The vast majority of small businesses use traditional hosting to power their day to day operations. Although traditional hosting services like dedicated and shared hosting work for some businesses, they generally come with limitations in terms of bandwidth in addition to security risks. In the past few years, cloud hosting has provided a superior alternative to traditional hosting and it has enabled businesses to scale in a cost-effective manner. It’s crucial for small businesses to get a thorough understanding of what cloud hosting is, so they can improve their performance while reducing their costs.
What is cloud hosting?
Cloud hosting allows applications and websites to perform using cloud resources. Instead of the traditional way of using an on-site server or shared server, your applications and websites can run optimally basically anywhere in the world due to the cloud. With cloud hosting, businesses outsource their entire hosting infrastructure to a provider like AWS, Microsoft, IBM, etc. These companies have spent decades creating the best server infrastructure that has the best performance, security and reliability.
Benefits of cloud hosting:
Reliability: On-site servers and shared servers can malfunction and cause significant downtime for your business. With cloud hosting, you are guaranteed a 99.99% uptime. The largest and most important corporations like government agencies and billion dollar companies run on cloud hosting and you will get the same reliability as them.
Cost: The cost of cloud hosting is often much cheaper than using a traditional hosting service or provider. With cloud hosting, you pay as you go and there are no contracts. You will be charged based on your usage instead of signing a lengthy contract. This flexible payment model makes it extremely easy for your business to start or stop using cloud hosting. You can trial using cloud hosting for a month and go back to your previous provider if you’re unsatisfied.
Scalability: One of the best features of using cloud hosting is the virtually limitless scalability. Cloud hosting provides hosting for organizations like the CIA, Netflix, Uber and other companies simultaneously. Even if you have the highest growth business, cloud hosting can accommodate your server and hosting needs with relative ease. Additionally, you won’t have to pay thousands of dollars to buy new servers; you simply pay for your usage.
Security: A large weakness in traditional hosting is the lack of security. With cloud hosting, you get the best security for your data and business. Cloud hosting providers often offer end to end security that allows for your data to be embedded and they ensure all compliance requirements for your business are being met. With cloud services, you won’t have to worry about the threat of a physical break-in to your on-site premises and servers.
To learn more about how your business can start using cloud hosting, take a free assessment here and get help from an expert.
