With the way the web market is moving these days, it’s no wonder that people are looking for ways to cut corners while still having a great overall experience when using a website hosting service. One way to save money without sacrificing quality is to go with a dedicated hosting provider. While it might not seem like a huge difference at first, it can make all the difference in the world when you’re paying for hosting on a regular basis. You won’t be able to make the same mistake as you would with shared hosting and will end up paying a bit more for a consistently great experience.
Key Differences Between Shared And Dedicated Hosting
The first and most obvious difference between shared and dedicated hosting is the amount of storage space that you’ll have access to. With shared hosting, you’ll only get what’s provided to you by the hosting provider. This might not seem like a big deal but, depending on your usage habits, it can be quite the difference. If you’re looking for a dedicated hosting plan and don’t want to share any of your storage space with other users, then you should look into some of the dedicated hosting providers out there.
Another major difference between shared and dedicated hosting has to do with the way in which their customer support handles issues. As we’ve already mentioned, with shared hosting, you’re going to be sharing your storage space with other users. This means that if you run into any sort of problems with your website, the chances are that you’re not going to get the help that you need from within the customer support system of the hosting provider. You might get lucky and find an answer to your question after a while but, generally speaking, you’ll have to look for help elsewhere. This is where your own technical knowledge comes in handy because, in most cases, there’s really nothing that can be done if you’re running into problems with your shared hosting account.
On the other hand, with dedicated hosting, you’re going to have access to a team of experts who are always available to help you out. Whether you’re experiencing difficulties with your site’s performance or you’re just looking for suggestions on how to improve your site’s content, your dedicated hosting provider is going to be able to help you out. This is why we recommend going this route whenever possible because, in the end, it’s always better to have more capable people helping you out than trying to figure everything out yourself.
The Advantages Of Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is a great option for businesses who need a solid performance baseline for their websites. If you’ve ever tried to use a shared hosting account but noticed that your site was lagging behind the rest, then you know exactly what we’re talking about. A dedicated hosting provider will give your site the performance boost that it needs to really shine. Of course, this only works if you’re using a decent amount of storage space.
Another great thing about dedicated hosting is the fact that it’s more stable than shared hosting. It’s been proven time and time again that shared hosting is, generally speaking, subject to fluctuation in performance due to the fact that it’s a shared resource. This means that your site’s performance can vary from hour to hour, day to day, and even week to week depending on the number of people using the service at the time. While this might not seem like a major issue, it can be an annoyance for certain users who need to rely on a specific level of performance on a regular basis.
Dedicated hosting, on the other hand, is going to give you a stable performance baseline that you can depend on. This is great if you’re running a site that deals with finances or sales and you need to have confidence that all of your data is being entered accurately and won’t be corrupted in some way.
The Disadvantages Of Dedicated Hosting
Just because your site is getting the stability and performance that it needs from dedicated hosting doesn’t mean that it’s free from problems. Just like with any other service, it’s possible for your dedicated hosting provider to screw up along the way. This is why you need to be extra careful with what you’re signing up for and make sure that the terms and conditions of the service are clearly spelled out before you commit to anything. In most cases, you’ll be able to get a free trial or at least a significant discount if you contact the company directly or via their website. Even then, you might have to spend a little bit of money to get things setup correctly. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your website’s performance so, in most cases, it’s preferable to go with a dedicated hosting provider. At least, you’ll be able to get your money back if things go wrong.
The Security Of Dedicated Hosting
Another important thing to consider when deciding between shared and dedicated hosting is security. This is especially important if you’re storing any sensitive or financial information on your website. As discussed above, with dedicated hosting, you’re going to have access to a team of experts who are always on hand to help you out. This means that, even if something goes wrong, they’ll be able to protect your data and help you get back online quickly and safely. The good news is that, in most cases, this is completely manageable and doesn’t require any special training. Even if you’re not storing any sensitive information, you should still consider security when deciding which hosting plan to choose.
Choosing A Dedicated Hosting Provider
Now that you know the difference between shared and dedicated hosting, you might be wondering what kind of dedicated hosting provider you should look into. Since we’ve already gone over the advantages of having a dedicated hosting provider, we’re not going to list them all again but, rather, we’re going to discuss the steps you need to take to choose the right dedicated hosting provider for your needs. When looking for a dedicated hosting provider, here’s what you need to keep in mind: