Host yourself: Don’t leave your digital space in someone else’s hands

When it comes to running a small business or blogging about your recent travel adventures to Spain, anyone who works online understands the need for speedy and effective Internet hosting service.

While the quality of various hosting companies can vary widely, having 100% up-time is very important for the business or individual to stay productive. For some, having a web hosting company to take care of all of their hosting needs is viable, but for others who want more control over their systems and a more secure environment, they may opt to host their website or page themselves.

This is preferable also in case there are needed changes, customized settings or implementing features that are more suited for their business model or personal taste- often times this can save money because you won’t need to consult the company who set you up in the first place.

So, about web hosting services?

Web hosting services provide server space on their systems that they own or lease to their customers for their use. This is typically done in a large data center environment, and depending on the size of the hosting company, can accommodate anywhere from several hundred to several thousand customers.

Web hosting companies provide several features that vary. They may offer free domain name registration with each hosting account, or they may have a fixed template system where each customer’s page and site are all identical. These features certainly have their advantages, but they don’t offer as much flexibility and customization as self-hosting does.

It also leaves the users account vulnerable to hacking and password penetration. Also, the user is at the mercy of the hosting company in cases of server crashes or any downtime since all of the accounts are connected.

Security?

As a matter of security and preference however, it is far better to host your website or page yourself to ensure that you are getting the features you need and that your business looks as professional as it needs to.

Protecting your presence on the Internet is critical for anyone who wants to establish a professional presence. Several solutions exist that can give the user many options to choose from, including:

• Purchasing hosting plans in bulk. This means buying multiple months of hosting with a company in order to reduce costs. It’s significantly less to purchase twelve months of hosting as opposed to three.
• Forgoing specials and promotions. This helps to reduce extra costs and focus on just the necessary services. Many hosting company’s will advertise promotional deals to entice you to host your site with them.
• This can be quite daunting, especially if it involves transferring other services over. The best hosting deals are basic, comprehensive plans that are straight-forward and offer other services as options and in subtle ways.
• Using specials and promotions. Just as deals can be daunting, they can also be a welcomed thing, especially if you have need of additional services anyway. Hosting fees coupled with other services can be a bonus.

Offers.com is a great place to start looking for discounts on web hosting services. The ideal hosting plan offers the user the flexibility and convenience he needs in order to be productive.

If you’re a little new to hosting yourself, you can find plenty of informational resources on managing yourself so you don’t need to depend on anyone else to set you up and manage your hosting.

The use of security features and additional software is what makes self-hosting more appealing and preferable- don’t be a slave to someone else’s digital hands!

Selena Narayanasamy eats, breathes and sleeps the internet industry. You can find her blogging about all kinds of random things, spanning from technology to social media. Follow her on Twitter- @esvienne or stalk her website- Esvienne.com.