Many people want to blog. They may have something important to say and want to be heard. Some of my friends even ask me once in a while about getting started with online blogging.
To start a blog or website online these day is easy. In fact, one doesn’t need to master any computer programming to start an online blog. All a person needs is motivation.
The motivation to create something new and the determination to continue it. That’s all.
Now, before you get started with blogging, here’s one aspect of blogging you may want to understand: Blog Hosts.
There are many types of blog hosts to get your blogs hosted online. It’s important to get a good understanding of the types of blog hosts available to you before you jump into blogging.
Picking the wrong hosts may get you in trouble even before you start. So sit tight and continue below to learn the types of hosts available to you.
Free Hosts
Free hosts are those that provide you space online to host your blogs and they are the easiest to setup. Example of these providers are Blogging.com and WordPress.com.
With these free hosts, there are certain limitations that come with them. You may not be able to do certain things like run advertising or install some plugins. You may also not use the domain you want with your blogs.
Share Hosts
Share hosts are those your paid for and are typically the cheapest. You may find some shared hosts to host your blog content at a cost of $2 per month.
It’s cheap but may have huge impact on your blog response time. Your blog may run slower, and there may be other limitations as well with shared hosting. For instance, your blog or website may be disabled when you suddenly get increased visits or certain plugins that are not properly optimized begin to use more resources than allowed for your blog or website.
If you’re just starting out and just need a simple page to publish some information, then shared hosting may be a good fit.
Virtual Server Hosts
Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a bit costly than the shared hosts. These offer better services, include more resources, bigger space and faster networking at a higher cost than shared hosting.
Unlike shared hosting, VPS hosts give you full access to the server, including SSH and other powerful tools. You may find some starting at $30 per month. Blogs that are using VPS hosts may also perform well than those on shared hosts, that’s because unlike VPS, any one blog or website on a shared host that is misusing resources may impact other blogs hosted there.
Dedicated Server Hosts
Dedicated server is the one you’re leasing the entire server. You’re given access to one physical server with full control. You have full access and complete control of the machine to use.
These can can up to $300 per month. They are not cheap but will get your blog or website moving in the right direction. These may not be for those just starting. This blog (liberiangeek.net) runs on a dedicated server.
Managed Hosts
These are host providers that allow you to rent or lease a potion of their environment. They manage the servers so you don’t have to. They handle updates, patches, and feature upgrade so you don’t have to.
Some managed hosts are very expensive and if you’re just starting, and have the fund to pay for these services, then managed hosting is a good option.
These are some of the types of hosts that may be available to you if you decide to run a blog or website online. Remember, sometime to get the best, you will just have to pay a small price.
Enjoy!