A Complete Guide: Shared Web Hosting and Its Benefits
Are you planning to bring your business online and unsure where to start? Well, it is pretty easy nowadays. First, you need to figure out your website’s niche, register the domain name, and purchase a Shared Web Hosting account.
You must be thinking there are lots of hosting options. Then why Shared Web Hosting? Well, it is a feasible option for startups, and it is also the most cost-effective solution.
In this guide, I will explain what Shared Hosting is, how it works, and its advantages. So, shall we proceed?
What is Shared Web Hosting?
As the name indicates, shared web hosting means multiple websites are hosted on a single server and share the server resources. The main host server generally has more resources; RAM, CPU, and Disk space. These resources are divided among all the websites hosted on the same server.
When you purchase a web hosting account, you will get a control panel (The most common control panels used by hosting providers are; cPanel or Plesk). You can directly manage your website, web files, databases, emails, and much more from the control panel.
Shared Web Hosting is very cheap in price and requires very little knowledge for users. The hosting provider manages the server, and you can focus on your business.
Who Should Use Shared Hosting?
Shared Hosting is the best option for Startups, small businesses, blog sites, and low-traffic sites that do not require advanced configurations or high bandwidth. It is also a feasible option for websites that do not need higher reliability and can manage with some downtime due to things happening on the server.
Most of the shared hosting packages come with the minimum features and limited support. But, they are a very cost-effective solution. For example, at KemuHost, the feature-rich web hosting plan starts at just $3.58 USD/Month.
Often, shared hosting is all that is required for small websites. However, if a website grows and starts developing more traffic, you should consider upgrading it to a VPS plan. Check out our guide on the Benefits of Windows VPS Hosting for Your Business.
A shared web hosting can work perfectly for budget-conscious new site owners and anyone with small, low-traffic sites due to all the benefits.
How does Shared Web Hosting work?
In shared web hosting, numerous sites are hosted on a single server. The server generally has a good CPU with high processing power, higher amount of RAM and Disk. The hosting provider then installs OS, web server, database server, mail server, control panel, and more on the server.
When you purchase the plan, the hosting provider will set up your website and control panel account on the server. With the control panel, you can upload your website content and databases and create and manage email accounts for your website.
The shared hosting account is straightforward to use for you. But, it requires very sound technical knowledge for the hosting provider to manage the server, performance, maintain security, and perform a regular server audit.
Now, let’s check out the various benefits of a Shared Web Hosting account.
Benefits of Shared Web Hosting
Now, let’s check out some benefits and reasons that justify why should you go for Shared Web Hosting for your precious website:
1) Host Multiple Websites
The time is gone when the hosting providers offered a limited number of website hosting with shared hosting plans.
With cPanel’s excellent feature, Addon domain, you can host any number of domains (websites) within a single cPanel account. Most web hosting providers allow hosting multiple domains in a shared hosting account. This feature is a cost-saving factor when it comes to hosting a website on a shared server.
2) Professionally Managed
Are you non-tech-savvy? Don’t know how to manage the server? Then shared hosting is definitely for you.
In shared hosting, you do not need to worry about server maintenance. The hosting provider takes care of everything. Whether it is a software installation, server maintenance, server monitoring, or server security, everything is taken care of by a team of server experts. Since you do not get the server’s root access, you will also get premium technical support for your hosting account.
3) Cost-Effectiveness
Most new businesses love using shared hosting as it is very affordable. In addition, it is the most cost-effective solution since many people contribute to the server’s cost, and the hosting company’s costs are distributed among them.
You can get your website hosted for as cheap as a couple of dollars per month. For Example, with KemuHost, you can get a shared hosting account at just $3.58 USD/Month.
4) Flexibility
Shared web hosting plans are the most flexible. When you expect higher traffic for your site, you can ask your hosting provider to increase the resources in your account and lower them down again when needed. You can also upgrade/downgrade your plan anytime. Adjusting resources in your hosting account will never interrupt your website or data.
5) No Bandwidth Limitations
Most of the shared hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth. But, first, you must ensure that your website is neither compromised nor generates a high volume of fake traffic and overloads your account with increased bandwidth.
There are also situations where you use a lot of bandwidth, affecting the other domains. In such a case, your hosting provider may ask you to upgrade your account. However, this is pretty uncommon.
6) Easy to Manage
It is pretty straightforward to set up a shared hosting account. All shared hosting accounts come with a user-friendly control panel. You can easily upload your web files and databases, create and manage email accounts, and so on.
There are no expensive tools or complicated configurations to figure out.
7) Host Dynamic Websites
Whether you have designed your website with static HTML, PHP or an e-commerce store, shared hosting covers everything for you. You can host any website developed with any programming language, CMS, or framework.
You will get a one-click installer that allows you to install any CMS or Ecommerce store for your website.
8) Feature-Rich Control Panel
cPanel and Plesk are both widely used and easy-to-understand control panels. And you will get any of them with the shared hosting account. In addition, it provides numerous options for your website management with a single click.
9) SSL Security
SSL certificate makes your website secure for data transmission. Most shared hosting plans come with a free SSL certificate managed by cPanel or Let’s encrypt. It will enhance the security while transmitting data from user to server and vice-versa.
Shared Web Hosting – The Conclusion
So, any start-up or small business planning to launch a website needs a domain and a web hosting account. Shared Hosting is that starter pack, the best choice for new websites that need to establish themselves.
According to a Web Hosting Statistics published by FinancesOnline, the global web hosting services market is expected to grow annually at a readjusted CAGR of 18% from 2020 to 2027 due to the increased demand spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. From $102 billion in 2020, it is predicted to reach $321.5 billion by 2025 (Global Industry Analysts, 2021).
Overall, the benefits of shared hosting far outweigh its disadvantages. So, what are you waiting for? Register the domain and host your website today!