When it comes to setting up your own website or blog, you have two choices – do you host it yourself, or pay somebody else to host it? There is no right or wrong choice, as the decision you make will depend on your personal circumstances, your needs and requirements e.g. how much control you would like over your website or blog, and how technologically savvy you are. Many people choose a hosting service simply because it sounds easier, whilst those who choose to self-host – you still need to pay for the hosting service, but you have full control – tend to do so because it’s cheaper, or because they’d rather be in full control. Let’s weigh up the pros and cons of the two.
Why Should You Self Host?
Whether you choose to self-host or use a web hosting service, the important thing is that you should always be in a position where you are able to control your own content. Why does this matter?
Terms and Conditions
Most of us don’t read all of the fine print when signing up for a service, and that’s a fact that also stretches to those signing up for a web hosting service. There’s always the risk that you could wake up to find that your website or blog has disappeared from the face of the internet thanks to a Terms and Conditions breach that you had no idea you’d even committed.
No Service Shut-Down
Even if you choose one of the UK best web hosting service that’s doing well and has a great reputation, there’s no guarantee that the service is never going to be shut down. Even if the service promises to alert you beforehand and provide a useful export solution, what if this doesn’t happen, or the export solution isn’t a great format for your content?
Why Should You Use a Hosting Service?
Although the reasons listed above could put some off using a hosting service, there are also a number of great reasons to choose one – it’s often less complicated especially if you’re just starting out, and can be a great way to socialise with readers and other bloggers.
Less Complicated
Imagine you’re a blogger who isn’t interested in managing the technical aspects of your blog, and just wants to get started writing straight away. Using a web hosting service makes this possible – there’s no need to worry about plugins, backups, and installations, as the hosting service will take care of all that for you.
Social Dashboard
For many website owners and bloggers, having a ‘social feel’ to their site is important. Many services such as WordPress and Blogger provide this social aspect and make it easy to follow other blogs on their platform, which is why they’re often a popular choice.
Which did you decide when you set up your website or blog – are you using a service such as WordPress, or do you self-host? If you’re using a hosting service, which one did you choose, and why? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
