What Type of WebHosting Configuration to Handle 1 Million Users?
If you are creating a website for the first time, then in the list of important things put the task “Setting up webhosting” in the first place. Approach this task wisely before the problems with the site start.
Let’s start with the basics. What is webhosting? How does webhosting work?
Websites are hosted on servers. Simply put, a server is a very powerful computer that only performs one or two simple services, hence the name server (determines the IP address). Webhosting refers to the servers that host websites, or a webhosting provider that provides server space.
Webhosting provides server space for a site on the internet, as well as the technology for entering your site’s URL into a browser. Everything your site contains is stored and accessible via web hosting: images, videos, files, text – everything.
What are the types of webhosting?
- Virtual (Shared Hosting);
- VPS Hosting;
- Dedicated (Dedicated Hosting);
- Cloud (Cloud Hosting).
Let’s take a look at how each type of hosting works and what sites they are suitable for, so you can choose the best option for your site.
Virtual Shared WebHosting
On shared hosting, your site shares the server space with other sites, this is the most economical option for a site with a low traffic volume.
For a beginner, shared hosting is ideal and does not require any special technical knowledge, but you may face problems in the future when the site starts receiving more incoming traffic. High spikes in traffic can impact site load times and even lead to error messages for users trying to access your site.
Your site’s performance can also be affected by traffic to other sites on the same shared server. In this case, you save money, but you can lose potential customers who have not been able to visit your site.
VPS Hosting (virtual private server)
VPS hosting is the next step up from shared hosting. With this option, one server is split into multiple virtual servers. The main server is shared with other websites, but each site is provided with its own virtual server.
The site will load much faster due to fewer sites on one server. The speed of loading pages on shared hosting is on average 6.7 seconds, the speed on VPS hosting is 2.3 seconds. These are averages, in addition to hosting, it is important for you to understand the factors that affect the website loading speed.
You can get recommendations for improving the speed of loading a site using the service for Google webmasters – PageSpeed Insights.
VPS hosting gives the site owner more control at the server level, and it is also more stable to traffic surges of build 1 million users on the website. If your site has a lot of visuals, such as images and videos, that can potentially slow down loading times, you might be better off using VPS hosting than shared hosting.
Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated servers are yours and yours alone. They’re more expensive than the other options we’ve reviewed above, but the premium prices come with added benefits. You are in control of everything.
Since you are the only website on this server, you have complete technical control. This allows you to implement a wider range of software on your site. You don’t need to worry about traffic from other sites, only your site’s data and traffic affects page loading speed.
Depending on your web hosting services plan, you will be able to switch from a shared server to a dedicated server as your website expands, without having to start all over again.
Who is the dedicated server for?
Dedicated servers are designed for sites with high traffic volumes. If you have an e-commerce platform and want to make server changes based on your e-commerce software, you should consider using a dedicated server.
Cloud Hosting
The cloud hosting market has grown steadily over the past decade and is forecast to increase in popularity.
When using cloud hosting, multiple servers will work together to host your site as well as other sites. But unlike traditional shared hosting, cloud hosting takes traffic spikes into account. So the high level of traffic to your site or other sites in the same cloud shouldn’t affect your download speed.
However, you will not have root access to the cloud server. Which means that you will not be able to change any server settings or install certain software. But for those of you who have a simple website and don’t need these technical parameters, cloud hosting might be a good option to consider.
Who is cloud hosting for?
Cloud hosting is for sites that are somewhere between shared hosting and VPS. If your site doesn’t need access to the technical side of a VPS.But you want to anticipate large volumes of traffic. and don’t want load times to be an issue, cloud hosting is a viable option.
Conclusion
Don’t be intimidated by the web host, use this guide as a reference.
Your site must be hosted to be online. It is simply impossible to get around this. First, decide which type of web host is best for your situation. Then define the web hosting features you need. Once you know the answer to these questions, look for a reputable web hosting service that meets your requirements.