Have you started making your lists and checking them twice? Nailing down who gets what, whether they’ve been naughty or nice?

You’re probably planning to spend time with family and maybe you’re this year’s host.

What does it take to be a host for the holidays? Quite a bit!

You should be able to provide food and drink and most importantly, have a place that can accommodate all the friends and family coming over to celebrate. No one wants to have Thanksgiving at Uncle Jimmy’s house where there’s standing room only (but no one has the heart to tell Uncle Jimmy.)

Why are we discussing website hosting this holiday season?

Well, website hosting is a lot like regular hosting. We’ll explain.

Your web host is the physical location where your website lives and your domain name is the address that leads to that location.

When people visit your site it’s just like people visiting your home. If they can’t all fit inside then some will end up waiting, others will leave instead of uncomfortably waiting, and they’ll have a bad overall experience.

So this holiday season, if you’re planning on running sales and offers to attract more customers, consider reviewing your hosting package first. Make sure all the extra visitors can “fit” into your site to ensure that your website doesn’t go down during this critical time.

Domain.com’s hosting packages

Here at Domain.com, we offer multiple hosting packages to make sure you have the best fit for your site. Our hosting is powerful and reliable (over 99.9% uptime!) and the plans are scalable so they can grow with you and your site traffic.

Our Basic Hosting plan is perfect for a simple website and one domain name. If you’re not expecting much traffic to your site this holiday season and don’t run an e-commerce site, this plan is a good fit for you. You’ll still receive unlimited storage, free SSL, and more.

If you have multiple sites or are planning on creating multiple sites as you grow your business then you shouldn’t settle for anything less than our Deluxe Hosting plan. This hosting plan also comes with free SSL, unlimited storage, 25 databases, and 25 FTP logins.

Are you a web pro or are your sites heavily trafficked? Our Ultra Hosting plan is the best solution for you. You’ll receive an unlimited amount of websites, storage, scalable bandwidth, free SSL, and more. Check it out on our site today.

What if I prefer WordPress hosting?

You’re in luck because we offer that, too.

You can create your site with WordPress and enjoy unparalleled speed, security, and support with Domain.com.

When you choose one of our WordPress hosting packages you’re choosing to make life easier on yourself. That’s because you can select from any of our curated selections of mobile-friendly themes, pre-installed plugins, and a customized user-friendly control panel.

Our WP Starter plan offers unlimited storage and bandwidth, a customized control panel, and the aforementioned themes and plugins. When you choose our WP Essential plan you’ll also receive maximized site speeds, SiteLock professional security, automatic malware removal, and WordPress expert support.

Make sure everyone has a seat at the table

Optimizing your website hosting for the holidays ensures that everyone has a seat at your holiday table, or in this case, website. You don’t want your site to come crashing down during the busiest sales season all because too many people were trying to enter it at once.

So get your domain name and website hosting from Domain.com today, and be the talk of this year’s holiday season.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open source content management system that allows even the greenest builders to design and create their own website. It can be used to build anything from a simple blog page, to e-commerce to business or portfolio websites. “Open-source” essentially means that it is constructed of elements built by and shared amongst those who use it. There’s a vast community of savvy web-designers out there who design and build useful tools to help others build websites on the WordPress platform that they would otherwise be incapable of creating. Many of these tools, known as plug-ins, are made to help you with every aspect of your site, from aesthetics to layout to content creation.

What is WordPress Hosting?

WordPress hosting is any form of web hosting that is specifically optimized to function with websites built via WordPress. Websites built on the WordPress platform have some unique characteristics that can cause functionality issues if not properly optimized — meaning certain elements may not load properly, increased load time, or the website could become unreachable altogether. When this happens, it is common for readers or customers to exit your site, costing you valuable traffic and potential sales.

Shared Web Hosting For WordPress

For those on a narrow budget, shared hosting is available to house your WordPress site. In this case, WordPress users share a server that isn’t necessarily optimized for the specific demands of the WordPress platform. As with any other shared hosting environment, resources such as disk space and bandwidth are shared amongst all accounts housed on the server. This can create competition for resources which may result in reduced performance and load time of your site.

Technical Support For Shared WordPress Web Hosting

Although shared hosting does come with some general customer technical support and a price tag that even the smallest business can afford, this form of WordPress hosting often fails to meet the needs of larger or more complex operations.

Often, sites built on WordPress that are hosted in a shared environment share server space with sites that are built on other platforms. Because of this, the technicians who provide support for the server are expected to be able to service sites built on any platform, not just WordPress. This jack-of-all-trades expertise can cause the quality of technical assistance to drop noticeably.

Additionally, there are typically a very large number of websites hosted on each shared server. It makes sense from a fiscal perspective — when the price of the service is low, hosts need to pack a lot of clients into each virtual server space in order to turn a profit. However, the need to serve so many clients may cause a support team to be spread thin, which can have a negative impact on the quality of their work.

Those who have a need for additional speed, enhanced security features, and additional technical support will have to look elsewhere to fulfill all of their hosting needs.

Security and Performance For Shared WordPress Hosting

The shared nature of resources and the lack of private space in a shared hosting environment creates challenges for both security and performance.

Security is difficult to provide effectively for websites hosted on the same server due in part to the sheer volume of sites being hosted. With so many opportunities for malware or poor coding to take root, a greater number of scans must be performed in order to defend against them and root them out when they’ve taken hold. Also, much like when a pathogen is released in a space occupied by a large number of people, it is much more likely that an infection will affect other members in a shared environment.

The same holds true with regard to performance issues. When one or more websites on a shared server begin to hoard resources due to traffic spikes, the negative impact on neighbors can be dramatic due to the sheer number of WordPress users on a single web server. When a lot of websites are affected, it is the responsibility of support technicians to fix them all. With so many to fix, performance can be delayed for extended periods of time. In light of this, those who prioritize performance, enhanced security features and strong technical customer support over lower pricing may also want to look elsewhere to fulfill all of their web hosting needs.

Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress hosting, in comparison to shared WordPress hosting, tends to offer quite a bit more in the way of technical support and security. They also offer superior operating speed and performance with larger amounts of resources (and no competition) available for use by each individual client.

Tech Support For Managed WordPress Hosting

In comparison to the general support included with shared hosting, the support you receive with a managed host is much more in-depth and more readily available.

Technical support for managed WordPress hosting is well-versed in the specifics of the WordPress platform and thus is able to assist on a wider range of topics than you’d get with a shared package. Also, since a managed host server will have far fewer clients hosted on it than a shared server, those assigned to assist you have more time to offer and are more easily reached than those who oversee shared servers.

Speed And Performance: Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed hosts provide significant upgrades in both speed and performance over their shared host counterparts. As mentioned, direct competition for memory and bandwidth can cause sites on shared plans to become glitchy, and sometimes become unavailable altogether. With a managed host, not only are resources allocated for the sole use of each individual client, but technicians are on hand to monitor performance and rectify any errors that may occur.

Also, since this support team is comprised of trained professionals, they are often able to correct any operational errors far more efficiently than the average Joe, maximizing uptime and the overall performance of the WordPress website.

Security: Managed WordPress Hosting

Under the oversight of a managed host, site and server security are much stricter than most users would be able to provide on their own. Protective tools are optimized for the specific needs of WordPress by virtue of features that take into consideration the unique needs of the WordPress hosting platform.

Since all servers in a managed environment are running WordPress, all security measures can be standardized to apply across the board. This helps the hosting provider streamline their routine maintenance processes and leaves their technicians with more freedom to focus on other security measures like installing patches or upgrades as soon as they are made available.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Domain.com WordPress Hosting Package Features

A desirable hosting package for your WordPress site is going to combine elements designed to provide both convenience and essential performance at an affordable price. Elements designed to make operation convenient will include things like ample storage, plenty of bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, and various other bells and whistles that make your life easier.

Features designed for optimum performance will include things like 24/7 customer support, automatic malware removal, and integrated security systems. Domain.com offers WordPress hosting packages that incorporate all of these elements at a great price.

Unlimited Storage

Acquiring enough storage space to house all of your files is a primary concern when considering a new hosting plan. For those of you looking to host a simple blog or small site, there is little risk of running out of disk space. However, for those looking to host an e-commerce site, or combine your blog with your e-commerce and web-based storefront, having a plan with unlimited storage is a huge draw. Not only does this allow you the room to get started, but it also allows you to scale as your business grows. Domain.com offers unlimited storage as part of both its Starter and its Essential WordPress hosting packages.

Unlimited Bandwidth

Another primary concern is gaining access to enough bandwidth to ensure that your site is able to run smoothly at all times. When websites have a slow load time or become glitchy, readers and customers tend to bounce from the site. This results in lost traffic, conversions, and sales. In some cases, a lack of sufficient bandwidth can cause your site to become entirely unreachable. Obviously, if readers or customers can’t reach your site, they can’t consume the information you wish to provide or purchase the products you offer.

Domain.com offers unlimited bandwidth across all WordPress packages to ensure that your site experiences minimal downtime and runs as smoothly as possible.

Customized Control Panel

A customizable control panel allows you to set up your space with convenient access to the tools that you use the most. It’s a fantastic way to streamline your everyday operations by ensuring that you waste no valuable time sifting through features that you don’t need. Bloggers have little use for e-commerce tools and vice versa. Each is well-served by Domain.com’s customizable control panel.

Pre-Installed Themes and Plugins

One of the coolest features of WordPress is that it is open-sourced, giving you access to nearly endless themes and plugins designed to serve nearly any need. However, finding, researching, and choosing the best ones for your specific needs can be time-consuming, especially for the newbie. Domain.com’s hosting plans feature a pre-installed set of themes, curated to fit nearly any taste, and useful plugins like W3 Total Cache and Jetpack—some of the most functional and popular tools available.

Free .blog Domain

As one of the “bells and whistles” referred to above, Domain.com offers free .blog domains as part of both the Starter and Essential packages. A blog is another outlet that allows you to build brand awareness and recognition through periodic dissemination of information and offers. Domain.com lets you utilize this resource free of charge.

