Website Hosting: Do I Need a Dedicated Server?

Cloud hosting

Most businesses and bloggers start off with shared servers as their go-to option when it comes to web hosting. Shared hosting is the easiest and most affordable choice for first-time website builders. This type of hosting plan allows you to share a server with many other websites and cut monthly hosting costs. However, as your website grows and you start getting more traffic, shared hosting might not work for you anymore.

When you share a server with other websites, the speed of your site depends on the activity of other sites connected to that server. For example, if one of the sites on your server suddenly gets a large amount of traffic, your website will slow down significantly. Slow loading speed can negatively impact your SEO rankings and even cause the bounce rate to increase. In other words, your business will lose potential leads and customers because of your site’s poor performance.

In this situation, many website owners start considering dedicated servers as a solution. Investing in a dedicated server will allow you to keep the entire server to yourself. Thus, your website will have far more storage space and its loading speed will improve significantly. Your site’s performance will no longer depend on the traffic of other websites. If you don’t have the capability to store and manage a server in your business, you can choose a managed dedicated server plan. In this case, the website hosting provider will take care of server maintenance for you.

Three Signs That You Need a Dedicated Server

#1 Your Website Is Loading Too Slowly

The first and the most obvious sign that you need to change your web hosting plan is your site’s speed. If you notice that your site is not loading fast enough or if you get complaints from your customers, you might want to switch to a dedicated server. Once a website grows to a significant amount of traffic, there is no way a shared hosting or even VPS hosting plan will suffice. Keep in mind that the slow loading speed will impact your website’s SEO rankings and affect the overall user experience.

#2 You Are Running Out of Storage Space on Your Site

If your website only has a few pages, running out of storage space won’t be too big of a concern. However, if the site grows to over a hundred or even a thousand pages, you might face a storage issue. Dedicated servers provide a lot more storage space when compared to shared hosting. Lack of storage space might prevent your images from loading in high resolution, which will impact the overall quality of your website. Additionally, if you want to use advanced features, like a forum or blog on your site, a shared hosting plan definitely won’t be enough.

#3 Online Security Is Starting to Worry You

Even though most website hosting providers promise top-notch security, a shared hosting plan will leave your site exposed to many cybersecurity risks. Sharing a server comes with a risk that your own website’s security might be compromised by a threat on another site. The easiest way to avoid this and improve security is to switch to a dedicated server and eliminate any potential risk.

Final thought

If you’re wondering whether you need a dedicated server at the moment, check your site’s storage space and loading speeds. As your website grows, you will have to change hosting plans in accordance with the traffic level you’re receiving. If your site has reached the point where it needs more storage space and flexibility, consider switching to a faster and more scalable dedicated server solution. We recommend GreenGeeks Hosting as one of the most reliable hosting providers in the industry. GreenGeeks Hosting offers fast and secure hosting options at highly competitive prices.

About Carson Derrow

My name is Carson Derrow I'm an entrepreneur, professional blogger, and marketer from Arkansas. I've been writing for startups and small businesses since 2012. I share the latest business news, tools, resources, and marketing tips to help startups and small businesses to grow their business.

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