If you’re forming a startup, one of your first orders of business is to get hosting set up for your website. But even this seemingly simple step can become confounding once you see the dizzying array of hosting options available!
In this blog post, we’ll take a few minutes to examine just how much web host power you may need, and help you get started.
This is NOT the Time to Cheap Out
At the lowest end of the spectrum, you’ll almost certainly see a number of options starting as low as $2 per month. Can you save some money and get one of these absurdly cheap hosts?
NO. Absolutely not. Avoid these hosts like the plague (or you risk finding yourself feeling plagued).
There are an array of reasons why you should avoid these cheap hosts… so many, in fact, that the topic deserves (and will get) its own blog post later.
Now, on to the actual viable hosting options.
Shared Hosting Options
Legitimate, reasonably powerful shared hosting options can start for as low as $10 per month. On a shared host, your website shares a single server (or cluster of servers) with many other businesses also paying a low rate.
Inexpensive shared hosting can be a viable option for a small startup, but it does come with some risks. Your files are generally safe, because other users do not have the proper server permissions (nor, typically, the technical knowledge) to access your files. If someone else’s site should become infected with malware, though, the infection can spread to also contaminate your own files. If you use a shared server, be sure to always keep a backup of your data (many, including Ariana Hosting, will back up your data for free).
Shared Hosting Limitations
To keep costs low, many web hosting companies will limit the number of files you can have on the server, the disk space you’re allowed to use, the bandwidth you’re allowed to consume, and even the number of domains you can point to your site.
Inexpensive hosting packages that start around $10 per month are ideal for very small startups, including bloggers and small ecommerce businesses unlikely to expand in the immediate future.
For a small amount more, though–sometimes upping the price to $15 or $20 per month–you can lift the limits and get fully unlimited use of the server (Ariana Hosting offers fully unlimited shared web hosting for only $20 per month).
These packages typically also come with a variety of luxuries, too, including the popular CPanel administrative interface, automatic installation of popular packages like WordPress, and even 24/7 technical support.
If your business plans to expand in the future, you will almost certainly exceed disk space limitations and add more domain names as you grow. A larger hosting package costs only slightly more, and removes limitations that will constrain your business’s growth in the future.
Need More Power?
If you’re nervous about putting your sensitive data on a shared hosting environment, or if you just need a LOT more power and are very comfortable with technical server administration, you could consider either a virtual private server (VPS) or a fully dedicated server.
These options are typically much more expensive, but they put the reigns of the server’s full power in your hands. A dedicated server, for example, is the same as having your own computer–in a fully backed up and redundant data center–where you can host your online venture. A VPS is similar, and with similar capabilities, but you may share the server’s processing power with other VPS users.
It’s important to note that neither virtual private servers nor dedicated servers typically come with a CPanel administration interface or the ability to automatically install software. Web hosting companies typically reserve these offerings for power users who prefer to manage their own administration and installations.
The Verdict
Most startups and small business will succeed just fine on a shared web host, but it’s important to spring for the more powerful packages that do not limit your growth.
About Ariana Society
Ariana Society is a private, VIP membership club for the digital elite. Among numerous other benefits–including group-buying discounts, streaming yoga and workout classes, life coaching and more–Ariana Society members enjoy exclusive pricing at Ariana Hosting and on the Entrepreneur Power Bundle that includes unlimited web hosting, discounted domain name registration, our proprietary webinar platform, and unlimited access to the Ariana Desk marketing automation suite. For more information, or to sign up, please visit ArianaSociety.com or ArianaHosting.net.
