Many people think that getting their website on Internet is an expensive venture, fortunately though, this need not necessarily be true; if you find right web host, benefits of having a web site will definitely outweigh costs.

There are many different ways to benefit from having a web site, whether it is for personal gain, or to aid your business success. Those who have their own personal websites generally use them to further an interest or a hobby; having a web site is a great way to share and exchange knowledge with others. Businesses on other hand use a website to promote and market their goods and services, while cutting back on such expenses as postage, couriers and advertising, etc.

These are but a few key benefits of owning a website:

Increased awareness of products and services – Businesses can now greatly expand their markets, no need to constrain focus to only local scene, but by using Internet, businesses can venture into international and regional markets, with greater ease. This dynamically changes nature and marketing activities of some businesses, possibly encouraging business to expand diversity of its products and services, to meet these new markets. Websites, in their nature, allow hundreds and thousands of items to be on view 24/7; thus encouraging wider viewing, and extended trading hours.

Do you need it?

Before you think about managed hosting you will first need to decide whether or not you need a dedicated server. You will need a dedicated server if you have a high-traffic web site. If you only have a small web site with low traffic levels then a shared hosting arrangement should be fine. A dedicated server is more expensive to rent and more difficult to operate than a shared hosting solution but if your business depends on a steady service then you should seriously consider renting a dedicated server.

The only disadvantage with dedicated web hosting is that you will have to do a lot of server administration yourself, and to do this you will need to possess some technical skills; hence demand for managed hosting. If you fall into this category of needing a dedicated server but you need your host to provide system administration services such as security, firewalls, monitoring and reporting services, and data backup then most likely you will need managed hosting.

How do you find Managed hosting packages?

Many web hosts who once provided only shared and dedicated web hosting are now beginning to offer managed services too. A good place to start looking for managed hosting is through web hosting directories and search engines, by doing a search for managed hosting you should receive a good list of managed hosting providers. Another key place to start is by contacting hosts who are offering dedicated hosting and ask them if they can provide a managed hosting arrangement as well.

Companies providing managed hosting will either offer managed hosting per item or in a pre-configured plan. Per-item managed hosting gives you freedom to pick and choose what services you need or do not need; on other hand, a pre-configured plan will include dedicated server and managed hosting services at a monthly fee.

What should I look for in a managed hosting provider?