You’ve decided to start a website or e-commerce store and so you’re ready to start shopping for web hosting or you are an existing web-owner in need of a hosting upgrade. If you’re a beginner then it is probably quite the daunting tasks especially if you’re not tech-savvy or hip to the hosting ling and acronyms used in the industry. Help! Not to worry we’re about to lay out a comprehensive guide to choosing the best UK Hosting solutions around. You’re going to learn the ins and outs of fast hosting solutions like VPS hosting and other options available to you.
Let’s get started!
What is VPS Hosting?
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. Are you still scratching your head? Let’s break it down.
A ‘server’ is a large supercomputer that stores all the data and components that make up your website. Once someone enters your domain name or web address into their internet browser, a supercomputer serves up the website to them.
‘Virtual’ speaks to that super-powerful computer being virtualized. This is done by splitting a powerful computer into multiple servers. One of the best options for this hosting is SSD enabled windows VPS since they offer better reliability and faster performance resulting in faster website load times. You also need to make sure your virtual private server provider works with a varied number of data centers since this also ensures more rapid response times to your visitors.
‘Private’ means that a server is yours alone. It is not shared with anyone. All of the resources and features belong to you and your website alone. You won’t have to share any of those resources like CPU, bandwidth, space, RAM, etc. with any other website.
VPS vs. Other Hosting Environments
In web hosting prospective website owners purchase space on a web host server in order to ‘host’ their website. These servers have spaced carved out in order to serve your website up to the world-wide-web. Normally, the most basic type of hosting is done on a shared server. In order for you to understand how VPS works you need to also understand Shared hosting and Dedicated Hosting.
– Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the most sought out form of web hosting by new website owners and bloggers. In a shared hosting environment, one server is shared by many websites. This means that all of those robust resources are shared on one server. So that includes your RAM, bandwidth, CPU, and hard-drive space.
The greatest benefit of shared hosting is the low costs. Because the server and its resources are shared among many it allows for a very cost-effective hosting solution.
The downside of shared hosting is that sometimes it can affect a website’s performance. Especially if your or another’s website begins experiencing higher volumes of traffic. It can slow down the server and affect everyone else. Though not all shared hosting environments are created equal, some can be quite fast.
When starting out shared hosting is a great option that is cheap. Though you want a hosting provider that has the options for scalability and growth.
– Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is the exact opposite of shared hosting. While in shared hosting resources are housed on one server and pooled with all websites on that server on a dedicated server all resources on the server are used by one website.
Dedicated hosting is usually an option for major websites that have millions of hits per day and need the horsepower to run a smooth performing website.
Here the cost is much higher since essentially you are renting an entire server. Dedicated hosting is right for you if you have high amounts of traffic daily, you have your own operating system to install, the website uses and requires custom software and you handle over a thousand financial transactions.
– VPS Hosting
With VPS hosting you have the best of both worlds with shared and dedicated hosting. Your website is hosted on a virtual server but does gets its own allocated resources just like a dedicated server but in a somewhat shared environment since it still remains on one powerful supercomputer.
This supercomputer is large enough to have many virtual private compartments and so your website doesn’t share resources with anyone. You have your own CPU, hard disk space, bandwidth, RAM that is scalable and more.
You can choose between Managed VPS Hosting where the hosting provider takes care of all the technical support and Self-managed VPS Hosting where you handle the backend technical details.
The beauty of VPS hosting is that you receive a lot of the benefits of a dedicated server with the close affordability of shared server. It is cost-effective and extremely powerful.
Reasons to Upgrade to VPS Hosting
If you’re not sure if VPS hosting is right for you then it is time to evaluate your website. If you are just starting out in your business then perhaps shared hosting is a better option. However, if your business has been growing and you are looking for more leg room then consider the following.
1. You need more Security
Perhaps now that your business is growing more, you are worried about internet security and being targeted by cybercriminals and hackers. VPS includes enhanced security measures, advanced monitoring tools, more backup solutions, and secured networks with SSL Certificate options that suits your website.
2. Your website is experiencing higher traffic volume
The word is out! Your website is now exploding with traffic and you need a little more power to keep its fast loading, reliable and crash-proof. With a growing audience, you want to upgrade right away to VPS hosting to keep your website user-friendly. VPS is completely scalable and so it can grow as your business continues to grow.
3. Your Website is beginning to lag and run slower
This can be due to higher traffic volumes than usual from your site or another site on a shared server. If your page load speed is less than 2 seconds then it is time for an upgrade. Website speed is crucial to turning your audience into real customers that come back. Speed things up with VPS hosting!
4. You run an Online Store
E-commerce runs better on a dedicated server. Perhaps you have decided to add a store to your website, or your existing e-commerce store has seen more growth. In reality, online stores require more than a shared hosting environment, in fact, they need VPS hosting or higher in order to pass the PCI Compliance test.
With an online store, you are accepting your client’s sensitive financial information like credit and debit cards. Therefore, you need a secured server and a robust security detail in order to keep it all confidential. VPS is the best solution for online stores.
5. You are on a budget
You need more, but you are on a budget. VPS Hosting is the best solution. For example, at Hosting.uk VPS hosting packages begin at £9.95 per month for its most basic plan, with 3 other options to choose from depending on your needs. The most popular and recommended plan starts at £29.95 while the most robust plan cost £39.95. All plans include unlimited bandwidth.
Conclusion
There you have it, the ins and outs of VPS hosting. You are a novice no more. The bottom line is that a growing website requires scalable VPS hosting. It is the best of both worlds and ensures that you get your money’s worth without breaking the bank.
