What is shared web hosting?

Read Time:2 Minute, 1 Second

Websites are hosted on network servers connected to the internet; in this way, access to the site is available worldwide. There are a few options available when it comes to choosing a company to host your website and various types of hosting package.

Image Credit

Shared hosting

Shared web hosting enables multiple websites to be housed on a single server, with all the server’s resources shared. Every website that is hosted on the server will be kept separate from the others, with each website allocated part of the server’s resources.

For some shared hosting packages, there are limits to the amount of storage available; for others, the webspace is unlimited. If you need to increase the storage available for your website, most hosting companies will be able to offer an upgraded shared hosting package to accommodate your requirements. This makes shared hosting a great place to start.

The look and feel of a website that uses shared hosting are no different from any other website and it is almost impossible to tell whether a website is hosted on a shared server. Shared hosting packages normally come with WordPress or Joomla options and a built-in control panel (cPanel), which makes the management of your site quite easy. Technical maintenance is usually included as part of the shared hosting package, as are updates to WordPress (if this is the hosting package you have chosen).

Image Credit

Since most hosting companies can offer the same amount of storage and the same features, it is important that you choose a hosting company you can trust. Check out the reviews for hosting companies such as https://www.names.co.uk/web-hosting to ensure you are making a good choice.

Alternatives to shared hosting

Shared hosting is surprisingly good. It is affordable, reliable and easy to manage; however, it may not meet your specific needs. If you want your site to have a much quicker response time or the amount of storage you need demands it, you could opt for a dedicated server. This will be more costly but your site will get a higher level of performance or customisation.

If you need a website, using shared hosting is a quick, reliable and easy way to get started. If the amount of traffic builds up or you expand your website content dramatically, you can always switch to a dedicated hosting plan at a later date.