Web hosting is an essential part of having an online presence, yet there are many myths and misconceptions about it. In this comprehensive article, we will debunk 10 of the most common web hosting myths to help you make informed decisions about your website’s hosting.
Myth 1: All Web Hosts Are The Same
This is perhaps the biggest web hosting myth out there. Many assume that all web hosting companies offer the same thing. However, web hosts differ significantly in terms of features, performance, support, pricing models and overall quality.
When choosing a web host, you need to look at factors like uptime, speed, customer support response times, security practices, scalability allowances and more. A budget web hosting plan cannot provide the same level of service as a managed VPS solution from a reputable provider.
The hosting company you choose will have a major impact on your website’s speed, reliability and ability to handle traffic spikes. So do your research to find a host that aligns with your specific needs.
Myth 2: Web Hosting is Expensive
While web hosting was quite expensive in the early days of the internet, costs have come down significantly over the years. Nowadays you can get shared hosting plans starting at less than $5 per month. With so many budget options, web hosting has become very affordable.
Of course, managed solutions like VPS and dedicated servers are more expensive. But they provide higher performance, more control and better scalability for busier sites. The cost is well justified for certain sites.
The bottom line is you can easily find a web hosting package that fits your budget. Just be sure to look at the overall value – the cheapest option is rarely the best. Focus on hosts that provide good bang for buck.
Myth 3: You Only Need a Web Host for Your Website
While web hosting enables you to publish your website online, that’s not its only purpose. Many businesses use their web hosting accounts to host:
- Databases
- Intranets
- Development/staging environments
- Backups
- Files/documents
- eCommerce applications
Your web hosting account provides server space and features to host all the technologies and applications your business needs. So utilize it for more than just your public-facing website.
Myth 4: Uptime Guarantees Mean No Downtime
Most web hosts promote 99.9% uptime guarantees. However, don’t assume this means your website will never be down.
Firstly, even 99.9% uptime allows for 43 minutes of downtime per month. That’s potentially 3-4 hours of total downtime yearly.
Secondly, “uptime” only refers to the web server being online. If there’s a database server failure, DDoS attack or application error, your site could still go down even though the web server is running.
Look for a host that provides comprehensive uptime monitoring and fast recovery from all types of outages. But understand that no hosting service can prevent all forms of downtime.
Myth 5: Linux is Better for Web Hosting
Many hosts emphasize that they offer “Linux hosting”, sometimes implying it’s better than Windows. In reality, both operating systems have pros and cons.
Linux is a popular OS for hosting because it’s open source, flexible, lightweight and affordable. However, Windows offers strong compatibility with ASP.NET, MS SQL Server, PowerShell and other Microsoft technologies.
The needs of your particular website should determine your choice of Linux versus Windows hosting. There is no universally “better” option – it depends on your technology stack.
Myth 6: You Should Only Use Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is extremely common and budget-friendly. But it’s not the right solution for every website.
Once you start getting significant traffic, shared resources like RAM and CPU can easily get maxed out. This leads to slow load times and even downtime.
For busier sites, VPS and dedicated servers provide guaranteed resource allocation. The improved performance and scalability are worth the extra cost.
Consider your traffic levels and growth projections. Don’t limit yourself to shared hosting if your site has outgrown or may soon outgrow it.
Myth 7: Hosting Impacts SEO Rankings
Some hosts claim their service will improve your SEO and rankings. In reality, web hosting has little direct impact on search engine optimization.
As long as your host provides adequate uptime and performance, it does not directly influence where you rank in search results. Offsite SEO tactics like link building are much more important ranking factors.
That said, a faster hosting platform can improve page load speed. This metric does indirectly impact SEO to a minor extent. But switching web hosts alone will not significantly alter your SERP rankings.
Myth 8: Free Hosting Works Fine
Why pay for hosting when you can get it for free, right? Unfortunately, free web hosting comes with major drawbacks.
Free hosts usually show intrusive ads, impose resource limits and offer poor support. More importantly, they are not truly reliable solutions to build a business site on.
The minimal cost of paid shared hosting is well worth it to get quality uptime, performance and customer service. Only use free hosting for basic personal sites and testing.
Myth 9: You Can’t Switch Web Hosts
It’s a common misconception that you cannot switch hosting providers once your site is live. In fact, migrating to a new host is a straightforward process.
Reputable hosts make it easy to point your domain to new nameservers. From there, you simply upload your site files and database to the new host. Downtime is minimal if done right.
Don’t feel locked in with your current web hosting company. If you’re unhappy with the service, you can definitely move your site to a better provider.
Myth 10: Hosting Your Own Servers is Best
Advanced users may be tempted to host web servers themselves on owned or rented hardware. However, this is only advisable in specific cases.
Hosting your own servers requires significant technical expertise. Even then, you take on all the maintenance, security patching, redundancy and other responsibilities.
For most users, third-party managed hosting is far simpler and more cost effective. It’s also scalable as your resource needs grow.
Self-hosting servers only makes sense for highly advanced users with rapidly changing resource requirements. For everyone else, stick with specialized web hosts to avoid needless complications.
The Reality of Web Hosting
Hopefully this article has provided some useful mythbusting and clarified the reality about web hosting services. To summarize:
- Not all hosts are created equal – do your homework to find a quality provider.
- Affordable hosting plans are widely available.
- Web hosting accounts can power much more than just your website.
- Be realistic about uptime guarantees and reliability expectations.
- Linux vs Windows depends on your technology stack – there is no “better” option.
- Shared hosting has limitations – consider VPS or dedicated as you grow.
- Hosting has negligible impact on search rankings.
- Free hosting is not a good long-term solution.
- Migrating to a new host is totally doable.
- Self-hosting brings on major responsibilities – usually stick with managed providers.
By understanding the truth about these common web hosting myths, you can make smart hosting decisions to get the best performance, reliability and value for your website.