Web hosting is the general term that refers to an internet service that makes it possible for businesses and individuals to publish their websites for viewing on the World Wide Web. A web hosting plan is a business expense and shouldn’t be taken lightly. You should look for a good plan that strikes the balance between function and price. So the cheapest plan may not be the best. You need a plan that is affordable and adds value to your business. There are several types of web hosting options with the main ones being, Shared, VPS and Dedicated hosting. However, if you are operating a small business or your business has outgrown a shared hosting space, a Managed VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a great hosting option for you.
Managed VPS helps to support the growth, security and reliability of your business. That is why for the past few years, it has become a popular choice for small businesses.
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Two Types of VPS Hosting – Managed & Unmanaged VPS
When it comes on to VPS hosting there are two main options – managed and unmanaged. At the core, they both fundamentally do the same thing. However, with a managed plan all the technical work in done for you and with an unmanaged plan you do all the work.
Managed VPS
Choosing a managed VPS is perfect for your businesses. With this plan, the service provider is responsible for installs, updates, configuration, security, software and server maintenance. While the experts manage the technical side of things, you can focus your attention on gaining more customers while building your brand.
Imagine not having to lift a finger to set up or monitor your server because your service provider is in charge of doing those tasks. That is what a managed VPS plan affords you.
Managed VPS is an affordable web hosting option for your small business. Here are six reasons you should use a managed VPS package.
1. Faster Performance
How fast your website loads is critical. Studies show that visitors will leave your website if it does not load in under 10 seconds. Google also measures speed and uses it as one of their ranking factors. Speed helps to determine performance. Having a really fast website results in more visits which then convert into more customers. Having a website that operates at top speed is good for business and a managed VPS plan can help you achieve this.
VPS plans helps your website to perform better and load faster especially when compared to shared hosting. It is affordable, and though not the cheapest is well-spent value for money if you are serious about growing your business.
2. Ability to Scale
Another advantage to managed VPS hosting is its scalability. This means that it is easy for you to scale up or down resources allocated to your server, such as RAM and disc space without affecting your uptime. There is a cap on the resources available to you with a shared plan.
However, with VPS you can simply request an upgrade to your plan from your hosting provider as your business grows. Also, if you realise you have more resources than you require you can always scale it down.
3. Reliability
Your ability to rely on your hosting service to ensure that your website is always accessible online is essential. You should choose a plan that gives you 99% uptime. Each time your company suffers from downtime you lose customers and it reflects poorly on your organisation’s reputation.
Managed VPS is reliable and even a spike in traffic will not affect your loading time and uptime. Although VPS users share resources on a physical server each user has a dedicated private server. This means that you have the option of choosing the Operating System of your choice to further improve the reliability of your website.
4. Saves Time and Money
You will spend a little extra on a managed VPS plan but the benefits outweigh the price. Especially when it comes on to the time you will save, knowing well that “time is money.” You will not have to hire a professional to configure, monitor and run your server. With a managed VPS plan the service provider carries out those tasks. They take care of any problems that arise while providing expert tech support. This way you can concentrate on growing your business.
Though VPS hosting costs more than shared hosting, it is less expensive when compared to dedicated server hosting. In terms of benefits, VPS compares well with dedicated server hosting while costing less. Since you have 24/7/365 technical support there is always help to ensure your website stays online.
5. Software independence
When you choose managed VPS hosting the service provider takes on the responsibility of running the server for you. Not only that but you will also be able to choose the type of Operating System (OS) that best suits the needs of your business. With a Shared plan, you would be stuck with the same server and operating system. However, that’s not the case with VPS. The service provider will also do regular updates to your hardware and operating system, as well as put in security patches.
6. Security
Every day there are new cybercrimes, scams and data theft. So it’s no surprise that security is of great concern for online businesses. Keeping customer data secure is of utmost importance. With managed VPS your service provider executes the necessary security configurations for you. Added security comes from the fact that your data and source files are saved on your private server making it unavailable for other users on your main server. With security being taken care of you’ll have more time to focus on your business.
Conclusion
A managed VPS is the perfect solution for small businesses. Knowing that professionals are managing your website gives you the reassurance to develop your business. Hosting.co.uk offers some of the best managed VPS packages. Our managed VPS hosting plans provide 99.9% uptime and technical support every day.
All our plans provide speed and security for your site. If you are looking for a hosting option that will give you extra security and a significantly lower price, VPS hosting has all the benefits you’ll need.
