Server Hosting? What is it and does your business need it?
Server hosting is a way of managing your IT infrastructure without the need of expensive hardware and a designated IT department. Instead you pay a monthly fee to a server hosting company and leave this third party company to handle it all for you.
For a small to medium sized business, server hosting makes sound financial sense. This is because buying in your own hardware is extremely expensive plus it does require the services of an IT department in order to maintain it, handle security and to keep your system running. Operating your own system in this way can run into thousands of pounds and is simply beyond the budget of many companies.
When you switch to server hosting, your provider will provide everything to keep your system running efficiently and because you no longer need to keep server resources onsite, your computer system is no longer your problem. If there is a problem, the server hosting company will troubleshoot issues and you never have to worry about upgrading your system either. For business owners, it takes away the worry and replaces it with a streamlined system that you no longer have to think about.
Choosing the right server hosting provider is critical to business success. After all, it does have an impact on profitability of sales and services. So it is important to choose the host that best reflects your needs.
Before you sign up to a host provider, establish the type of website you wish to operate and the number of visitors you are expecting. Does the server host, have the capabilities to expand if your business gets busy? This is an important feature especially for new companies and start-ups. In addition will you be paying for features you don’t need? And most importantly is the host provider reliable?
5 Types of Server Hosting
Cloud hosting
This is a good choice for companies who expect to grow fast, because cloud hosting is scalable. You only pay for what you use, so it an easy and cost-effective option.
Shared Hosting
This is where your website is stored on the same server as other websites. All the domains share the same CPU (centralised processing unit) and RAM and shared hosting comes with some great features such as WordPress hosting and email program. This is a good solution for new businesses because it is inexpensive but because you are sharing with other websites, your connectivity can become slow at times of high traffic if any of these other sites or your website, experience high volume surges.
Managed Hosting
This is a more expensive option but it can be a good choice for larger businesses. Essentially the hosting company leases you the hardware and the storage space as well as taking care of maintenance and monitoring. This option saves you money because it removes the need for employing a dedicated IT team to manage the IT infrastructure.
Virtual Private Server
This is where a single server is used to create virtual private servers (VPS). The VPS does not compete with space as with shared hosting, instead, you sign up for a specific amount of bandwidth and hardware, all for a monthly fee. This can be a good option for businesses that may not need the use of an entire server but it can be affected by surges in usage at times of high traffic.
Dedicated Server
This is the most expensive option but if your website has a high flow of traffic, it is something you should consider. A hosting company will allow you to lease a dedicated server off-site and carry out all maintenance required to keep it running. You can access your remote dedicated server via a browser-based control panel. Essentially, choosing a hosting service for a dedicated server is much the same as having this on your own premises but it cuts the costs on personnel as you no longer need to employ your own in house IT team.
What are the benefits of outsourcing your server?
Although many business owners have concerns about the security of data stored by a third party hosting company, the truth is that it is usually more secure and reliable than storing it yourself.
Hosting services have to provide a high level of security and usually operate in a protective environment by highly trained staff. In addition you can be confident that your data is fully backed up. This means that if there is an accident such as a fire or a flood in either your premises or at the server’s location, you can be confident that all data is backed up and stored in multiple locations. In addition, if there is hardware failure, this can be switched to hardware stored elsewhere creating a seamless service that should not result in downtime of your system.
Another benefit of server hosting is the cost. Webhosting can cost as little as a couple of pounds a month to much more. It all depends upon the type of service you use, your website traffic and the type of website you operate. However even the most expensive option is far cheaper than employing the services of a full time IT team in house.
How to choose the best server hosting service?
It is important to choose the best service for your needs. It is also important to check out the company you are considering. It is important to ask about any provider’s downtime, how they manage internet outage and the sort of speed you can expect from your website.
In addition, it is important to ensure that your server hosting provider gives you the features you want without the need to pay extra for the features you don’t need. A reputable company should be able to advise you on your best choice and be easy to communicate with, so spending some time on research will save you money and time before you buy.
If you like the sound of the ‘hands-off’ experience and having your IT and Cybersecurity taken care of by highly trained professionals, we would love to hear from you. Call our friendly team of experts on 0345 314 2001 for a relaxed chat about how we can make all this happen for you.
Alternatively, feel free to email us from our contact page here.
Our team is ready and waiting to help in any way they can.
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