What is Dedicated Web Hosting?

If you have ever looked at hosting terms you know that they can get quite confusing sometimes! Many people misunderstand what dedicated hosting is for example. This article will attempt to explain what dedicated hosting is in a straightforward manner.

The best definition I could find for dedicated hosting is:

A type of internet hosting where a client leases a server which is not shared by anyone else...

Obviously, your next question would be to know why you want to choose dedicated hosting.

Basically, you have two main options shared or dedicated hosting.  With shared hosting, you are as the name implies sharing space on the server with other clients. If something happens to one client you could experience the fallout from it. 

Someone could install a piece of software that has an adverse reaction on other members on the shared site. This could be done quite unintentionally but your website could be blocked for a certain time period.

With dedicated hosting, you are the only person on that particular server. So you don’t have to worry about what other clients are doing on their websites. In essence, you are renting your own personal space!

Using a dedicated server means that your site is more secure. The other advantage to this type of hosting is that your website will load more quickly.  Unless of course you install software that slows your site down, if this happens you will notice an increase in your bounce rate. Which is why looking at your stats is important!

The main reason why most people opt for a dedicated hosting service is that they want more control over their site. On a shared site the hosting service has to put restrictions and limitations in place. These limits are usually removed or higher on a dedicated server.

If you need to use PHP scripts and web applications then a dedicated hosting account is the best way to go. On top of this, you have more flexibility of what you can do with your account. If you suddenly start to get hundreds of thousands of visitors each day your dedicated server can handle this increase in traffic. On a shared account you may find yourself being shut down!

Another benefit is being able to customize your hosting package. You can add certain items and delete others. Shared packages are pretty standard and you may or may not have all the features you need.

You should now have a better understanding of what dedicated hosting is and can determine if this is an option to take a closer look at.