HOSTING
Could your ecommerce store benefit from a dedicated server?
In this article, xneelo looks at how
a dedicated server can benefit growing ecommerce businesses.
Over the past few months, we’ve offered advice on how to create your ecommerce store, increase traffic, and keep it secure against cyberattacks. Now we’d like to talk about growth, and the resources you’ll need to keep your ecommerce store performing at its best.
As a web hosting provider, we always advise business owners to choose a hosting package that suits their individual needs. But as an online venture scales and expands, so do the resources it needs to operate smoothly.
For example, if your ecommerce store is experiencing a high volume of traffic, you may benefit from the services of a dedicated server.
What is a dedicated server?
A dedicated server is a type of hosting service where an entire physical server is leased for a business’s sole use, providing exclusive access to that server's computing power, storage, and network resources.
Dedicated servers are commonly used by businesses or individuals with specific hosting requirements, such as large websites featuring huge databases and media files, resource-intensive applications, or those with security and compliance considerations.
With dedicated hosting, you have the option of having the server maintained on your behalf (Managed Hosting), or you can manage the whole server, the updates and security yourself (Self-Managed Hosting).
What server options are available?
Depending on your business requirements, you may need only a portion of a server or the entire server. Renting a portion of the server is called shared hosting as you share the entire server with a number of other customers. Your hosting provider will continuously monitor all the hosting accounts on the server, making sure that no one is abusing the shared hosting space and slowing the other customers’ websites down.
If you require a lot of disk space or expect a large amount of traffic, you may want to rent an entire server.
If you would like more control over your hosting and you are willing to assume a bit more responsibility in keeping everything up to date, a Self-Managed Server would be suitable for you. In this case, the hosting provider only provides the server and a place in the data centre. You manage all other aspects of the hosting, including which operating system and other software are installed.
If you are looking for a balance between control and support, then a Managed Server may be your best bet. Here the hardware, networking and software are provided and managed on your behalf, while you get access to the entire server.
How does a dedicated server benefit an ecommerce website?
With dedicated hosting, the whole server is dedicated to one customer – meaning they have access to the full server’s resources to manage large traffic volumes and databases. Customers can choose to host one or many websites on their dedicated server.
Self-managed servers offer scalability, allowing you to upgrade your resources as your ecommerce business grows. This ensures that your website can handle increased traffic and additional functionalities.
It's important to note that managing a dedicated server requires technical expertise. If you have an in-house IT team or access to technical support, this may not be an issue. Otherwise, you may need to consider managed dedicated hosting, where the hosting provider takes care of server maintenance and management tasks.
It's essential to carefully assess your specific requirements and budget before deciding on the hosting solution.
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