IGNORE all promises of “unlimited” bandwidth and storage.
Note: This page is being delayed by other projects. I hope to have it fully completed by mid-August. I apologize for the delay.
To select the right company, you have to fully evaluate your plans and needs and really understand what hosting companies are offering. For the sake of simplicity, the process looks something like this:
1) Determine operational needs, which will be a combination site type (design, structure, platform) and a realistic estimate of market size, or demand. 2) Match the results of your analysis to the right hosting plan and company.
I’m going to go backwards here because you need to understand the different types of hosting before we start looking at your operational needs. For this article, we’ll go in this order:
- Types of Hosting
- Types of Sites
- Realistic Estimates of Market Size
- My Site as An Example
- A Handy Reference Table You can use to Determine the Best Type of Hosting for You.
- Three reasonable plans for scalability.
The main types of hosting are shared, VPS, dedicated, and distributed (grid or cloud). Another option some people look for is reseller hosting, but that is a different topic altogether and will be addressed in a different article.
The Four Main Types of Hosting
Shared Hosting: Price range from $1.99/mo up. Shared hosting is the most common and least expensive hosting option, and is a great place to start, and even to stay longterm, so long as you find the right shared hosting company. In this type of hosting, your website, or sites, share a server (think computer) with a bunch of other sites and also share that computer’s resources. This means that your site can slow down the other sites on the server if it is too complex, sends out too many emails, runs too many processes, etc. So limits are placed on how much you can do. There is nothing inherently wrong with shared hosting, but there is something definitely wrong with some shared hosting companies. Some companies will cram as many customers as they can onto the same server. Others will put just a few. At the right shared hosting company, the vast majority of sites will run just fine, forever and ever, amen. Shared hosting is a great way to start. If you are just getting your feet wet in running a site, you should want to go prudently and affordably unless you are absolutely certain that the operation you are running is going to be too much for a shared host. Be sure, however, to check the hosting company’s terms of service, as many shared hosts restrict the types of sites. processes and software that you may run on their servers.
Note: To me, the below described VPS and dedicated servers are no longer necessary due to the drop in price of distributed computing, although they are great to have as an option for scalability at a shared website hosting company.
VPS (Virtual Private Server): Price range from $19.99/mo up. Traditionally, this is considered the next step up for sites that have outgrown shared hosting. With VPS, you are still on a server with a few other sites, but all the sites are partitioned in a way that they don’t impact each other. As a result, you get more power and don’t have to worry about slowing someone else down or having them slow you down. Beware, though: VPS comes in many different forms. If you aren’t an IT person by nature, you should look for what is called “managed hosting,” where you are given control tools similar to the intuitive control panels associated with shared hosting plans. They types of sites and software that can run on VPS is usually pretty flexible. In my opinion, the use of VPS has been made obsolete by affordable distributed computing plans. They are mostly helpful as a form of scalability at your current host. In other words, you run out of resources for your shared plan and don’t want to change hosts so you go up to their VPS.
Dedicated Hosting: Price range from about $55/mo up. Now you’ve got your own server for your site/sites all to yourself. Again, there is a lot of variety here, from the type and capabilities of the server to the ease-of-use. One should look carefully to see that what they are getting will meet their needs instead of just meeting their budget. But I have a secret for you. You shouldn’t be using either VPS or dedicated hosting to start with. If you are starting a site and know that you need a lot of oomph, you should be using something much cheaper and better, distributed hosting. But as with VPS hosting, this is a nice alternative that offers scalability for a lot of shared hosting companies. In other words, you start with shared hosting, and if you ever need to, you move to VPS and then to dedicated. That’s a perfectly reasonable plan.
Distributed Hosting: Price range from $20/mo up. Generally speaking, the industry refers to this as grid or cloud hosting. Now you don’t share a computer, have your own partition or even your own computer. Now you share a bank of computers designed to distribute loads and keep everything fast and tidy all the time. Pick the right company, and you can never outgrow it no matter how much traffic you get. Still, as exciting as this sounds, it might very well be overkill just depending upon the type of site you are creating, not wrong in the sense that your site will be doomed to failure, just wrong because you are spending more money than you have to.
Types of Sites
Any site, whether it is for personal use or for ecommerce, can be made in a way that fits into the one of the following three broad categories: static, dynamic, and combination. A lot of commentators make the mistake of assuming that if you have a “personal” site that it must use little server resources, or that blogs use a standard amount of capacity, etc. The reality is quite different. Also, while ecommerce sites can fall into any of the three categories, though usually they are combination sites, some shared hosts can’t handle some types of ecommerce sites, so we are going to add a rather hazy fourth category: ecommerce.
The general rule of thumb, as we go into this, is that the better designed and more simply a site runs, the more traffic it can easily handle.
