While Content Management Systems such as WordPress and TYPO3 are helping to simplify the process of website content creation, the need for web hosting in Canada remains the same.

For people who are venturing into the inner workings of the internet for the first time though, the various types of hosting available for their website can be a little confusing.

Shared web hosting and dedicated web hosting both offer their own advantages, but are aimed squarely at different sectors of the market.

Understanding whether shared or dedicated hosting is right for your business before choosing will mean getting the best package for your needs without overpaying for something you don’t need.

To help you make the right decision for your own business website, we need to answer a few questions.

  • What is shared hosting?
  • What is dedicated hosting?
  • And what, actually, is web hosting?

What is Web Hosting?

Simply put, website hosting is the act of storing all the files needed for your website on a computer known as a server. If these files were on your own computer, the only way to let people around the world see them would be to send them yourself.

When your files sit on a server, anyone can access them at any time in the form of your website. Your hosting company owns and maintains this server, ensuring your files, and therefore your website, are always available for visitors to see.

Depending on the size of your business, the content of your website, and the amount of traffic you expect to receive, you can choose to have your files hosted on a shared server or a dedicated one.

What is shared hosting and is it right for my business?

Shared hosting means having your website hosted on a server along with a number of other websites. As the name suggests, choosing shared web hosting means sharing the resources of the server, or the computer your website is hosted on.

This makes shared hosting an affordable option for those just starting out, or for local businesses who maybe don’t expect to see the amount of traffic that a multinational corporation would. Shared web hosting is a very popular choice in Canada for one simple reason: for many people, it’s perfectly adequate.

Although there is a chance of your website slowing down if another site on the server is particularly busy, a good web hosting company can usually move you to another server should you experience any problems.

If your business is just starting out, small, or on a tight budget, shared hosting is for you.

What is dedicated hosting and is it right for my business?

Choosing dedicated web hosting in Canada means having your website hosted on your own server, with all the resources of the machine available only to you. This gives the best performance possible and leaves you in complete control of how every aspect of the server is used. With no other websites taking up CPU time, drive space or RAM, your website will run more quickly and more reliably than when on a shared hosting plan.

Security is also heightened as you can know exactly what scripts are running on your server. In addition, the company providing your web hosting in Canada will usually monitor more closely their dedicated accounts as part of the hosting package.

If your business owns websites with lots of content, large high-quality images, or ones that receive substantial amounts of traffic every day, paying the extra cost for dedicated hosting is often well worth the investment.

To sum up, whether shared hosting or dedicated hosting is right for your business depends on a number of different factors:

  • If you’re a smaller enterprise with lower levels of traffic, a smaller budget, and don’t need the complete control a dedicated server provides, a shared plan is often enough.
  • If your business is large, with high amounts of traffic, and with the need for advanced control, security, and reliability on your server, paying for a dedicated server can be one of the best investments you could make.

Did you know…

That our web hosting servers are located near the foot of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada?

Whether you need shared web hosting or dedicated web hosting, SeeThrough Web can help. Contact us today to discuss how.