Domain.com WordPress 24/7 Support

Live support from WordPress experts is included with every WordPress Essential hosting subscription. Frankly, there is quite a bit to know about building a website with WordPress, and having 24/7 access to a real-life expert can simplify the process. There are plenty of online resources including our Domain.com blog and other forums to help you learn as you go, but sometimes it can be difficult or time-consuming to get the exact answer you’re looking for. Having expert customer support on hand 24/7 is a massive boon to your learning process.

Sitelock Professional Security and Automatic Malware Removal

Domain.com offers complimentary access to Sitelock professional security and malware protection with every Essential subscription. Sitelock conducts daily security scans on your website to track down any malware or harmful code that shouldn’t be there. In the event that malware is detected, you will receive an alert via email and your control panel and the Malware Removal Tool will automatically remove it for you.

How Much Does WordPress Web Hosting Cost?

Web hosting for WordPress sites is remarkably affordable with the most basic packages starting under $5 per month. Packages that include more advanced features such as increased security, access to better tech support, or any number of other additions are still affordable at under $10 per month.

Domain.com WordPress Hosting Packages

Domain.com offers two fantastic web hosting packages for WordPress at some of the most affordable rates in the industry. Here are the details:

WP Starter

• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Customized control panel
• Pre-installed themes and plugins
• Free .blog included
• Price: $3.75/mo.

WP Essential

• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Customized control panel
• Pre-installed themes and plugins
• Free .blog included
• WordPress 24/7 support
• Automatic malware removal
• Sitelock professional security
• Price: $6.95/mo.

What is the Right WordPress Hosting Option for You?

While there are a number of different options available to host your new WordPress website, it should be comforting to know that none of them is likely to break the bank. If you are simply looking to host your personal blog or an e-commerce site, then a cheap shared hosting plan might be just the ticket for you — serving all your basic needs and saving you a few bucks in the process. Those of you with more substantial needs should consider more elite options like Domain.com’s WordPress Essential package, which boasts performance, security, support, and a few bells and whistles all for a fantastically low price.

Don’t know which hosting solution is right for you? Domain.com is one of the best WordPress hosting providers on the market and can help you build the website of your dreams. To learn more about our website builder or hosting services, please chat with or call one of our expert representatives today.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

By the end of this article, you should have a better understanding of what each of these web hosting options provides, and be able to make the best decision regarding where, and how, to host your website.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Shared hosting vs dedicated hosting

Both shared hosting and dedicated hosting hold the data for your website on a single server. When web users access your website from their browser, this server sends your data to them.

The difference between the two hosting types is the type of server on which your website is stored. With shared hosting, your website lives alongside others, which are neighboring users utilizing the same server. With dedicated hosting plans, your website has a server all to itself. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both. Learn the difference between  shared hosting and dedicated hosting to choose the best option for your business.

What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting works by hosting multiple websites on one server. Some have compared shared hosting to a public bus system, because it is inexpensive to use, and involves sharing resources with other users. Hundreds or even thousands of websites can be hosted on a single server, which creates advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of shared hosting

The advantages of shared hosting are:

• Low costs
• Low technical skills required

A huge factor influencing the use of shared hosting is its low cost. A single server’s maintenance costs can be distributed amongst its many users, driving down individual costs to customers. You also have the option to pay more to upgrade to hosting services that allow more traffic, and greater resources.

Many people first launch their websites with shared hosting because it requires little technical skill, or in-depth knowledge of servers. Shared hosting plans come with a control panel to facilitate website management, and pre-installed programs to accommodate most general websites. Server maintenance, like installing updates and patches, is carried out by the host providers, so all you have to worry about is developing your business.

Cons of shared hosting

The disadvantages of shared hosting are:

• Shared server resources
• Higher security risks

Shared hosting is great for new websites that require basic resources and expect low to moderate traffic. However, shared hosting does have its limitations. The most obvious limitation is the collective sharing of processing power, memory, disk space, and all other resources housed on a server.

A consequence of sharing server resources is the possibility of the “bad neighbor effect.” This is where one website on a shared server hogs resources, causing other websites on the server to slow down. However, chances of this actually causing a noticeable issue is low, since professional hosting companies provide more than enough resources to accommodate their users. They’re also efficient in moderating highly trafficked websites, and suggest growing websites move to higher hosting services that provide additional bandwidth.

Another risk associated with shared hosting is that your server’s IP address could be blacklisted if someone on the same server is sending out spam. To avoid having your emails dropped in the spam mailboxes of your recipients, make sure you choose a web hosting provider with policies against this abuse.

Who uses shared hosting?

Shared hosting is ideal for website owners looking for a beginner friendly, and cost-effective option. Personal projects, small businesses, and even medium sized businesses can benefit from the advantages of shared hosting. The disadvantages are inconsequential as long as website traffic isn’t too heavy, and the server is protected by reliable security protocols.

When websites do outgrow the resources allotted in shared hosting situations, there are other hosting plans ready to take over. Migrating a website from one hosting environment to another is an easy process, and does not detract from your site’s efficiency.

What is dedicated hosting?

Dedicated hosting means your website is hosted on a single server that is dedicated specifically to your website. This cuts out the competition of resources associated with shared hosting, and results in more robust website performance.

If shared hosting is like a public bus, then dedicated hosting is like renting your own car. You have more control where you take your car, how fast it goes, and what radio station plays. However, it also comes at a much higher cost, and requires more knowledge in order to maintain it. Dedicated hosting has very similar advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of dedicated hosting plans

The advantages of dedicated hosting are:

• Total utilization of server resources
• Ability to customize

With a dedicated hosting solution, there is no server sharing involved which means no bad neighbor effects. All your server’s processing power, memory, and disk space can be committed to your website. In addition, no other user could expose your website to cyber threats or cause your server’s IP address to be blacklisted.

Dedicated hosting allows extensive customization, giving you the ability to optimize your server settings. It also gives you root access so that you can modify software code. Server configuration is generally valued when a website requires a special application.

Cons of dedicated hosting

The disadvantages of dedicated hosting are:

• Very high costs
• Requirement of technical knowledge
• More labored maintenance

It comes as no surprise that greater resources and control come at a greater cost. Renting dedicated servers can run between $60 and $350+ per month, depending on how involved the hosting provider is with maintenance and security. Usually a website that garners the traffic requiring dedicated server resources is profitable enough to afford dedicated hosting.  

Another limitation of a dedicated hosting solution is that it requires a high level of technical knowledge, especially if you want to take advantage of the customizability. If technology isn’t your specialty, you could hire a server admin, or purchase a plan that includes management support, however, these add to your costs.

Since much of the server maintenance is left up to you, a new burden is introduced. You’re responsible for updating and installing patches to your dedicated server, which may detract from your other responsibilities.

Who uses dedicated hosting?

Dedicated hosting is best for businesses with very high bandwidth requirements and highly specialized needs. For example, large companies with lots of valuable data would want to invest in the higher level of security that dedicated hosting provides. It also provide the most benefit to users who are tech-savvy enough to capitalize on the customizability.

At a glance comparisons

Here is an outline of how shared hosting and dedicated hosting stack up against each other in different areas.

Flexibility and customizability

Shared hosting does not allow customization because any changes to the back-end would apply to all websites on the shared server. Some hosting plans allow for flexibility in the features allotted to shared hosting users (like more FTP users or more cloud storage), but this is the extent of personalization.

Dedicated hosting allows for complete customization. Since you don’t have to share the server with any other websites, you can choose the operating system, configure the environment to run specific applications, and optimize the amount of bandwidth and memory you need.

Reliability

The potential for slowdowns or downtime increases on shared hosting plans. This could be due to bad neighbors — websites on your shared server that experience high volumes of traffic and use up more of a server’s processing power — or due to faulty coding.

Dedicated hosting is extremely reliable making it the preferred hosting package for businesses that experience large volumes of traffic.

Security

In terms of cyber security, shared hosting plans tend to be more susceptible to cyber-attacks than dedicated hosting. This is because the server is shared by multiple users, which opens more opportunities for security breaches.

If the physical security of the server is a concern, make sure to host your website with a reputable professional hosting company you can trust to protect the server from break-ins or damage.

Scalability

In many cases, shared hosting is not scalable. However, some web hosts like Domain.com offer shared hosting with scalable bandwidth, meaning the amount of traffic and data that flows between your website and users is not limited. In the fortunate event that your website is successful and garners heavier traffic, Domain.com will work with you to move your site to a host server with more resources, ensuring optimum performance for all customers using shared hosting.

Dedicated hosting is very scalable because there is no competition for resources on the server. This makes it possible to accommodate high growth.

Costs

Shared hosting is a clear winner when comparing costs. Shared hosting costs around $1 to $20 per month, whereas dedicated hosting costs can soar above $350 depending on the plan. Additional costs to dedicated hosting can arise if the server has a major problem that requires the web host to resolve it.

Technical knowledge requirements

Shared hosting is the most hassle-free hosting option. Since the server is shared by multiple users, the hosting company controls, and maintains, nearly all aspects of the server.

Dedicated hosting can be prohibitive to parties with limited technical knowledge, since most of its advantages rely on administrative implementation.

The middle ground of VPS hosting

If you’re still unsure where your website’s needs fall within the spectrum of shared hosting and dedicated hosting, you may want to consider the middle ground option; VPS web hosting. VPS, which stands for virtual private server, works by housing multiple websites on separate virtual machines. One physical server typically holds only a dozen or so websites, and each website  has a reserved space with allotted server resources.

Because of this setup, VPS hosting provides a balance of server performance and cost effectiveness. Since the resources are split evenly by fewer users, VPS hosting provides greater processing power, disk space, and memory than shared hosting. It’s also more affordable than dedicated web hosting since there are multiple users contributing to the costs of a single server.

Additionally, it lends a happy medium in regard to flexibility, security, reliability and scalability.

