What kind of hosting is right for you? If you’re currently searching through and evaluating your options, it is an overwhelming process. The costs and the choices seem to grow daily with the arrival of the latest server and storage technologies. You need to balance your budget with your needs for traffic, responsiveness, and the amount of data you must access.
One of the newer options is shared cloud hosting, and we think it is one of the best options out there for enterprises with either a flexible or fixed bottom line. Read on to see why you should look at shared cloud hosting and consider it for your business.
Cost Savings
This is one of the biggest differences between any type of shared hosting when compared to dedicated hosting: the amount of money you will save. It varies, but on average, a standard dedicated hosting option will cost you over $100/month. If you are just starting out, or simply do not need to utilize the features that come with dedicated hosting, this will be a large waste of money.
Compare those costs to those for shared cloud hosting which can often cost at or below $4/month. Unlimited SSD cloud storage will cost just a couple of dollars more. Access to premium software is often included. Stepping up to VPS hosting can up the price of $4/month to $40/month and beyond, especially for managed hosting.
Speed
A cluster of servers working together is what is referred to as “the cloud,” and that also gives you an idea of the bandwidth you will have at your disposal. If a company’s servers are located all over the world, a German user can be directed to a European data center, while a Canadian can utilize one located in North America.
Dealing with Crashes and Glitches
Servers go down on occasion. With a dedicated server, there is nothing to do but reboot (which will still take time), and wait. Shared cloud hosting means that the software can redirect your traffic to another server if problems arise.
Security Controls
Behind the architecture of cloud hosting, the security controls can be divided into 4 major categories:
- Deterrent Controls
- Preventative Controls
- Detective Controls
- Corrective Controls
One of the biggest criticisms aimed at shared hosting deals with lowered security levels. Shared cloud hosting eliminates many of those concerns. Read more about that here.
Does shared cloud hosting sound like something you’d like to explore further? Investigate hosts and the resources they offer first. Forums are a great way for you to answer all your questions before making your investment. What type of software do you want at your disposal? What are your anticipated peak loads and overall hardware usage? What does the hosting company’s managed services package look like? How is their customer service?
Once these questions are answered to your satisfaction, then you can invest in an affordable shared cloud host.