If you're just getting started with your online business, I'd recommend buying the cheapest host and scale up as your site grows. You can't go wrong with that, But without the proper research, you can choose the wrong web host and/or services; a mistake that you'd want to avoid at all cost. You may think that web hosting is simple, but I wouldn't exactly call it that. There are four types of web hosting that caters specifically to different levels for different reasons.

The four types are:

1. Shared Web Hosting.

2. Dedicated Servers.

3. Virtual Private Servers (VPS).

4. Cloud Hosting.

• Shared Web Hosting is basically a slew of websites on one server, sharing the same resources. PRO: It's cost-effective and ideal for beginners. CON: Because you are sharing with so many neighbors (other people), if someone screws up, or get a big traffic spike, your sight could go down with there's. However, I do recommend this if you're just starting out. As long as you pick a solid host, you will be fine. NOTE: As your site start to pay for itself, you'd want to upgrade to a Virtual Private Server, or a VPS. With a VPS, you can start low and gradually scale up as needed. In other words, when your site starts to make progress, let's say about 80,000 page views a month, that's when you'd want to upgrade to a VPS.
• Dedicated Servers are nice because you are not sharing the physical server with anyone else, it's all yours. However, I don't recommend it. PRO: No neighbors, no sharing. Con: Very costly. You have to buy the entire server, which makes it quite difficult to scale up to something else.
• The Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a cross between the shared web hosting and a dedicated server; a hybrid, if you will. You are still sharing a server with other people, but only a few with dedicated resources assigned specifically to you. Kinda like high-end sharing. This, I highly recommend. PRO: It's cost-effective.With a flip of a switch, you could easily scale up and increase your bandwidth, etc.. CON: No matter how few they are, you still have neighbors. A web host provider may oversell and you'll find yourself back in Shared Web Hosting, way too many neighbors. That's another reason you want to be sure in your decision of choosing a solid host.

NOTE: As your site continues to grow to about 300,000-400,000 page views a month, you'd want to move up a level. Don't worry, your VPS provider can help make those recommendations for you.

• Cloud Hosting is the bleeding edge of web hosting. Think of it as one host provider with hundreds of web servers all working together. PRO: If one server goes bad, the others make up for it. When your site begins to get a ton of traffic, it won't matter, it handles it. Another advantage is that you only pay for what you use, and it scales instantly. CONS: You pay for all that you use. Meaning, a poorly written php script or a denial of service attack can really enhance your bill. Although, I do not recommend relying solely on the capabilities of Cloud Hosting, I do, however, recommend a combination of both VPS and Cloud Hosting.

NOTE: Once your site is pulsating with tons of traffic and you begin to experience performance glitches, upload your static content on a Cloud Server. This will speed up your site's performance by more than half. Regardless of what anyone has told you, it's important that you know Google pays attention to response times. If ignored, your site can lose credibility. But DO NOT put your entire website on a Cloud Server. So let's recap...

• If you are just starting out with your own online business, I recommend you start with Share Web Hosting.
• Next, ignore Dedicated Servers and jump over to VPS.
• As your traffic continues to grow, move your static content to a Cloud Server. But DO NOT put your entire website on a Cloud Server.

Remember...in the subjective eyes of Google, your website's performance is key; so choosing the right Web Host provider is vital!

Thank you for taking the time to read this article!
-Rumont TeKay