Shared Hosting
If you don’t know what kind of hosting you currently have, it’s probably shared.
Pros: Other than free, shared hosting is the cheapest form of hosting. You’ll see shared hosting advertised from as little as $2 or $3 a month to $10. If you’re paying anything south of $10 a month for hosting, it’s probably shared hosting.
Cons: In a shared hosting environment, hundreds or thousands of websites are put on the same server. This situation can create a huge server load, which can slow down all the websites and limit all the resources. If one of those other websites on your server gets hacked, this can have a negative impact on the overall performance of any other site hosted on the same server, including yours. If you’re running a WordPress website and the server your site is housed on isn’t optimized for WordPress, your site is not going to run as efficiently as it could elsewhere.
Shared hosting is not for any small business website that gets more than a couple of visitors a day.
VPS Hosting
Hosting in the cloud.
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. This is a method of partitioning a physical server into multiple servers.
Pros: In a VPS, your host partitions off a portion of that server just for your website. Even though there can be many other websites on the VPS server, you’ll have as much control as if you were on a dedicated server, all by yourself. The majority of VPS hosting is in the cloud. Multiple servers work together, so a hardware failure of a single server won’t bring your website down. If a single server fails, another server in the cloud takes over the work. This is yet another added layer of protection for your site.
Cons: VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting. Expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $100 a month, depending on the traffic volume of your website and what kind of additional features come with the service.
VPS hosting is by far, the safest, most reliable hosting for the money and is highly recommended to small businesses.
Dedicated Hosting
Probably overkill for most small business websites.
Pros: A dedicated server is just that. A server that is for your website only. You’re not sharing your hardware with anyone else. You get to control every aspect of the server and how it runs.
Cons: A major consideration with dedicated servers is who is going to manage the setup, updates, and maintenance. Most hosting providers are only providing the server hardware. It will be up to you to configure it and optimize it for speed and delivery. Dedicated hosting is definitely the most expensive form of hosting, ranging anywhere from $150 to $375 a month or more.
Dedicated Servers are more than most small businesses need.
Managed Hosting
The worry-free type of hosting.
After all the time and money you spent developing your website, the last thing you need is someone inexperienced in maintenance and upkeep managing it. Even if that’s you!
Pros: Providers of managed hosting take care of everything for you. From your website’s performance to security, from updates to backups, someone else is doing all the work. Most managed hosting environments are going to be in a VPS hosting environment.
Cons: Expect to pay more for managed hosting than for shared and some VPS hosting. On average, managed hosting runs from $29 to $99 a month or more, depending on features and services. One negative about managed hosting is the fact you are putting your trust in a single company. Ask questions if you have any.
If your business depends on your website and you don’t have an experienced employee in-house that can handle the upkeep, this is a cost of doing business that small business really can’t live without.
Managed WordPress Hosting
The best choice for companies running a WordPress website.
Pros: Managed WordPress hosting comes from companies that specialize in the offering servers that are optimized to run just WordPress websites. This is really the optimal level of support for a company with a WordPress website. As in managed hosting, someone else does all the maintenance, security checks, and backups, for you, plus they also update WordPress.
Cons: Not all managed WordPress hosting is the same, so read the fine print. Some companies only offer WordPress hosting, so if you need email you’re on your own. Managed WordPress hosting is more expensive than shared hosting. Expect to pay between $15 and $99 or more per month, depending on traffic volume of your website and features offered.
Managed WordPress Hosting is the best hosting you can choose if you’re running a WordPress website.
Choosing the Best WordPress Hosting
Hosting can be a positive experience.
Now you’re armed with the information you need to go out and track down the best WordPress hosting for your small business. You know what to look for and what to avoid in your search. Remember, cheaper is not all better, especially in the hosting world. You want reliability, speed, and great customer service. Do your homework, ask questions, and you’ll be able to pick the best small business web hosting for your company.
For more details about web hosting and how to pick the right host for your business website, download our free ebook, “How to Find the Best WordPress Hosting for Small Business.”