It is common practice for small businesses to opt for shared hosting when they first launch a website. After all, small businesses don’t get a lot of traffic in the beginning and it’s better to go for a cheaper option. However, as the website grows, it is of vital importance to move it to a more powerful and advanced server, so the performance of the website doesn’t decline. Despite being a costly option, dedicated hosting will give you your money’s worth and is ten times more reliable than shared hosting.
Dedicated server hosting has many advantages, the top one being that one entire physical server is exclusively leased out by you. This means that, unlike shared hosting, you won’t have to share server resources such as power, RAM, or bandwidth with neighboring sites. In this article, we will tell you all about dedicated hosting including the top 10 Reasons to select a dedicated server hosting provider. Let’s begin!
What is Dedicated Server Hosting?
In layman’s terms, dedicated server hosting means that your software or website is hosted on a server that is dedicated only for your use and isn’t shared by others. Therefore, it is an ideal option for large organisation websites that receive heavy traffic. Those who opt for dedicated hosting have complete control of the server, allowing them to configure it in order to meet their needs. Moreover, the dedicated hosting plans come in two forms:
- Managed
- Unmanaged
Managed dedicated server hosting refers to an isolated environment where the hosting service provider is responsible for the setup, management, administration, and support of the physical server. While unmanaged dedicated servers are rented by a client from a hosting service provider and are managed solely by them without any interference from the hosting provider.
How Do Dedicated Servers Work?
When you opt for dedicated server hosting, the company provides you with a server that is only for your website, and its resources are solely for your use. The main advantage of dedicated server hosting is that you don’t have to share it with anyone else. You are given the freedom to customize and configure it yourself. Therefore, for these very reasons, dedicated servers are more reliable, scalable, and much more efficient for growing businesses.
Cost of Dedicated Server Hosting
As dedicated server hosting brings more to the table than shared hosting, they are more expensive. The monthly plan of dedicated hosting costs anywhere between $40 to $150. However, when opting for a web hosting service, don’t just fixate on the price. It is important to compare different hosting plans, to select the one that benefits you the most. Also take extra care when checking out the introductory and renewal prices as the price jump after the initial period can be quite steep.
Top 10 Reasons to Select a Dedicated Server Hosting Provider
If you are having trouble deciding on a hosting service, then fret not. We will list down ten reasons why you should go for dedicated server hosting below. Give it a read and then make a decision.
1. Dedicated Servers Improve Website Speed and Boost User Experience
We say this from experience that the faster the website the smoother will be the user experience. Speed and user experience go hand in hand, the faster your site loads, the more visitors feel in control. Therefore, it is safe to say that the growth and success of your website depends on your loading time and visitors. The more satisfied visitors are with your website, the more will be the traffic, which in turn will have a positive impact on your search engine rankings. Also, keep in mind that search engines prefer to rank those websites high that are fast and speedy.
With dedicated server hosting, you get a fast loading speed, because all the bandwidth and storage space is reserved for your website only. And as fast speed translates into a smooth user experience, therefore, with dedicated hosting you have a high chance of reducing your bounce rate and increasing the conversion rate.
2. Dedicated Servers are Far More Reliable
Unlike shared hosting, users of dedicated hosting don’t have to compete for resources with other companies, which makes it more reliable. In shared hosting when a neighboring website gets more traffic, it is natural for the speed of your website to drop or for it to crash as you both are using the same resources. To avoid this frustration, opt for dedicated hosting. As with dedicated hosting, you will be the only one utilising the server’s resources. This means that the performance of your website will not be at the mercy of visitor traffic from other websites.
3. Dedicated Servers are Scalable Solutions
Scalability is an essential element for business growth. If your website cannot handle the extra traffic or the surge in orders during peak periods, you might end up losing customers and decreasing your conversion rates. Even the loyal ones won’t stick around and will take their business elsewhere. Fortunately, with dedicated server hosting, you have much more leeway. First of all, unlike shared hosting you aren’t competing for server resources with other websites. Secondly, dedicated hosting comes in different shapes and sizes, which means that you can go for high-tier options that harbor more bandwidth and storage space.
4. Dedicated Servers Giver Better Security
A great disadvantage of using shared hosting is that your website might become a victim to another website’s outdated security procedures. This especially becomes a big problem if you are dealing with sensitive customer information. Therefore, to run a successful online business security should be your first priority.
