What is a dedicated server and when do I need it for my site?

You probably opted for a shared hosting much like many other new business site owners, when you first launched your website. After all, it is the most affordable hosting option, and the budget is important. However, as your business and website grow, it’s significant to know when to upgrade to something more substantial. There are a lot of options, and you may have thought about, what is a dedicated server hosting– and when do I need one?

The answer to this question lies in the reasons for wanting to upgrade in the first place. For instance, you may be dealing with an immediate spike in traffic, or anticipating growth in the near future. Dedicated server hosting is ideal for this, along with their strong improved security features and potential positive impact on page loading times.

In this article, I will be explaining what dedicated servers is, then compare this type of hosting to other common hosting types. Then I will offer some advice on how to decide whether or not a dedicated server is right for you. Let’s get started!

What is dedicated hosting and how it is different from other hosting?

Dedicated hosting basically means that your site has its own server all to itself. It offers gigantic power and flexibility but typically comes at a premium cost. As such, it’s quite important to do your research before opting to buy this type of hosting plan.

For illustration, most sites start out with a shared hosting plan but soon grow to exceed that cheap shared plan’s limits. Your options here could include an upgrade to a VPS (virtual private server) or a dedicated one. It’s up to you to weigh up the different options.

As you may be aware that shared hosting stores your site on a server with possibly hundreds of others. For personal blogs or very small business sites, this option is quite sufficient. Although, it is not the best option for performance, and you can also lose out on flexibility because you can’t configure things yourself.

In contrast, a VPS gives your website its own space, separate from other sites, while still sharing a server. Since your site is blocked off from other users, its performance will likely be more consistent. You also get a little more flexibility when it comes to how your server is configured. These kinds of plans can offer you the speed you require at a lower cost than dedicated hosting and represent a good middle ground for those looking for an upgrade.

Still, a dedicated server hosting India is the plan of choice if you need the most power for your money. However, as you’d expect, the downside is cost, and some run up to three-figures per month. Fortuitously, by the time your site needs one to handle its traffic, it may very well be worth it.

4 key reasons Why would you need a dedicated server?

As mentioned above, dedicated server is one of the most powerful servers plans available, along with cloud hosting. However, you may be asking yourselves whether you need it or not. Let’s review 4 reasons you should consider opening your wallet!

1. Your website is growing you are noticing a sudden spike in the traffic

If you observe that your website is going to grow quickly, it might be a good idea to opt for a dedicated server now. Let’s say if your website is still using shared hosting when your traffic increases, its performance could drop significantly. This can be a slippery slope of higher bounce rates and loss of revenue. It’s vital to give yourself time to migrate your site and ‘settle’ its performance before any potential problems arise.

According to FXBlog, your website should be prepared to handle traffic spikes of up to 30 times your normal daily traffic, to account for promotions and special events. If you are not prepared, your website could crash or otherwise lead to a negative user experience (UX).

2. Security is a concern for your website

Security is one of the most important aspects of every website, but particularly for those handling sensitive information. It’s crucial to protect this information and your site from viruses, hacks, and other risks.

With dedicated server hosting, you are completely in charge of your site’s security. This means you can optimize the features for the specific requirements of your website and stored files. Of course, you are also responsible for how these features are implemented, but this is one of the advantages of flexibility.

However, many web hosts offer fully-managed and semi-managed maintenance plans. In short, you can often agree on what both you and your web host will be responsible for, which means you can trust an expert with mission-critical functionality while handling all other concerns directly.

3. You would like your page loading times to be optimum

Your website’s page loading times can have a substantial impact on practically all aspects of your site. Slow pages can lead to low engagement metrics and high bounce rates. A dedicated server can help you to optimize this aspect of your website as much as possible.

On a shared server, you won’t have any insight into when the server’s resources are being used elsewhere, which could make your site run slowly. Opting for a dedicated server will guarantee you have the bandwidth you need to enhance your page loading times.

4. Having control over your server is important to you

The final reason you may be wanting to select a dedicated server over other hosting options is a simple one: control. We have mentioned this in previous sections, but a dedicated server gives you complete responsibility for how you choose to use your server.

For illustration, you are even free to choose the server software you prefer. If you favor the resource control of NGINX over Apache, you have the power to do so. Plus, you can also adjust hardware specifications and install your own OS (operating system) (OS). Because of this, dedicated hosting may be an enticing option for advanced web developers, and those with unique and specific requirements.

Where can you get dedicated hosting?

You will find that many of the popular hosting companies offer plans on the whole spectrum of complexity and price. This means that you will often find a cheap dedicated server India setup that offers powerful dedicated servers with a host of features and benefits.

NextraOne offers affordable and robust dedicated servers that are equipped with enhanced configurations & the latest hardware. At NextraOne, we provide 24/7 technical support, fast hardware deployment, better failover, and the best uptime for the website to our customers. Our dedicated server help manages high traffic portals, ensures faster loading time, increased security, and enhanced user experience. Also, our state-of-the-art hosting services ensure that your website never faces another hitch.

When should you opt for a dedicated server?

Now as we have gone over some of the advantages of dedicated hosting, let’s talk briefly about how to know if it’s right for you. After all, a VPS may provide many of the same features, but at a cheaper cost.

The first thing you should consider is whether your site is receiving more traffic. If the numbers are much higher than previously, it will be high time to upgrade from your current plan. Your choice will either be VPS hosting, cloud hosting, or dedicated hosting.

These all offer the potential for large bandwidths and fast page loading times. Although, a dedicated server has an edge over a VPS when it comes to security, if only because you have complete control over how the server runs and operates.

Ultimately, as with many other considerations, your decision depends on the specific needs of your website. Definitely, if budget is no concern, you can’t go wrong with a dedicated server. However, much like choosing your very first hosting plan, the cost will become a primary concern when making your decision.

Conclusion

If your site is struggling to keep up with the spike in traffic, it may be time to migrate your website to a dedicated server. This is basically a server that only hosts your site, and not only enhances your site’s performance but also improves your page loading times and helps you optimize security.