web hosting tips guidesThere are several great options for bloggers when it comes to web hosting. You can choose to host your blog on a free platform, which is convenient for those on a budget, or for more control over blog you can acquire your own web hosting server space. Paying a minimum monthly or annual fee for shared or dedicated space on a private web server is often the best route for complete control over your blog. Buying private web hosting can also provide you with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) benefits, ensuring your blog is seen by your intended audiences. Even within the realm of paid, private web hosting, there are several options for bloggers concerning cost, resources, management and optimization. Read ahead to determine which type of the web hosting will work best for your new blog.

Types of Blogs

Chances are, you’ll want to run your new blog on the popular blogging platform WordPress or another platform like it. That’s because blogging is made easy with WordPress and other blogging platforms that are designed to make posting quick and intuitive. They also have nice built-in commenting systems and are the basis for most blogs on the web. Blogging platform alternatives to WordPress include Tumblr and Blogger. If your budget won’t allow for even a few dollars per month, then your best option is to use one of these blogging platform’s free hosting options. The free blogging hosting provided by WordPress is accessible through their WordPress.com site and will leave several advertisements on your blog. Tumblr and Blogger work in the same way, marking your content with ads for which you won’t see any revenue. If you want to control the displaying of ads and content of your blog or would like to make revenue from any ads you choose to display then you’ll need paid web hosting.

Private Web Hosting Options for Blogs

Among the paid, private web hosting options for bloggers are several subcategories of hosting. You can save money by storing your blog on a shared server with other random websites and blogs; this is known as shared hosting. If you intend to run a larger blog or don’t like the idea of other sites neighboring your content then you can opt for the costlier Dedicated Hosting option, where you’ll get your own remote web server.

There is also the matter of what kind of web server you’ll be using. Traditional web servers operate much like the hard drive of your computer; dedicating predetermined space on a physical server hard drive for your blog and directing a specified amount of RAM and computing power toward the upkeep and serving of your files. Newer types of web hosting use virtual servers that can shrink and grow in space to fit the actual real-time needs of your blog. Virtual Private Servers (VPSs) also allow your blog or website to consume more or less resources depending on its actual needs at any given moment.

Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting plans will work great for most bloggers. There is often no need to purchase a costlier dedicated web server, which can run $80 per month or more, when a suitable shared hosting plan can be bought for about $10 per month. With a shared web hosting plan you can upload your own installation of WordPress, Joomla, or any other blogging platform and have complete control over your blog. You will be able to choose whether or not ads are displayed, and collect the revenue from any ads you do choose to show. If you are running your new blog on WordPress, then look for shared hosting services that specialize in WordPress hosting. This will ensure compatibility and efficient, and oftentimes increase your blog’s SEO.

Virtual Private Servers

VPS WordPress hosting is another great option for bloggers. By using a virtual private server, you’ll often only pay for resources you actually use. Virtual Private Servers are uniquely suited to handle large influxes of traffic, saving your blog from crashing if one of your posts suddenly goes viral. VPS hosting is relatively inexpensive, with plans starting around $24 per month. This is the best option for new small and medium sized blogs that may see spikes and dips in traffic due to viral posts and social sharing.

Other Top Blog Hosting Options

There are also a few more hosting options to consider, especially if your blog has unique needs or features. Cloud hosting is growing in popularity for mobile apps, and many blog owners are finding benefits in the cloud as well. Cloud hosting services like Microsoft’s Azure are a great choice if your blog will be associated with a mobile app. If your readers will be mostly accessing your blog posts from an Apple or Android app then you may appreciate the robust software and blog management services that cloud hosting can provide. Much like VPS hosting, cloud servers can dynamically expand or reduce to meet your blog’s needs and ensure you only pay for the space and bandwidth you use.

If you plan to store several blogs, and want to work with other bloggers then you should consider purchasing reseller web hosting. With reseller web hosting, which can work on a VPS or shared server, you will be able to install multiple cPanels and blogging Content Management Systems; each with their own administrator name and password.

Depending on your budget and the amount of control you seek to have over your blog, there are several ideal candidates for the type of hosting you should purchase. Most new blog owners with smaller blogs, for example; those that post a few times per day or week, should choose shared hosting or VPS web hosting. Larger blogs and those with less budgetary restrictions may enjoy the benefits of having a dedicated server to themselves. Cloud hosting can save you money by only charging you for the resources you used, and works particularly well with app-based blogs. Consider purchasing a monthly of semi-annual hosting plan at first so you can analyze your host’s performance after a short billing period.