Every day billions of people visit websites around the world, with almost no knowledge of where those websites are actually stored. Without a server, a website is not able to load, and that is why it’s important to choose the best kind for your business.

What Is A Website Server?

A server is a machine where the files and data from your website are hosted. It is essentially a computer that serves your website to users.

A server’s ability is defined by its amount of RAM (random access memory), CPU (central processing unit), and the Storage resources, which are always different, depending upon the hosting plans.

Which Server Is Best For Your Business?

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a server hosting package:

• Shared Hosting
• Managed Hosting
• Virtual Private Servers
• Serverless Environments
• High availability environments
• Database servers
• Mail servers
• Other specialized environments

In this article, we’re going to focus on Shared Hosting, Managed Hosting, Virtual Private Servers (or VPS) as these are the most commonly used in business. We will review the three most important factors to consider when choosing a website server.

1) Resources & Performance

Shared and Managed solutions store your website in a container that is specific to your website but the resources are not exclusively yours. The resources also belong to all of the other websites that are stored in their own containers within that environment.

If another website is experiencing a heavy load from a large amount of traffic, it can impact your website’s ability to load quickly.

In terms of resources and performance, a VPS is a clear winner.  With a VPS your resources are exactly that, yours. Because you are not being affected by any other website’s load, your site will be able to consume as many resources as it requires, within the specifications of your plan.

2) Server Maintenance

On a Shared or Managed Hosting plan, your hosting provider is responsible for keeping required packages updated and for applying security patches. 

The difference is that Managed Hosting can apply automatic application updates to your WordPress Core, and even Plugins and Themes.

If configured correctly and actively maintained, a VPS can also handle a large number of maintenance updates on its own, but this does require an expert who is experienced with the command line.

Because this configuration is flexible, you have the ability to build the environment to your specifications, allowing for things like improved caching and free SSL.

The difference here is that on a VPS if you do have an issue or something breaks then it is your team’s responsibility to fix it, where on Managed and Shared plans the hosting provider is usually able to step in and assist.

3) Server Costs

Because the hosting provider is taking on more responsibility for Shared and Managed environments, those plans tend to be higher in price but offer fewer resources.  

Shared Hosting is typically between $8-25/month and Managed Hosting is typically $35-200+/month. But remember with these you are sharing with other sites.
A $10-20/month VPS could run the majority of small to medium websites without a hiccup.

In Summary, when choosing a server, the idea of cost vs benefit can be misleading. Some people think a cheaper option is enough, sometimes it can be. But it can also lead to problems, such as downtime and frustration.

Just as with most decisions for your business, it’s important to do your research and know what you’re getting when you choose your server hosting plan.

Want to upgrade your website for your business? Brandastic is an ecommerce web development agency with offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, and Austin. We specialize in the design and development of business websites for companies of all sizes. Contact us to get started growing your business and online sales.