What is web hosting? Types of Web Hosting with Terms

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is your website’s physical location on the web server which stores the website’s data, information, videos, images, and other content. It is a kind of hosting service on the internet which allows organizations and individuals making their websites accessible over the world wide web.

Web hosting companies, generally in a data center, give space on a server leased or owned for clients’ use and provide internet connectivity. They can also give data center space and internet connectivity to other servers situated in their data center, which is known as colocation.

Type of Web Hosting

There are different types of web hosting based on quality, performance, cost, or requirements. To help you better understand hosting types, we categorized the hosting type into three parts.

Primary or Main Hosting Type:

Generally, four main hosting types are categorized based on the nature of the server. All other types are derived from these four types. From small websites to robust web applications can be host to these types of hosting.

1. Shared Hosting

It is the most common and popular web hosting service. The term "shared hosting" entails multiple websites sharing a single server and its resources, such as CPU, RAM, Storage, and Bandwidth. In shared hosting, a single space and resources are allocated to each website on a single server.

Shared hosting is ideal for bloggers, personal websites, small businesses, or startup businesses whose budget is low and who don't want to take the responsibility of server management. It is the most affordable among all the available hosting options. You need to share the server space with other websites. This is an easily usable and simple option.

Pros of Using Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is highly cost-effective as the server maintenance cost is shared among the users making it an excellent choice who wants to start their online journey.

The hosting provider takes care of server management, including security and updates.
Affordable price
User friendly
Easy setup
Technical support

Cons of Using Shared Hosting

You will face drawbacks because you share resources and space with many other websites on the same server.

Limited resources
Average performance
Slow loading speed
Less security
Limited control over the server
Limited customization

2. Virtual Private Server or VPS Hosting

The term "virtual private server" entails a physical server divided into multiple private servers for the individual user. Each private server has its own resources, operating systems, and software.

VPS hosting is a higher, more advanced, and more robust version of shared hosting. Here, you need to share the server with other websites, but you have some assigned resources that are not shared with different properties.

It is a suitable option for those who cannot afford a dedicated server and don't want to use shared hosting. VPS hosting gives users more control over the server, allowing them to customize their server per their needs.

Types of VPS hosting:

Managed VPS, and
Unmanaged VPS

Managed VPS

In managed VPS hosting plan, the hosting provider takes responsibility for managing the server. That means managed VPS plan comes with pre-installed OS, software, and technical support.

Unmanaged VPS

Unlike managed VPS, unmanaged VPS users are responsible for maintaining the server. This includes installing the software, and OS, configuring the system and maintaining security and updates. This means user will have complete control over the server.

Pros of Using VPS Hosting

VPS hosting is undoubtedly a better option than using shared hosting in terms of performance and considering the fact that it's less expensive than dedicated hosting.

More control
Flexibility
Scalability
More security
High-performance

Cons of Using VPS Hosting

Due to limited resources, traffic spikes cause performance issues unless the user scales up the resources.

More expensive than shared hosting
Requires technical expertise
Users are responsible for server management

3. Dedicated Hosting

The term "dedicated hosting" entails that the user leases the entire server from the hosting provider. This type of hosting is suitable for those who require high performance, security, and customization and expects to deal with heavy traffic.

Dedicated hosting provides you complete root access to your server. You can have full administrative control of your server and install any software per your requirements and wish. In this hosting type, you rent a machine dedicated to your system.

Pros of Using Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting gives users total freedom and control over the server, allowing them to manage it as required.

Highly customizable
High performance
Enhanced security
Scalability
Dedicated technical support

Cons of Using Dedicated Hosting

The primary cons of using dedicated servers are their price while it provides better service than VPS.

Expensive
Require technical knowledge and experience
The user is responsible for managing the server

4. Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a cluster of interconnected servers working together as a single system. This type of hosting utilizes virtualization technology to the pool and dynamically allocates resources to each user. This ensures better performance of the website and scalability as per user requirements.

Cloud hosting suits users who run a high-traffic website, own an e-commerce website or have digital agencies.

Under cloud hosting, multiple servers will host your site and other sites. Cloud hosting considers traffic spikes, so high traffic to other sites and your site on the same cloud won't impact anybody's loading speed.

You don't have root access to a cloud server, so you won't be able to install specific software or change any server settings. If you have a simple server and don't require these technical options, you can quickly go for cloud hosting.

Pros of Using Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting offers many benefits:

Scalability
High availability
Reliability
Cost-effective
Enhanced security

Cons of Using Cloud Hosting

While it has many advantages, there are some disadvantages:

Require technical expertise
Limited resources
Depending on the internet

Purpose-Based Hosting:

1. Reseller Hosting

The term "Reseller" means that users purchase hosting resources from a provider and then resell the hosting to their clients, earning a profit. This means the user is a middleman and pockets the difference as a profit.

