As a web designer being consulted by your clients about making a move to the cloud, what advice should you give? Should you recommend moving to a cloud server? To provide a sensible answer, it’s important to explain the benefits and to examine whether or not a client can benefit from the move.
Benefits of Cloud Server Hosting
Cloud server hosting carries with it several benefits that make it worth considering. It’s not the perfect hosting solution for everyone but it affords a number of difficult-to-ignore positive points. Here’s a summary of the advantages and benefits that can be expected from it:
- Flexibility and Scalability – Cloud hosting is flexible and easily scalable. If your site’s server load needs fluctuate significantly, you wouldn’t have issues if you are hosting it on cloud servers. Also, upgrading your hosting plan in response to increased needs for server resources is not going to be difficult in the same way it’s easy to scale down.
- Stability – Cloud server hosting makes it easy to isolate software problems. There is no single point of failure. There are also self-healing cloud systems, which mean that if there are problems encountered, they are being addressed behind the scenes. Website owners don’t have to do anything. Cloud servers are regarded as the option with arguably the best stability-to-cost performance ratio.
- Easier Data Recovery – This is one of the most important advantages of cloud hosting. Generally, data backup is done automatically so you wouldn’t lose your important data if ever something goes awry. Also, instances of data corruption in the cloud is very rare.
- No Need for Software Updates – Running a web server entails the need for software, which in turn means the need for regular updates. If you host your sites on the cloud, you don’t have to worry about updating software, especially when essential updates are needed to address new cyber
- No Capital Expenditure and Server Maintenance Costs – Compared to having your own dedicated server, putting your sites on cloud server hosting eliminates capital expenditure as well as the need for a space in your office for housing the server. This means you also avoid additional air-conditioning and maintenance costs.
- Speed – There are cloud service providers that run servers in different countries. These international servers provide the advantage of responsive or fast websites by making sites accessible through servers that are close to the location of visitors.
Cloud hosting service companies provide reliable services that enable fast page loading or site responsiveness by running multiple servers that act as one. They usually employ high performing servers that come with fast processors and solid state drive storage. Because of this kind of setup, resource allocation adapts with website needs. Websites are not being limited with the server resources they can use so they don’t end up slowing down or becoming unavailable.
Who Should Get Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting costs more than shared hosting and other typical web hosting packages availed by bloggers or business website owners. However, if it’s a cloud hosting vs dedicated server price comparison, the latter is significantly more expensive. If you are a regular or maybe a slightly-more-successful-than-average web designer, you clients may not be those that require dedicated servers. Hence, your clients would be those who are on shared hosting, those who use virtual private servers, or those who have their own web servers.
If your client asks for your advice on whether they should switch to cloud hosting, they likely come from the typical web hosting setups mentioned earlier. Your answer should take into account the following basic factors: traffic, the crucialness of high availability, and growth outlook. Be mindful of the following points:
- Cloud hosting is the recommended option for websites that take in high volumes of traffic.
- Cloud hosting is generally a high availability service so it’s an excellent choice for websites that should have zero or very rare downtimes.
- Cloud hosting is advisable to websites that are expected to grow into a big website that attracts an abundance of visitors and serves loads of content.
Given these, it can be said that cloud server hosting is an overkill for a local business that targets local customers or a local nonprofit organization that operates in a small town or city. It’s not a cost-efficient solution for the websites or entities such as local museums, business clubs, or businesses and organizations that are only putting up their websites for the sake of having one.
Cloud hosting is meant for those who want to make the most of their websites. It’s for businesses, organizations, as well as bloggers who have plans of undertaking expansive marketing or promotion campaigns to attract visitors and monetize the the page views or impressions. If your client is a startup business that is aiming to expand operations nationally and later on internationally, cloud server hosting is the sound choice.
Moreover, if your client wants to avoid losing visitors or potential customers due to poor site responsiveness or page loading time, it makes sense suggesting a switch to cloud hosting. If their websites are suffering slowness or downtimes that can’t be attributed to design issues, it makes sense suggesting cloud server hosting.
Should You Tell Your Clients to Move to Cloud Hosting? (conclusion)
What do you get for suggesting a switch to cloud hosting? Why should you suggest cloud hosting? What potential benefits can you derive from it? Nothing much, actually. You may just have more freedom in doing web designing or development for them as you will not be constrained by server software or server-related technical limitations. Cloud hosting is highly flexible and there are virtually no web development restrictions with them. Also, you can turn in some additional side-revenues by becoming an affiliate for a cloud service provider. Just make sure that the cloud hosting provider you recommend to your clients are truly reliable and are able to provide high-quality customer service.
Moving to cloud hosting is a decision that should be based on needs. Cloud hosting is more expensive than shared hosting or other typical hosting packages used by small businesses or bloggers. It’s important to ascertain that there are clear benefits in doing a switch, especially with cost-efficiency taken into consideration.
