Multiple domain web hosting

With low cost of domain names and hosting fees it is now very affordable to own several websites. There are a few ways to manage multiple domains. It is important to know your options as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

The most basic choice when administering multiple domains is whether or not to do so with the same host. Most hosts offer packages which can be set up to allow several sites on one account, or allow individual sites to be operated under separate accounts.

You may have an existing website and are happy with the services your host provides. Starting a new website with the same host will give you the reassurance of dealing with a company you are familiar with. Perhaps, you'll get a discount for each additional account with the same host.

On the other hand, using a new host for a new website will let you compare the quality of hosting services offered by different companies. In addition, separate hosts will provide each of your web sites with a different IP address.

Different IP addresses is an important factor if you plan to link the sites together to aid in search engine optimization. Incoming links are important: a site with many incoming links will get a higher position in most search engines. If the links are coming from the same IP address, however, their value may be discounted.

Hosting your sites with different hosting companies guarantees that each site has a different IP address. Individual IP addresses are available as an extra from most companies and for a fee each website can have its own unique IP address. This can help with search engine ranking. Having a unique IP address is needed if you want to have a secure connection (https) on your site.

If you decide to host all your sites with the same company, there are three basic ways to go. Each site could have its own account, you could sign up for a reseller account, or you could get a dedicated server account.

Hosting all your sites with one host has many advantages, but there is one major disadvantage – if your server goes down, all your sites go down. If you depend on your sites for income this can be painful and it's a good idea to have at least one of your sites with a different host.

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