As a business-owner, we are sure that you will agree that there are various different tools in your possession that are crucial to the day-to-day operations that you preside over. Depending on your line-of-work, it might be the telephone system that your employees make-use of to reach out to prospective clients. Other firms might argue that it is the desktop computers that they cannot do-without. In reality, all of these pale in significance when compared to your website – this is an asset that will prove its worth time-and-again.
If you are only just starting to get to grips with the technical world, you might not yet-appreciate the importance of choosing the right hosting package. Some people, for example, are of the opinion that free hosting services are sufficient. However, there are plenty of holes in these agreements, and we encourage that you should stay away.
In case you weren’t already aware, here at catalyst2 we have built a reputation for offering the finest VPS hosting in the UK. The expertise that we have in this department means that we are well-equipped to walk you through the benefits that you can expect if you were to switch to this type of system.
1. State-of-the-Art Security
Anyone that has previously been a victim of hacking will testify to the devastating impact that this can have. Not only does it cripple your firm in the short term, but there is lasting damage that can sometimes prove to be irreparable. When clients see that your website is not secure enough to negate the efforts of cyber criminals, the chances are that they will not feel comfortable disclosing private information to you, for fear of it being compromised. The reason that we wish to draw your attention to this is because it should give you the motivation that you need to implement improved safety measures.
Whilst there are certainly a number of factors that might attract you towards a VPS hosting plan, one which will catch your eye almost-immediately is the level of security that is implemented as-standard. Never again will your visitors’ IP addresses be at-risk of being leaked. You need to try and preserve your reputation, and this comes from maintaining a high-standard across the board. The vast-majority of modern VPS systems are equipped with first-class firewalls; this, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. When you take an in-depth look at things, you will see that never-before has your security been this airtight.
What may not have occurred to you is the privacy that your VPS affords you works in your favour. The bespoke hardware that keeps your website separate from others ensures that the software which benefits other companies does not negatively impact you. Similarly, you can run checks as-and-when you like, in order to ascertain if you are being targeted by bots or spam accounts that are designed to hinder your website’s loading times. In essence, there is a simplistic form of disaster recovery running in your favour, and this should be factored into your line of thinking when trying to make a decision in regards to which hosting type is best-suited to you.
2. Modifications are Easy
Over time, you will be hoping that your company evolves – a clear indication that you are progressing as a firm is that you are attracting more-and-more customers on a yearly basis. Whilst this should certainly be regarded as a good thing, you need to be careful that you do not allow your website to stagnate. If you aren’t taking the necessary precautions, it won’t be long before you discover that your website is ill-equipped to cope with the increased demand for your goods or services. Thankfully, if you have a VPS server at your disposal, you shouldn’t find it overly-difficult to keep on top of the situation.
Arguably one of the most-attractive features of VPS hosting is the ability to make quick-and-easy modifications. To put it simply, you can achieve scalability without too-much in the way of hassle. If you have ever had to put up with the troublesome nature that is associated with shared servers, we are sure that you will appreciate the lack of complexity that is involved with VPS servers. Whenever you undergo a period of growth, you can utilise your control panel to start diverting additional power to your physical unit. The consequences of this is that loading times aren’t adversely impacted by an influx of prospective customers.
If you were to underestimate the importance of scalability, we guarantee that issues will begin to arise sooner than you may have expected. Your operating system needs to have access to the necessary resources to perform to the highest-level. Although you could opt to entrust this responsibility with a management firm, this is an additional investment that you can easily avoid. As long as you spend some time acquainting yourself with the times of the day that typically see heavy amounts of traffic, you can take complete control over your website’s day-to-day running.
3. Cost-Effective Investment
Prior to coming to a conclusion on the specific hosting package that you wish to enrol your firm into, there is one factor that you need to look at first, and it relates to your financial situation. Too-often, companies plough ahead and decide that they wish to use a high-end managed hosting service, only to subsequently discover that this service will quickly leave them bankrupt. Although you can’t let costs dictate everything, it is not something that can be ignored completely. You need to try and find a balance – in an ideal world, you will be paying a moderate monthly subscription, whilst simultaneously being blessed with a hosting service that can cater to your particular needs.
