“VPS? What the heck is a VPS?!”
That is what most people think when they see the term. However, even though the terminology isn’t popular, the process is becoming more and more prevalent. But, before we move onto that, let’s clear the water. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, and it acts as a buffer between the company and its internet provider. Yes, it is that simple.
So, why are businesses investing in them more often in 2017? What makes them special? Without sounding corny, there are lots of benefits that make them beneficial, far too many to go into detail. So, instead of leaving you on the hook, this post has focused on the top five. Without further ado, here they are in more detail and why you need to get on board the virtual train.
The Low Cost
There are people that will try and say that a VPS is not as cheap as a shared server, but don’t listen to them. You can actually find very affordable plans, just go to the cheapest vps hosting and you will see for yourself that this type of hosting is not that expensive.
The truth is that yes, the initial cost is higher compared to its technological cousins, yet the retail price is short-term thinking. When it comes to cost, you have to look at the long-term aspect of cutting costs and making money. If you do that with a virtual server, the benefits become more apparent.
For example, people that push shared servers neglect to mention that the cost is a constant for the rest of your business life. After all, you are not an expert who can bring the process in-house to cut out the expense. Of course, a private server is out of the question unless you have a crack team at your disposal, and, if you do, the odds are they cost a pretty penny.
More Flexibility & Control
Unlike most services, a VPS provides complete access to the root of the software. Sorry, I’ll repeat that in English: you get more control over the platform. That means you can download and add new software to the server without any limitations. A shared server has a lot of focus on security, which is a good thing, except in this instance, the lack of flexibility means that lots of programs and apps are not supported for safety reasons.
If you desperately need the download to enhance your business, you are up a proverbial creek without a paddle. And, don’t think that the added flexibility makes a VPS less secure because it doesn’t. All it does is hand the control over to the users and trust they make the right decisions. When you think about it logically, you will do everything in your power as it is your data at risk. This is clever and practical at the same time.
Added Extras
Virtual servers come with a lot of features that are useful in a variety of situations. For example, they tend to be greener and friendlier to the environment. Not only is this important because of the rise in popularity, but for funding reasons. First and foremost, a business has to keep up with the competition by mirroring their moves, yet they also need money to function. With government grants available to those that are helping the planet, there is a lot of money on the table.
Apart from these little bonuses, there are others that the supplier throws in of their own volition. The current windows VPS hosting package from IO Zoom has an activated Windows license, while others will provide 24-hour tech support. Regardless of the promotion, a number of deals mean a business can pick and choose which extras to exploit. In the case of a growing business, the right freebie could be the difference between success and failure.
Scalability
Even though it sounds like a made-up word, scalability is real and has very genuine effects on a company. Think about your website and the amount of traffic it receives on a daily basis. In general, you want your number of visitors to skyrocket so that you can benefit from increased conversions and more revenue. Plus, the more people that visit the site, the better it is for the brand. Sadly, lots of sites can’t handle an increase in traffic without scaling the bandwidth parameters. As a result, the site crashes and goes offline and has the complete opposite effect.
The obvious answer is to increase the range, yet that isn’t always possible if you have a fixed contract. Thankfully, a VPS is flexible enough to allow a change in scalability at short notice. Even if you don’t expect a change in traffic, it is important to have the option. Let’s face it – you never know when something is going to go viral!
Better Reliability
Like all good things, companies follow suit and jump on the bandwagon. For the most part, this often softens the effect it has on the business, and traditional servers are no different. In fact, they are the worst because the build up of data on shared servers leads to one thing: down time. Because of the number of firms sharing space, the pressure becomes too much for the server and it crashes.
If you are on this platform, there is bound to be a reliability issue that will stop your business from running smoothly. And, when efficiency is compromised, everything begins to decline. Thankfully, this is not the case with a VPS as they are not as popular yet. As a result, the effects are just as great now as ever before. So, there should be very few reliability problems that lead to down time and a potential loss of earnings. Until the demand catches up, the reliable nature of the software should stay at a high level.
In conclusion, there are other alternatives which some businesses might find appealing. Indeed, lots of your competitors could use them now to try and gain an advantage. However, even though it lacks the same popularity, a VPS has benefits that outweigh those of the competition.
Emma says
Thanks! I found this very useful. What VPS options are out there to explore before setting up my own website?
Elaine Rau says
Hey Emma! I would research according to what you’re looking for but this website is helpful: https://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/web-hosting-beginner-guide/
Lora Beth says
I’ve read these 5 reasons. These 5 points are very good and useful for us, it is very helpful for growing our business. When we start a business we all need flexibility to our business.