Types of sites:
- Static
- Dynamic
- Combination
- Ecommerce
Static Sites: To keep it at it’s most understandable, a static site is a site that always gives visitors the web pages they are looking for without accessing a database to create the page on the fly. That doesn’t mean the site always stays the same. You can change it as often as you like. It just means that each page is self-contained without a database. In other words, you have a site with six pages. You make all those pages with HTML, or through site builder software, and you now have, essentially, six files. Whenever people come to your site, the server simply pulls whichever one they ask for. Most sites built with site builder software are static sites, and these are the easiest sites for servers to handle unless your static pages contain lots of graphics. Remember, you can put an entire novel on a server for less space than you can a high resolution photograph. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it also takes many thousands more times of storage space. Most static sites can get a whole lot of traffic without stressing a server and do great on just about any shared hosting company.
It should be noted, however, that some site designers like to put every “bell and whistle” they’ve ever seen into their static sites: flash menus, embedded videos, crazy effects, big photos, etc. It takes very little effort to create a monster of a site, even if it is generated statically. In hosting, less is more. Strive for a site that is elegant, relevant, simple and easily navigated. In fact, a site with too much going on is not only confusing to look at and hard on servers, but it is also unprofessional looking. Shoot for exactly what you need and no more. No one will be impressed that when they show up at your site their mouse cursor turns into a mouse. In fact, they’ll probably freak out and think you’ve infected their computer with a virus. What people want is an attractive site that loads quickly and helps them get to the parts of the site that they need without much thinking.
Dynamic Sites: Dynamic sites, which include most blogging and forum software, including WordPress, and most ecommerce solutions, create each page on the fly, pulling data from one or more databases. Dynamic sites are fantastic for both visitors and site owners; owners can easily change their site and visitors can always get the latest information. Still, you have to be careful when you use dynamic sites. WordPress is my favorite site building software, but if I bogged it down with too many processes, generally in the form of functionality adding plugins, then I could create a site that accesses the database 50 times or more just to pull up a single page. It is this sort of poor design that makes some shared hosting companies not want to deal with blogs and ecommerce sites.
As with any type of site, you simply need to pay attention to what you are doing and go for less rather than more. Track your server usage and if there is something that is causing you to access the database too many times, just get rid of it. Also, if you are using something like WordPress, don’t just pick any old theme. Go with established, professionally designed themes where you are comfortable that the PHP, the language that accesses the databases, is written well. Dynamic sites, well designed, can easily go on a good shared host, and using simple caching add-ons can make them behave more like static sites. Remember the ”rule of thumb” mentioned above here. The more stuff you have going on with a dynamic site, the fewer visitors you will be able to have on a shared host.
Dynamic sites can easily go on a goodshared host, but some shared hosting companies are not able to handle them. And all sites, whether they are dynamic or static, can potentially outgrow a shared server, although depending upon the host this will be rare. But, generally speaking, dynamic sites will outgrow a host faster than static ones. By the way, every single site I create is dynamic and runs on WordPress.
Combination Sites: The clearest example would be a static site that also has a user forum or a blog or both. Because of the potential demand a forum or blog can put on a site, I would simply categorize this as a dynamic site.
Ecommerce Sites: I place this separately simply because you may need special hosting requirements. Functionally, they tend to be dynamic sites, but you may also need things like SSL, or the ability to place your users into a secure area. As far as the server demand that ecommerce sites require, they can go anywhere from a good shared host up to distributed hosting. What you need to do is, first of all, check your selected hosts’ terms of service to be certain that you can run ecommerce from there and, if needed, make sure that they provide SSL functionality. Outside of that, you are going to have to make a reasonable determination of they size of the market you will be able to draw.
First of all, why is this so important? Can’t I just pick a host everyone has heard of and go from there? NO.
The host you choose can be the difference between success and failure. There are some great hosts out there who could, paradoxically, run you out of business by the poor service they provide to your particular product. I should know. I had one of the most successful sites on the Internet destroyed by one of the most popular and successful hosting companies. That’s why I started this site.
So now that we can, hopefully, agree that it is important to select the right company for your needs, let’s look some examples so that you may determine where you fit best. If you still have questions, feel free to contact me using the form at the bottom of the page.
Generally speaking, all major hosts can handle ecommerce, blogging, news sites, etc. It isn’t the genre of site that is of concern. It is the complexity and traffic levels.
Complexity and Traffic:What is more difficult for a server to handle, an art gallery page with 100 thumbnails leading to full-sized portraits or a WordPress blog? Actually, it’s probably the WordPress blog. Why? Because more likely than not, the art gallery’s page is static. It displays the same page every time someone comes to the site; there is no accessing of databases, etc. On a dynamic site, like a WordPress blog, you can use caching, but the server still has to access the database over and over again just to pull up the first page. Depending upon what add-ons you use, you could end up accessing one or more databases 30 or more times just to pull up the main page. WordPress is fantastic, and I’d recommend it to anyone, but this dynamic page creation and flexibility make it hard on hosting companies.
Very complex sites can work with a shared host so long as they don’t get a great deal of traffic. Static sites can work with a shared host with moderate to good traffic. As the level of complexity and/or traffic rises, shared hosts become untenable, even if they have promised “unlimited” bandwidth. What they don’t tell you is that you only get so much use of the server, so long before you use any significant amount of your “unlimited” bandwidth, your site will be crashing and slow and you’ll be asked to either upgrade your account, or, if that is not possible at that host, move your account to another provider.