With dedicated servers, you can oversee your own security and also have the freedom to customise all security settings such as, including an IDS, a firewall, a trusted security application, and much more.
5. Dedicated Server Resources are Solely Yours
With dedicated server hosting, you are the sole owner of all the server resources and have complete freedom to use and customize them. Moreover, you can use them independently without having to compete for them. Dedicated server hosting allows you to change and manage resources as you see fit.
6. Dedicated Servers Provide More Resources to Work with
A dedicated server is your best choice if you are running many websites and the traffic they receive is high. Because with a dedicated server, you will be able to optimise their performance by utilising the countless resources, such as large storage space, CPU, bandwidth, RAM, and much more, the web host has to offer.
7. Dedicated Servers Give you more Freedom and Control
It is best to go for dedicated server hosting if your goal is full root access and complete and utter control over the installation of applications on your server. As with dedicated hosting, you have complete freedom to manage your backups and install security and other applications without having to rely on your hosting provider.
8. Dedicated Servers Offer Better Customization Options
With shared hosting, you don’t have the freedom to install your own performance-boosting applications. However, dedicated server hosting completely changes the game as it offers its users with more customizability. The dedicated servers are completely customizable, allowing users to configure them. There are no restrictions when it comes to dedicated servers, as they can be utilized in different ways to suit your needs.
9. Dedicated Servers Give You a Unique IP Address
When you use shared hosting, your website has to share an IP address with other websites. Which means that if one website on the same server gets infected with a virus or malware, or has spammy content, your website will have to bear the brunt of it. Therefore, for the sake of your website and business, it is better to opt for a dedicated server. As with a dedicated server hosting you will get your own IP address and won’t have to suffer through unnecessary problems.
10. Dedicated Servers Offer Better Customer Support
Reliable customer support can do wonders if you aren’t familiar with the working of website hosting and are running into problems. Most dedicated servers come with 24/7 customer support that can give you a hand in identifying and solving your problems before they have any adverse effect on the performance of your website.
Best Dedicated Server Hosting Providers
When selecting a dedicated server hosting provider, there are certain features that you must keep in mind such as:
- The Central Processing Unit or CPU type used.
- The number of CPU cores and the clock speed they run at.
- The amount of RAM the server offers.
- The amount of storage space offered.
- Bandwidth the server can support.
- The number of dedicated IP addresses.
- The Operating System the server uses.
We took into consideration the top points and came up with three hosting providers that fit the criteria.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is a top-notch web hosting provider and the biggest name in the hosting market. Bluehost users are provided with multiple hosting plans to close from. These plans range form basic shared servers to dedicated options. Speaking of dedicated server options, the web host offers three tiers in the department that start from $79.99 and have a three-year commitment. With every package, you get a free SSL certificate, a custom cPanel dashboard, a domain name, as well as multiple dedicated IP addresses. In terms of hardware, the standard dedicated server plan offers:
- CPU: 4-core, clocked at 2.3 GHz
- Ram: 4 GB
- Bandwidth: 5 TB
- Dedicated IP addresses: 3
- Storage: 500 GB
2. Liquid Web
Despite not being a popular web host, Liquid Web offers stellar dedicated server plans. With Liquid Web users get the option of six different tiers for dedicated managed servers. With each tier named after the type of CPU that powers it. The price of these tiers starts from $169 and comes with an integrated Content Deliver Network, DDoS attack protection, an application firewall, load balancing, and much more. For every tier apart from the basic plan, users are also given the choice between single and dual CPU. When it comes to hardware, the starter dedicated server plan offers:
- CPU: 4-core, clocked at 3.9 GHz
- Ram: 32 GB
- Bandwidth: 5 TB
- Dedicated IP address: 1
- Storage: 2 x 249 GB
3. DreamHost
DreamHost is a popular, minimalistic web hosting service provider, that offers top-notch dedicated servers. The web host houses a slim selection that consists of two managed dedicated hosting tiers. The price of these starts from $149, with the main difference between them being their processors. Apart from that, users have the freedom to configure how much RAM they want their rented server to possess. If you are thinking about opting for the standard dedicated server, you will get:
- CPU: 4-core, clocked at 3.5 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Bandwidth: Unmetered
- Dedicated IP addresses: 1
- Storage: 1 TB HDD
