As your business grows, so do the technical requirements. If you find your website traffic increasing rapidly and it may be time to consider a dedicated server. A dedicated server will offer you high performance hosting in South Africa as well as unmatched customisation. In these curious times of surging security breaches, having as much control of your company’s sensitive data is vital.

If you are unsure or afraid of making the move and migrating from a shared to dedicated environment, this article should give you clarity on your next move.

Dedicated servers are servers that serve the requirements of one enterprise, as opposed to multiple websites using the same server in the case of shared hosting. The beauty of enterprise servers is that you have a dedicated IP address for your website and don’t share resources with other websites.

Read – Shared and Dedicated IPs: Which Should You Choose?

Does your business need a dedicated server?

Here are a few questions that you may ask yourself:

  • Are your website pages taking longer to load?
  • Have you encountered design limitations on your website?
  • Are you concerned about potential security threats?
  • Have you experienced data breaches?
  • Are you running out of storage space?

 

If you have answered yes to one or more of these questions, then dedicated servers should be given thorough consideration.

The questions above are based on expected scenarios when sharing server space. When your website is on a shared hosting plan, your webpage load speed is affected by other websites on the same server. A large influx of traffic, from you or their side, can negatively affect your site speed. Customisation is limited with shared hosting, and that can hinder your ability to grow and give your customers the desired look and feel.

Having a dedicated server also means that your website has a unique IP address and as a result, increased reliability and stability. In the case of shared hosting, the IP address is also shared. Thus, if one of the websites in the pool is flagged or blacklisted, your website will suffer as a result.

 

What are the advantages of choosing a dedicated server for your business?

1. Scalability

Enterprise servers give your business room to grow and scale accordingly in terms of bandwidth, processing power and drive space.

2. Customisation

Because you are not sharing infrastructure with any other company, you can customise to fit your needs.

3. Security

Enterprise servers offer more security for your sensitive data – you can assign individual rights for various accounts and limit access where necessary.

4. Affordability 

It is a cheaper alternative because you are not responsible for purchasing, maintaining and even monitoring the servers. You pay a set amount each month, and someone manages all of that for you.

 

How do you choose the right dedicated server package and provider in South Africa?

There are several factors you need to consider when choosing a dedicated server package in South Africa. When selecting the right provider, you can assess their product features in addition to the advantages mentioned above.

You should also consider:

  • Customer service
  • Experience and expertise
  • Network quality

The network quality for your customer is directly impacted by the physical location of your dedicated server. If your business operates in South Africa, it is advisable to opt for a service provider like 1-grid who have servers locally.

Before making your final decision, ask yourself these questions:

  • How much bandwidth do you need?
  • How much memory do you need?
  • What are the storage needs of your website?
  • What operating system are you going to use?

How simple is the migration to dedicated servers? 

The move is not as arduous and intimidating as it may seem. All you need to do is export your site data and download all the files. Upload files to your new VPS and point an IP address to your new server. It is a relatively simple process that should not hinder operations. Your hosting provider should easily take you through the steps.

As your business grows, so do your technical requirements. Allow your business to grow with ease by creating a digital presence that ensures website customisation, accessibility and security.