Choosing a web hosting provider has never been an easy task. This has been true for even seasoned webmasters. The process of decision-making gets so complex and tedious that it almost intimidates you and you secretly wish there were fewer options to choose from.
The choice of web host preferably stems from these three S’s:
- Speed
- Security
- Support
However, considering long-term strategy where you have to take into account the anticipated growth of your business, you might want to add another ‘S’ to this measure, and that fourth ‘S’ is Scalability. This is precisely where Cloud Web Hosting makes a vast difference.
The Rising Trend
A buzz is fast building up around Cloud Web Hosting these days. You may have come across this term and its popularity while doing your research for various hosting alternatives. Given the advantages that cloud brings from the marketing perspective, it is hardly a surprise that it’s being talked about so widely.
In Cloud Hosting, the hardware resources needed to run a website to the optimum level, are accessible virtually, so they can be used whenever needed.
Why should you opt for Cloud Web Hosting?
You realise that you need a website upgrade when you start finding the resources provided by your Shared Hosting plan inadequate. Once you decide to go for an upgrade, there are two lucrative options to choose from:
- Dedicated Hosting
- Cloud Hosting
In Dedicated Hosting, you have to lease an entire server to be able to host your website. A common Dedicated Hosting plan allows you the access to all the hardware and software of the web server you have leased. Although this makes Dedicated Hosting a pretty expensive option, big businesses and power users prefer this as they consider it suitable for their operations.
On the other hand, Cloud Hosting is comparatively less expensive and hence comes as a fitting option for small and medium sized businesses, which usually operate on a tight budget. This environment provides you with the benefits equivalent to that of Dedicated Hosting. Only you don’t have to carry the headache of maintaining complex hardware and software.
Cloud gives higher Scalability
Cloud Hosting enables you to scale up computer power in real time whenever required. Your system can scale up or down depending upon the changing server loads. Because of this, you do not have to lose your sleepover downtimes, which usually occur due to a sudden surge of traffic or server crash. So, in case of a contingency, your system will have more than enough server resources ready to replace the failed ones.
This is a huge advantage of the cloud which Dedicated or Shared Hosting plans do not offer.
Cloud is cost-effective
Another major advantage of the cloud is its cost-efficiency. Most of the Cloud Web Hosting plans offer the pay-as-you-go model. This means that you have to pay only for the resources you actually use. The provider will not charge you on the basis of monthly rentals. He will bill you based on the traffic volumes to your website, and the number of resources used to manage that. If you are running a business the website of which sees a constantly fluctuating traffic, such a billing provision will be handy for you.
Cloud offers Robust Security
Besides the above-mentioned advantages, Cloud Hosting also brings assured security and firewall programs so that your systems work properly and remain up to date. Organisations are often skeptic about the security of their data which, they feel, might get exposed to malware. However, cloud’s efficacy lies in its stringent security compliances. With cloud, you can access or retrieve data whenever there is an emergency. `
There are a few other important benefits of Cloud Web Hosting:
- Easy customization of your storage
- There will be no single point of failure
- Round-the-clock 24×7 support
- Easier data backup and recovery
- Improved website performance
- A practically unlimited storage
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if we even say that Cloud Hosting right now is the most apt and popular way to store and manage website data. It is undoubtedly the most resourceful and cost-effective method to store as well as manage huge volumes of data. This knowledge is enough for any business to make a shift to this modern technological miracle.
