VPS for Business: Basic things you need to know

When launching a website, business owners have to make the heavy commitment of whether they should choose a dedicated or shared web hosting provider. It’s a decision that can make or break a company since both have their pros and cons. However, did you know there’s a third option you can choose from between shared hosting and dedicated servers? This middle ground is known as a Virtual Private Server or VPS for business. It’s a viable solution for you if you don’t want to try the previous two choices.

How does VPS hosting work?

A server is a computer on which your web host stores the files and databases needed for your website. Whenever an online visitor wants to access your website, their browser sends a request to your server and it transfers the necessary files through the internet. VPS hosting provides you with a virtual server that simulates a physical server, however, in reality, the machine is shared among several users.

Using virtualization technology, your hosting provider installs a virtual layer on top of the operating system (OS) of the server. This layer divides the server into partitions and allows each user to install their own OS and software.

Therefore, a virtual private server (VPS) is both virtual and private because you have complete control. It is separated from other server users on the OS level. In fact, VPS technology is similar to creating partitions on your own computer when you want to run more than one OS (e.g. Windows and Linux) without a reboot.

Running a VPS lets you set up your website within a secure container with guaranteed resources (memory, disk space, CPU cores, etc.) you don’t have to share with other users. With VPS hosting, you have the same root-level access as if you had a dedicated server, but at a much lower cost.

What are the benefits of VPS for your business?

Subscribing to a VPS hosting provider gives you the benefits of both shared and dedicated hosting packages.

A holder of VPS receives a dedicated amount of RAM for their hosting contract. Because of this, there will be no issue of multiple holders sharing RAM even if they’re on the same server. As a VPS holder, you will receive guaranteed resources, which allow higher memory capacity and faster processing time without sharing it with other sites on the server.

Although you have autonomy in our virtual space, you will still receive the cost-effective benefits of shared hosting services. With VPS hosting, you get shared costs of services, quick server setups, and convenient server access with IT support.

When to use VPS for your business and how to decide it is time to upgrade?

VPS hosting is usually seen as the next step after your website grows out of the resource limits of shared hosting. If the most advanced shared hosting plan is not enough anymore to run your website smoothly, it’s worth upgrading to a VPS plan. In such cases, VPS hosting can provide you with the best of two worlds: shared and dedicated hosting.

However, there are other use cases when it can be a good idea to start with a VPS plan right from the beginning. For example, eCommerce websites where you need to ensure secure payments with a fast and stable environment can benefit a lot from a virtual private server. In fact, if you store any kind of sensitive data or have to process online payments VPS can help you reduce the risk of security breaches and identity theft.

If you expect traffic spikes at certain times on your site, for instance, in the case of an event planning or ticket-selling website, a VPS hosting plan can be a godsend as well. Game servers and other resource-heavy sites also run with much better performance on a virtual private server.

Conclusion

Scalability is a crucial factor you should consider when choosing a hosting service. VPS allows you to maintain independent control and customization of your systems while still giving your site room to grow. It does all without the expensive upkeep costs of maintaining a dedicated server all to yourself.

Subscribing to a VPS is your best option if you don’t want to jump from one host to another for your operations’ expansion. It’s a versatile middle option without going all-in on a large-scale expansive server.