A fellow blogger who is planning to migrate from Blogger to WordPress recently asked me about web servers, whether she will need a dedicated server or a shared server, and what to look for when searching for a web host.
What are Servers?
First, let me share with you why one needs a server. When you’re working on your computer, you get to access and use the files that you have on that computer (can be any information such as videos, images or other content). Once you share something to the world via the internet, everybody can now access your files through your domain name or IP address. However, to keep your site accessible all the time, you need to have that particular computer turned on 24/7 all year round – which is generally not a feasible idea.
This is where web hosts come in. They provide the physical computer where you can save your files via the internet and then they are the ones who serve or share the information to the rest of the world thru the internet as well.
Dedicated Servers
A dedicated server is a type of web hosting where one client owns (or rents) the entire server. He gets to use and control all the resources of that computer. He can pick his own operating software and tailor the database, email and applications according to his needs. This type of web hosting is expensive and usually costs hundreds of dollars per month.
Shared Servers
A shared server is a type of web hosting where different clients are assigned to a single server. Compared to a dedicated server, what one can do and control in a shared server is limited because he is only assigned a limited disk space to work with. In addition, when one of the sites in the shared server becomes rogue, your site usually gets affected as well because you are basically sharing the same computer. This type of hosting usually costs less than ten dollars per month.
What To Look For When Choosing a Web Host
Based on what I shared above, one should prioritize the following when looking for a web host:
- Security – it is important to find a web host that is secure so that your site will not be affected by malware and other rogue applications, especially if you’re using shared hosting
- Always up – you are getting a web host for them to serve your site to the rest of the world. If your site is always down or inaccessible, that defeats your purpose for buying a web hosting account.
- Customer support – you need to be assured that just in case you need help regarding your website, there’s always a person available via chat, email or phone who is competent enough to help you solve your site’s problems or issues.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post however, all points and views are 100% mine.
