Content Management System Hosting: What You Need to Know

A content management system, CMS, is a web host application, which allows you to edit and manage the content on your website. A hosted CMS gives you the power to control and publish your content via the back end of your site. Without any programming or technical knowledge, you can easily design and customize your content, such as blogs, press releases, and more. To appear live on the Internet, your CMS requires hosting. 

CMS hosting refers to the place on the server where your website lives. Service providers host CMS, which means they house and save your website files, so that your site can be accessed by Internet users. 

When it comes to getting your website live on the Internet, it’s important to understand hosting options for your CMS. While there are two kinds of platforms to choose from, hosting and self-hosting, there are also four main types of web hosting services: shared, dedicated, virtual private, and cloud. 

Hosting Options for Your CMS

There are two kinds of hosting platforms: hosted services and self-hosted. Both provide a place to house your CMS, but they differ in terms of ease and customization. 

For a quick and hassle-free hosting platform, consider a hosted solution. In this case, a third-party allows you to store your website on its servers. This option provides an easy way for you to get your website live, without any knowledge of programing or coding. The drawback of this platform is that you won’t have as much as creative freedom as you might with self-hosting.

Self-hosting is another option, which requires an understanding of coding and specific software. With this choice, your CMS is hosted on your own computer’s server. While self-hosting does give you more flexibility when it comes to customization, you are responsible for managing the server, including addressing any glitches and installing files and upgrades. 

Regardless of whether you’re looking to outsource your CMS or take it into your own hands, there are four kinds of web hosting services:

Shared: Your website is placed on a hosting platform with various other websites. Shared hosting is the cheapest, most basic option, because all the websites are sharing the cost of the service.  

Dedicated: You have a server all to yourself, meaning your website is the only CMS on it. A dedicated service usually offers faster performance and potentially more security, but it is more expensive because you’re solely responsible for the cost. 

Virtual Private: A little bit shared and a little bit dedicated, a virtual private solution splits one server into a number of virtual servers. Several websites may share a virtual server, but they’re each given more control over their space than they would typically have with a shared server. 

Cloud: The cloud solution provides virtual servers, which host a number of websites, without the use of physical hardware. This server is a valuable option for websites with high levels of traffic.

Ready to make your website go live? Determine what hosting options are best by rating your program development skills and your interest in customization. And don’t forget to consider your website’s size, amount of traffic, and security needs.