In the modern world, there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration if you want to achieve sustainable, long-lasting success. The quality of your goods or services, for instance, are incredibly important – if they are lacking in this department, the reality of the situation is that your business will fall by the wayside. Similarly, you will need to constantly update and improve your customer service capabilities, as these will be routinely called-upon by your audience. However, by far-and-away the most crucial in this day-and-age is your website, hence why this is an area that is worth investing in.
Here at catalyst2, we take great pride in having an excellent working knowledge of the technical landscape. Having been operating for over twenty years, we have seen hosting trends come-and-go in relation to websites. Currently, it is the cloud-based systems that are seeing their demand continue to rise, and there are no-signs to suggest that this trend is going to slow down. Below, we have taken the liberty of showcasing the advantages that can be enjoyed when utilising cloud storage and resources, as well as what you need to take into account when choosing a service provider.
Cloud Servers, An Introduction
As we have already mentioned, the importance of your website cannot be stressed enough; whilst there are certain industries that still rely on word of mouth, this is a platform that you can use to reach new audiences on a daily basis. However, if prospective customers were to see that your website is sub-par, it will not take long for them to take their business elsewhere. Case-and-point, if your loading times are excessively long, they will become increasingly frustrated, to the point that they will find a different company to help them. It is for this reason that you should constantly be on the lookout for ways in which to improve your site; this is where investing in a cloud server can pay dividends.
In case you weren’t already aware, a server is what allows your website to be found on the Internet. Without this, you would be left with a site that is, to all intents and purposes, useless. With so many different options from which to choose from, you might be left wondering why it is that you should opt for a cloud-based system as opposed to a dedicated server that is physical. First-and-foremost, you should be aware that the latter, whilst notorious for its speed, is not quite as good from a security standpoint. As the years have gone-by, the capabilities of cyber criminals have improved, which has put businesses across the globe at risk. Naturally, you will want to do everything in your power to protect yourself – although public cloud systems are not perfect, private servers will offer you the finest cyber protection measures on the market.
In essence, a cloud server does not rely on just a single server to operate – instead, it is run entirely remotely, courtesy of the wonderful innovation that is the Internet. The virtual nature of these systems is truly what puts them in a category of their own. Never-again will you have to live in constant fear of blackouts, and the way that a lack of electricity can cripple your operations. Hybrid cloud servers are seen as the best way in which to safeguard your company’s activities, and at the moment it is rather difficult to dispute this argument.
The Benefits That You Need To Know
Although there are a considerable number of benefits that can be attributed to the use of cloud servers, we feel like there are some that stand out more than others. Without a doubt the most attractive of these is the reliability that they can provide. Those of you that have ever suffered from a server-shutdown will be well-aware of the damage that this can cause your business, both in the short-and-long term. Not having a functioning website can see your ability to make sales, and subsequently a profit, vanish. Cloud servers are able to utilise pieces of hardware dotted around the UK, meaning that downtime will cease to be an issue.
Something that we are sure will put a smile on your face, in relation to cloud servers, is that they are routinely priced in an affordable fashion. Were you to decide to remain faithful to a traditional dedicated server, you would be expected to pay for the various pieces of maintenance that are required to keep it running smoothly. Similarly, you will be responsible for any repairs or updates that need to be conducted. The same cannot be said when you opt to switch to a cloud server. With this, you are not directly associated with any particular data center; instead, your server will determine which hardware is best-suited to host your website at any one time. The freedom that this provides you is difficult to put into words, but you will certainly appreciate the money that this will save you as time goes on.
Provided that you take the time to do your research, and manage to find a cloud hosting provider that has a significant amount of experience under their belts, another benefit that you can expect to be privy to is a built-in failsafe. Disaster recovery services are becoming more-and-more sought-after, and upon closer inspection it is not difficult to see why this is the case. Picture the scene: you are conducting sweeping changes to your website, when suddenly a power outage causes you to lose all of your progress. Not only this, but it could be some-time before you are able to get your site up-and-running once again. With a cloud server, you can put all of these problems behind you. Should you be unfortunate enough to suffer a malfunction, it will not take long for the situation to be resolved in a manner that will please you.
