In times gone by, the world of web hosting was one that was regarded as being mysterious and difficult to navigate, unless you had been provided with the necessary training. This has led to many people, especially those who are not particularly tech-savvy, to be somewhat sceptical of the importance of enlisting the help of a high-quality hosting provider. Unfortunately, it is this line of thinking which often leads to sub-par websites that, in turn, can irreparably damage a company’s reputation and branding.
In case you did not already know, we are catalyst2; formed in 2000, we have spent the last twenty-one years forging our path towards becoming one of the country’s most notorious and efficient web hosting businesses. The exposure that we have had within this rather niche industry has meant that we have the knowledge necessary to dispel the most popular misconceptions surrounding web hosting. If you would like to be privy to this, we suggest that you take a closer look at the list below.
‘All Firms Offering Web Hosting Are The Same’
If you believe that each-and-every one of the web hosting providers that you come across during your research have the same credentials, and are therefore capable of providing the same quality of service, we are here to inform you that you are sorely mistaken. This is a field that is incredibly saturated, yet each firm is entirely different in their approach to the services that they provide. If you are considering investing in this type of option, there are certain things that you need to look out for. These features can indicate whether or not they will be a good fit for your particular firm.
First-and-foremost, you should check to see if they actively publicise their server reliability and uptime. This, for those of you that weren’t aware, relates to the amount of time that their servers have remained active, without any faults or maintenance causing websites to be taken offline. If the percentage is languishing particularly low, you should take this to be a red flag, as it demonstrates that they are incapable of guaranteeing first-class performance levels regularly. As a point of reference, over the past fourteen years, catalyst2 has recorded a 99.997% uptime – this is nothing short of incredible.
A tell-tale sign of a company that takes its web hosting duties serious is the size of its catalogue of services. If you find a single available option, this indicates that they are either trying to specialise in a single area, or they simply lack the equipment and techniques necessary to evolve and grow. However, if you are presented with a vast array of services and packages, you can expect to be able to deal with total professionals that take their work incredibly seriously. Should you discover that you have the choice between, for instance, VPS servers and dedicated servers, as well as management contracts, you can be rest assured that you won’t be left with a feeling of disappointment.
‘VPS Servers Are No Different To Cloud Servers’
Those of you that have ventured into hosting in the past will be well-aware of the differences between cloud hosting, and that which involves virtual private servers. Unfortunately, the uninitiated amongst you may have heard rumours circulating which profess that these services are one and the same. Whilst there are certainly some similarities between the two, there are also numerous differences which allow them to stand apart as separate entities. Depending on the situation that you find yourself in, you may opt to go down one course of action or another.
In the case of virtual private servers, you are effectively sharing a single piece of hardware with various other websites. However, there is software installed which keeps these segregated – the benefit of this is that you are able to subsequently use bespoke programmes on your site, without having to worry about the effect that it will have on other users. Most people regard this to be a cost-effective alternative to a dedicated server, as you are able to split the maintenance costs.
As you may have already deduced, the cloud hosting option revolves around a service which is totally based online. Over the past few years, cloud-based services have seen their popularity soar, and it is not difficult to see why. These are often regarded to be of the highest quality in terms of reliability, simply due to the fact that they do not rely on a single piece of hardware. Being spread across numerous units means that downtime will be a thing of the past, were you to decide to utilise this particular service. Hopefully, you can see that though these services display some of the same traits, there are huge contrasts. Before you make a firm commitment in one direction or another, we suggest that you delve a little deeper beneath the service, and complete an in-depth comparison.
‘Your Company Doesn’t Require A Website’
In the past, you may well have been able to get away with the argument that because of the particular line of work that you found yourself in, there was no need to add to your list of expenses by developing and maintaining a high-class website. However, times have now changed, and this is no longer a valid excuse. If you take into account the way that businesses have had to adapt in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, it is not difficult to see why having online capabilities is so important. Whilst it might have been true that website’s used to be solely used for processing transactions remotely, there are now countless functions that a website can offer.
