Although many website owners start out with a basic shared hosting plan, that may not continue to be a viable option as your website attracts more attention. If your traffic levels have increased, it may be time to consider an upgrade.
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting plan provides your site with its own individual operating system, disc space, and bandwidth. This is a stark contrast to shared hosting plans, in which those resources are shared with many other users. VPS hosting enables you to provide a more optimized service for your visitors – which is essential as your site really starts to grow.
In this post, we’ll go over some of the top reasons for upgrading to a Windows-based VPS hosting plan. Let’s get started!
An Introduction to VPS Hosting
When creating a site of any kind, you’ll first need to decide on a hosting plan. There are a number of available options, and while most people start with shared hosting, your needs may change over time.
With shared hosting, your site 'lives' on a server alongside many others, sharing its resources. This is in contrast to dedicated hosting, where one or more servers host a single site. VPS hosting is often considered a ‘hybrid’ of shared and dedicated hosting, as it comprises key elements of both.
When you have a VPS plan, your site is still located on the same physical server as other users. However, each VPS account its virtually partitioned. Every virtual server has its own operating system, with resources that are dedicated to a single site. This often results in a higher level of both performance and security.
VPS hosting does generally come with an increase in cost. More specifically, this type of plan is typically more expensive than shared hosting, but more affordable than dedicated hosting. The cost of your plan will also depend on the Operating System (OS) your server runs on.
Your hosting plan’s OS, such as Windows or Linux, will form the core of your server – determining which apps you can install, how long key tasks will take, and even how well your server performs. Windows-based plans are some of the most popular options, as they provide a high level of technical support and security.
When to Consider Upgrading Your Hosting Plan
It’s unlikely that the hosting plan you started with will be suitable for your site indefinitely. As your site continues to grow and change, it may be time to consider an upgrade.
For example, a new hosting plan might be in order if:
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Your site's traffic has grown significantly
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Your site is running too slowly
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You're concerned about the security of your site's data (and that of its users)
You may also simply feel that you’ve ‘outgrown’ shared hosting. Your business might have doubled in size, for example – meaning that you now require extra resources. Dedicated hosting will provide plenty of resources, but for a much higher price tag – something that smaller businesses often cannot justify.
A VPS hosting plan serves as a natural progression from shared hosting, particularly in regards to cost. It's not difficult to find affordable, high-quality VPS hosting. This type of hosting, particularly on a Windows-based plan, brings with it a wide range of benefits. Let's explore those in more detail.
4 Reasons to Use Windows VPS Hosting for Your Growing Website
There are many advantages to signing up for a Windows VPS hosting plan. In the next few sections, we'll look at four of the most important, in order to help you make a more informed decision.
1. It’s a Cost-Effective Solution
As your website continues to grow, it’s likely that budgeting will become more challenging. Putting time and money into shared hosting when your site has outgrown it can be a poor investment.
At the same time, you don't want to overspend and get a dedicated server for a site that doesn’t need one. VPS hosting provides an ideal middle option for sites that are just beginning to expand.
For example, Windows-based VPS plans here at Hosting.com start at $36.29 per month:
While more expensive than shared hosting, this is still a highly-affordable choice for many small- to mid-sized businesses.
2. There's No More ‘Neighbor Drain’ of Resources
One of shared hosting's downfalls is the fact that the same resources are accessed by multiple sites. This means that if another site on your server has a sudden spike in traffic, for example, you’ll have fewer resources to work with.
As a result, your visitors might experience slow loading times, which in turn can lead to a reduction in traffic and conversions. This is not an ideal environment for websites that have the potential to grow – nor does it give your site and business a professional image.
With VPS hosting, your resources can’t be drained by your neighbor’s activities. Therefore, you’re able to offer a faster, smoother experience for all your visitors.
3. You'll Benefit from a Higher Level of Security
In a general sense, VPS hosting is considered more secure than shared hosting. This is largely due to the fact the apps and data stored on a virtual server are completely isolated from other users.
On a shared plan, if another site on your server suffers from a malware infection or another form of security breach, it’s possible that this could also affect your site. In contrast, the separate storage available on a virtual server means that it's a lot harder for infections to spread between users.
What's more, the Windows-based VPS plans here at Hosting.com are managed. This means you'll benefit from additional security measures, including firewalls, intrusion monitoring, and regular remote backups. This is in contrast to unmanaged plans, in which most security measures and general maintenance tasks are the user's responsibility.
4. You Get More Control Over Your Site
Since a VPS hosting plan is independent of other accounts using the same physical server, you have more control over your partition. You get the entire operating system to yourself – including full access to available resources and files.
Windows-based VPS plans at Hosting.com come with full administrative control. This enables you to set up and customize your server the way you want it, as well as to install and use additional software. The added control over your site also means you are able to try out more advanced coding, and test applications more effectively.
Last but not least, VPS hosting plans are also incredibly simple to upgrade as your business continues to grow. There are a range of hosting packages to choose from, each offering different levels of processing power, storage, and memory. That means you only have to pay for what you need, without hamstringing your site in the process.
Conclusion
As your site expands over time, it's important to consider your current hosting plan. It’s likely that your existing plan doesn’t fit the requirements of your growing site, and by extension the needs of your audience.
A VPS hosting plan can enable you to adapt more efficiently. To recap, four of the reasons to consider using a Windows-based VPS plan include:
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It’s a more cost-effective solution than shared or dedicated plans.
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Your site is less likely to experience ‘neighbor drain’.
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You'll benefit from a higher level of security.
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VPS hosting offers greater control over your site and server.
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