There are many advantages to purchasing a dedicated hosting plan. This arrangement is perfect for customers who require a higher degree of flexibility, security, reliability and a website that gives out an enterprise-grade performance. Although you are actually leasing the hardware from the hosting company, you are still provided with a great deal of flexibility and control that allows you to customize the server based on your specific needs. So even though you do not really own the server, this can actually turn out to be a good thing, especially if your organization does not have the manpower to handle the various maintenance tasks that must be performed on a day to day basis.

The Experience Factor

While some customers have the experience needed to maintain a dedicated server, others do not. If you have a capable in-house team, you should be able to thrive just fine in this more complex environment. For the more technically inclined user, managing an entire web server is usually no problem at all. For those that have no experience or knowledgeable administrator, a managed solution may be the best option for their dedicated server. With a managed service, the hosting provider handles the bulk of the maintenance and is often responsible for making sure the server stays up and running. This generally includes taking care of the operating system, web server, applications and the hardware itself. While an unmanaged server is usually the cheaper route, managed hosting is often the best way to go if you lack the knowledge and experience needed to maintain the system.

Is it the Right Move for You?

Whether or not you have the resources needed to manage a dedicated server is a critical factor to determining if this type of hosting is right for you. If you are have the budget to take on the cost associated with leasing the hardware and feel that the hosting firm can provide you with an acceptable level of support, this could be the best move. Regardless of where you stand in terms of experience, it is critical to first determine whether your website or business demands the power of a dedicated server. If not, you could taking on an unnecessary expense and complexity that makes it more difficult for you to succeed. As long as you warrant the need, a dedicated server can be a viable option whether you possess the technical abilities or not. With the market for managed hosting services growing rapidly, you do not have to let the lack of experience deter your plans because solutions are widely available.

In today’s internet driven world, the website often reflects on the credibility of the company behind it. A dedicated server can help you a establish and maintain a credible online presence while providing your business with the best possible chance to succeed. If you are not sure of how to proceed, reach out to a few service providers for a little guidance. This way, you can gather the information you need and perhaps find yourself a good partner in the process.

Source: http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/11/17/can-you-handle-a-dedicated-server/

These days, the average web hosting company has thousands of websites to maintain and even more customers to keep happy.  Manually performing all of the required tasks across multiple web servers is prohibitively costly and in many environments, impossible.  Being that web hosting is such a demanding operation, even seemingly trivial processes such as creating email accounts would be overwhelming difficult.  This is where control panels and automation come into play.  With a quality control panel application, hosting providers can get an efficient handle on server administration while their customers can manage virtually every aspect of their own websites without intervention from the host.

Control panel software is designed to automate various aspects of server administration, taking the pain out of intensive manual labor.  Some of the most notable include creating email accounts, SQL databases, access control and facilitating software installations among other administrative functions.  Most of these programs work by providing each domain and website owner with a unique access ID, which gives them access to the user interface of the control panel.  When the user logs in to their hosting account via the software, they are then able to perform a number of different server administration tasks based on the available features, resources and access permissions.  A good control panel will not only allow you to accomplish server administration with relative ease, but also monitor your resource usage, view server logs and manage your files right on the software.

Commercial vs. Custom Control Panels

When it comes to control panel applications, web hosting firms generally have two options.  They can choose to purchase an out of the box commercial solution, or build their own custom software in-house.  A large number of companies have elected to build their own software programs due to their proprietary hardware infrastructure, assured compatibility and to elude the often expensive licenses that come along with commercial products.  On the other hand, developing custom automation software in-house can prove to be both time consuming and expensive.   Most importantly, it could result in a much steeper learning curve for the hosting provider’s customers.  Therefore, most companies utilizing generic software and hardware components are better suited for out of the box commercial solutions as they typically offer the utmost in convenience for the end customer.  These type of control panels eliminate the cost and complexities of designing the application and also cut down on technical support as customers will be less likely to rely on assistance from the host.

Summary

Control panel software enables web hosting companies to drastically reduce overhead expenses through the simplistic power of automation.   This in turn, allows them to be more competitive in terms of pricing and even extend that power and control onto their customers who can perform a number of server administration tasks regardless of their technical knowledge.  From cPanel and Plesk to DirectAdmin and Helm, control panel software plays a key role in making sure web hosting is simple and affordable.

The initial reaction to your e-commerce solution may be a positive one, but that could all change depending on the perception of your customers.  Believe it or not, the company you sign up with and the service they provide can either make or break your business.  If your solution does not possess the following qualities, achieving success online will be very difficult and maybe even impossible.

Critical Security Features

There are a number of components associated with your hosting platform that can affect how customers perceive your business.  One of the important of all is security.  This is one aspect that cannot be overlooked because it will help you establish trusting relationships and the confidence customers need to feel safe when sharing their sensitive information with you.  Proven and visible security mechanisms such as SSL certificates will help to create the trust and confidence you need to be successful with an online business.  By neglecting to use them, you stand the risk of losing many customers because the consumer is growing increasingly aware of the potential dangers that come along with shopping online.

Speed and High Availability

The performance of your e-commerce site is critical, especially in today’s fast paced on-demand world.  If your hosting provider is utilizing slow servers, potential customers will more than likely click their way to the competition.  A degraded performance will undoubtedly impact your bottom line and possibly cause your company to go out of business.  This can all be avoided by choosing a host that uses the best server hardware and redundant connections to the internet.  It is the overall reliability of their infrastructure that will determine the success of your business.

Adequate Server and Network Capacity

Selecting an e-commerce hosting package with limited storage and bandwidth capacity is like intentionally placing restrictions on the potential of your business.  It is highly recommended to choose a plan that provides enough of both resources to compensate for expansion.  Although many hosts offer solutions with unlimited resources, this marketing ploy can actually work to your disadvantage once your files and traffic start bursting through the seams of the server.  When you are no longer able to update your site due to the lack of disk space and visitors cannot access your site because the bandwidth has been exceeded, your audience will view you in a negative light and this will definitely serve as a crucial blow to your credibility.

Having a secure and reliable hosting solution is critical to any online business.  While some of your more loyal customers may give you a second shot in the midst of slow loading pages and unavailability, most new prospects will never return and seek out someone who is more capable of meeting their needs.  When starting your journey with an online business, always remember that excessive downtime results in lost customers and lost sales.  It is simple as that.  A host that can assure you a reliable and secure environment gives you the best opportunity to keep your customers happy and your bottom line on the profitable side of the spectrum.