You might see this as a way in which to diversify your advertising techniques. Although there is certainly nothing with wanting to stay true to your roots, and continue with the posters and leafleting which brought you success in the past, this is perhaps not quite as sustainable as you may have initially thought. In order to try and appeal to broader demographics and different customers, it is important to demonstrate that you are willing to adapt to the times. In particular, younger generations have been known to solely do business with firms that have embraced the technical changes which are now viewed as an integral part of everyday life.
Should you have been a tradesmen for the majority of your working life, you may be under the impression that you have managed to get by without a website for this long, and as such adapting your business model now seems pointless and unnecessary. However, you must take into consideration the fact that, as each year goes by, you will be facing more-and-more competition for work. In some particular scenarios, the deciding factor could be when a prospective client goes to compare website’s, only to discover that you are lacking in this department. If you wish to remain relevant in the coming months, and continue to receive a steady stream of customers, we strongly suggest that you begin your journey towards getting a website as soon as possible.
‘You Can Get By With Free Hosting’
Many professional services, which you would ordinarily find yourself paying for, can be found being offered for free when you conduct searches on the Internet. Therefore, it is highly-likely that you are asking yourself why you should start dipping into your corporate savings to pay for a website, when there are hosts that will do it for nothing. In all honesty, it is advisable that you try and use this in a similar manner that you would a free-trial. With it, you can try to ascertain whether or not this type of service is for you. Following on from this, if you have discovered that it may allow you to reap lucrative rewards further down the line, you can look to enlist the help of a specialist company.
The reason why it is unwise to plough forward, for an extended period, using free services is that it indicates that the provider in question lacks the resources necessary to continuously improve and upgrade the level of their services. This, in turn, will have a detrimental impact on your website, as it will remain stale. In order to maintain your competitiveness, you need to illustrate your ability to move with the times. By creating a website that, for all intents and purposes, is seen as a technical masterpiece, you can subsequently expect to see orders flying in at a rate that you may not have previously experienced.
From a security perspective, you can be sure that a free service will not live up to the capabilities that have become standard practice at high-end firms. You may not, for instance, be provided with an SSL certificate. This is meant to demonstrate that your website is safe to visit, and that it is run in a legitimate and legal manner. Without this, you may struggle to attract casual browsers, as they will see this as a warning sign that, for instance, their IP address may be compromised. If you and your organisation want to be taken seriously, and aspire to become a market leader in your chosen field, diverting your funds into an established web hosting provider is not only sensible, but a shrewd business decision.
catalyst2 – Here For You
When you are searching for a top-tier hosting plan, you should be mindful of the myths and rumours that have been mentioned above – if you take these at face value, and dictate your decisions according to what they say, you could end up drastically hampering your chances of coming to a successful agreement. Contrary to popular belief, server hosting is a relatively simple collection of services. Whilst there are numerous options from which to choose from, it is incredibly easy to find a concise breakdown of what they include, as well as the benefits which they are associated with. If in doubt, feel free to check in with the catalyst2 team, as they will be more than happy to provide you with an easy-to-follow guide.
For those of you that have their heart set upon taking advantage of VPS hosting in the UK, or are trying to discern which UK dedicated server hosting company can live up to your expectations, you will not be disappointed with the results that catalyst2 can procure for you. The virtual private servers that we possess are state-of-the-art, and can have a dramatic effect on your website’s processing speeds. With the operating systems in our data centre, our services are wide-ranging and fully-managed, ensuring that we have no issues catering to the needs of our customers.
Have you been entertaining the idea of utilising a cloud server, but are unsure as to whether or not it comes with unlimited bandwidth? Do you find yourself comparing the pros and cons associated with shared web hosting and VPS plans, without being able to come to the conclusion regarding which is best? In eventualities such as these, we actively encourage you to reach out to one of our support representatives. They are well-versed in our activities, and can provide any answers that you may seek. If you visit the catalyst2 contact page, you will be able to choose your preferred method of choice – we cannot wait to hear from you.