In the reseller hosting package, the user customizes their pricing and plans for the hosting package. This is an ideal option for web developers, bloggers, and digital marketers who want to offer host solutions to their clients.

If you are interested in entering the hosting business, you can purchase reseller hosting to resell or rent out the same hosting services the parent hosting company provides. Reseller hosting also allows you to upsell other web services the parent hosting company offers.

SSD and NVME are two types of storage solutions used mostly in reseller hosting. SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive and offers faster speeds compared to traditional hard drives. On the other hand, NVME stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express. It uses PCIe- a based memory slot and offers faster speed than SSD.

Pros of Using Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting selling can be an ideal business venture with existing clients who want to extend their service.

Cost-effective
Flexibility
Scalability
Positive professional image
Technical support

Cons of Using Reseller Hosting

While it's a cost-effective solution, it has certain drawbacks:

Heavily dependent on the hosting provider
Competitive market

2. WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting is a type of hosting that will be the best for those who have a WordPress website or blog. The provider is specially designed and optimized to meet the requirements of the WordPress website.

WordPress is a popular CMS content management system (CMS) and powers 65.2% of websites globally. This type of hosting is suitable for small businesses, bloggers, and individuals who wish to have a website without technical knowledge.

Developers and designers worldwide use WordPress to create websites for their clients. People prefer WordPress CMS because it is optimized and ensures that the website runs efficiently and smoothly.

There are two main types of WordPress hosting.

Basic
WooCommerce

Basic WordPress Hosting

This hosting plan is appropriate for personal bloggers or small enterprises with low-traffic websites. Basic WordPress hosting is inexpensive, simple to use, and includes standard features such as automatic updates, security, and customer support.

WooCommerce Hosting

WooCommerce hosting is a dedicated hosting service created exclusively for online retailers that use the WordPress WooCommerce plugin.

Pros of Using WordPress Hosting

Highly secured
Automatic backups
Dedicated support
Easy installation

Cons of Using WordPress Hosting

Expensive
Resource limitations
Only optimized for WordPress

3. Business Hosting

Business hosting is a web hosting service specifically created for organizations needing a more sophisticated hosting solution than shared hosting. It is appropriate for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to major organizations, who want a dependable and secure hosting environment to ensure their websites' availability, performance, and scalability.

Pros of Using Business Hosting

Increased performance
Dedicated resources
Scalability
Dedicated technical support
Enhanced security

Cons of Using Business Hosting

Costly
Require technical expertise

If your company's website is essential to its operations, requires outstanding performance, and cannot afford downtime, business hosting is an excellent choice.

4. Corporate Hosting

Corporate hosting is tailored to influential organizations with high-traffic websites and mission-critical applications. Corporate hosting providers often provide a variety of features and services to satisfy the specific requirements of corporate clients.

Corporate hosting is appropriate for finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and technology enterprises, where downtime or data breaches can be disastrous. It is also ideal for businesses that require high levels of customization, such as large enterprises with complex web applications or databases.

Pros of Using Corporate Hosting

Scalability
Improved security measures
Increased performance
Dedicated resources
Dedicated technical support

Cons of Using Corporate Hosting

Costly
Require technical knowledge and expertise

5. DDoS Protected Hosting

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) assaults are among the most common cyber dangers companies face today. These assaults cause a website's servers to get overloaded with traffic from many sources, making it crash or become inaccessible. DDoS-protected hosting is a type of web hosting that incorporates specialized tools and technologies for defending websites from DDoS attacks.

DDoS-protected hosting is especially crucial for companies that rely on their website to earn revenue, maintain their reputation, or manage sensitive data. It is especially crucial for organizations in high-risk industries, including finance, e-commerce, healthcare, and technology.

Pros of Using DDoS Protected Hosting

Advanced security measures
Improved uptime
Scalability
Dedicated resources
24/7 dedicated support

Cons of Using DDoS Protected Hosting

Costly
Essential technical expertise required

Other Types of Hosting:

Furthermore, other types of hosting are available apart from the previously mentioned hosting types. Two of these types are

Colocation Hosting
Offshore Hosting

1. Colocation Hosting

Colocation hosting is when a company or individual owns server hardware and rents storage space in a data center. The data center offers the infrastructure and support required to keep the server running, such as electricity, cooling, and internet access.

Colocation hosting can be an excellent alternative for businesses that need a lot of control over their server hardware and want to ensure their data is safe and secure.