The Old-Fashioned Alternatives
What many start-up firms fail to realise is that, although cloud servers are currently going from strength-to-strength, this was not always the case. In times gone by, there were other server solutions that were considered to be most-popular, and each of these had their own unique selling points. Case-and-point, managed hosting remains a service that some firms choose to go with, for the simple reason that they do not have to shoulder the burden of controlling the power output. When a spike in demand is registered, your elected representatives will handle the tweaks and changes that need to be made, which can certainly help you to feel more-relaxed.
Whilst there are a number of similarities between the two, it is vital that you recognise the differences between cloud servers and VPS, or virtual private servers. With this, you will find your website loaded onto a piece of hardware that is also being utilised by a number of different companies. However, there will be a niche piece of software that is installed – this effectively separates you from the other websites, which can have huge positive consequences. For instance, you will no-longer need to worry about how the content of other website’s can impact your search results – you are free from this, which should come as a massive relief. Not only this, but there is the potential for you to upload bespoke programmes and software that can benefit the running capabilities of your website.
If you are in the middle of a transition, and have seen your server contract come to an end without having a successor in-place, you have no need to panic. Most high-end server providers are more-than happy to provide flexible servers; as the name suggests, this is a short-term solution that can give you the time that you need to get yourself sorted. With an account manager in your corner to handle the day-to-day running of your server, this is not a service that should be automatically dismissed, as it could prove to be a huge help going forward.
Highlighting The Selection Criteria
After having weighed up the pros-and-cons associated with the various types of server that we have listed above, you will have likely come to the realisation that a cloud server package is most-appropriate for your firm at this time. However, the hard work is only just beginning – it is now that you must try to locate a provider that can conform to your expectations, and this is a task that is easier said than done. Before you get ahead of yourself, it would be wise to dedicate some time to look into the background of your prospective collaborators. After all, the last thing that you will want is to enter into an agreement, only to discover that they have been plagued by bad reviews by past clients. As an example of what you should be on the lookout for, feel free to take a glance at the Trustpilot page that is dedicated to catalyst2. Here, you will find wave-after-wave of glowing testimonials – this is the type of reputation that your provider should have.
Data security is an immensely important factor to keep in mind when hunting for your perfect cloud server host. Some server hardware is ill-equipped to deal with the equipment and techniques that are employed by cyber criminals – the same cannot be said for top-tier cloud servers. These virtual machines are able to make-use of a wide-array of security measures that can provide you with the peace-of-mind that your website will remain safe. You need to be able to instil confidence in your customers, and illustrate that you are taking preventative steps to stop their personal information from falling into the wrong hands. When you highlight the fact that you are incorporating a state-of-the-art cloud server into your operations, it will not take long for new clients to come flooding to you. Therefore, it would be wise to ascertain the security capabilities of your prospective hosting provider.
Join The Revolution
Despite cloud servers being a relatively new innovation, in comparison to some of the physical servers that have been around for some time, it has become evident that these are the hosting solution of the future. With your dedicated control panel, you have complete control over the way that your cloud server works, and this is not something to be taken for granted. In terms of cost-effectiveness, you won’t have to overly concern yourself about drastically increasing your expenses. As far as computing services go, this is an investment opportunity that will revolutionise your business for the better – this is something that catalyst2 can guarantee.
Now that we have fleshed out the ins-and-outs of cloud servers, and the numerous advantages that come with this package, we feel that it is only right that we give an account of ourselves. Cloud platforms can be found up-and-down the country, which is excellent from a consumer’s standpoint. That being said, you will be hard-pressed to source a private cloud operating system that comes close to the quality of catalyst2’s. The privacy and security that we can provide you with is second-to-none, and this immediately allows us to stand out from the crowd.
Part of what makes us such a desirable firm to work with, aside from the not-inconsiderable number of services that we are equipped to provide, is the level of support that you can expect from us. Regardless of the situation that you find yourself in, you can be rest-assured that our team will go above-and-beyond to try and cater to your needs – few other companies can match us in this regard. We encourage anyone that is at-all interested in our services to send us a message at sales@catalyst2.com; our representatives will be transparent with you. Hopefully, they can highlight not only why cloud services are important, but also why catalyst2 is the provider that you should turn-to for assistance.
