Before you begin your search
for a web host you should first determine whether you need
shared web hosting or dedicated web hosting.
A shared web hosting account is an account on a web server
that hosts other shared accounts. The number of accounts
on one shared server can vary widely; some servers host
a few hundred, while others have thousands of sites hosted
on one server. Hosting your website on a shared server is
a workable solution for many small businesses, as shared
hosting accounts are priced much lower than dedicated servers.
Shared web hosting accounts have limited access to the core
administrative functions of the server. Most web hosting
companies offer comprehensive technical support for users
of shared hosting plans. Complete technical support is usually
included in the price of your account plan.
A dedicated server is usually dedicated to one, or just
a few websites, usually for the sole use by one company.
The cost of a dedicated server is higher than that of a
shared hosting account. With a dedicated server, you have
access to the core administrative functions of the server.
With most dedicated server plans offered by hosting companies,
you're pretty much on your own where technical support is
concerned. If you don't have an IT staff or a server administrator
to provide support, you may want to find a person to help
you manage your dedicated server. Many hosting companies
that offer dedicated server plans also offer "per issue"
support, meaning that you'll pay a certain amount, usually
an hourly fee, for technical support issues. Some dedicated
server plans have optional "support tickets" that
you can purchase in advance.
Another option is what's called a "managed dedicated"
hosting plan. With a managed dedicated plan, you get a dedicated
server and the hosting company also provides comprehensive
support like you usually find in a shared hosting plan.
This is a good alternative for companies that don't have
an IT staff or a server administrator and don't want to
get involved at all in the technical aspects of running
a server. The price for a managed dedicated server is usually
higher than for an unmanaged dedicated server plan as you're
getting technical support included.
Whatever type of web hosting plan you choose, make sure
that the plan you've chosen fits your needs.
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