This question plagues many businesses, particularly small to medium-sized companies experiencing growth. The question has become even more pressing for many businesses that have experienced a rapid increase in e-commerce activity and/or employees working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to Choose Your Web Hosting Infrastructure
What do we mean by hosting When we say hosting, we are talking about cloud hosting. Cloud hosting is the procurement of computing resources from a cloud computing provider or facility to host data or services. There are several different types of cloud hosting solutions available that are designed to address a range of customer needs, from web hosting sites to data centres. Basically, hosting enables you to access the website, data management and application solutions you need without physically storing or managing that data on your own IT infrastructure (on-site server). What do we mean by DIY An on-site server requires hardware that you have purchased or leased that is fully dedicated to being used by your business. Not only will it be your responsibility to fund that purchase or lease, but you will need to maintain and manage that infrastructure using your internal IT resources.
Key factors when considering the use of web hosting services
Every business is different, but all will need to consider several factors when determining their hosting infrastructure. Determining factors should include:
- Data security
- Reliability
- Scalability
- Cost
- Accessibility
Data security
Common sense would suggest that having your own on-site server would be more secure. You may feel more secure, but can you match the security protocols applied by reputable cloud hosting providers? At Webcentral, our managed hosting solutions include the latest network and server protection, including daily back-ups, DDoS protection and SSL certification.
Reliability
You cannot afford to have an hour without access to your data, and your customers expect your website to be up and running 24 hours a day, every day. That’s a significant commitment to make in IT resources for any business. With no single point of failure, websites and services hosted on cloud computing environments are more stable, with demands shared amongst multiple machines. A single event or incident is unlikely to affect processes running off a cloud hosting service. Webcentral’s Australian owned and operated infrastructure is designed for maximum performance, including 100% uptime, so your website is always open for business. That performance is supported by 24/7 locally based expert customer service. For many businesses replicating that level of performance and IT support internally is impossible.
Scalability
One of the most significant advantages of your business using infrastructure hosting services is scalability. If you need additional resources, you can contact your host site, request the extra service, and upgrade it. Usually, it can happen immediately. You will not need to purchase any new hardware, which saves capital over time. Similarly, if you wish to reduce your subscription level with your server hosting sites, that can be done too. This flexibility may be convenient if your business is mainly seasonal.
Cost
Cost-saving is one of the most significant cloud computing benefits. A business can save substantial capital costs as it does not fund the physical hardware required for web hosting and on-site hosting. Nor do you need trained IT personnel to run and maintain that hardware. 
Accessibility
When your data is hosted, your workers can access it remotely, giving them the freedom to work where they want. Accessibility depends on access to adequate internet coverage, so you must assess your internet services to ensure you have the power to address your download and upload needs. If you need assistance in upgrading your internet services, our business partner 5G Networks, can help you find the best internet access solution. There are many reasons that small to medium-sized businesses in Australia should investigate the value of cloud hosting sites instead of on-site hosting. Website hosting services can make sense for your company, providing additional resources and time to maintain your focus on further building your business. Discover how our the range of website hosting services can help address your needs today.