As is to be expected, managed services are more-expensive than those that leave you free to your own devices. In case you hadn’t already looked through prospective VPS plans, you should be aware that these are consistently labelled as being cost-effective, and this is because they give you the best of both worlds. You get to take-advantage of a first-class platform on which to build a website, yet also keep your bank-balance at a level that you would regard to be acceptable.
In the beginning, you might be under the impression that the lack of 24/7 support is something that will impede your progress – this could not be further from the truth. This is a course of action that motivates you to educate yourself on the finer details associated with hosting. Whatsmore, this is not to say that you are completely cut-off and independent. When you have queries, the service provider will only be a phone call away. If you are so-inclined, it is also possible to use a server manager that specialises in VPS provision. The important thing that you have to do is scour the market for a provider that has adopted the same way of thinking that you and your business have. This, it has to be said, is a recipe for success.
4. Plenty of Options
From the moment that you begin searching for a firm to take-on the role of VPS host, it will quickly become clear that you are spoiled for choice in this department. The sought-after nature of this type of service means that up-and-down the country, hosting specialists are popping up and vying for your attention. To begin with, this may seem to be a fantastic thing, as it means that you can scope out the different packages that are out there, and make comparisons in relation to price and efficiency. Once you progress further, however, it will dawn on you that it is notoriously-tricky to narrow down your options to one that will work in your best interests.
First-and-foremost, you should investigate the uptime that your prospective provider has achieved in the past. If they have a chequered track-record that is full of holes, this should be heeded as a warning sign. If their previous customers have had to put up with frequent outages, it is understandable that you will not want to be subjected to the same fate. Should you need an example of what a pristine provider should be able to achieve, look no further than catalyst2. Having been in business for more than twenty years, the fact that we have maintained an uptime exceeding ninety nine percent is almost unprecedented. This is the level of proficiency that you, as a customer, should consider to be the bare minimum. Anything less, and we advise that you take your requirements elsewhere.
The way in which a company is perceived by previous consumers is also incredibly-telling of the way that they operate. After-all, you are paying a substantial amount of money for high-quality VPS hosting; the least that your provider can do is to try and offer a stress-free experience from start to finish. Take, for instance, catalyst2 – a glance at our Trustpilot page will reveal a wealth of testimonials, each-and-every one glowing with praise in regards to the friendly manner that we conduct ourselves. Rather than view this to be an added extra, we encourage that you view this to be a staple of the service. VPS hosting is rather complex, and there will be times that you have questions. If your provider can’t offer you insightful answers that put your mind at ease, you are in the wrong place.
Time to Begin Your Journey
Ever since virtual private servers entered onto the scene, they have been making waves. When you take into consideration everything that they bring to the table, it is not difficult to understand why their popularity has only ever been on the rise. For example, they are able to run in a smoother manner when compared to the usual physical servers that are offered. Despite the fact that your website is grouped-together, you will not run into the same issues that are present with shared hosting. If you are now determined to find a first-class provider that can accommodate your needs with minimal hassle, the first company that you should speak to is none-other than catalyst2.
Part of what makes catalyst2 unique as opposed to some of the other hosting providers situated in the country is that we do not only profess to be home to the best VPS hosting in the UK. From the moment that we opened our doors to the public, we have made it our mission to provide total-satisfaction for our clients, something that we have achieved overwhelming success with. To us, it does not matter if you think that a shared server will suffice in the long-run, or if you think that the background support that is accessible with dedicated servers is more to your liking. We aim to please, and will gladly do everything that we can to ensure that your company is set-up to succeed.
Before you get ahead of yourself, it is natural that you will have a couple of questions that you would like to have addressed, particularly if this is your first time coming across VPS servers. As hosts, we offer complete and total transparency with our audience. With a wide-range of services available, the catalyst2 support team are on-hand to provide you with all the answers that you seek. To speak to one of our representatives directly, please send us your details via email at sales@catalyst2.com.