GET requests.
The websites are accessed through the domain name specified by the client.
Shared server web hosting done through any of the above-mentioned methods of implementation is known as virtual hosting.
Many virtual web servers are used in this process through which a computer can host thousands of websites independently.
This technique is widely used because of the following reasons:
- It promotes management
- It increases efficiency and scalability
- It offers a better infrastructure
- Users can implement any of the two implementations for shared web hosting based on their needs and requirements.
Both methods are considered to be equally beneficial.
What are the advantages (pros) of shared hosting services?
Shared hosting comes with a lot of benefits.
Some of them are listed below.
Speed
A lot of modern shared hosting is fast compared to back in the day.
Website loading is a crucial factor to consider when it comes to websites.
If your website is taking too long to load, he or she may decide to go elsewhere, which would gradually decrease traffic on your website.
For their cheap hosting prices, the speed of shard plans is good.
Security
Protection and security are another set of important factors to focus on.
As many websites would be sharing the same set of resources, the security of your website could be at a risk.
However, many modern hosting platforms like WP Engine, Hostinger, etc, provide regular scanning services for your website to catch and remove malicious programs.
High-level security measures have also been introduced to strengthen security.
Support
Support for the customers should be the major agenda of any hosting
provider.
The right shared plan consists of a professional team of experts who are always ready to render full customer service, handle problems and find efficient solutions.
Automatic updated
Outdated versions of programs and applications can cause a problem for the entire functioning of a website.
Many shared hosting companies offer an automatic upgrade of software like PHP, WordPress, etc, to the latest versions.
What are the disadvantages (cons) of shared plans?
Shared server hosting services are convenient, reliable, and affordable.
Although it is a cheap and convenient hosting method, it consists of many disadvantages.
Some of them are:
Too many websites sharing server resources
Being a shared hosting, one single server consists of hundreds of websites.
All the websites share resources among themselves. Therefore, there is a limitation of resources as your website is one among the hundreds for sharing resources.
As there are several websites, an increase in traffic for one website can greatly affect the functionality of others.
Expensive to upgrade
The clients cannot upgrade their websites as only limited features are available.
He or she has to go for upgrades that might be expensive and charged extra along with the chosen hosting plan.
Security issues
Security might be an issue of concern.
Though many shared hosting servers provide modern measures and technologies to deal with this situation, unexpected problems can always occur in case of technical issues.
Lack of customization option
Customization of websites according to the wishes of the client is not possible as only limited resources are available.
Though shared hosting suffers from many disadvantages, it remains the best option to start building an online identity for your website.
If you do not have a lot of time and funds, then you should give it a try
The disadvantages are
not sure to occur and so there is a chance that this method could be suitable for your website.
As an initial step, you just have to choose the right package.
Who is this option for?
Shared website hosting is one of the basic and primary options when compared to the other available methods of hosting.
Shared web hosting is a great budget-friendly option and the least expensive one.
Since this method involves the sharing of resources, not all companies and organizations would be comfortable choosing this type of hosting server.
Therefore, it is quite important to research shared website hosting before selecting it.
You can consider shared web hosting for your website under the following circumstances.
Limitation of funds:
If you have fund restrictions, then you can choose this server as it is budget-friendly.
Newly started website:
If you are just beginning to build your online presence and are confused about which hosting method to choose, then you can invest in shared web hosting to start.
You can go for shared Web hosting if you fall into any one of the categories given below
- Start-up
- Small businesses
- Medium-sized business
- Sites with low and moderate traffic
- Hobby sites
Average and typical Cost
Shared web hosting is generally a very popular option to make your website accessible on the Internet because of its cost-effective feature.
Investment is a compulsory factor to host a website, be it large or small.
However, the total cost depends upon the nature of your website and the kind of services chosen.
The estimated average cost is around $2.50 to $15 per month.
There might be slight variations based on the type of hosting providers chosen as well.
An estimation of the typical cost for shared website hosting is given below:
Starting level plans:
The entry price for sign-up is $2.99/m
The renewal price is normally $7/m
Mid-level plans:
The entry price for sign-up is around $8 per month
Renewal Price: $15 per month
High-level plans:
The entry price for sign-up is $20 per month
The renewal price is $30 per month
The starting level hosting plans might have fewer features as it is the initial level.
The middle-level plans might contain some extra features and the high-level plans are estimated to consist of a wide range of resources and features.
Again, the above-given prices are an estimation. The actual prices depend on a particular service provider and might be more or less than the estimated price.
Generally, shared web hosting offers great features and high performance at comparatively low rates which are good for consumers who are just beginning to enter the online world.
You can contact web hosting service providers to enquire about the different types of hosting packages offered and their prices.
Conduct a detailed study and then confirm the deal.
The best shared server web hosting service companies
Shared server web hosting services are offered to clients by various service providers all over the world.
It is important to choose the best shared hosting service provider to build a good reputation for your website.
Several web hosting service providers offer an array of hosting plans and packages to their clients at various prices.
You can choose any of the hosting service providers based on the budget, needs, and requirements of your website and your business.
- WP Engine (best for WordPress)
- BlueHost
- Hostinger
- GreenGeeks
- DreamHost
- InMotion
- NameHero
- Cloudways
The above-mentioned hosting service providers are considered to be the best suitable for shared hosting for different people and web builder platforms as they have provided services to millions of clients all over the world who have a satisfactory experience with their services.
You can contact them to understand their procedures, plans, and policies.
How to select the right shared web host
Although there are several shared hosting service providers and companies all over the world, it is extremely important to make the right decision in choosing a service provider for your company.
There are many important factors to consider for the best hosting service for your website.
Given below are some of the features and qualities which you should look for in your shared hosting provider or company
High performance:
The service provider should provide high-quality performance features for your website. In other words, your website should remain active and load quickly to attract traffic. Speed and efficiency should be of importance.
High security:
Your service provider should offer high-level security features or your website and protect the loss of data. It should also prevent malicious programs
Pricing:
All the services should be affordable and budget-friendly. The types of services provided should be listed clearly.
Maintenance and administration:
The service provider should take responsibility for all the server maintenance, repairs, resolving issues, etc. The company should be able to handle these responsibilities efficiently.
Verification through the reviews:
To choose the right service provider for your company, you can go through the reviews posted by customers who have taken up their hosting services in the past. This would help you to get a clear idea.
Customer support: The service provider should render 24/7 customer service to resolve all the issues on time.
If you are confused about how to choose the right hosting service provider, you can consider all the above-mentioned factors. Although shared hosting services are the least expensive, the services provided should prove to enhance your website.
Conclusion
Shared website hosting services are an ideal option to access your website on the Internet at a faster rate and with less investment.
You need to analyze the nature of your business and the developed website, to choose a suitable shared hosting package.
To be on the safer side, you can first choose a cheap package to start with.
Some service providers also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee policy so that the clients can get an idea about the functionalities of shared web hosting.
They allow you to measure the progress of your website within the given period, after which you can decide on the hosting package and other upgrades.
This will help in the online growth of your website and increase your brand reputation.