If you are thinking of creating a website, or have recently done so, you are not alone in this type of endeavor. Having an online website can become a profitable business, particularly if you follow the proper steps. There are millions of websites active around the world, and their creators all had to start somewhere! Below is a rundown of VPS hosting and what you can expect to encounter on your journey to make your website live.

What is Web Hosting?

First, it might be beneficial to start at the beginning and explain the concept of web hosting. Web hosting is a requirement for all websites that are live on the internet. A hosting provider will allocate a certain amount of space on their server and host a website on it. This allows for the website's files to be visible to online visitors. When the visitor types the domain address into their browser, the computer connects to the server, and the web pages will become available to them.

The main types of web hosting are shared, dedicated, reseller, and VPS (virtual private server). Shared hosting refers to hundreds of different users sharing the same server space. The types of websites that use shared hosting tend to be start-up blogs and forums. Dedicated hosting involves a server hosting only a single website. Reseller hosting is when the account holder can use their server space to host on behalf of a third party. VPS hosting is when fewer users are sharing the same server. We will be describing VPS in more detail down below.

When to Use VPS Hosting

VPS is the intermediary between shared and dedicated hosting. People tend to start with shared hosting and then move into VPS when their online business gets a little more successful. The business owner may realize that they are experiencing more online traffic or that they need more reliability for their site. When using VPS hosting, a website has a lower chance of crashing or experiencing long load times as compared to shared hosting. This is because more resources such as disk space, bandwidth, and CPU are available for use with VPS hosting. If a website is getting more than 100 visits per day, it is a good idea to increase the site's reliability to avoid losing business.

Another reason to switch to VPS hosting is if you have a concern about your website's virtual security. This can be the case if you are dealing with a lot of confidential data from clients daily. Using VPS will reduce hackers' chance of infiltrating your site because your operating systems will remain private, even if the physical server is being shared with others.

Upgrading to VPS will likely cost more than a shared plan, but it is not significant if increasing the budget is a worry. If your business is making a consistent flow of revenue, it might be worth it to invest in the upgrade. An unmanaged VPS plan will usually start around $5 per month. A managed VPS plan will be more, typically around $50-$100 per month.

Managed VS. Unmanaged VPS

Two of the options that you have for VPS hosting are managed and unmanaged plans, as mentioned above. With a managed VPS plan, you will be taking a step back from the IT side and allowing others to handle it for you. Your hosting provider will be responsible for taking care of things such as including installing software patches, updating, and maintaining the site. If the website were to unexpectedly crash, the hosting provider would be the one who solves the issue and gets everything back up and running. This will leave you free to run the business and not worry as much about website hosting. Typically, a managed plan is beneficial for new business owners who need to spend time growing their sales.

An unmanaged VPS plan allows the account holder to take more responsibility for the technical running of the website. The individual will need to maintain the website and operate the server settings on their own. They will also be responsible for getting the website back online if it crashes. However, this does allow for more freedom and control. The individual could choose the upgrades that they want to install and change the settings as they see fit. Usually, an unmanaged plan would be beneficial to someone who already has a basic knowledge of coding and web design.