A couple of years ago, when the world was waking up to the potential power of the small business web host, the idea of ‘colo’ hosting, or ‘server in a box’, was still quite fresh in the minds of many prospective customers. Although there were some established players in the market, such as Amazon and GoDaddy, who offered reasonably priced, ‘bare metal’ hosting solutions for small businesses, many were still deciding which route to take, wishing to avoid the hefty management fees that some web hosting companies charged. Others were put off by the limited functionality of ‘turn-key’ web hosts, which cost a little less but still had restrictions on what they could and could not do.
However, as time went on, the world had changed. Hosting providers had realised that there was life beyond the Web, and that providing a quality hosting experience wasn’t just about giving users a place to put their websites online, but about engaging with customers, generating leads, and growing their businesses.
Now that customers have seen what a professional web host can offer, they’re less likely to settle for substandard service, even if that means paying a little more. Thanks to this, colocation has become one of the most popular and effective ways to host a business or brand website. Here are some of the main reasons why colocation is the perfect solution for your website, and how you can put it into practice today.
Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits of colocation is that it gives you complete flexibility. You don’t have to commit to anything in particular regarding the hardware or software that you use to run your website. You can choose the processor, the amount of RAM, and the size of the hard drive – all of which will determine how effectively your website can run. The best part is that since everything is provided for you, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
Choosing this route also means that you don’t have to worry about expanding your storage space or hiring someone to assist you with managing your websites. Everything you need is already onboard, so to speak.
Cost Effective
Another great thing about colocation is that it’s one of the more budget-friendly hosting solutions out there. The truth is that you won’t make much money from the outset. You’ll start out with an upfront cost, which is usually around $500 to $1500, but once that’s paid off, you’ll be looking at monthly charges of around $100 to $300. The cost effective part is that this sum is usually enough to cover the cost of the hardware and software that you need to run your website. You won’t need to spend a lot of money on marketing, either, which is good because that’s usually where most of your funds will be spent anyway. If you take our word for it, you’ll find that $1500 is a small price to pay for the flexibility that comes with hosting your website on your own terms.
Quality Control
Finally, getting your website hosted on your own terms definitely has its perks. When you’re paying for the service yourself, you have the opportunity to monitor everything that goes on. This means that you’ll have full control over the quality of the service that you receive, and you can ensure that it meets your standards, no matter what. In the end, you’ll be happy to know that you did everything yourself, and that you’re not at the mercy of the company that you chose to work with.
Taking the time to host your website on your own terms means that you’re also taking the time to ensure that it’s optimised to work effectively. You don’t want to rush into anything, especially when you’re hosting such important content as your website’s content. Make sure that everything is done correctly and, above all, that you are happy with the results. We know from experience that it’s all too easy to become disheartened when editing and optimising a website, but if you take the time to do it right, the results will be worth it.
Security
Last but not least, we want to talk about the security of your website. Even if you’re paying for the service yourself, you don’t want to put your website at risk, especially now that hacking is on the rise. The truth is that no matter what you do, you won’t be able to stop hackers from getting access to your website’s data, especially if you use the same password for different websites. Back in March 2017, for example, LinkedIn was hacked, and as a result, the personal and professional information of over 100 million users was made available to anyone with an internet connection. Even if you changed your password after that, there’s always the risk that it will be hacked again, as the password re-use rate is at an all-time high.
When it comes to security, you definitely shouldn’t take the ‘web hosting’ route. Instead, look into the world of ‘managed hosting’ or ‘dedicated hosting’. With managed hosting, you get a server that’s already configured and optimised for maximum performance, and you don’t have to worry about the security aspect, as the provider takes care of it for you. This is perfect if you’re looking for a quick and simple solution, as you don’t have to worry about any of the technicalities involved. You can just focus on creating content for your website.
With dedicated hosting, you get a server that’s exclusively yours, and you don’t have to share it with any other websites. This makes it less vulnerable to attack, as there’s no other competitor’s content on the same physical server. Naturally, you’ll still need to take care of the server’s security yourself, as you’re the only one who knows the password. In addition, you’ll have full access to the server’s settings and functionality, so make sure that you’re aware of all the security features that it offers, and make use of them.
The Bottom Line
In the end, there’s no question that paying for web hosting is a good idea, as long as you’re happy with the service that you receive. As we’ve established, not all web hosts are created equal, and some of them are more expensive than others, based on a number of factors. Take the time to do your research, and make sure that you’re getting the best deal possible – not the cheapest one. Looking for a bargain is one thing, but you don’t want to skimp out on the quality of the service that you receive, simply because you’re looking to save a few dollars. This is why we hope that this article helped you in your quest to find the best hosting deal possible.