Web hosting cost can vary depending on the website you wish to create. Some may be able to use free web hosting. Others may need shared web hosting, dedicated web hosting, or eCommerce web hosting. This article helps define what these web hosting options cost.

If you plan to set up a Web site, it is important to that you consider how you will go about doing this. In most cases, it is a good idea to go with a Web host. A Web host is a company that provides you with access to a server on which to store the data that makes up your business Web site. This Web host owns the server - which is a special computer - and rents out space on it. Depending on what you are looking for, Web hosting can cost as little as nothing, and as much as $500 a month or more. It all depends on which package you choose, and what you hope to accomplish with your business Web site.

Free Web hosting

Free Web hosting may seem tempting at first. However, no matter how well free Web hosting works for individuals setting up their own Web sites, it is rarely a good idea for businesses. First of all, with free Web hosting you often get what you pay for. Space may be limited, as may bandwidth. This is a problem if you want to set up a catalog on your business Web site. Additionally, free Web hosts usually cram a large number of sites onto one server. This can lead to frequent down time, as well as speed and service issues. And, of course, a Web host must recoup some of the costs. This is sometimes done by putting third-party ads on sights and making money that way.

For most businesses, free Web hosting is a poor idea. It can lead to service issues and unhappy customers.

Shared Web hosting

You can get a little better service with paid shared Web hosting. You still share a server with other Web sites, but you have a little more room. These Web hosts don’t cram as many Web sites on to one server. Instead, they offer more space and more bandwidth. And shared hosting is usually more reliable and stable than free Web hosting, and you will see that download times for your customers, as well as up time for your Web site, is faster and more frequent. Shared Web hosting usually costs between $5 and $100 a month, depending on what features you are looking for.

Ecommerce Web hosting

If you are looking specifically for a Web hosting package that can help you support ecommerce functions, you can usually find it. Many shared Web hosts offer ecommerce packages that cost, on average, between $50 and $200 a month. You get more bandwidth and disk space with an ecommerce package. Additionally, many ecommerce Web hosts can help you with shopping carts and payment gateway services. You can also get Web sites that allow you to build catalogs of items and include multimedia features for your customers. Ecommerce Web hosting can be very useful for businesses looking to grow - and looking to conduct a large amount of business online.

Dedicated Web hosting

With dedicated Web hosting, you are guaranteed a certain amount of space on a server. This might amount to one-eighth, one-fourth, one-third, one-half or an entire server. As you might guess, depending on how much space you want, the costs increase. You can usually find dedicated Web hosting for between $40 and $500 a month. The more of a server you want, the more expensive it will be. You can also get ecommerce packages on dedicated servers, and that can add even more to the price.

Dedicated servers often come with a high degree of customer service. Additionally, download times for your customers are much faster, and your up time is more reliable. You will also find that many dedicated servers are ideal for expansion by businesses. When you have a dedicated server, it is usually possible to scale up operations and online offerings when needed.

In the end, you need to carefully evaluate your individual business needs. For most businesses, free Web hosting is a bad idea. Other types of hosting are usually much better, providing you with a service that is beneficial to you and your clients. However, the needs you have will determine whether you get shared or dedicated hosting. Additionally, you will need to look at your business to determine whether an ecommerce Web hosting package is right for you.

Related Article: Getting a Free Domain Name >>