Reasonable Expectations: You shouldn’t necessarily read the above and immediately run off to Media Temple, the alpha male of hosting companies, with your credit card at the ready. Ninety-nine percent of all web sites are just fine on a good shared host like Host Gator or Host Papa. Here is where you have to balance great expectations and goals with reality. If you are really intent on creating an Internet empire with many sites, or one hugely successful one, and are dedicated to puting in as much time for as long as it takes to get there and can afford $20 per month, then maybe you should just head to Media Temple; otherwise, there is little harm in starting your site with a good shared host, particularly if you are just getting your feet wet, testing the waters and such.
The Reality: Did you realize that with a couple thousand unique visitors a day you would be one of the most successful sites on the Internet? Hard to believe, right? But it is true. Naturally, there are places like Google and Yahoo and CNN that get ridiculous traffic. But, by and large, the average Internet site gets less than 100 unique visitors per day. Why? Because there are about 4 billion or so sites and that number grows every day.
If you have a couple thousand of unique visitors a day, or are planning to (and are willing to spend a lot of effort to get there), then your site or plans are probably beyond a shared host. Long ago, I was kicked off of bluehost for having a blog that got more than 1500 unique visitors per day. That site was in the top .002 percent of all web sites, and I was very proud of it. Picking the wrong host destroyed it. In fact, it was that frustration that inspired me to do this site.
Only You Can Really Know: Being successful on the Internet isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter what your dreams are. What matters is your knowledge, ability and dedication. You can’t trick your way to overnight success no matter what anyone may tell (or try to sell) you. Below are some popular uses for web sites and where I would, without any additional information, think that they should go. If you have specific questions you would like to ask, feel free to use the form at the bottom of the page.
Example Site Types:
Promoting a local, “brick and mortar” or Internet-based business: Shared hosting.
Promoting a national business: Dedicated or grid hosting. I use grid.
High-end product available nationally or internationally: Good shared hosting is probably enough. Dedicated to grid would be a safer choice, though, depending upon product demand.
A personal or local blog: Shared hosting.
A regional blog or information site: Shared hosting with flexibility to move up.
A national/international blog or information site: Dedicated or grid hosting if you are dedicated to making it the best. If you are unsure, go with a flexible shared host.
A conglomeration of sites/blogs: Dedicated or grid hosting. I use grid.
A national/international ecommerce site: Depending on product demand, this could go anywhere. Leaning toward optimism, go with dedicated or grid hosting or with a shared host that provides room for growth.
Any site that you hope to make a living off of some day, or hope to significantly augment your current earnings with, I would be extra careful and hedge toward great flexibility or great power, depending on how much you want to spend right now. The reality is that if you want to make good money on a site, you are going to have to be able to handle a lot of traffic unless your product is high-end and can generate good income with few sales. If you are shooting to sell something, you are probably shooting to sell a lot of that something, so you want to plan accordingly.
Here are three plans you can follow:
Start small and plan to move to a new host: That’s not a bad plan so long as you are prepared for it. Moving a site can take a little time and knowledge, and if you don’t have either of those, it can take a little money. My recommendation for this plan is to go with what I consider the top shared host, Host Gator , and then move to Media Temple, a grid host that starts at $20 per month, if you can move yourself or pay someone else to move you. You could also move from Host Gator to UltraHosting, a dedicated hosting company that will help, for free, with site transfers. On my site, I have listed POWWeb as a grid host. DO NOT make the mistake of taking the time and money to move to POWWeb if you have outgrown your shared hosting company. Because of the way they are set up, you will have already outgrown them by the time you get there.
Start small with a company that you can grow with: This is not always as easy as it sounds. It makes perfect sense until you realize that a lot of hosts will simply set up a new server for you and expect you to move your own site there. My recommendation for this plan is to go with GoDaddy.com. GoDaddy is about the only host I have heard of or used that has it all, from shared hosting to grid and dedicated hosting. Their dedicated hosting is not as inexpensive as at UltraHosting, but still good. Their grid hosting is currently in beta stage and only allows one site for $4.99 per month. At this time, I can’t recommend GoDaddy.com over Media Temple for grid hosting. We’ll have to see what happens when they come out of beta, but I have high hopes for them. They are working hard to become a one-stop hosting solution.
Start big and don’t worry about it: If spending $20 per month doesn’t bother you, and you just want a host that can handle anything, go to Media Temple, the same folks who run hosting for ABC, NBC, Adobe, Sony, Warner Brothers, etc. By the way, I make no money sending people to Media Temple, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night sending you anywhere else if this is the type of hosting that you need. Their customer service is fine. They aren’t the easiest host to use. But they are what they are. When push comes to shove, all that matters is performance, availability and power. If you have stars in your eyes and are ready to go big, go to Media Temple. Two other options that wouldn’t be bad here are GoDaddy.com and UltraHosting. GoDaddygoes from shared hosting to grid and dedicated hosting, and their grid hosting may some day rival Media Temple’s. Right now they are just in beta stage, though, so I can’t fully recommend them. UltraHosting would be a fine choice if you are more interested in dedicated or VPS hosting, though I prefer grid hosting over either.