• Flexibility: Since your website is contained within a virtual machine, you have the ability to modify your environment without disturbing the setup of other websites housed in the server. This makes it possible to customize more than with shared hosting.  
• Security: Having fewer accounts on a server decreases the vulnerability to cyber threats. This makes VPS hosting slightly more secure than shared hosting.
• Reliability: If one website on the server exceeds its resource utilization, that website may experience a slowdown, while your website is unaffected. This means the bad neighbor effect is eliminated.
• Scalability: You have more room to scale your website up with VPS hosting than with shared hosting. Your VPS hosting plan includes a certain percentage of resources available on the server, and you can simply pay for an upgraded plan to access a greater percentage of server resources. This is a huge advantage for users who want to start out on an inexpensive plan, but expect to grow quickly.

Which hosting option is right for your business?

Choosing the right web hosting plan can save you lots of time and money. If you don’t need immense bandwidth, memory, computing power, or control, then save your money by going with shared hosting. However, if your website requires lots of server resources, and your team can efficiently manage a specialized hosting setup, go with dedicated web hosting. If your website falls somewhere in between, choose VPS hosting.

Once you have decided which type of hosting is best for your website, Domain.com can provide affordable packages for your specific needs.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

A car is useless if you can’t go anywhere.

The same is true for a website that isn’t published on the World Wide Web.

The most affordable and simple way to get your website public is through shared hosting. What is shared hosting, how does it differ from other web hosting plans, and what is the best option for your business?

Let’s find out.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting, also referred to as virtual hosting, is a way to host your website on a single physical server that also hosts additional sites. Within the server, there are software applications that make managing and accessing your website easy.

The shared hosting environment is like sharing a highway with other cars. Hundreds or even thousands of users can share the same server, which means they also divide the costs. This “collective” platform makes shared hosting the most inexpensive and popular option of all the web hosting setups. Many bloggers, startups, and small businesses use shared hosting to host their websites since it’s so easy to get started.

How much does shared hosting cost?

The cost of shared hosting depends on the level of service a web host provides. Generally, you can expect to pay $1 to $20 a month for space on a shared server.

How does shared hosting work?

Shared servers are similar to computers in that they have hard drive space, a central processing unit (CPU), and RAM. These resources are shared with other users hosted by the server. This makes it possible to securely store all the saved files, data, and information making up your website.

When anyone requests access to your website from their computer, the stored data of your website is sent from the server to the internet user. Shared hosting takes advantage of a server’s optimal utility, since each individual website generates different amounts of traffic, at different times.

Effects of sharing a server

As stated, utilizing a shared server is like sharing a highway. You pay taxes to have highways maintained, just like you pay a small monthly fee to use shared hosting. Because many people contribute to the costs, individual prices for users are kept low.

If you’re expecting low-to-moderate traffic on your website, then a shared hosting package is a fantastic choice, since it’s affordable and convenient. However, just as a lot of cars on a highway can cause congestion, your website can experience a slight slowdown if the computing resources you share with others are directed to a website that is experiencing an unusually high volume of traffic.

Typically, reputable web hosting companies like Domain.com can easily support most web pages with very little risk of speed issues. If traffic to your site picks up consistently, you can always upgrade to a higher tier plan.

Characteristics of shared hosting

Not all shared hosting providers offer the same experience. Some factors that may vary from one hosting company to the next are explained below.

These should give you an idea of how to choose a reliable provider.

• Uptime: Uptime is a measurement of how long a web hosting system has been continuously running. The best shared hosting providers have high uptimes, indicating high reliability. Domain.com guarantees 99.9% uptime on all hosting plans.
• Traffic: If you already anticipate high traffic, shared hosting may not be an option. Web hosting companies generally have policies that prevent “bad neighbor effects,” which is when heavily trafficked websites hijack all the resources on a shared server. Make sure to read the policies to find a web host that can support your website’s traffic.
• Resources: Although shared hosting providers can accommodate many users, resources such as processing and memory are still limited. Some web hosts limit what you can put on your website so that more users can share a single server. Be sure to read and understand your web hosts’ acceptable use policy to ensure your website is compliant.

Understanding shared hosting plans

Many web hosting companies offer tiered plans for shared hosting. This is so you only pay for what you and your website need. These plans include some important features and possibly some unfamiliar jargon.

• Websites: You can choose a plan that allows you to host more than one website on a single shared server rather than buying two separate plans. This streamlines the management of all your different sites.
• Disk space: Disk space is the amount of hard drive space available to users. Most of the time, shared hosting plans provide more than enough space for small businesses or personal projects. Websites may run into issues if they include large images or audio files. That’s why companies like Domain.com guarantee unlimited disk space, so you never have to worry about reaching a limit.  
• Monthly bandwidth: Bandwidth is the amount of traffic and data your website can process. With low bandwidth, the speed at which your website functions can be impacted by higher traffic on a shared server. Typically, the speed difference is negligible. In fact, with well-resourced web hosting companies like Domain.com, your bandwidth is scalable, so you can seamlessly accommodate more traffic.

• FTP users: FTP stands for file transfer protocol, and an FTP user is someone with access to a domain. If you run a personal blog, one FTP user is enough. However, in a business with coordinating team members, multiple FTP users are better.
• MySQL databases: MySQL is a data management system that organizes data. Without getting too technical, if you want multiple independent sites on one shared account, then you need more MySQL databases.
• Subdomains: Wondering subdomains are and how they might influence your online presence? Subdomains are divisions of your domain that are useful for organizing your website’s content. For example, you could use a subdomain to separate a mobile version of your site from your full version.
• Email addresses: Your shared hosting plan may also include professional email addresses which enhances the image of your brand.
• Support: In case you run into any issues or have any question about hosting your domain, choose a web hosting company that has a friendly and helpful support team.  

Shared hosting pros

Here is a review of the advantages of shared hosting.

• Cost-effective: The cost to customers is kept low due to multiple users contributing to the costs of the server.
• Flexible: You can choose shared plans that fit the needs of your growing website. For example, if you find yourself needing another website, more cloud storage, or more FTP users, you can upgrade to a plan that provides it.
• Secure: Although the space and resources are shared on a server, your information is not. Other websites utilizing your shared server are not able to access any of your website’s data. Additional security features provided by some web hosting companies also defend your website against cyber security threats.
• Straightforward setup: Setting up your website on a shared server is quick and easy. Shared hosting experiences are designed to support the less tech-savvy so you can get your website running with maximum efficiency and minimum technical knowledge.
• Effortless maintenance: The shared server is maintained by your web host provider so you can stay focused on growing your platform rather than working out bugs, or installing software updates. Leave that to the professional technical assistants.

Shared Hosting Cons

Despite its cheap and convenient nature, shared hosting does have a few tradeoffs to consider. What makes shared hosting attractive is its painless nature, but these circumstances can happen:  

• Possible slowdowns: As previously discussed, the definition of shared hosting includes sharing resources like CPU power and memory. Because of this, it’s possible that a spike in activity will cause a lag in your website. Most of the time changes in speed is barely noticeable.
• Potential risks: Because shared servers host multiple websites, it risks potential compromises. To combat this, a reliable server host may include security features like SSL certificates.

Limited customization: In order to uphold security, the backend of shared servers are locked down. This means that you’re limited to what the hosting company provides for programs. If you have special technical requirements, like running an alternative operating system, then avoid shared hosting. For the less tech-savvy individuals, this is actually a benefit because it means all the tools you need are provided in an easy to understand interface, and server maintenance is taken care of by your server host.

Is shared hosting suitable for you?

Shared hosting is most suitable for the person or business that:

• Has limited background knowledge of web hosting
• Wants to save on costs
• Values hassle-free website management
• Requires a simple website for small businesses or personal purposes
• Is interested in learning web design, coding, or WordPress

Building a website is both exciting and daunting. Choosing the right web hosting setup is important to establish a good foundation for your website development. Unless you plan on going viral with a major marketing campaign, chances are shared hosting will handle your website’s needs.

Once your website is up and running, you can get a better sense of where your website needs to grow, whether it be in bandwidth or data storage. Starting on a shared hosting plan allows you the flexibility to scale without hiccups.

Shared hosting vs VPS hosting vs dedicated hosting

If your website is on a shared server, and regularly uses more resources than what your host considers acceptable, then you may want to consider discuss upgrading your hosting package. VPS web hosting is typically the next step up when websites outgrow shared hosting.

VPS hosting

VPS hosting differs from other web hosting plans. VPS hosting stands for virtual private servers and it allots you access to more resources. VPS hosting tends to limit the number of websites on a single server, and provides a reserved space on the server for your website’s disk space and bandwidth.

This means when using a virtual private server, your website won’t be affected if another website on your server has a spike in activity. There are also more customizations available to VPS hosting users. VPS hosting is perfect for sites that are too big for shared hosting, but too small to move to a dedicated server.

Dedicated hosting

If your website requires more resources than VPS hosting can provide, then you can upgrade to dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting is when a server hosts only your website. It is completely dedicated to you. This means your website benefits from increased privacy, security, bandwidth, storage space, and speed.

The downside to dedicated hosting is that it is the most expensive web hosting setup, and requires a decent amount of IT skills to manage. However, if you value unshared resources, peak website performance, and greater control of programs and security, dedicated hosting is the way to go.

Which hosting option is right for your small business?

For most people stepping into the world of website hosting, shared hosting advantages outweigh its limitations. The low cost saves huge amounts for people still working out the scale of their website, and its simplicity makes it an accessible option for everyone, regardless of their technical know-how.

VPS and dedicated hosting are alternatives you can consider when your website requires more processing power, storage space, and customization. However, they come at a much higher price. Save yourself from unnecessary costs by understanding what each web hosting package offers, and what your website really needs.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Nobody sits in the corner of a room meditating, blinds closed, lights off, and actually finds their next big business idea. Poof – there’s nothing there.

Share your new business idea with the world

The best ideas come from real life, and once you find the right one, you can test it before investing all of your cash, using all of the resources around you. Even your family and friends can come in handy.

