Shared Hosting – For Those on a Small Budget

People that do not want to spend a fortune on their web hosting and do not need it to be super-strong should start by looking at shared hosting plans. It is the most popular type of web hosting and it is also a perfect match for small online businesses or for personal websites. When we say that shared hosting is not super-strong we do not mean that it lacks in quality. You will still get secure and qualitative hosting, only costing a few dollars per month, but if your site gets a lot of visitors it might become a bit slow or even crash if it is a ton of visitors. That said, it takes a LOT of visitors to slow down a website that is built upon shared hosting so it will most likely not be a problem. Many of the best shared hosting plans are very similar – just make sure that you get plenty of bandwidth, disk space and that their uptime record is good.

Some companies that have generally been well received from their users and critics alike are:
Host Monster
Just Host
Top 10 Shared Web Hosting from Web Hosting Search

In this field there are many companies that have a less than respectable reputation and it is important to look into their background before committing. There are many shared hosting companies that are resellers and may lack the resources to effectively maintain their servers and client bases’ needs. That is not to say that all resellers are bad as that is far from the truth, but it is necessary to look over their finer points in depth to make sure they will be able to serve your needs in the best possible way.

Dedicated Hosting – Great for Major Companies

If you are in charge of a website that attracts a lot of visitors you better have web hosting that can handle all the traffic. Dedicated hosting is the crème de la crème of the web hosting industry and is a perfect match for the more popular websites. The server, which will work solely for you, is stored, protected, and maintained by the hosting provider. There are two forms of dedicated hosting: managed and unmanaged. With managed dedicated hosting it is very easy, all you have to do is take care of the onsite content. Unmanaged dedicated hosting requires more technical knowledge but it also gives more possibilities of optimizing things after your liking. Dedicated server hosting costs range quite a bit based on the plan and the average costs range from $60 and $200 per month, which has to be regarded as affordable when considering the strength and stability of the hosting plan.

The options available with dedicated hosting have a relatively broad range. In mentioning a few of the companies that are highly thought of, we have mentioned one that is more focused on the higher end of the spectrum and one that is more entry level. InMotion is well known for their shared services but their dedicated plan is exceptional, although not for everyone with its nearly $200 a month price tag. For those seeking a dedicated host with less of an investment would be wise to consider eSecureData . They offer plans that range from $80 and up, but even their “low” level system is very respectable for the price and they have a strong reputation for their customer support.

When looking at plans, compare the differences between the “cheap” and expensive monthly plans. Some companies may charge substantially more for only a minor increase in features. It is also important to compare between companies for similar reasoning.

VPS Hosting – The Middle Alternative

VPS hosting plans are quickly growing in popularity and this type of web hosting has become the backbone of many web hosting providers of today. It is often referred to as the thing filling the gap between shared hosting and dedicated web hosting. With it you will get a customizable and stable hosting solution. Make sure that your VPS hosting plan contains plenty of disk space, monthly transfer, RAM, an unlimited number of add-on domains and a knowledgeable customer support team.

There are very few companies who offer VPS as their only solution, so the majority of the companies who offer quality VPS are the companies who have nice shared/dedicated offerings. One company of note though is HostICan as their VPS solution as they offer a pretty good setup for the price and are well known for their reliability.

Green Hosting – For a Healthier Environment

If you feel as if you want to do something for the environment Green Hosting is the thing for you. It is most often the same as the shared hosting plans but the web host either uses eco-friendly energy sufficient servers or purchase carbon offsets. As green hosting is shared hosting their plans should be equally good as well. This is one of the trendier alternatives of the hosting industry at the moment.

While it is possible to get Green Hosting from a few of the companies who offer standard hosting, if going green is of real importance to you it is good to check out companies who focus only on that. If a green, shared host is what you are looking for Green Geeks is definitely worth checking out as they are not only carbon neutral but actually buy three times more energy credit than they use. As Green Hosting is the use of energy credits to counteract carbon dioxide emissions and not actually something different done at the company (outside of energy efficient servers), there is no reason that a green host should have less features than a standard shared or dedicated hosting company. It is definitely possible to find a host that meets your server needs while still having a positive environmental impact.

Cloud Computing – Adaptable Hosting

Cloud computing is probably the hottest thing on the hosting market for the moment being. It is very flexible hosting as it grows in strength and stability when needed and goes back to its original shape when you do not have that many visitors. As a customer of cloud computing you do not have to pay for more web hosting than your website is using.

At the time of writing this piece, our review team was accessing the options available with cloud hosting and the data had not been finalized. One of the standout companies that was found however was GoGrid . GoGrid is worth noting for their affordable rates as well as their support services.

Whichever hosting type you choose, it is important to read the fine points of what is involved with your plan. While a plan may sound incredible on the surface, it could have very low bandwidth, poor support structure, or any number of issues. A hosting plan is a choice that you will have to live with for awhile and should be taken seriously. Although there are hundreds of great plans out there , some poor providers do exist and it is up to the consumer to make sure they know what they are getting into.

Author Bio:

David Walsh is a blogger and editor with Web Hosting Search. Here he tests and reviews hosting providers and web development tools as well as blogging about current happenings within the hosting industry. If you are looking for something specific in a hosting provider, check out our advanced search tool to find the appropriate web host: http://www.webhostingsearch.com/