Do You Need Dedicated Hosting?

Has your online business grown to the point where it exceeds the offerings of a shared hosting environment? If so, it might to time to upgrade to dedicated hosting. Often referred to as a dedicated server, dedicated hosting is a solution where you have the entire server to yourself. The hosting provider monitors the hardware, routing equipment and network connectivity while granting you control over the server software. Though more complex and expensive than shared hosting, leasing a dedicated server gives you the unparalleled flexibility and control needed to run a thriving business that experiences a high volume of web traffic.

Because of its highly technical nature, many online business owners elect to outsource the administrative tasks of their dedicated servers to experienced IT professionals. Despite the costs and complexity, dedicated hosting can serve numerous benefits to your business, especially if you have the resources required to maintain the server. Below are just a few of many advantages you will enjoy with this advanced web hosting solution.

Faster Server Response

One of the biggest knocks on shared hosting is slow server response time which is the direct result of sharing the machine and associated resources with other customers. In this hosting environment, the performance of your site could suffer drastically if another site experiences a sudden boost in traffic. This spells bad news for your business when potential clients stop by and are greeted by pages that take forever to load. With dedicated hosting, you have the server all to yourself, allowing you to plan for traffic levels and any other scenarios that may impact server response time.

Flexibility

What most business owners love about dedicated hosting is the flexibility it grants. In a shared hosting environment, you are limited to the operating system, software and technologies provided the web host. A dedicated server allows you to choose your own operating system be it Windows or Linux, as well as customized software applications that best suite your business.

Scalability

Scalability is what you need to support the growth of your business. Whereas options for upgrading are limited on a shared server, dedicated hosting allows you to scale up or down at any time. With this hosting solution you can increase the amount of storage space, RAM processors and even purchase additional bandwidth to support an increase in web traffic.

Security

Security is one of the biggest reasons to consider dedicated hosting. Try as they may, a shared hosting provider can never guarantee the security you get with your own server. A dedicated server will be as secure as you make it as firewalls, virus protection and other security mechanisms can be installed. The security of your applications and client data should be of the utmost importance if you are running a business.

Conclusion

Aside from all the benefits, you should also know that dedicated hosting isn’t suited for everyone. For instance, if you are running a small business with low to medium traffic, a shared server is probably the best option. After establishing your business to a point where it requires more flexibility, only then should you consider moving up to dedicated hosting.