Don’t listen to those that say “everything’s been done.” There’s still plenty more to do, and why not do it yourself. It’s time to get started by testing your new business idea. It’s time to share it with the world.

Research your niche carefully to find what makes you different

And speaking of vacuums. James Dyson invented a vacuum cleaner that used a ball to turn, rather than mimicking the same square design throughout the vacuum industry. He looked at his target market, saw a gap, and filled it. Either that, or he tried turning a vacuum one time and said, “this is ridiculous, there has to be a better way.” You can do the same with your business, and you may have even had a similar moment.

Make a list of potential competitors for your products or services. What are they doing, and how would you do it differently? Where did they start and where are they headed? Even if you can’t reinvent the industry, your original idea can still stand out with the right execution: by showing off how you’re different.  

Share the idea with people you trust and respect

Sometimes ideas sound really cool until you see them out in the world for the first time, untested. That’s why it helps to have a few trusted friends or family members with whom you can share your ideas. It’s important to get honest feedback though, and not a sweet, “how nice of you to try,” response. You’ll want that honest aunt who can hit you right between the eyes with the truth.

It helps to present your idea properly. Three beers in at the bar with a buddy is not the time to bring it up. Instead, make it professional and set a meeting. Explain your product or service as simply and quickly as possible. State the problem, then offer the solution. If you can’t explain the business or product to your six-year-old nephew, the idea might not be ready.

Get your idea in front of beta testers

The best way to see if your new business idea can appeal to customers is to show it to potential customers. Create a website with WordPress and a professional domain name. It should be simple, and present the same problem/solution, explanation that you used with your friends. Only your website should then go one step further and convince website visitors to buy.

Depending on your product or service, you may be able to produce a limited run series as a beta test. Explain clearly that it’s a beta test, as early adopters can offer criticism that helps you get better. They’re also more likely to forgive mistakes, as they accept that the product is still in development. Or, try using a crowdsourcing option that lets customers put down their money, and then wait for the product to be created after you’ve hit your fundraising goal.

It all comes down to you and your gut

Even if your family and friends, trusted business partners, and the market all tell you to go for it, or even if they tell you you’re crazy (maybe especially then), you’ll have to trust your gut to make the final call. Would you buy this with your own money? Does it solve a problem that no other business cares to solve?

Now that you’ve decided to create a website with your products, and gauge interest before investing too much in a single idea, that risk is somewhat lower. Rather than setting up an expensive brick and mortar storefront, you can create a virtual one, or a few, and listen to what your customers actually need before investing.

Clean out your self doubts and share your new idea

If you talk about vacuums long enough, someone is going to make a cleaning pun; it sucks, but it happens (yikes). Rather than trying to test your new business idea inside your head with your superior logic skills, share your new idea with the people you trust, research the market, and then put it out into the world with your new domain name and WordPress website.

Now let’s find out what it means to build a WordPress website!

What is a WordPress website?

WordPress is a simple and extendable package of software for creating and managing websites of all kinds.

When launching a WordPress website, it can be used to create a single landing page or a complex site that handles all the functions of a large enterprise, and it can be downloaded and installed by anyone, at any time, for free. WordPress websites are sites that are created using the free WordPress software, a piece of PHP code that can be installed on any web hosting platform and completely customized to suit individual needs.

WordPress sites are developed either by working directly with the platform’s code or by installing and customizing an existing WordPress theme. Most web hosting services include WordPress as a site building option in their hosting plans, and some also offer dedicated hosting support exclusively for WordPress users.

The creators of WordPress intend for the program to be accessible to anyone, anywhere, regardless of experience working with web design. For that reason, WordPress is a multi-layered platform, with features that appeal to advanced users with plenty of site design experience as well as beginners who are just starting a personal blog with little or no knowledge of code and FTP clients.

The essentials for making a WordPress website

In order to start making a WordPress website, you need to perform the following steps:

• Correctly download and install WordPress
• Setup your WordPress settings
• Fill your WordPress website with content
• Publish your website to the world!

Let’s start by checking that you have WordPress installed.

Download and install WordPress

WordPress can be installed manually to any hosting account, and it’s available free of charge from WordPress.org, the parent organization that oversees the ongoing development of WordPress by its large and growing community of designers and developers who work on an ongoing basis to keep WordPress functioning smoothly.

To get a copy, simply click to download. WordPress is licensed under General Public License so that anyone is free to use, modify, or share it at any time. The WordPress package includes all files needed to set up a new site, delivered immediately as a ZIP file.

How to use WordPress homepage settings

Along with the customization options that come with WordPress theme settings, you can also change the look and functionality of any WordPress site by adjusting its extensive array of built-in settings and layout options.

General settings for global aspects of the WordPress site can be controlled from the Settings tab in the site’s Admin dashboard. This allows users – even those with no site development or coding experience – to set custom preferences for a function, such as managing comments, custom permalinks, and how content is created and displayed.

When a WordPress plugin is installed, its settings can also be managed from the Settings tab. Although it may not be readily apparent, the Settings panel can also be used to manage other aspects of the site, including setting a custom homepage of your choice.

Customizing WordPress homepage settings

Although it is used to create websites of all kinds today, WordPress was originally conceived as a tool for bloggers – and some of its functionality still reflects that intent. Most WordPress themes for general use are designed to showcase the site’s blog posts as the front, or home, page. But not all users choose to have a blog, and for many, it is more important to present other kinds of content to visitors on the homepage. Making the switch from a blog page to a static homepage of another kind can be done using your site’s Reading Settings and the Pages editor.

Designate a new static homepage

To change the site’s WordPress homepage settings, you’ll need to designate a page as the desired homepage, which will be displayed as a static or unchanging page whenever your site opens.  To do this, select Pages>Add New from the dashboard. Name the new page “Home,” or any name you choose and add the content you want to display on the homepage. When it looks just right, Publish the page.

If you already have a page with existing content that you’d like to designate as the homepage, you can edit that page to rename it “Home,” and publish it again, or simply continue to use its current name.

Create a blog post page

Since blog posts will not be displayed by default as the front page of the site, they’ll need a place to appear as well. To designate a placeholder page for blog posts, create another new page from the Pages tab and give it a name that describes your blog content, such as “Blog,” “Posts,” or “Articles.”  There is no need to add content to this page because only the title is relevant. Publish this page too, even though it’s blank.

Customize the reading settings

Once you’ve created these two pages and published them, navigate back to the Admin Settings panel and select settings for Reading. Under “Front Page Displays,” settings options, select “A Static Page.” Dropdown menus allow you to select from the available pages for both the Front Page and the Posts Page.

For the Front Page display, select the name of the page you want to use as a homepage – either the new “Home,” page you created or another of your choice. For the Posts page, select the blog post page you just created, or simply leave it blank if your site doesn’t have a blog. Then click Save Changes. The new homepage should appear as a static front page and in your site menus.

Customize the permalinks

By default, WordPress displays links to a site’s pages as a series of numbers and letters, but creating custom permalinks can help your site’s searchability and ensure that your homepage is clearly designated as such. From the Admin dashboard, navigate to Permalink Settings. Under Common Settings, choose “Post Name,” so that the name of every page or post appears in its unique URL. Then click Save Changes.

Adjust the menus

It is also important to make sure the site’s menus correctly display the new front page and blog page changes.  From Settings, select Appearance>Menus. Select “Create a New Menu,” from the available options, which can vary by theme. From all available pages, select the ones that should display in the site’s menus, including the new homepage and the blog or post page that were just created. Click Save Menu to update menu settings to reflect the new structure.

Working with WordPress themes

Some themes, both free and premium, don’t allow the option to override the theme’s core settings to create a static homepage that is different from the post page. Themes that are specifically designed for blogging or other specific purposes like the magazine WordPress theme may not include the Front Page Display settings in the Reading tab.

To be sure that a theme includes the option for setting a custom homepage, check the theme’s list of included features. It is also possible to force this change by creating a child theme from your site’s existing “parent” theme, then making alterations on the code level.

Although WordPress hosting was designed to make online publishing a reality for everyone, it can power sites ranging from small personal blogs to large e-commerce concerns thanks to its versatility and flexibility. The WordPress Settings panel on your WordPress dashboard offers both new and experienced users an array of options for customizing a site’s appearance and functions, including setting the homepage that reflects your brand and the goals of your WordPress site.

Remember:

• WordPress is highly customizable to suit your business website needs
• The tool was first designed for blogs, so start talking to your new audience with content
• It’s likely that there’s a WordPress theme designed for your specific industry

Now that you understand the basics of WordPress, and how the tools can be customized to suit your needs, let’s start filling your website with content that attracts an audience.

What kind of content can you use with WordPress?

WordPress was originally designed for bloggers, so the content window is text-based. Users can insert not only text, but also images and video of all kinds, with options for repositioning and resizing images right in the content editor.

WordPress also makes it easy to embed video or other kinds of content from external sites, with options for placing these items on their own page or post or inserting them into widgets for site-wide use. WordPress installations include a media gallery where images and other kinds of visual assets can be uploaded and stored.

WordPress is flexible and scalable so that once a site is set up, it can virtually be extended indefinitely, with no limits on the number of blog posts or pages a user can create. With hundreds of themes and plugins available from WordPress itself and third-party developers around the world, it’s possible to change a site’s look and style with the click of a mouse.

A plugin can be added or deleted at any time and its functions customized, as well, in order to stay current with a site’s changing focus and needs. Whether you’re installing WordPress yourself or using your web hosting provider’s tools to do it, you can use WordPress to make a website—no web design experience needed.

Now fill your WordPress website with the right content

The trick is to fill your website with content that supports your brand image, or brand identity. A brand image can resonate with your audience, and keep them coming back to your business for more.

Just be careful not to overdo it.

You can ruin a brand image the same way you can ruin a road trip: overplanning.

A good road trip should have the right crew, a destination, and a loose plan to get there. They also have a mind of their own; with a plan that allows the road to take the reins once the trip has started.

