The website’s speed and stability have always been important aspects, as they not only affect the quality of the user experience but are also crucial in the SEO context. In particular, slow page loading, periodic freezes, or accessibility issues have a direct correlation with conversion rates and, in general, the reputation of the brand that owns a particular web resource. At the same time, to avoid all these troubles, it’s not enough to delegate your website to seasoned developers – sometimes, the cornerstone is hosting. Below, we’ll explain what it should be like and why using a virtual private server can be the only viable option.
Why Regular Virtual Hosting is Not a One-Size-Fit-All Solution?
Today, the vast majority of new web projects still consider virtual hosting to be the only existing option, and in vain. In this case, the resources of one physical server are shared by dozens or even hundreds of clients, which, in theory, may be acceptable for websites with limited traffic. However, as the number of visitors/pages/integrations with third-party services grows, sooner or later, such websites face a problem associated with the uneven distribution of resources.
That is, if another website on a shared server begins to consume too much processor time or RAM, other clients face the so-called noisy neighbor, and the computing resources for them are reduced.
VPS as Something Between Shared and Dedicated Servers
A virtual private server, or VPS for short, involves dividing a physical server into several independent virtual machines using a hypervisor. Each of these machines receives its own resources, including processor cores, RAM, disk space, etc. Thus, unlike regular virtual hosting, where these things are shared, VPS clients receive a fixed portion of the capacity. Another advantage of VPS is its lower cost compared to a full-fledged dedicated server, which makes it more cost-efficient for businesses with limited budgets. Here are some more advantages of VPS:
- Increased website loading speed. Since, according to statistics, every extra second of waiting can reduce conversion by 7-10%, using VPS will allow you to quickly process user requests even under peak loads. Also, depending on the provider, it becomes possible to configure file systems and use SSD drives to speed up work with static content.
- Scalability. As the number of visitors grows, the functionality of the website expands, and it integrates with new services, VPS will provide smooth scaling of resources, including adding RAM, processor cores, or disk space. Thanks to this, you can prevent performance issues and ensure the stable operation of the website even during unexpected traffic surges.
- Flexible configuration. VPS opens access to the server environment, including the ability to choose an operating system, install specific software, and optimize the server for narrow-focused tasks such as server caching, using CDN, load balancing, etc. (in general, everything that isn’t available when using shared hosting).
- Stability. Since uninterrupted operation is critical for many websites, VPS can provide a higher level of stability due to isolation from noisy neighbors. That is, even if one of the virtual servers on a physical node faces an overload, this won’t affect the operation of the others. In addition, most VPS providers offer their users backup systems and protection against DDoS attacks, thereby increasing the level of fault tolerance.
- Impact on SEO. Search engines always take into account the loading speed of websites when ranking them. In particular, a slow-working web resource with a high bounce rate will quickly lose its position in search results and, thus, part of the organic traffic. In turn, VPS helps to avoid such problems, providing visitors with quick access to content and increasing trust in the company.
- Budget-friendliness. Although VPS is more expensive than regular virtual hosting, it ultimately protects your business from bad performance, because this is not only a decrease in sales but also the cost of restoring your reputation. To be more precise, compared to a dedicated server, a VPS allows you to achieve almost the same level of performance for less money.
Final Thoughts
A virtual private server provides a fast website response, the ability to scale, and stable operation under different levels of load. This means that switching to VPS can become a smart decision for companies that want to improve user experience and strengthen their market positions.
