When it comes to web hosting, a number of decisions must be made upfront. One of them is whether you’ll rely on a cloud server (a virtual server) or a dedicated server (a physical server) to handle your business’ website.
Though each company offering server services is different, before choosing one, you’ll want to look at six key areas: performance, accessibility, security, scalability, your level of control, and cost.
Performance
Have you ever gone to a website only to have it take forever to download? As a customer, this can leave you frustrated and send you to the competitor’s site. That’s why server performance is so important.
Typically, cloud servers are updated regularly, which means that they often have better performance than a physical server that’s been in your closet for years and uses the same operating system that it did in 1996.
The one-time dedicated servers can be faster though is if you have a cloud server that experiences a lot of crashes or lower levels of uptime. However, this isn’t necessarily a concern if you have a top dedicated server hosting site that is capable of supporting your website traffic and design.
Accessibility
One of the top reasons people prefer the cloud is accessibility. With this option, you can access your data anytime from anywhere. This isn’t necessarily the case with dedicated servers as a number of them only give you access to your business information if you’re physically onsite.
Security
According to Computerworld, out of 583 companies surveyed, 90 percent revealed that their computers had been hacked into at least once during the previous year. Worse yet, more than half (60 percent) admitted that their systems had been breached two or more times during the same timeframe.
This makes server security a critical issue unless you want to potentially shell out a pile of cash in damages and risk irreparably damaging your reputation due to a breach.
Fortunately, both cloud and dedicated servers can be relatively secure. Before selecting either one, you’ll benefit from specifically asking what security options that particular server provides.
Learn more about 4 pros and cons of taking your business on fully cloud services.
Scalability
“I never want my business to grow,” said no entrepreneur ever. Therefore, you want to pick the server option that can best support your business during times of growth.
One benefit of cloud servers is the ability to quickly change or update your cloud server’s hardware as this can often be accomplished in a manner of minutes. Dedicated servers, on the other hand, generally require more time to take these kinds of actions.
Level of user control
The one factor that is probably most different between cloud servers and dedicated servers is the level of your control over the data you save. Because they’re physically yours, dedicated servers usually offer more user control.
That being said, some cloud servers do offer customized control panels. This enables you to create a server experience with the features most important to your specific business.
Cost
A final factor to consider before choosing a server is the cost. Because cloud servers involve another agency storing your information for you, you can expect a monthly or annual fee. Additionally, some cloud servers offer packages at a flat rate whereas others charge based on the amount of space you need.
If you go with a dedicated server, you purchase the server yourself, so there is a larger upfront cost, but no regular fees. Just be sure to choose an option that you can update as your business grows so you’re not stuck with a server you have to replace in the next five or ten years because you’ve outgrown it.
Though choosing between a cloud server and a dedicated server is an individual choice, as long as you pay attention to these five factors, you’ll be able to make an informed decision for your business. That’s the best kind of decision there is.
