If you decide to create a web site, then you will have to decide on what type of web host provider you would like to use. There are actually four main types of web host. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, the one that is right for you will depend on your own website needs. Consider each type before making a decision.

Free web hosting is very popular for personal websites since it is, well, free. The good thing about free hosting is that you will not face hosting charges, domain registration charges, and other fees. Your website will be totally free.

The downside of a free web site is that you will not have very much control over it. Most likely, you will have to use a template that is offered by the website. You will not have an inordinate amount of storage or bandwidth, and you will not have your own dedicated domain name.

The next type of web hosting, and another popular choice, is the shared server type. With a shared server, you will pay to use space on the web host’s server. With this sort, the cost is relatively low and you will have your own domain name. You may have the option to add more storage for a fee when it is needed.

However, you will still not necessarily have a large amount of storage space, and your bandwidth may be limited.  In addition, you will be sharing sever space with other customers of the web host.

There could be security and privacy risks involved when you use a shared server, since it is possible that other customers could accidentally see your information. A shared server is not ideal if you plan to offer ecommerce on your site.

The third web host option is the dedicated server. With a dedicated server, only your site and your information will be stored on the server, meaning that you will have plenty of storage and bandwidth, and your information will be exponentially safer.

The negative of a dedicated server is cost. Dedicated servers can be quite pricey since you are paying to use the whole server for yourself.

One last web host type is the co-located server. With co-location, you will provide the actual server and it will be located on a web host’s premises, offering you security and the knowledge that your server will usually be up.

Deciding which server is right for you will depend on what you would like to do with your website and how much money you are willing to invest.