Benefits of dedicated server vs. your current hosting plan
While shared servers are the most popular form of hosting and most cost-effective option for small web-sites, they might not be a good option for large, "mission-critical" or high-traffic web-sites. For these types of websites a dedicated server host might be a necessity.
Dedicated hosting does cost more to than shared hosting, and often require a higher level of technical skill to operate. However, if your company is making thousands of dollars a day from e-commerce and your business could fail if the server went down for more than a few hours, then you should seriously consider leasing a server. Here's why:
Dedicated hosting offers the ability to maintain your own server by allowing you to manage server traffic, server response time, server security, data backups, and the applications you want to use on your server.
Server traffic and response time
The server response time on a shared hosting environment is solely dependent on the amount of traffic the other sites on the server are receiving. For example, if a site on shared hosting environment suddenly receives an influx in traffic, it will cause the other site on the server to slow down. Therefore, your site's response time will slow dramatically and you are without recourse.
On a single dedicated server you can control the amount of traffic allowed in the server which, in turn, keeps your site response time at its maximum performance.
Security
Shared hosting environments are more likely to have security issues because everyone does not implement the full security that is offered. Therefore, your site is more likely to have security issues on a shared server than on a dedicated hosting where you can control the level of firewall security.
Also, when lease a server, you have the choice to pay for a higher level of security than you do on shared hosting. This can help with server load management and any security issues.
In a shared hosting environment, you are limited by the security provided by the hosting company and what others on the server decide to implement. If you have a leased server, you can implement your own security and pay for extra security.
Data retention and backups
Losing company data and the time it takes to restore it could create a great loss to your company. Using a dedicated server provides the option of running RAID on your server or you can have the hosting company backup the data to an offsite facility for an additional fee.
Platforms
A platform (commonly known as the control panel) is vital in making a decision to get a dedicated server. The choice depends on the extent of the applications you are familiar with and what applications you want to run.
A shared hosting environment limits the applications available on the server. Unlike a dedicated server you can choose which platform you want and the choice determines the applications you can run. Some platforms are customizable such as Parallels PLESK Platform.
If your company plans on major growth over the next year and has a little extra cash, consider moving to a dedicated server. During this economic downturn, hosting companies are offering incentives for powerful leased servers.
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