Hosting Services
Why do I need hosting?
Hosting is often overlooked by people starting a website. Besides creating the design and content for a website, there must be a place on the Internet it will reside. While you have the option of creating a site using one of the free space sites, this is generally unprofessional looking. Hosting on your own computer with a cable or DSL connection is normally only good enough for test or hobby sites. To reach the maximum audience it is recommended that your website be professionally hosted.
Types of Web Hosting
There are three basic types of web hosting:
- Shared hosting
- Virtual Private server
- Dedicated server
Shared hosting is the most appropriate for low traffic websites. Your site will share a server with other websites, making this option the cheapest available. Choosing a shared host provider should be carefully researched, as some providers run the number of websites on a server to a maximum which causes outages and slow response. Shared hosting also limits the flexibility in the software that can be used. Sites with less than 100 concurrent connections (visitors) can use shared hosting. If you expect or are achieving more traffic than that, Virtual Private server hosting may be the answer.
Hosting on a Virtual private server (VPS) dedicates a portion of a server to a virtual server that is under your control. A VPS can handle more traffic than shared and also provides the flexibility in the applications and software installed and their configuration. VPS is more expensive, however, and requires additional management to configure, manage and secure the server.
Dedicated servers are for those who need the performance of a dedicated server to handle traffic or want the freedom to manage a physical server. This is the most expensive option and requires additional management to configure, manage and secure the server.
Who should I host with?
This is ultimately a personal decision but I can provide some recommendations based on personal experience and testimonials.
Recommended
A Small Orange – They have been found to be responsive to issues, not aggressive on overloading shared servers and though not the cheapest, reasonably priced.
Joyent Accelerator – a host that earns high praise for its customer support and reliability. They provide hosting that allows your site to easily scale as you get more traffic.
Pair Networks – another alternative for reliable hosting. A little more expensive, but by all testimonials this is recouped by their excellent customer service and reliability.
MediaTemple – offering dedicated and virtual servers, MediaTemple appears to be the Rolls-Royce of web hosting. I have never heard a customer complain about them, and many praise them for outstanding service.
