At the end of 1995, there were about 16 million Internet users — 0.4% of the world's population. As of March 2021, that number is over 5 billion, or more than 65% of the planet's population.
SummaryTypes of Web Hosting ServicesShared HostingVirtual Private ServerDedicated HostingCloud HostingSpecialized Hosting ServicesHow much do you need to spendThe cost of web hosting is an investmentWith so many people online, having a website for your business is essential. But some companies are still hesitant about the price of web hosting. Let's look at what you should expect to pay.
There are several types of web hosting services:
Each has benefits but some cost more than others. You don't necessarily need the most expensive hosting for your site.
Shared hosting is the most affordable option for your website. With this type of service, multiple websites are hosted on the same server.
The websites are independent of each other, so from your visitors' perspective, they won't know that other sites are on the same server. But by sharing server resources, hosts can cut costs.
Virtual private servers, called VPS, also share server resources, but each user gets a fixed share. And there are usually fewer users on each server than with shared hosting.
VPS hosting is a good choice if you have more traffic but don't want to make the jump to the cost of a dedicated server.
A dedicated server is exactly what it sounds like – all server resources are dedicated to a single user. No one else has shared the server, so you have full access to everything.
Dedicated servers are ideal for high traffic sites or sites that require a lot of customization. You can configure the server as you wish since you are the only one using it, but expect to pay a little more.
Cloud hosting means that you use servers based in "the cloud". Instead of a single computer serving your website, a network of servers share the load.
The biggest advantage of cloud hosting is its elasticity. If your website suddenly experiences a large increase in traffic, the cloud provider may automatically allocate more resources to your server to keep your site online.
Specialized web hosting offers servers configured for specific uses. For example, some hosts offer WordPress hosting with pre-configured servers to give WordPress-based sites the best performance.
Minecraft hosting is another common type of specialized web host, with servers preconfigured to work with the Minecraft video game.
The question of how much you should spend on hosting comes down to a few things, including:
Expect to spend $3-15 per month on shared hosting, $10-100 on VPS, $100+ on dedicated hosting, and $30+ on specialty hosting. Cloud hosting varies depending on the resources you need, but it starts from $5 per month.
Many hosting companies, like Domaincot.com, include a free domain with their service so you can also save a few dollars a year.
Think of the cost of web hosting as an investment in your business. If you spend $50 a month on hosting but your website generates several new customers every month, that $50 is worth spending.
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