Understanding the Basics of VPS Hosting

Businessman is pressing VIRTUAL PRIVATE SERVER on an interactive touch screen. Business metaphor and information technology concept involving computer network security and web hosting services.
It’s estimated that, on average, server downtime costs clients $7,903 per minute. Now, think about the advertised uptime guarantees. If clients are getting quoted 99.5% availability, that translates to an average of $173,000 per month lost.
As we all know, of course, most companies don’t hit their uptime goals, so that number can grow exponentially. The problem is further exasperated when client websites are on shared servers of questionable quality.
One way to avoid these potentially devastating losses is to switch to VPS hosting. VPS is a Virtual Private Server or a private dedicated server that is hosted within its own environment on a master server. This type of server combines the privacy and security of a separate physical server with the cost-effectiveness of a shared one.
You can be stay protected while under a budget. Here’s what a VPS can do for you.
Enhanced Security
Security and reliability are two of the big reasons why companies switch to virtual private servers. You can gain access to better monitoring, better fail-safes, and more security tools. Nearly a quarter of large business enterprises have switched to a private cloud server.
Backup Service
Faulty plug-ins, corrupt update files, and other uncontrollable variables can make you lose all your hard work. Having a permanent backup to your website that can never be lost is invaluable. Cloud VPS hosting has made backing up automatic.
Handling More Traffic
Scaling a website can be a challenging process. You want to grow your business as fast as possible, but sometimes you run into website problems. You have to upgrade your website to handle more visitors.
Server crashes mean money lost, so if you want to stay ahead of the wave, you need a VPS. Hard limits on how much traffic your website gets can stunt your growth.
Performance Issues
If you receive an influx of traffic that isn’t enough to make the servers crash, your visitors will still be dealing with slowdowns. Anytime your website takes a performance hit, whether through traffic, ISP issues, or utilizing too much RAM, it increases the likelihood of visitors leaving.
VPS web hosting uses faster, adaptive technology so that you are never punished for growing your website.
Great for E-Commerce
If your online business includes selling products directly through a shop, you should upgrade to a VPS. Having your own separate, secure server improves the likelihood of you passing the PCI or The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Businesses on a shared server will not be viewed as trustworthy.
Customize Your Software
Traditional web hosting services offer basic customization options. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to need to do some custom programming. This is important for both changing the physical appearance and the way that data is managed.
You are able to have full root access. Installing advanced software and customizing virtually anything is the same as if the VPS were a dedicated server.
If you are hosted on a shared server, you’ll only run into frustration when you learn advanced actions are blocked or that apps don’t have the support needed to function properly.
Server Errors
Getting page errors on a website can be fatal for a business. Imagine yourself doing a marketing blitz to funnel traffic to your site and visitors getting the old ‘404 Service Unavailable’ error. This is the worse type of downtime because you have to troubleshoot and figure out the problem.
VPS hosts pride themselves in providing the most stable and error-free client experience. This is due to the reliability, thanks to back-ups and server redundancies to keep websites accessible.
Affordability of VPS Hosting
Let’s face it, paying for dedicated hosting is not a realistic solution for small businesses. You don’t want to start stunting your growth by redirecting a large portion of your revenue to hosting. A virtual private server allows you to scale your business intuitively and intelligently.
VPS hosting can save you thousands of dollars on server costs, without sacrificing security, expandability, or reliability. Monthly fees for dedicated servers may range from $100 to $1,000 depending upon the package. For small startups that deal with web development or creating custom layouts for multiple customers, VPS is your best friend.
How to Find the Best VPS Host
There are a lot of VPS providers out there, now that the cloud has become an industry standard. There are a couple ways to filter through all the choices and find the one that meets your needs.
Self-Managed Versus Managed Services
If your business doesn’t have a dedicated webmaster to manage the software and services on your server, you can have the host step in. Managed services are easy to bundle with your VPS package if needed. Navigating VPS options alone can get confusing, so managed services can save you a lot of time.
Uptime
Standard web hosting uptime promises usually plateau at about 99.5%. Never settle for anything lower than that. For VPS standards, you should be aiming for above that grade, preferably at 99.98%.
Remember, the differences between that half percent could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions for large companies.
Server Hardware
What your private server is running on will determine how fast access times will be. Hosting services need to be upgrading their hardware on a regular basis. Minimum requirements include all-SSD storage solutions, processors within the last two generations or newer, and plenty of high-speed RAM.
The good news about VPS is that through cloud computing, these metrics are easier to hit, thanks to the ability to outsource hardware.
Customer Support
This is the hidden catch for many web services that are often discovered too late. If you encounter any issues with your service, you need to be able to communicate clearly with your provider. If there is any language barrier or issues with professionalism, your business partnership could turn into a nightmare.
Reputable VPS providers should have 24/7 helplines and knowledgeable support staff.
VPS for the Future
As you can see, VPS hosting fulfills many different shortcomings experienced in the web hosting space. It’s an accessible solution for all levels of business. If you want a foundation that will enable you to reach for the sky without looking back, you should start with a virtual private server.
Read more about VPS and upgrading your hosting on our blog. We show you how to migrate tactfully and avoid any hiccups in your business. Finding a great web hosting service has never been easier.