Shared/Virtual Web Hosting

Shared/virtual Web hosting is a type of hosting in which your Web site shares a server with other sites. You essential “rent” space on the server from the Web host, who either owns the server or a large portion of space on the server. In some cases, locating your site on using shared/virtual Web hosting is kind of like subletting. You rent from a renter. However, this type of Web hosting has benefits, including decent service and fairly low prices.

How can Shared/Virtual Web Hosting benefit my needs?

All the Web sites that make up the Internet are located on servers. Servers are simply computers that store information. These servers are connected by the Internet, and you can access them through your own computer, as long as the computer also has Internet access, allowing access to the servers. When you want to put up a Web site, you are actually saving information onto a computer located somewhere in the world. So, while your Web site may be “virtual,” the server on which it is saved exists as a computer with a physical location in the real world.

Shared/virtual Web hosting is a way for someone else to provide you with space and bandwidth for your Web site. You more than likely share the server with quite a few other Web sites. This is why it is called a shared server. The shared server differs slightly from a free public server. First of all, the shared server is more exclusive; there are fewer sites on it than on a free server. Second, the Web sites can usually support more features on a shared server and support heavier traffic. Shared servers are also less prone to crashing than public servers. This is because locating your site on a shared server costs money, and there are fewer sites to burden the server.

Shared/virtual Web hosting is also helpful in that with some hosts you get very personalized Web hosting services. Many hosts who operate shared servers actually help their clients develop and maintain Web sites. While there are plenty of hosting services that make use of templates to assist users in building their own sites, there are also plenty of hosts that will build a custom site for you, without using a template that hundreds of other Web sties are using. Additionally, this sort of service makes it possible for you to have a more interactive site and a site that has more features.

The cost of Shared Web Hosting

Shared/virtual Web hosting does cost more than free public Web hosting. However, services can be for as low as $7.95 per month. Depending on how much space and bandwidth you need, and how much service you expect from your host, the cost can be as high as $40 or $45 per month (and sometimes higher if you want even more services). Web hosting can be a good way for you to get a company or personal Web site up and running. It can also be especially helpful if you offer freelance, consulting, or professional services, as you can get a higher quality Web site without having to pay a great deal for a dedicated server.