Part of the ongoing digital transformation (DT) means that consumers expect businesses to have an online presence. But there’s no one-size-fits-all web hosting. For example, an eCommerce site uses more bandwidth and storage than a blog. As a business grows its digital presence, it needs the flexibility and scalability managed VPS hosting provides.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the acronym, VPS denotes a virtual private server. This service uses hypervisor software to partition a server into virtualized environments; each allotted a separate operating system (OS) and a dedicated share of system resources such as applications and disk storage space. In effect, each virtualized environment acts as a stand-alone server.
What About Shared Hosting?
While adequate for small-scale operations, shared web hosting is not a long-term solution for growing businesses. Shared hosting resources are limited and lack customizable application options.
Compared to VPS hosting, shared hosting is susceptible to greater system latency since it uses an additional layer of software to separate system resources from the server. This often leads to performance bottlenecks, slowing system response times.
Moreover, shared hosting tenants have few optimization options available to fine-tune their website’s performance. Tenants often share a server’s IP address. Also, cybersecurity is a concern; if one website on a compromised server is hacked, other websites on the server can be breached as well.
While it’s true that shared hosting is the most affordable option, remember the adage: “You get what you pay for.” The same applies to web hosting.
Why a Managed VPS Hosting Solution?
Managed VPS hosting is the “Goldilocks” option between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Less expensive than dedicated hosting, managed VPS hosting offers the flexibility a dedicated hosting solution provides.
While system resources are still shared, each tenant receives a guaranteed allotment of resources partitioned from other clients. A managed VPS host also serves far fewer tenants than shared hosts typically accommodate. Best of all, a business doesn’t need an IT staff to manage its server; the host performs all hardware maintenance and software updates. Yet, users can optimize server CPU, disk space, and RAM as web traffic grows.
Tech-savvy clients can opt for a self-managed VPS hosting (as opposed to a fully-managed VPS) solution. However, all a self-managed VPS tenant receives is a guarantee of a fully-functional server; the host provides no maintenance, system monitoring, or management support.
Clients availing a managed VPS hosting solution have root access to their systems, giving them total control over every file and command. This capability allows managed VPS clients to customize software applications for their specific needs. Should a business add an eCommerce platform such as Shopify or Squarespace to its website, these software-as-a-service (SaaS) options is simple to deploy and require minimal back-end development skills.
The scaling capability of VPS allows clients to customize web applications as well. Clients can tailor features—such as online shopping carts or login forms—to serve the specific needs of website users. Too, some clients need specialized features to safely secure user data, like Protected Health Information (PHI). They need the security and performance of a managed VPS solution, not shared hosting.
Managed VPS Hosting Gives Peace of Mind
One need not be a tech guru to utilize managed VPS hosting. While a client needs basic knowledge of a server environment, a hosting provider does all the “heavy lifting.” Clients receive 24/7 customer support, server maintenance, constant data backups and system monitoring to ensure their network’s peak performance at all times.
A managed VPS hosting solution is ideal for those who want the “bells and whistles” of a dedicated server yet lack the resources to manage it. Managed VPS hosting enhances customer experience for website visitors by maximizing system response speeds, safeguarding user data, and facilitating custom web applications.
No matter if one overseed an existing business or starts a new venture, choose a managed VPS solution instead of shared hosting for greater flexibility, scalability, security, and performance.