What is shared hosting and how does it work? Definition from Digimagg

What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting entails numerous websites being hosted on a single server, with each site sharing common resources like RAM and CPU.

Shared hosting presents an excellent choice for fledgling small businesses or novice bloggers due to its affordability and straightforward setup process. Having begun my own journey with shared hosting, I possess ample experience and enthusiasm to offer insights to anyone seeking guidance in this realm.

How does shared web hosting work?

To host a website or application, you require:

• Storage capacity for storing the data and code of your website
• Processing power (CPU and RAM) for handling website requests and executing code
• A network connection to transmit your website's data to visitors, enabling them to view your site on their browsers

In essence, you need hardware to host the website and make it accessible online.

You have the option to purchase or lease all necessary hardware and self-host your website. However, this approach may not always be the most economical, especially for hosting small affiliate websites that demand minimal resources.

Hosting a website or application necessitates:

• Storage space for housing the data and code
• Processing capabilities (CPU and RAM) to manage requests and execute code
• A network connection to deliver the website's data to visitors, allowing them to view it on their browsers.

Essentially, hosting requires hardware to make the website accessible online. While you can buy or rent the necessary hardware and self-host, this may not always be cost-effective, particularly for small affiliate websites with modest resource needs.

Benefits of shared hosting

Shared hosting offers cost-effectiveness, customizable packages, user-friendliness, integrated cPanel functionality, multi-domain hosting capability, and round-the-clock technical assistance as its key advantages.

Affordability

The primary and most apparent benefit of shared web hosting is its affordability.

Choosing a shared hosting package proves to be significantly more economical compared to private hosting since you share the web server resources with other users. This renders it an excellent choice for novice small website owners.

Versatile plans

Many sharepd hosting providers present a variety of packages for shared hosting. This allows you to begin with a smaller package and seamlessly upgrade to a larger one as your website experiences increased traffic and growth. This flexibility eliminates concerns about your website surpassing the limitations of your hosting package, thereby alleviating the need to switch to a new provider.

No technical expertise needed

The majority, if not all, shared hosting plans come with management included.

This entails that the web hosting company will handle all the technical facets of server operation, including security updates and performance enhancements. This is particularly advantageous for businesses lacking the resources to employ an IT team for server management.

Built-In CPanel

cPanel is an online control panel enabling you to oversee your web server and website operations without requiring coding knowledge.

All functionalities are accessible via a user-friendly interface, typically included in shared web hosting packages by most hosting companies. This proves highly advantageous as it empowers you to effortlessly manage your website without the need to engage a web developer.

Multi-domain hosting capability

Another notable benefit of shared web hosting is that the majority of plans permit hosting multiple domains. This facilitates the hosting of multiple websites from a single account with ease.This proves to be an excellent solution for businesses managing multiple sites or for bloggers seeking to maintain both a personal website and a business website.

24/7 technical support by the hosting provider

The majority of shared hosting providers extend 24/7 support for their shared plans.

This implies that if you encounter any issues with your website, you can readily reach out to the provider for assistance in resolving the problem. This is particularly crucial if you lack technical expertise.

What are the drawbacks of shared hosting?

Shared hosting drawbacks encompass restricted resources, diminished control and customization options, potential security vulnerabilities, and compromised website performance arising from shared server resources with other websites.

Lack of customization options

In shared web hosting, you lack access to the server, preventing installation of custom software or modifications to server configuration. This limitation may restrict the addition of desired website features or required software for your business. However, shared web hosting packages typically offer sufficient customization options for most needs.

Shared resources

Although sharing server resources can substantially lower hosting expenses, it has its drawbacks. Shared servers possess finite resources, and if another website on the server experiences high traffic or there are numerous websites hosted on the same physical server, competition for resources (CPU, RAM, and bandwidth) ensues.

Potential security threats

Another drawback of shared hosting is the increased risk of security breaches for your website due to sharing the server with multiple other websites, which is not the case with dedicated hosting.

If another website on the server experiences a security breach, there is a risk that your website could also be compromised. However, it's important to note that shared web hosting providers prioritize security and implement multiple layers of protection for their shared servers. Nonetheless, shared hosting may not offer the same level of security as VPS or dedicated hosting, particularly if you are storing sensitive data on your website.

Who is shared hosting for?

Shared hosting is ideal for individuals, small businesses, or novice website owners seeking an economical and user-friendly hosting solution for their website, particularly if they have minimal traffic and resource needs.

New websites

Shared web hosting stands out as an excellent choice for new websites due to its affordability and simplicity in setup. Typically, you can have your website operational within minutes of signing up for an account.

Moreover, when launching a new website, search engines like Google may place it in a "sandbox," essentially a probationary phase where its ranking is not as high as it could be. Consequently, it might take several months, or even longer, for most websites to begin receiving significant organic traffic from Google. Throughout this period, shared web hosting proves advantageous due to its affordability.

Testing websites

Occasionally, you may wish to experiment with a new theme or plugin without the concern of disrupting your live website.

For such scenarios, you can establish a test website within your hosting account. This allows you to easily delete the test website and begin anew if any issues arise. Given the affordability of shared web hosting, creating multiple test websites is not a significant concern. Refer to our guide on properly deleting a WordPress blog to ensure the correct deletion of test sites.

PBNs & link farms

Private Blog Networks (PBNs) represent a well-known black hat SEO strategy where individuals generate numerous websites to leverage for link building purposes.

Similarly, link farms, although akin to PBNs, typically consist of lower-quality websites primarily established to vend links to other sites.

In both scenarios, these websites are typically intended to remain unseen by the general public and receive minimal traffic.

Therefore, this hosting solution proves ideal as these websites require minimal resources and can be swiftly established and removed.

However, it's important to note that employing PBNs and link farms violates Google's Webmaster Guidelines, and thus, their usage should be undertaken at your own risk.