Finding the right host for your web site is extremely important but it can often be confusing with the huge array options available. Most providers these days offer affordable web hosting plans by means of shared hosting which is aimed at home and small to medium business users.

As part of our service we'll give you free practical guidance on where to host your site as part of the development package. We've worked with many businesses with varying needs and a multitude of service providers.

What is shared hosting?

A shared hosting plan means that your web site shares the same physical server with other sites in its own secure and private area. This allows service providers to maximize use of their resources and reduce costs to the end users.

Shared hosting plans come in a variety of 'flavours' from free to more costly plans however they are usually very affordable and ideal for most home and small business users and can often meet the needs of larger businesses as well.

What are the advantages of shared hosting?

This is not a definitive list of advantages but an outline of some of the key points.

• Highly affordable web hosting even at the higher end.
• Maintained by the hosting company so you don't have to worry about maintenance and security
• Most will provide a good range of options to suite most business needs
• Reasonable amounts of disc space and bandwidth.
• Easy to setup and configure your settings including server features, email, domain names, etc. through use of simple online control panels.

What are the disadvantages of shared hosting?

There are various disadvantages to shared hosting and in our experience a lot of these have been around the lack of configurability.

• Options and services limited to what the provider offers in your package options.
• Configuration of server is often minimal and software installation prohibited.
• Some servers can be over burdened with sites and so respond slowly.
• Services and resources can be limited or controlled so you should read the providers policies on usage carefully before signing up.
• In some cases they can be poorly configured and insecure
• Smaller providers and resellers can be problematic.

So who should I choose?

Here at db net solutions we are hosted by 1and1.co.uk one of the UK's leading providers. We recommend 1and1 for most of our customers as they offer a excellent level of service and features for the price with a good level of reliability.

As part of our service we will ensure that your hosting provider meets all your needs and offer a free consultation and setup as part of the development process. Once you are setup we will then manage your hosting service to the level you require at no or minimal cost depending on the level of support you require.

Conclusion

Choosing a hosting provider that meets your business needs is important and sometimes challenging but you can be confident that if db net solutions develop your site you'll get the host that is right for you.

Useful links

• 1 and 1 hosting
  One of the UK's leading service providers offering affordable web hosting with a variety of shared, VPS and dedicated solutions.
• Fasthosts Ltd.
  Similar to 1and1 and worth a look.
• Microsoft ASP.net
  Hosting providers supporting Microsoft's ASP.net 2.0
• Rackspace Managed Hosting
  High end dedicated servers for those who need the ultimate in performance and configurability.