When you are about to launch your first website, hosting is the most important but completely confusing factor to choose from. As there are several hosting options available and you have to select the one that will work best for you. With the type of hosting package, you also have to choose the company from where you want to get this service. Shared hosting is one of the most popular and useful hosting options for those who are creating their first or startup website.

But many people do not know what shared hosting actually is and what are its benefits. In this guide, you will learn the real facts and information about shared hosting. Let’s jump in without wasting time.

Understanding the differences between various hosting types will help you know which one best suits you and your website needs. Doing a little research will help you which one is perfect for you.   

What Is Meant By Shared Hosting?

As the name suggests, shared hosting is a type of hosting where multiple websites share and utilize a single server. Despite this fact, it is a go-to-option for several entry-level websites. Let us understand the complete working of servers and hosting. 

Each website on the internet is stored or hosted on a server and this is how it is publicly available to the users. Whenever a user types or clicks on the URL of a website, the browser determines the server where it is hosted using the URL address.  

The browser then requests website information to the server. Then the server gives all the important data and the web page requested appears. After that, the user can easily interact by clicking or navigating links, forms available. 

Not only server space, but the website will also share common resources such as RAM, CPU, etc. This setup tends the complete shared hosting plan to be less expensive. The host will be responsible to maintain everything and thus reduces your work. 

This plan is most liked by the beginners looking to host their very first website. It is an intriguing option as it comes with a small investment and no need to maintain it on your own. 

How To Know If Shared Hosting Is The Best Option For You?

Knowing what shared hosting is and how it works is one thing and understanding, if it is right for you, is another. Here are a few things to consider when you are making a decision of whether to go with a shared hosting plan or not? 

What Is Your Budget & What Are Your Requirements?

Well, we have mentioned earlier that the shared web hosting plan is less expensive than other hostings. The other hosting plans include a virtual private server, dedicated hosting, and cloud hosting. With VookHost, the basic plan comes at $0.69 per month which is affordable for everyone out there. 

Although these costs are still cheaper than other hosts’ hosting plans. They are more expensive than our hosting plan. If your website is not very large and does not drive enough traffic to use huge disk space and resources on a bigger server, it is not yet necessary to purchase any other big plan.

What You Should Consider When Buying A Shared Hosting Plan?

Now that you understand what is shared hosting it is time to find the best hosting services provider in the market. Website security, performance, and traffic are hugely dependent on it.  You should look at some of these parameters:

Storage space – It is defined as the physical disk space that will be assigned to you for storing databases, files, media, etc. The storage space that will be allocated to you will depend on the actual website size.

Bandwidth – It is the quantity of data that website visitors upload to/download from it. If your limit exceeds, you may have to pay more than your plan’s fee. With VookHost, the basic plan offers you a bandwidth of 100Gb. 

Uptime – It is important that your website should be available all the time to visitors. Thus, many hosting service providers will assure you that they offer 99% uptime, but make sure you aim for 99.9%. With us, you will get 99.9% uptime. 

Customer Support – In fact, this feature should be at the top of the list, and particularly if you are a beginner. Also, if you do not have professional technical skills, this is a must feature. Today, several hosting providers offer 24/7 support and with us, you will get live support. 

Security – Our basic plan offers a 2Gb NvME SSD that is high-level security. It is crucial that your data is maintained with proper care and security. 

Easy-to-use dashboard – It is knowledgeable and helpful if you get the chance to interact, execute and perform the majority of tasks. If the cPanel allows you to do this from a friendly interface it can be useful for you. With this, if you get pre-installed applications and eCommerce features then it is highly useful. Thus, you should take a free demo and cross-check the dashboard to verify if it provides website-relevant apps.

Programming Language & Database – Servers are required to support various kinds of databases and programming languages. It helps you upgrade to new technology or switch languages ​​in the future.

Domain Name – Some of the hosting providers also provide an additional service i.e. domain name service. It is beneficial if you set up a website and want to operate it from one place.

Advantages & Disadvantage of Shared Hosting

Let’s see the perks of this hosting plan at first:

1. It is the cheapest and most affordable plan for everyone. It is best for beginners and startups.
2. With the rising need, you can upgrade the plan in the future. Make sure the provider gives you the option of upgrading in the future.
3. It usually comes with a built-in cPanel and thus it is easy to manage your website.
4. No technical knowledge is required and you need not maintain any technical things at your end. 

Let’s now see the cons of this plan:

1. The load time is slower than other hosting types.
2. The server can sometimes be overburdened by the other websites sharing the server. 
3. The server can handle limited traffic and for huge traffic, you may have to upgrade your hosting.
4. There is a lack of customization options to get the highest level of performance.

At last, shared hosting is best for those who are just starting their business. Remember once you feel the need for more resources, you are free to upgrade to a new hosting plan. Thus, stop worrying and take a step forward to take your business online.