Crafting your brand image, or brand identity, is the same way. You should know your target audience, know the channels your customers prefer, and have a loose plan for what to say when you start talking.

Like a road trip, don’t overthink your brand image. You know your business, and you have the confidence to let it grow into whatever brand it needs to be to speak to your customers.

Who do you want to talk with every day?

A good business interacts with their customers, building relationships instead of transactions or revenue. If you love your products, and could speak about your products for hours, find the customers that want to talk for hours about your products with you.

If you haven’t started selling anything yet, write down the characteristics of your dream customer. Be as specific as possible. What do they like, what don’t they like, what problems do they have, and how do they spend their time? If you have customers, talk to them. Find out why they purchased from your business or like your products. Chances are, your ideal customers may think a lot like you.

Where are you going to go with these customers?

Your ideal audience is somewhere on the internet, having conversations. Your goal is to find out where most customers are talking, and where they’re looking for solutions to their problems. Your products are the solution, so you need to start involving yourself in these conversations to help customers solve their problem faster.  

There’s a good chance your customers are spending a majority of their time online reading blogs, or on social media. Secure a professional domain and build a website to house content that helps customers solve their problems. Build social media profiles and start talking to potential customers. Keep the focus off your business, and on helping your customer.

Speak to your target audience like a friend

The most common hang up about reaching out to customers, or starting a blog and writing content, is the fear of what to say once you get there. It depends on your target audience. Be respectful, inviting, and when possible, let the customer do most of the talking. It’s alright for your business to stand for something, and if it does have a perspective, share it.

If you want to dial up the personality, then match it to your audience. If your business is serious and no-nonsense, like a law firm, speak in a more academic tone. If you’re designing craft brews or brewing high-end artisanal coffee, you can take a more creative approach. When using humor, make sure to keep it respectful and helpful. Be yourself and let it come naturally.

Focus on your customer, not your brand image

Like letting the road take control, your brand image can develop naturally as you focus on helping your customers. Once you have the right target audience for your business, and you’re using the right channels to speak to those customers, the rest is about the customer.

No matter what kind of brand image you’re creating, trust is the most important metric. Trust is what turns website visitors into customers, and customers into loyal, repeat customers. A trusted brand means the audience knows you’re there to help them with their problems, and not focused on yourself. A high level of trust can even lead to a higher frequency of referrals, spreading your business across the internet without any extra work, or budget, on your part.

Where we’re going we don’t need roads

You could map out an exact brand image that attempts to present your business as the perfect solution to your customer problems. There’s only one problem: nobody’s perfect. Instead, plan ahead so you know the target audience, the channels to use, and an idea of what to say, but stay focused on helping your customers. If your main focus is helping your customers, your brand builds trust – naturally.

Remember:

• You can fill your WordPress website with any kind of content
• Speak to your audience like a friend to craft the right brand image
• Focus on helping your audience and customers are more likely to keep coming back

Alright, so now you know what a WordPress website is, you know how it works, and you know how to craft a brand image that attracts the right audience. Now, find out the essential pages you need to get your website ready to publish.

Get your new WordPress website ready to publish

The hardest part about designing your own website is getting enough courage to hit that scary “Publish” button. Once you do that, your business is out there for the world to see–which is a great thing–but you need to know that your site is ready.

Don’t just cover your eyes and hope for the best. With these three important pages, a homepage, an about page and a contact page, there should be no doubt in your mind that you’re ready to start bringing in clients; if you can click that button.

An effective homepage

Your homepage has to do more than just look pretty, it has to answer four important questions, and look good doing it. This is going to be the first impression, the first handshake, for a new customer visiting your site. The only way to convince them to take a chance on you is to answer these questions:

• What Is Your Product Or Service?
• Who Is It For?
• So What?
• What Should Visitors Do Next?

You may know what your product or service is when you look at your site, but a website visitor might not. Make sure that at first glance your homepage clearly explains exactly what you do. At the same time, it should also explain who your product or service is trying to help. That way, if the website visitor matches your target audience, they’ll immediately identify with your homepage and dive deeper.

The hardest question to answer of course is the, “So What?” Your homepage needs to quickly answer any objection a potential customer might have and at the same time show why your product is unique to the rest of the industry. What can they get from you that they won’t find anywhere else?

After you’ve given all of this information to your visitor, next you have to get them to do something. If you don’t, a potential customer may take in the information and then click the back button. You need to tell them what to do to next, with a clear call to action button like shop now or learn more, displayed directly where they will see it.

A useful about page

The About page is your chance to show customers that you’ve already solved their problem in the past. Visitors of your About page are likely looking for a reason to buy a product or service from you, the validation that you’re experienced and the kind of help they need. Help them reach that conclusion.  

If your brand has a sense of humor, this is where you can show it off. If you’re in an industry that’s all about getting things done, no funny business, then use the About page to convey your professionalism and competence. Share how you’ve overcome obstacles and how that will help the customers visiting your website.

A clear contact page

Website visitors go to your contact page for one thing: to get in touch with you. Whether it’s a problem you need to fix or a potential sale, you want to make it as easy as possible for a visitor to find your contact info or they’ll leave to find someone else.

Before you list your contact info you should briefly remind them what you do, with just three sentences or less. Then clearly list all of your contact details to answer the following customer questions:

• Where can I find you?
• When Can I find you?
• How can I contact you?

How to know if you’ve succeeded

You’ve probably been telling everyone you know, and some you don’t, that you’re building your own website and launching a brand. There’s bound to be at least a few people that still know nothing about your business. Sit these people down over a coffee and watch them go to your website, and click through the pages. Listen to their feedback.

Start tweaking

Take careful notes when your test website visitors go through your website. If there are any points where they paused too long to read something confusing, or didn’t understand where to click next, that’s where to start.

Make sure to keep checking that people who are fresh to your site know exactly what it is you do from your homepage, how your experience is going to solve their problem on your about page and how to easily contact you from your contact page. If you get it right, your website will debut and start building the kind of traffic you had dreamed about before starting to build your site.

It’s time to get your business online with WordPress and Domain.com

Your new business idea deserves to be seen by the rest of the world.

Create a website with Domain.com and WordPress to start growing your business and find the customers that want to buy from you. Before you go, double check that you’ve followed all of the right steps to build the best WordPress website for your business:

• Correctly download and install WordPress
• Setup your WordPress settings
• Fill your WordPress website with content
• Publish your website to the world!

Rather than trying to test your new business idea with the powers of imagination, get it in front of target customers with the power of the internet.

It’s time to get your business online. It’s time to publish your website. It all starts with the right domain from Domain.com, and the tools from WordPress.

When blogs develop a dedicated audience, they transform into immensely useful tools. Websites that generate traffic have an easier time attracting new customers, establishing themselves as authorities in their respective space, and creating business opportunities that would have been otherwise inaccessible. Popular blogs can also be monetized and serve as an additional source of income.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.

Personal blogs

Personal blogs are incredibly dynamic. They can serve as resumes, a place to compile your ideas, or a training ground to develop your communication skills. With a personal blog, you create a workspace with complete control over what people see and what you share.

Business blogs

For small businesses, having a blog is nearly essential. If a company wants to grow, running a blog helps develop name recognition and can drastically boost visibility of your consumers. A blog can help drive sales, improve customer retention, and is an inexpensive way for a company to establish their image.

What is web hosting?

It’s best to think about web hosting as a storage and management service. When you start a blog or a website, the digital information doesn’t simply exist on your computer. It’s stored by a web hosting service, like Domain.com, which keeps your information safe and secure, while ensuring that your blog or website remains operational. Without web hosting, websites, and the Internet as we know it, would not exist.

Data centers and servers

Data centers are the physical location where your blog’s digital information is stored. Domain.com owns and operates a state-of-the-art data center, which was built by network certified engineers. These same engineers manage the data center and ensure that Domain.com’s servers–powerful computers that contain all of your blog’s information–remain safe from threats like humidity or fire. They also make sure the servers continue performing at the highest possible level.

Why is web hosting important for your blog?

When most people start a blog, they’re only thinking about content; they want to start posting and building a community as quickly as possible. In doing so, they skip the vital steps of ensuring that their blog is secure, owned by them, and will remain in their control for the long haul.

Your website host is responsible for ensuring that your blog is running at a speed that accommodates traffic and is otherwise functioning as it should. When you sign up for a hosting plan, you’re essentially buying real estate for your blog in one of the data center servers, the place where your digital information will be stored and managed.

Web hosting is the only way to ensure that your blog will remain safe on the Internet. When your blog’s digital information is under the supervision of a web host, the information is encrypted, monitored, and cared for by a highly trained support team.

At Domain.com, that customer support team is available 24/7, via WebMail, Live Chat, or phone.

Domain.com blog web hosting

We’re incredibly proud of our affordable, world-class hosting services. We offer bloggers a range of options, all of which can be tailored to meet your website needs and expectations. Each hosting plan comes with a free SSL certificate–a safeguard which encrypts your website data, protecting it from unwelcome visitors–and only costs $3.75 per month to get started.

Web hosting options for your blog

For bloggers, Domain.com offers a variety of hosting options, each with unique benefits and capabilities. The web hosting plan you chose will largely determine the extent to which your blog is protected, the speed of your blog, and which platforms will be available to you.

Linux hosting

When you sign up for a hosting plan with Domain.com, you may notice the term “Linux.” This is an operating systems, a platform which uses a unique programming language, used to build your blog or website.

Linux is the most popular web hosting operating system on the Internet. It’s less expensive than other options, and is known for pairing stability with security. Without getting too technical, it runs on programming languages like Perl, PHP, and MySQL. These are open source software languages favored by developers for the freedom they offer, and their low operational costs. For bloggers, Linux offers tools which make customization simple, and allow you to creatively engage with the design process.

Shared hosting

If you’re just starting out in the blogosphere, a shared hosting plan might be best. They require minimum technical knowledge, are highly affordable, and come with a free SSL Certificate. When you buy a shared hosting plan, your blog is stored on a server with other blogs and websites. All blogs and websites on that server share the same pool of resources.

