What Type of Web Hosting Server Is Right For Your Business?

When selecting a web hosting company, it is important to understand how they will manage their servers. The type of web hosting server you select will depend on your web site requirements. In general, there are four different types of web hosting servers that you could choose from dedicated servers, virtual private servers, virtual hosting, and co-located servers. Read on to discover the differences between these four options and to learn how to select the server option that makes the best business sense for your web site.

Dedicated Web Hosting Server: A dedicated web hosting server offers the highest level of service. Your site will be the only web site on that server and will not have to compete with other web sites for server time. Additionally, a dedicated server offers a higher security level and more storage space for your files. Because you receive such high quality service, you will also pay a higher price for the dedicated servers. Typically, a dedicated server will be price between $150 and $300 per month, depending on which web hosting service you select and which features you want available to you.

Virtual Private Server: A virtual private server is a combination between dedicated servers and virtual hosting. With a virtual private server, you are given a segmented portion of the web hosting server which is under your control (much like a dedicated server), but you share the cost with other people using the same virtual private server. This solution is often a good fit for small businesses that want the flexibility of a dedicated server, but at a much reduced cost.

Virtual Hosting: If you select a virtual hosting package, you are sharing your server with many other web sites. While this is definitely the cheapest option for web hosting server space, it is also a much riskier option. Virtual hosting does not allow you to configure your server or maintain personal control over the server security - you are relying on the web hosting company to do that for you. However, since the price is significantly lower than other options (typically between $5 - $15 per month), it can be an attractive option for small web sites.

Co-Located Server: Last, but not least, a co-located server is a server that you own and maintain, but allow other web sites to use. This option offers the ultimate in control, but also is a huge responsibility that many new businesses do not want to take on. If you select this option, be prepared to be on-call 24-7 to respond to potential server issues.

To view a list of trusted web hosting companies and their various server options, click here