Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

April 21, 2010

Evaluating the Advantages of Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most common form of website hosting available for both personal and commercial use. There are numerous shared hosting providers that offer this service, and both free and paid services are available, each offering different pros and cons.

Shared hosting is exactly that; many different websites that share the same server. All sites on that server use the same software and operating system.

Several advantages exist for utilizing the shared hosting option compared to other choices. The benefits include the following:

Cost-efficiency

Shared hosting services are the most cost-effective type of hosting. Shared hosting is considerably cheaper than both co-location and dedicated servers. This is often the most important factor when choosing a host. Since only a portion of the server is being utilized, the price is lower.

Simplicity

Another advantage is the simplicity of setting up and maintaining a website on a shared host. Since shared web hosting is the most basic form of managed hosting, most offer easy-to-use graphical user interfaces (GUI’s) with point and click functionality. Tools such as control panels (cPanels) and website builders offer these easy-to-use options. Additionally, those that don’t possess the technical know-how to maintain a server will benefit greatly from shared hosting.

Website creation and maintenance have come a long way over the past few years. It’s now easier than ever to design a site for business or pleasure and continue to successfully maintain it. This revolution is due to the software packages offered by shared hosting providers.

Technical Support

Technical support is another enormous factor for customers looking for a shared hosting provider. Luckily shared hosts offer teams of highly quality technicians to help with any website, server or creation tool issues. Outstanding customer service is generally one their best selling points. Again it no longer takes a technically savvy individual to create and maintain a website as support for any question or issue is always available.

Available Features

The final major advantage of shared hosting is the features that are available with an account. Although there are packages for different prices, even the basic bundles offer features. Some of the features include extensive programming language support (Java, .net, Perl, PhP, Python, etc.), multiple email accounts, MySQL databases, SSL certificates and much more. This entices customers that require diversity to choose a shared host.

Like co-location and dedicated hosting, shared hosting offers many advantages based on customer need. It is the most common and popular choice available due to the inexpensive hosting plans, simple usage, exceptional customer support and the numerous features.

Tags: shared hosting support,  shared hosting providers,  Shared Hosting,  cost-effective hosting