Shared hosting is like moving into a busy, safe, inexpensive neighborhood. The price is lowered because everyone in the neighborhood is contributing to the same set of resources. However, just like in a busy neighborhood, there are times when traffic picks up, and during those times everyone in the neighborhood might move a little slower until it clears. However, the difference in speed is typically negligible.

When you sign up for a shared hosting plan with Domain.com, you are guaranteed unlimited website disk space, scalable bandwidth, at least 100 email addresses, free applications like WordPress (ideal for bloggers), and many other features. You also have unlimited access to our 24/7 customer support team.

VPS hosting

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a step above shared hosting plans. When you buy a VPS hosting plan, you are essentially securing a mini-server within the larger server.

If a shared server is a busy, safe, inexpensive neighborhood, a Virtual Private Server is like a gated community one district over. Bloggers with a VPS plan enjoy enhanced privacy, have greater control over their virtual space, and aren’t as affected by issues of traffic. The portion of the server you pay for is wholly dedicated to you and your blog.

VPS hosting is ideal for bloggers who have either outgrown or plan to outgrow, their shared server. If your blog starts attracting significant traffic (somewhere above 5,000 visitors per day) your website speed will suffer on a shared server. If your blog is affiliated with a business, running a slow website introduces the risk of dissuading customers from engaging with your content.

Domain.com offers world class VPS hosting at an affordable cost. If you’re having trouble deciding between shared hosting and VPS hosting options, know that upgrading later is a possibility.

WordPress hosting

If you’re only interested in blogging and don’t anticipate building out a full website, WordPress hosting is the ideal platform. It was tailor-made for bloggers (Domain.com even offers a free .blog domain name extension with a plan) and comes loaded with built-in features that allow you to easily customize your page.

If you do choose a WordPress hosting plan, you will be restricted from setting up a non-WordPress site. However, the capabilities embedded within the WordPress platform are comprehensive and can satisfy the needs of all bloggers, from beginners to veterans.

The package offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, free domain registration, unlimited email accounts, free search engine marketing credits, and 24/7 support. If you aren’t satisfied with your WordPress hosting plan within 30 days, Domain.com will refund your hosting fees, no questions asked.

WordPress hosted blogs enjoy a selection of popular handpicked themes, designed to make your blog visually attractive. Pre-installed plugins allow you to customize your blog with extra features and functionality. A customized control panel was designed to easily access frequently used tools and streamline the blog building process.

WordPress starter plan

The introductory plan comes with all of the features described above. If you care about speed, security, and ease-of-use, the WP Starter plan is the perfect way to blog on a budget. WordPress essential plan

The WP Essential plan contains all of the options and functionality of the WP Starter plan, but comes with three distinguishing features.

Blogs hosted with WP Essential live on reconfigured servers, which means less neighborhood traffic and greater website speeds. They come with a built-in firewall and automatic malware removal, a deluxe security bundle designed by the experts at SiteLock. The plan also  connects customers to a team of support agents capable of resolving all issues related to WP Essential.

Choosing a hosting plan for your blog

If you’ve looked over Domain.com’s web hosting options but still can’t decide which is the best for your blog, there are some questions you can ask yourself to narrow the field.

How much website traffic do I expect?

If you expect that your blog will generate significant traffic, VPS hosting and the WordPress Essential plan are both powerful options which can support heightened web traffic.

Do I want multiple blogs or websites?

Both the Deluxe and Ultra shared hosting plans permit unlimited domains to be created. Unlimited domains are also offered with the VPS hosting plan.

How concerned am I about safety?

While all of Domain.com’s hosting plans are safe and dependable, the VPS hosting plan and the WordPress Essential plan provide even more protection from potential web threats.

Do I feel comfortable working on the backend?

How comfortable are you with designing your own blog? WordPress Hosting offers handpicked themes and pre-installed plugins that make assembling a webpage both intuitive and simple.

A domain name for your blog

After you’ve picked a web hosting plan, the next step is to register a domain name. Since the year 2000, Domain.com has been a leading web registrar and has made it both easy and inexpensive for web users to secure domain names. Domain.com offers the lowest registration and renewal prices, as well as the highest registration discounts.

The best way to think about a domain name is by comparing it to a street address. If you want to find someone’s house, you ask for a combination of letters and numbers that represent a specific location. In much the same way, a domain name is the Internet’s version of a street address. When you type in a specific name, your Internet browser runs a search for that address, locates it, and then takes you there. When people ask how to find your blog, you can simply provide your domain name that leads them to your website.

Remember that when you sign up for WordPress Hosting, free domain registration is included, in addition to a free .blog domain extension.

Registering a TLD

TLD stands for Top Level Domain, also referred to as a domain extension. If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, you know what they look like. The most recognizable and popular TLD in the world is .com, which is affixed to the end of most web addresses.

While .com is the most common domain extension, there are hundreds of alternative options. Domain.com offers a list of domain extensions, from the increasingly popular .me all the way to .blog and .healthcare. If you’re starting a blog for your business, it might be worth registering a TLD that fits the services you offer.

Start a blog to start talking to your customers

Whether you’re an individual, a small business, or a major corporation, starting a blog lets you connect with your customers in a new way and build a powerful relationship. Once you decided the right hosting plan for your blog, register a domain name and start producing connect that connects customers to your business.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.

We will begin with a brief overview of the most common types of web hosting packages available and help you compare them to find the best fit for you.

Ready to get started online? Learn more about the available hosting packages at Domain.com.

Shared web hosting

Shared hosting is the most commonly used of all hosting services and it works in much the same way as renting a shared workspace. In a shared workspace people pay a membership fee in order to use an allotted space along with other shared office resources. Shared hosting services provide essentially the same format. Shared hosting services provide space on a server that is used by you and a few hundred others, who split the overall cost.

VPS hosting

If shared hosting is like a membership to a shared workspace, then VPS hosting is comparable to renting a suite for your business in an office building. In this case, instead of having hundreds or even thousands of cohabiters, you only share your space with about 20 others. Additionally, your server space is partitioned off from the others utilizing the shared service. This allows for additional:

• Flexibility
• Customizability
• Reliability
• Increased scalability

These are all advantages that VPS offers over traditional shared hosting, but one disadvantage is that these benefits also come with a higher price.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting is designed for companies with a need or a desire to have their own dedicated hosting server. To follow the office space theme above, dedicated hosting is like leasing out an entire office building for your company. This dedicated server offers advantages over both shared hosting and VPS hosting including:

• Increased security and reliability
• Complete autonomy for customizing hosting space
• Expanded access to customer service and technical support

A dedicated server is generally only needed for larger businesses who do a significant portion of their business online. The cost is much higher than the aforementioned options, often making it prohibitive for smaller businesses, but the service is much stronger as well

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is the latest and greatest addition to the world of hosting services. It combines many of the most advantageous aspects of the other hosting types into one that is affordable and easy to use for businesses of most sizes. This model uses resources from a myriad of computer hosts to provide clients the space they need, but only what they need, when they need it. By using this model, cloud hosting services provide a solution that is both flexible and affordable.

Things to consider when comparing packages

Now that you have a basic understanding of the different options available for your web hosting needs, we will go through the items you should consider when comparing different packages. We will discuss them all in further detail shortly.

• The size of your business
• Cost of the package
• Cost of any additional hardware or software
• Technical knowledge required
• Customer service and tech support
• Flexibility and Customizability
• Reliability
• Security
• Professional Management
• Scalability

How large is your business?

The size of your business is going to be the primary factor in determining your hosting needs. If you are operating a small to medium-sized business, you can strike dedicated hosting from your list of options right away. You simply do not need that much hosting space. Small to medium-sized businesses will want to take a look at:

• Shared Hosting
• VPS Hosting
• Cloud Hosting

Small businesses

If you are running a very small business, particularly as a first-time entrepreneur, then your first stop on this journey will likely be shared hosting. This is assuming that your business does not have any unique requirements that might necessitate some of the bells and whistles that other packages offer.

Medium-sized businesses

Medium-sized businesses can go a number of different ways here. If you are running a mercantile business that relies heavily on web traffic to generate leads and sales, you may want a little more juice in your hosting plan–go for either VPS hosting or cloud hosting.

That being said, not all medium-sized businesses use their website as the primary vessel for generating sales. If, for instance, you operate your website as an element of your marketing funnel, and the actual service provided is physical in nature, then you may be able to utilize a shared hosting plan and enjoy the reduced cost.

How much do hosting plans cost?

Weighing the cost-to-benefit ratio of each plan is going to be the next step in determining the best hosting package for you. Here is a general breakdown of how much each type of plan costs with Domain.com, along with some insight into their billing structure.

• Shared hosting:      Average cost- $3.75-$13.75 per month
  As low as- $3.75 per month for the Starter plan
  Billed Annually
• VPS hosting:            Average cost- $41.60 per month
  As low as- $29.70 per month
  Scalable up to- $67.95 per month
  Billed monthly or annually

Technical knowledge requirements

Each type of hosting package will require a different level of technical knowledge on your part, in order to set it up properly. To give you an idea of what this looks like for each type:

• Shared hosting: Little to no technical knowledge required
• VPS hosting: Little to moderate technical knowledge required
• Dedicated hosting: Advanced technical knowledge required
• Cloud hosting: Little to moderate technical knowledge required

This is an area where you may be able to save yourself some money every month. Understandably, packages that include the services of a technical manager cost more. If you happen to have the requisite knowledge to handle setup and maintenance yourself, congratulations. If not, choose a package that includes the services of a professional to take care of it for you.

Flexibility and customizability

In the hosting world, the terms flexibility and customizability are inextricably linked. Essentially, they refer to your ability to dictate the details of your website hosting environment. The rule of thumb here: the more you pay, the more customization allowed.

• Shared hosting: No customization possible
• VPS hosting: Some customization possible
• Dedicated hosting: Complete autonomy for customization
• Cloud hosting: Some customization possible

Note the use of the word “possible” above. With shared hosting, customization is simply not possible, making it the least flexible type of hosting available. This is because any changes made to your hosting environment would have a direct effect on every other website hosted on the same server. Be sure to take your customization needs and wishes into account when choosing your package.