Pros of Using Colocation Hosting

Improved connectivity
Increased network speed
Highly reliable
Control over server hardware and software

Cons of Using Colocation Hosting

High cost
Depending on the server location
Probability of hardware failure and downtime

2. Offshore Hosting

Offshore hosting is when a company or individual maintains their website or data in a data center in another nation. Offshore hosting might be a suitable alternative for enterprises or people seeking privacy, anonymity, or protection from legal or political scrutiny.

Offshore hosting might benefit firms or individuals concerned about their privacy or security or those operating in countries with severe censorship or monitoring regulations.

Pros of Using Offshore Hosting

increased anonymity and privacy
Protection against government monitoring or censorship
Possibility of decreasing hosting costs
Access to hosting capabilities and technologies is not always available in one's country.

Cons of Using Offshore Hosting

Possibility of lesser quality or less dependable hosting services
Communication with the hosting provider may be hampered by language and cultural problems.
Legal and regulatory difficulties that may occur as a result of hosting data in a foreign country

Common Terms about Web Hosting

If you are planning to develop a website, then you must need web hosting for the website. The following terms will give you a clear idea to choose the right hosting company and hosting plan.

Disk Space and Data Storage

Many web hosting companies offer unlimited data. But you must check all the details carefully before getting impressed by any word sounding too good. Often hosting companies have hidden charges for exceeding the average usage of the site. So, unlimited storage won’t be always the best choice for you.

You should choose a plan which mentions the storage you will get depending on your required disc space.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth means your network connection’s speed, not the transfer speed. More visitors can access your website if you have a higher bandwidth connection and you can maintain an exciting user experience. On the other hand, having a lower bandwidth connection will cause delays, slow loading times, and errors.

If your website is new, you don’t require the highest bandwidth immediately. You should choose one which can meet your website content and traffic needs. For instance, if users will watch videos, look at images, and buy items on your online store, you will need higher bandwidth. Otherwise, if you will start with a blog and aren’t expecting heavy traffic, you may choose a lower bandwidth plan.

Domains

Most of web hosting companies will let you produce multiple domain names under a single account. It will be easier for you to manage everything in this way. Creating a new account for every domain will be a problem.

You can also keep these two things separate. Because if you need to switch the host later, your domain will not be connected to your old host.

Customer Support

About 20% of web hosting customers identified support as the most crucial feature while selecting a hosting plan. This percentage is very much lower which should be quite higher. Maybe you don’t face any problems. But suppose, you have some urgent issue and you want your hosting company to be available and solve the issue immediately.

You can read reviews given by the existing clients, available on the hosting companies’ sites to know their efficiency to handle customers’ problems and response time. Some web hosting companies provide other helpful resources like extensive guides, FAQ sections, and video tutorials on their sites.

SSL Certification

Full form of SSL is Secure Socket Layer. This certification adjoins encryption to your site for protecting both your and your site’s visitors’ information. SSL certificates can be of different types. Some are for individuals and others are prepared for businesses. Though major hosting companies will provide an SSL certificate, third-party security services may also provide it.

You may choose another hosting company if a company is unable to provide an SSL certificate or the SSL certificate is not that strong. SSL certificates have an alternative, known as a transport layer certificate or TLS. Though this will provide you with more security, it’s not as readily available or popular as an SSL certificate.

Email

You may not require more company email addresses at the starting point of your business. But with that growth of your website, you may require more. So, you should find a web hosting companies which provides multiple email ids with the domain name. You can get these email ids through a third-party, but it would be easier to manage everything in the same place.

Backups

Your web hosting server should backup all your company and website files properly. Though you can backup them yourself, it would be nice if your host keeps this data secured. You should not choose a hosting company that doesn’t provide backups.

Uptime

You will see most hosting companies offer 99.9% uptime. But generally, scheduled downtimes are not included in the percentages when they advertise. So, it will be best for you to read reviews to see if their customers experience a lot of downtime or not.

A terrible problem will be created for your company when the visitors won’t be able to access your website and its content. They may leave and not even come back. If you want your website to be one of the best, it’s uptime percentage should be high.

Advertising credits

Many web hosts provide advertising credits. You can use those credits on platforms such as Google AdWords and the like.

Web hosting costs

Web hosting costs will depend on your requirements. If you want a shared server with poor support, low bandwidth and no additional software, it will be inexpensive. The best shared hosting company providing great support will cost you less than $10 every month; under $5 every month for the primary contract. But when you require a dedicated server, unlimited email addresses, multiple domains, and backups, you will need to pay a premium or higher price.

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What is web hosting? Types of Web Hosting with Terms