Are you looking for a hosting plan for your WordPress site? Well, primarily, you should first consider the different requirements for web hosting according to the size of your website and business. However, if you are about to set up and run your website for the first time, then you should understand the basics of web hosting.
What is Web Hosting?
Web hosting allows the website owners to get their site onto the internet. With the help of a web hosting provider, you get access to the technology and facilities that securely deploy your website online.
Three Common Types of Hosting
Web hosting providers offer various plans to cater to different business requirements. It is essential to choose the right hosting plan so that your website functions properly.
Following are the three most common types of hosting:
Shared Hosting
Shared web hosting is the most popular form of hosting. It is ideal for those businesses that are smaller in size and expect low amounts of traffic and little demand. Under shared hosting plans, a website has to share the server space and resources with other websites. Each website has access to a finite amount of resources. That is why, at times of high demand, the load time slows down and site performance decreases while the websites are competing for the server’s resources. Therefore, this hosting plan is preferred by those businesses that are just setting up their base online.
Virtual Private Servers
A virtual private server or VPS is ideal for websites with a higher demand, where shared hosting plans cannot handle properly. It serves as a reasonable solution if you do not want to commit to a dedicated server.
Under VPS plans, multiple websites on the server have an allocated amount of resources that are specifically allocated for them. The server is, in fact, virtually divided to ensure the users gain more functionality similar to that of a private or dedicated server. Businesses prefer VPS since it is scalable and can help the sites to grow in the near future.
Dedicated Server
A dedicated server provides websites with a private server, so that they can use resources solely meant for them. Your site remains unaffected by the high demand on other sites.
It is ideal for those website owners that expect a high amount of traffic and demand a lot of resources. Although the cost for these plans is on the higher side, it allows a higher degree of personalization and control in comparison to other hosting options.
Managed and Unmanaged Plans
You will also find the terms ‘managed’ and ‘unmanaged’ along with the above-mentioned hosting options. An unmanaged WordPress hosting plan means the website owner has to manage all the aspects of website maintenance by themselves. It offers a higher level of customization if the owners possess a large amount of technical knowledge.
A managed WordPress hosting plan, on the other hand, means that the service provider will handle the technical side of keeping a website online. With managed WordPress hosting, you get more time to focus on the content while technicians cater to any website issues.
Choosing the right web hosting is essential for the smooth running of a successful website. It is advisable to understand what requirements and resources your website will need and then select the appropriate plan according to your budget.