Reliability

When we speak of reliability we are referring to the potential for slowing or downtime to occur due to internal or external factors. Things that could affect the reliability of your web hosting service include:

• Bad neighbors: Unique to shared hosting, a bad neighbor is one that experiences unusually high traffic which puts excessive strain on the server. This often results in slowing or downtime for websites hosted on the same server.
• Faulty coding: Should another website hosted on the same server have faulty coding, your website may experience slowing or downtime.

As you might guess, hosting options that have fewer “neighbors” hosted on their server are less susceptible to reliability issues.

• Shared hosting: Less reliability
• VPS hosting: Relatively reliable
• Dedicated hosting: Extremely reliable
• Cloud hosting: Reliable

For many businesses, this is one of the most influential factors in selecting a hosting package. For businesses who operate primarily or entirely online, the reliability of the server hosting their website is absolutely crucial.

Security

For our purposes, the term “security” encompasses both physical and cybersecurity. Ultimately, the goal of either form is to protect both the data stored on the server that hosts your website and to allow your site to continue running smoothly.

Physical security: Servers that are managed by a professional hosting company tend to have the highest level of physical security. This prevents anyone from physically breaking in and gaining access to your precious data or damaging the server that helps your business run.

Cyber security: Again, it is recommended that you choose a hosting option with low susceptibility to cyber-attack. For instance, shared hosting plans and VPS hosting solutions tend to be more susceptible to cyber-attack, particularly of the DDoS variety, due to the number of “neighbors” hosted on the same server.

For smaller companies, the consequences of a security breach tend to warrant less concern, and the risk is lower as well. However, larger companies that collect a lot of data, or uniquely valuable data, should place high priority on the security of their host server.

Scalability

The scalability of each hosting package may prove to be vital, particularly if you expect your company to experience high growth in the near future. The potential to scale varies with each hosting type and the pricing for this ought to be detailed clearly in the plan you choose.

• Shared hosting: Not scalable
• VPS hosting: Scalable
• Dedicated hosting: Very scalable
• Cloud hosting: Very scalable

While most hosting options allow at least some degree of scalability, you will notice that shared hosting plans are the exception. It is simply not possible to scale with this type of website hosting, because the resources of the host server are shared openly between all websites hosted there. Any added demand will have a direct effect on the performance of every website on the server.

Learn the right web hosting package for your business

When choosing the best hosting plan for your business, consider all of the variables, and choose the one that leads to the most successful for your business. With so many options and packages available, choosing one is easier once you understand the different components of each, and know what your business needs.

Ready to get started online? Learn more about the available hosting packages at Domain.com.

We know that there is a lot to learn, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult. We’re committed to making it simple. With our helpful guide, we will walk you through the basics of web hosting by examining the most popular solutions available today.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.

Shared web hosting

Shared hosting is the most basic form of web hosting available. Purchasing a shared hosting plan is like renting a home with a few roommates; or in this case, up to a few thousand.

When you purchase this type of plan, your business’ domain will be housed on a web server along with those of a few hundred to a few thousand other businesses. Generally, this works just fine as most of the web pages being housed on the server are relatively small and supported easily with little risk of site speed interference.

Advantages

• Cost–As with any shared living situation, the most obvious advantage is splitting the cost of rent between multiple parties. When a hosting provider is able to split the cost of operating a single server between a couple of thousand clients, they’re able to offer very affordable rates.
• Beginner friendly—Generally, all your needs regarding setup will be accommodated under a shared hosting plan. This allows you the freedom to focus your attention on the development and web design aspects of your webpage instead.

Disadvantages

Unfortunately, when sharing living space (or any other resource) it is always possible that you will run into competition for said resource. This is precisely what can happen when using a shared host.

• Bad neighbors — the “bad neighbor effect” (yes, it is actually called that) is a phenomenon that occurs when one website on the shared server begins to hog resources, usually due to unusually high traffic or poor coding. This tends to result in slower loading speeds or operational downtime, which means it is more difficult to reach your website.
• Customer service –– obviously, when a bad neighbor situation arises, every other website owner on the server is going to hop on the customer service line pronto. Unfortunately, when there are so many mouths to feed it is difficult to accommodate them all efficiently. Additionally, the incentive for companies to do so is rather low, given that most websites are only yielding the company $5-$10 each.
• Inflexible –– Shared hosting does not allow you to customize your environment, since making changes to your own would affect every other website on the server.

VPS hosting

If shared hosting is comparable to sharing a house with roommates, then VPS hosting, which stands for Virtual Private Server, is a lot like renting your own apartment in an apartment complex.

Advantages

VPS offers a number of key advantages over simple shared hosting that make it far more desirable overall.

• Reliability – Reduces the number of websites per server from a few  thousand to about 20, decreasing the demand on the server. Resources are allocated evenly between websites. No single website is allowed to exceed its set share.
• Flexibility – VPS servers offer the ability to customize your environment since you are virtually partitioned from the other websites on the server.
• Scalability – Since you have a measured portion of the server’s resources dedicated to your website, it is a simple matter to increase the amount available to you.

Disadvantages

• Cost — naturally, with added advantages comes added cost. The cost of VPS hosting ranges from around $20 per month at the lowest to $50 on average and is scalable all the way up to around $200.

The disadvantages of using VPS hosting are few and negligible. Many marketers agree the increased capacity allowed to your website quickly covers the increase in cost from VPS hosting.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting is recommended for big companies with big websites and big needs. When you choose dedicated hosting, you enjoy a server dedicated strictly to running your website, and all its advantages.

Advantages

The advantages afforded by having a dedicated server are unique and significant in comparison to shared and VPS hosting.

• No bad neighbors — Since the server is dedicated strictly to you, you don’t have any neighbors at all.

• Reduced security risk — Without neighbors, there is far less risk of security issues.
• Total flexibility — Most hosting companies allow extensive customization with a dedicated hosting plan. You have full autonomy to choose your desired operating system, amount of memory, and various other hardware features.
• Customer service — As you would expect, big companies putting up big money for web hosting services net more attention on the customer service end.

Disadvantages

There are some distinct and rather consequential disadvantages to hosting your website on a dedicated server. We’ll start with the obvious and go from there.

• Cost — The pricing jumps significantly with this type of package, ranging anywhere from $60 to $350 per month.

• Technical knowledge—Managing your own server requires a good bit of technical acumen, particularly if you are using a fully unmanaged service.

• Unmanaged service—Some services will require you to manage your server entirely on your own. In such cases, you will need someone with the know-how to:

• Install your operating system

• Install malware removal

• Provide security scanning

• Install other tools necessary to run a web server (there are a few)
• Security—By hosting your website on a dedicated server you are essentially putting all your eggs in one basket. Should the hardware fail, your website will experience downtime until your own technician can get it up and running again.

Many web hosting providers will offer solutions to mitigate the negative aspects of using a dedicated server. For instance, your hosting provider may offer you the option to hire a service manager with the technical knowledge to take care of installation needs and oversee security. Of course, this comes with additional cost. However, it is expected that a company large enough to require such services will be able to absorb the additional cost.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting was developed as an innovative way to pull all the juice you need to run your website from a host of different computers, as opposed to a single server. It holds a lot of similarities to VPS hosting, so much so that many hosting companies refer to it as Cloud VPS.

Advantages

Cloud hosting offers incredible advantages over other options by combining a lot of their best features into one package. Some of these include the following, which we will cover further below:

• Scalability
• Setup
• Advantageous billing structure
• Security

Scalability

Increased scalability may be the single largest perk that cloud hosting offers over the others, particularly its cousin VPS. With traditional VPS, you can scale up, but only to the extent allowed by the capacity of the single server that houses your unit.

A cloud-based system, on the other hand, allows you to scale much further by combining the power of a multitude of computers. These networks form a virtual server that allocates resources based on need, so your potential for scalability is effectively endless.

Setup

An advantage that cloud shares with VPS and shared servers is that setup is essentially handled for you by whoever manages the host servers. The technical knowledge required to run a dedicated server is not required.

Billing Structure

Cloud-based services are billed differently than other services as well. As you will notice, every other type of package comes with a set price for a set amount of web resources. You will be charged the full amount for the number of resources allocated to you whether you use them or not.

This is not the case with cloud-based servers. In this case, the price is incurred as the resources are allocated; based on need. You will only be charged for the resources you actually use.

Security

Cloud hosting is also remarkably resilient against cyber-attacks, particularly of the DDoS variety. This type of attack is designed to overwhelm a server by sending huge numbers of requests at the same time. A cloud system is able to distribute these requests throughout the network and minimize their impact to keep your website up and running.

Disadvantages

Frankly, there are hardly any disadvantages to speak of. It is true that traffic spikes and the subsequent increase in resource consumption can make predicting cost a little tricky. However, this tends to be a rather minor concern since increased traffic tends to increase revenue, allowing a business to absorb the additional cost.

Self service hosting

Self-service web hosting is precisely what it sounds like. Should you choose to undertake a fully self-sufficient hosting operation, you will be responsible for providing all of the following, and more.

• Power
• Cooling
• Physical security
• Internet uplink
• Server hardware
• Server software
• Data storage
• Backup procedures
• Bandwidth
• Systems administrator
• Cyber security

Advantages

The advantages of hosting your operation on this type of system are numerous. You have full autonomy over:

• Cost
• Customizability
• Security
• Scalability
• Configuration

Essentially, you have a system that is customized and optimized to fit your needs. The only limits to what you can do are dictated by your budget and your technical expertise.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages to operating your own in-house hosting system should be pretty obvious. You are solely responsible for the up-front costs, as well as any additional costs which can rise dramatically should any of the following occur:

• Hardware malfunction
• Software malfunction
• Security breach
• Power failure
• Cooling failure

This type of hosting is generally well beyond the scope of what is necessary to run an online business, especially a small one. There are a select few, though, that are both large enough and run their businesses entirely online, who might opt for this type of hosting system (for example, Amazon). However, the cost and level of effort necessary for the upkeep of a system like this will likely make this option prohibitive.

