Would you benefit from a dedicated server?

For most businesses their online presence is a key asset in the marketing tool kit, for many it is critical. For those businesses that rely on their website as a source of revenue it is important for it to be online and performing all day, every day. A web server is an important part of running an online business. It is relied upon and much in the way a plumber would rely on his van, a mechanic his tools and a photographer his camera. This article takes a look at whether your business would benefit from a dedicated web server.

What is a dedicated server?

A dedicated web server is a physical server that is for the use of only one customer. The server hosts websites belonging to that customer only. These websites are able to utilise the memory and processor resources within the system.

A dedicated server is the best business hosting arrangement for any website. This is since the server resources are not shared with other companies. Your website exists in its own safe zone, unaffected by other website ‘neighbours’ who may be experiencing high volumes of traffic. This means that your business-critical website doesn’t slow down when others are busy. If your website is hosted on a standard shared server it may be competing for server resource with up to 300 other websites.

Because it is not shared with other websites, a dedicated server is the most secure and crucially the most reliable type of hosting.

When should I consider a dedicated server?

• Your online business is a key source of income
• Any downtime would be a costly experience due to lost revenue
• Expected peaks in website traffic at seasonal times
• You require priority support
• Bespoke hosting features such as additional backups, server software, additional redundancy or a high server specification.

The advantages of a dedicated server

• No risk of your website becoming slow or even crashed by another business on the shared server
• Incredible server response times
• Priority technical support
• Increased server reliability and uptime
• Increased server security
• Options for a bespoke server configuration
• Options for an upgrade route as your website grows

The disadvantages of a dedicated server

A dedicated server doesn’t come with any disadvantages for your website, which is why they are so popular with online businesses. The only consideration for your business is the increased cost. Hardware investment for a hosting company will run into thousands of pounds. But the cost to the customer is spread over several years. It is possible for you to lower your annual server cost by committing to a longer agreement – contact us to discuss the options.

Prevention is better than cure

As unpleasant as it may be, server downtime is inevitable at some point. Whether that’s for maintenance or due to factors beyond all our control. From time to time a website owner may become frustrated that a website is offline. And may even feel that the downtime is costing thousands in lost revenue. If you think you’d feel the same, that even 30 minutes of downtime may cost hundreds or thousands in lost revenue?

Please invest in your hosting now.

A shared hosting package costing a couple of hundred pounds per year is perfect for many website owners. But it will have its limitations. It won’t suit business or revenue-critical situations. 99.99% uptime equates to 53 minutes offline per year and it is undeniable that downtime is more likely on a shared server.

Contact us today to discuss the right hosting options for your business; prevention is better than cure.

Related posts:

How to set up a Twitter account FTP: We’re changing to SSL Professional Photography Service Now Available