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How Much Should Web Hosting Cost?

Web hosting has come a long way over the years and that’s affected its pricing, too. And while there are many things a website owner needs to consider when choosing a web hosting package, there are very few that don’t have to worry at all about the cost. So, how much should web hosting cost in 2017?

The cost for the most inexpensive web hosting packages is still that – inexpensive. Websites that are stored on a shared server, meaning that many other websites are stored on the same server, can still be found for less than $10 a month. And website owners that don’t need their own separate domain name and don’t need a lot of support can still even find them for free.

But free web hosting doesn’t usually work for businesses that need a more professional look and customer support when their website goes down. Because of this, the cheapest and most appropriate web hosting will typically start at around $10.
WordPress hosting has become much more popular in the past ten years, namely because the platform is so easy to use and powerful enough to run just about any website. Due to that popularity and improved features, WordPress hosting typically starts anywhere from $19 to $47 a month, but it can go as high as $400 a month. The price will depend on any additional services that are ordered such as backups, security, and increased speed.

For most small businesses, there’s a good chance that this is all they will need. But if the website is going to be very large, such as an e-commerce site, or one that’s going to attract a lot of traffic, a shared server may not be a viable option. In these cases, a VPS or dedicated server may be necessary. While these hosting packages will provide many more options, they are also some of the most expensive choices.

A dedicated server can cost a business hundreds of dollars a month. And while VPS packages are less than that, they can still cost between $50 and $100 a month or more, depending on the services and upgrades that are chosen.

Today, there are still a number of options available to website owners, or business owners that want to get an online presence for their business. For those that are just getting started, or don’t expect a huge influx of traffic to their website, shared hosting plans typically cost anywhere from $90 - $150 a year. Of course, if the business or website is very large and needs a much higher capacity, web hosting can be much more expensive, with an annual cost of $300 to $10,000.
All website owners like to dream big, and having end goals is very admirable. But it’s important to keep those goals realistic in order to save money which can be invested in other areas of the site or the business. A good web host will always have options available in case the website expands and requires more resources in the future. And while some things have changed over the years when it comes to web hosting, the idea of starting small and working your way up hasn’t.