If you are currently engaged in any facet of ecommerce, even service sectors, a website makes up a great deal of your business. Therefore, it is a safe assumption that you pay for hosting your website in some fashion. If you do not already have a dedicated server, perhaps you should revisit the decision for the best hosting options for your business.

What is a Dedicated Server?

Most web hosting companies set up accounts or on a shared server. You essentially share the total hard drive and bandwidth allowance with many others. This may not be the best hosting option and can present many problems such as security and traffic bottlenecks. On a dedicated server, the server is completely yours, and there are not other websites utilizing the same machine. The server is dedicated completely to you and your business.

Advantages of a Dedicated Server

Several advantages can make a dedicated server the best hosting choice for you. These include:

Server Security –Dedicated servers increase the security of your website tremendously. There are no other webmasters using the same workspace, and simple mistakes or user error that might occur due to shared machines simply no longer existent.

Storage Space – As the entire server is dedicated to a single customer, there is tremendously more storage space available for website pages, images, and features.

Data Transfer – As with storage space, there is a great deal more bandwidth available for data transfer. Traffic to your site no longer competes with traffic for other websites reducing bottlenecks and slow server response time.

Control Panel – Having your own server offers additional opportunities for control. Sharing a server indicates that you have only limited control of server features and functions, but with a dedicated server, webmasters have greater control and access to the day-to-day functions of the host.

Software Options – Dedicated servers also allow more software and script options. The server has greater storage capacity for this information, and there is no need to align coding or features with other users of the same machine.

Disadvantages of a Dedicated Server

The sole disadvantage of a dedicated server is the cost. It is only logical that obtaining an entire server versus a piece of a shared server would be more expensive, but the rate often makes webmasters baulk. It is important to consider the fee as related to the total cost of shared server space when determining if a dedicated server is the best hosting option for you business, despite cost. A single credit card safety incident or an exorbitant bill for bandwidth overage should level the playing field almost immediately.

Am I ready for a Dedicated Server?

Websites grow at different rates, but as the success of a business grows, so does the need for additional hosting capacity. If you are approaching the limits of your current hosting company or have concerns about safety, such as storing credit card information on the same server as others or simply if your current company is the best hosting company for your needs, it is definitely time for a dedicated server.

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Nice post.

Thanx for sharing

Managed  Service provider

Hi,

It is really nice and informative post. Thanks & keep on sharing....

Do you NEED a dedicated server? That's really something that will need to be determined. Saying that you have an ecommerce site doesn't automatically mean you need a dedicated server. *IF* you got a dedicated server, you'll be paying around $150 for the server - $50 for management - $30-50 for server backup solution - and various other tasks and/or fees to secure the server.

If you're only starting out, a decent host that has experience in eCommerce would be a good start. Determining what software you're using for the eCommerce can also determine which host is a good fit.

Managed Network Services

Make sure that you don't choose an ecommerce web-hosting provider which has too many websites on its servers. If your provider is using its servers to the hilt, then chances are, your website will take a long time to download. Since most people look for high speeds on the internet, customers will tend to move on to other faster sites which take less time to upload.