Choosing a web hosting company for your website can be a daunting and confusing task. There are, after all, thousands of hosting companies throughout the world. However, there are basically three types of web hosting companies.
- Megalith – Huge international companies that host millions of websites.
- Local – Small and mid-size hosting companies that host a few hundred to a few thousand sites.
- Resellers – The most common type of hosting company. They resell the services of the megalithic companies.
Each offers substantial advantages.
Megaliths
Pros
- Reasonable Cost
- 24/7 Tech support
- Tons of additional services at additional cost
Cons
- Highly structured hosting environments – one size fits all
- Multi-level tech support – you may have to go through several levels of support to find someone capable of helping you fix your issue.
- Often confusing phone tree support and help.
- Lack of scalability
Resellers
Pros
- Cost – They are reselling one shared hosting account purchased from large hosting companies to several of their clients.
Cons
- Your hosting account with them is just a piece of one account they have purchased from a larger hosting company.
- They don’t have control of the server hardware and software.
- Little or no hosting flexibility.
- Tech support is typically second hand because they have to go through the original hosting companies tech support.
Local Hosting Companies
Pros
- Individual and personal customer service and tech support
- Broad range of hosting capabilities and hosting environments
- Provide a focus on each individual customer
- Individualized customer service and tech support
- Your hosting plan can grow as you grow
- Custom hosting environments for unique needs
- Managed hosting environments and sites
- Co-location and dedicated servers
Cons
- Some services are slightly higher in cost