Reseller hosting

Reseller hosting is specific to those who wish to turn a profit by providing hosting services to others. In effect, they are shared hosting accounts with additional tools built-in to sweeten the pot and help resell host space. Some of these tools included in reseller web hosting include:

• Website templates — Help business owners who may be new to website building.
• Technical support — Built-in tech support allows better access to IT services than traditional shared host services, which are often lacking.
• Private name servers — Used to give the appearance of authority by making your company seem larger.

Advantages

For the person(s) attempting to resell premium hosting space, the main advantage is profit. However, there are a couple of other advantages for those purchasing resold hosting space. Access to the tools listed above, particularly website templates and tech support, dramatically increase one’s ability to navigate a web buildout without acquiring a lot of technical knowledge. In short, it saves time and resources that can be used elsewhere.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages are essentially the same as those you would encounter using shared hosting services. There is the potential for:

• Security issues
• Slowing or downtime due to bad neighbors hogging web resources
• Lack of flexibility and customizability

Fortunately, with features such as built-in tech support, many of these issues can be resolved in a more efficient manner. This makes resold space worth the consideration, especially if you have been burned in the past and are looking to make a change while staying within your existing budget.

Choose the right type of hosting for your business idea

While there are a few variations on hosting solutions that are available, most are built around the models explained above. At Domain.com, we aim to help you find the best solution to fit your needs and your budget. This is why we offer a wide array of web hosting packages at competitive prices.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.

Use the helpful guide below to help your brick and mortar business establish a presence online, and take advantage of the mass exodus of customers looking to shop on the Internet instead of in person.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.

Websites 101

Before defining web hosting, it is crucial that you first understand the definition of a website. A website is composed of interlinked web pages that are publicly accessible and listed under the same domain name. A website and domain name are different, and it’s important you understand these differences before getting started. These public sites can be viewed by just about anyone on earth with a phone, laptop, or tablet—and, of course, internet access.

Websites can be owned by a person, a company, a group, or governmental organization; and these sites can serve a multitude of different functions. Altogether they make up the World Wide Web (WWW).

The three parts of a website

There are three critical components to any website. They are the domain name, site files, and web hosting servers.

Domain names

Computers communicate with one another by using numbers known as IP addresses in a similar way to how you might use an address to find where someone lives or a phone directory to give them a call. Because a human’s memory  is limited, especially when memorizing large series of random digits, the DNS (Domain Name System) was created to act like a phone book, which would list these IP addresses and the Domain Name registered to that address.

Site files

These are the web pages your potential customers actually see when visiting your site. It includes photos, media files, graphics, scripts, and other .html data. This data tells web hosting servers how the page should look. These servers translate the files and then obey the right commands to display the desired website design and format.

Web hosting servers

The physical location of your storefront is not the business itself, if you move, the business moves with you. If you set up shop elsewhere, the new storefront would still be the same business. The same goes for your web hosting.

The simplest web hosting definition is that these web hosting servers are the rental space for your virtual store. All the saved files, data, and information that make up a website need to be securely stored somewhere. Without the hosting services, your files would have no place to exist, so your site would work about as well as a discontinued telephone number.

What are the types of web hosting?

When you ask the question, “what is web hosting,” it is important that you know the five primary types of web hosting. They are website builder, shared hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting.

Website builder

Website builder services are a type of hosting service made for those people who do not have the technical knowledge to build a website on their own. Perfect for beginners, a website builder is the easiest way to sort out hosting, since everything comes bundled as a part of the plan. Here at Domain.com, our package includes deluxe web hosting, a free domain name, our Drag and Drop Site Builder, and Gmail for work.

Our Drag and Drop builder lets you personalize your own website by simply pointing and clicking. It is easy to pick a background image and color scheme, add logos, create content, features, and design additional pages. Whether you want to start a blog, a wedding website, or an online store, a website builder is a fast, cheap and easy form of web hosting.

We also offer Simple Scripts which is our assortment of quick-to-install applications designed to optimize and improve your website.

Shared web hosting

Shared web hosting is the cheapest type of hosting available since you share a server with several other websites in order to split the cost. If you are a small business with a limited budget and not expecting heavy traffic, shared hosting is a useful method of cutting unnecessary costs. It should be noted that since these servers are shared, there may be website performance issues if one of the shared sites garners a lot of traffic.

Dedicated web hosting

Dedicated web hosting services are when you are the only owner and user of a server. Because of this, your website and its performance will not be altered by another website. This service is more expensive, but it provides better tech resources than you would receive with shared hosting.

Also, security will not be affected by traffic from another site. It is perfect for online businesses or stores experiencing robust, growing sales numbers. It is also ideal for those who need a lot of disk space, such as if you have an extensive email database.

The Slashdot Effect or Reddit’s “Hug of Death”

Once referred to as the Slashdot Effect, and now more often called Reddit’s “Hug of Death,” occurs, “When a large and highly trafficked website links to a smaller website and causes a massive increase in traffic. This overloads the smaller site, causing it to slow down or even temporarily become unavailable.”

Few things can be more disastrous than your website crashing from an inability to handle heavy traffic—especially since it could possibly drive away one-off visitors. This is especially true if you are receiving a spike of traffic from the Slashdot Effect. While such viral traffic is unpredictable, you do yourself a disservice if your site is not ready to handle at least a modest spike of visitors.

VPS web hosting

VPS Hosting stands for Virtual Private Server. This hosting service is a solid pricing middle ground between shared and dedicated hosting. You share a server but have your own definite area, leaving you less vulnerable to slowdowns from other sites sharing this private server. Companies who need an upgrade in their site’s bandwidth due to increased traffic are ideal users of VPS Web hosting.

VPS offer better security, reliability, and ease of use without a large increase in cost. On top of that, VPS offers web hosting flexibility, as you can install your own operating system and add, remove, or modify software applications at your discretion. For a reasonable price, you get a completely customized hosting experience.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is when aspects of your website are shared across several different servers, which together function as “the cloud.” With cloud hosting, a faulty web server issue is not really a problem since another server can take its place and keep the site running.

Cloud hosting is ideal for people who expect large volumes of traffic and do not want any bandwidth problems. Perfect for a site that projects continued growth and regular traffic surges.

There are two other options for hosting, but each has complications:

Collocated hosting

Some massive websites with access to their own coders or IT team will use collocated hosting, wherein they buy their own server and simply use a web host’s space to keep the server. These websites are in charge of server maintenance and have the option to install any desired applications or scripts.

Personal hosting

Although it is possible to host a website on your own computer, we would never advise it, as it is far more a hassle than it would ever be worth.

Know your hosting needs

Before you select a type of web hosting service, it is essential that you know what will be required from your website. First, answer these questions:

• What type of website are you creating?
  • Is it a WordPress blog?
  • A virtual storefront?
• Do you need e-commerce features?
  • Do you need a particular type of shopping cart software?
  • Do you need the ability to handle business transactions on the site?
  • Do you require technical support?
• How much traffic do you expect?
• How much growth do you expect?
• Do you require a type of script support?
• Do you need to utilize Windows applications or distinct software?
• Where do you see your company and website in six months? A year? Three years?

Comparing our web hosting plans

While we offer a host of different features with our web host plans, the key features of these plans are:

Email addresses

• POP3 (Normal inboxes), where the server grants you space to store emails.
• Webmail
• Anti-Spam Filter
• Email Anti-Virus
• Email Forwarding
• Auto-responder

Disk space

How much space you have for your website’s files. At Domain.com, all three of our web hosting plans come with unlimited* disk space.

*”There is no cap on the disk space we provide to deliver the content of your website. As long as you are fully compliant with our Terms of Service and utilize storage for the normal operation of your Domain.com website, you will have access to unlimited space.”

Bandwidth

The term that describes the amount of traffic and data your site can handle, is bandwidth . The higher the bandwidth of your web hosting plan, the more traffic your site can handle without crashing. At Domain.com, “We have no set limits when it comes to bandwidth—which is the amount of traffic and data that flows between your website and the rest of the internet—and our architecture was built to support more than 99.5% of our customers’ bandwidth demands.”

Pairing domain registration and web hosting

Although it is more than possible to have your domain registered elsewhere, the optimal solution is to keep your website hosting and domain registration in one place. This is advantageous for several reasons such as:

• Bundle your costs – Domain registration and web hosting both cost money to maintain and operate. By keeping these services bundled, you centralize your costs, lower your overall rates, and have an easier time paying your bills.
• Link websites and domains – When you utilize Domain.com’s services for both domain registration and web hosting, linking your domain to your website is easy..
• Ease of use – Bundling services allows you to oversee, manage, or change any aspect of your web hosting or domain in one, easy-to-reach location.

Infrastructure matters

One aspect many forget to consider is how vital hosting infrastructure is for website hosting. Infrastructure limits the safety, dependability, and speed of your website. Domain.com offers:

• Dependability – Our servers undergo ceaseless temperature and humidity monitoring. Fully redundant power and HVAC powered by dual independent power grids. Our locations have the very best in fire-threat detection and suppression systems, paired with seismically braced cabinets and racks.
• Safety – We offer 24/7 video monitoring, critical monitoring and secured access to the data center. All of our cabinets, cages, and suites are locked and secured.
  • Immune to typical failure conditions
  • Flexible space option, scalable for growth
• Redundancy – We offer full network redundancy with data backups and reliable data storage.
• Engineering & Design – We have the very best, state-of-the-art data centers, with multi-homed, redundant network connections. We use the best-of-breed, router, server, and firewall equipment and we never stop trying to optimize our network.

Understand web hosting and start growing your business online

Web hosting is often an overlooked component of a website’s ability to succeed or fail. Understanding your web hosting needs is a critical aspect of getting your website off the ground.

Learn more about different hosting plans at Domain.com today.