Types of web hosting

Traditionally, web hosting has been used to publish websites on the internet. However, now fast broadband connections are common, businesses are increasingly using web hosting for jobs they’d previously have done using in-house IT equipment

Choosing a web host can be tricky. There are hundreds of suppliers to pick from, offering a wide array of hosting packages.

But don’t panic! A good place to start is by deciding what type of web hosting you need. Here’s a summary of the main options:

• Shared hosting is entry-level web hosting. It’s fine for hosting small websites or blogs – and with prices starting from less than £5 a month, it’s a cost-effective way to get your company website online.

• Cloud hosting is a versatile form of web hosting and a relatively new concept. The main attraction is that it scales up and down to meet your needs. Like buying electricity, you only pay for what you use.

• Virtual server hosting is mid-range hosting that costs from around £15 a month. It gives you much more flexibility and power than shared web hosting, making it good for sites that are growing, and for some web applications.

• Dedicated hosting is a very powerful type of business web hosting. It’s mainly used for busy, high-traffic websites or to run business applications. You can also use dedicated hosting to replace a server on your company premises.

• Managed hosting services are a type of web hosting where your hosting supplier carries out updates and maintenance to keep things running. Managed hosting should reduce the amount of time you spend maintaining your hosting.

Other content related to web hosting:

• Five key website security checks
• How to set up a website
• Get the most reliable web hosting