Shared Hosting
Shared Web Hosting is best described as web hosting on a server where you share resources of that server with other websites.
Advantages
The main advantage to shared hosting is the cost. It’s by far the cheapest option you will have in terms of web hosting. A number of entry level options start below $5.00 a month!
- Cost: The biggest advantage of shared hosting is cost. With prices falling below $5.00 a month, who would complain? It’s a great deal if you just want to get online.
- Simple to Use:
- Software Bundles: A number of hosting companies offer easy installation of software packages from Blogging (Wordpress), Content Management Systems (Drupal, Joomla), to Forums (phpBB), Photo Galleries (Gallery2), Shopping Carts (osCommerce, Magento) and more.
- No System Administration Required: Most or all of the server maintenance issues are handled for you by the web hosting company. All you have to do is just handle your website.
- Unlimited Bandwidth and Disk Space: Use up as much bandwidth and disk space as you’d life. Well almost. Pretty much all companies who offer shared hosting will tell you that you get these two features in an unlimited capacity. What it actually translates to is the web hosting provider will not measure the amount of bandwidth and disk space you use, but rather will have acceptable usage guidelines as to what you can use their bandwidth and disk space for. The activities that are usually prohibited are using your web site as an offsite storage repository for you files, email or FTP hosts. So file sharing services are out of the question.
Disadvantages
There are a number of downsides to shared web hosting, that will impact you depending on your needs.
- Dedicated IP Addresses: Most hosting options do not include a Dedicated IP Address, you will be given that is known as a Shared IP Address. This means that your IP Address will be tied to not just your website, or countless of other websites on the same server. For most, this is not an issue, but for some who are focusing on SEO and are concerned with being associated with other websites that may contribute to a “bad neighborhood”, then this will be an issue. Few web hosting companies do offer a Dedicated IP Address, but at an additional cost.
- Bad Configurations by the Web Hosting Provider: Web hosting not properly configured for multiple websites can be a cause of concern for security, where your files could be compromised. If you have non-sensitive data, this will not be a concern, but if you are, then this will definitely be a concern for you. Most companies are up to date on best security practices, but there are some that are not.
- Resource Allocation: If another website is getting alot of traffic, and that slows down the server, then your site will be affected by this.
Recommended for:
If you have a low traffic website, or a website that consists mostly of static content, then a shared web hosting option is the right solution for you. It’s a great way to get started online if this is your first website. It’s great for personal blogs, and small company websites that want to give an overview of their services with little interaction, and little to no ecommerce. It’s fine if you want to have a contact form, a message forum, photo gallery, a blog, or some other services that may require some level of database interaction.
Not recommended for:
I would not recommend a shared web hosting solution if you have a website that gets alot of traffic and users, an ecommerce website, a website that gets alot of uploads from your users, or a site with heavy interactions with the database. In these cases, I would recommend you look into other options like either a VPS (Virtual Private Servers) or Dedicated Servers as your option.